Qafu Report

Restructuring the
University Sector
More Opportunities,
Better Quality
Report of the Committee to Review the

University Sector and Graduate Manpower Planning
May 2003
Prepared by:
Higher Education Division
Ministry of Education, Singapore
The text in this document may be reproduced free of charge in any format or
medium providing it is reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context.
The material must be attributed to the Ministry of Education, Singapore and the title of
the document specified.
May 2003
Contents
Executive Summary
Chapter 1
Introduction
Committee to Review the University Sector and Graduate
Manpower Planning
Consultation and Feedback Process
Chapter 2
Strategic Objectives of the University Sector
Evolution of the University Sector

Features of the Current University Landscape
Rationale for Review
Strategic Objectives of our University Sector
Chapter 3
A Robust & Vibrant University Sector
15
Features of the Long-Term University Sector

Why not a Fourth University
Existing Structure of our University Sector
A Proposed New Structure for the Public University Sector
Institutional Characteristics & Roles within the New University
Sector Structure
Role of Private Universities
Chapter 4
Manpower Planning for the University Sector
33
Background
Objectives of Manpower Planning
Impetus for Review
Proposed New Manpower Planning Framework
Chapter 5
A More Responsive Operating Environment
39
Research & Postgraduate Training

Differentiated University Admission
Funding Framework for the University Sector
Chapter 6
Conclusion
45
Annex A
Summary of Recommendations
47
Annex B
Composition of Committee
49
Annex C
Comments by the International Academic Advisory Panel
51
Annex D
Summary of Key Feedback Findings
55
Annex E
Proposed Structure of the Bedrock Public University Sector
61
Executive Summary
Executive Summary
1.
Our universities have played a key contributory role towards
Singapores economic and social development over the last three
decades. These institutions, apart from educating cohorts of graduates for
the economy, are more importantly entrenched in the national psyche of
each Singaporean. The National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang
Technological University (NTU) and Singapore Management University (SMU)
collectively had an undergraduate enrolment of about 39,000 students in
2002.
They also provide postgraduate training and research, and
collaborate with Research Institutes (RIs), industry and the World Class
Universities institutions1.
2.
In tandem with the economic restructuring initiatives for Singapore,
and the Governments proposal to provide an additional 3,500 university
places to meet the 25% cohort participation rate (CPR)2 target by 2010, an
inter-ministry Committee to Review the University Sector and Graduate
Manpower Planning, chaired by Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister of State (Education
and Manpower), was formed on 9 Feb 2002 to recommend a long-term
structure for our university sector that would continue to serve Singapores
requirements as we transit to a new economic structure.
3.
The Committee first deliberated on whether the current standards of
our universities could be maintained as we expand their intake of students.
The Committee reviewed the quality of the potential pool of students from
feeder streams within the junior colleges and polytechnics, and was
satisfied that the present academic rigour of our university sector would not
be compromised after the proposed expansion. Three strategic objectives
form the basis for the restructuring of the university sector. First, our
universities should continue training industry-relevant graduate manpower
and serve as magnets to attract and retain foreign talent in Singapore.
Second, our universities must be better positioned to generate ideas for
wealth creation. Their research efforts must develop depth in specialised
areas in each domain, and breadth of expertise along the spectrum of
disciplines to achieve research excellence and high economic impact.
Third, our universities must attain international branding to entrench
Singapores reputation as a significant player in the global education
arena.
In 1998, the Economic Development Board (EDB) launched its World Class Universities (WCU)
programme to attract at least ten WCUs to establish a significant presence in Singapore
within ten years.
2 The Cohort Participation Rate is expressed as a percentage of the Primary One cohort, i.e.
the percentage of Singaporean and permanent resident students per Primary One cohort,
who are admitted into university each year. In 2002, the CPR was 21%.
1
Report of the Committee To Review The University Sector

And Graduate Manpower Planning
4.
Thus, our universities must maintain, and where possible, enhance their
current standards even as we expand our university sector. Institutional
diversity will enable our universities to achieve excellence and
differentiated branding based on individual strengths and character. A
one-size-fits-all mould would be ineffective in meeting the needs of a wider
spectrum of students. While we should have institutions that play different
roles, the university ecosystem should also allow institutions to compete and
carve out niches of excellence. However, even as universities respond to
student needs and their individual missions, the university sector as a whole
must remain robust. Confidence in the university sector must be maintained
through its ability to offer a relevant, high quality and reasonably accessible
education. Central planning will still be required to ensure high standards
and an output of graduates commensurate with our economic goals.
A NEW PUBLIC UNIVERSITY SECTOR STRUCTURE
5.
To achieve these stated goals, the Committee proposes an expanded
public university sector that comprises two large comprehensive universities
(i.e. NUS Kent Ridge and NTU) and three niche institutions (i.e. SMU, NUS
Outram and NUS Buona Vista). As the bedrock of university education in
Singapore, the public university sector will best achieve the strategic
objectives of our university sector, and embody the features of institutional
diversity, healthy competition and robustness in the long term.
6.
The Committee recommends that NUS be transformed into a multicampus university (MCU) system comprising three autonomous campuses
led by their respective Presidents. NUS Kent Ridge will retain its existing
spread of disciplines with an enrolment of 23,900 undergraduates. The two
new niche campuses will leverage on NUS reputation, strengths and
efficiencies, and hence, surmount the problems characteristic of fledgling
independent universities.
7.
NUS Buona Vista will be a research-intensive university with a vibrant
research culture, providing for 4,000 postgraduates and offering a unique
opportunity to 2,0004,000 undergraduates with a research inclination. It
will thus provide undergraduate education for 500 1,000 students each
year who are able to benefit from the research-oriented environment that
the campus offers. Foreign students could make up about 30% of NUS
Buona Vistas total intake even as the 20% foreign student proportion should
continue to be preserved within the overall NUS MCU. It will offer
programmes in the fields of engineering, info-communications technology
and the sciences. NUS Buona Vistas research environment could be
buoyed by siting the campus within One-North, for co-location with hightech industry R&D facilities that will help to germinate strong linkages with
industry. The Committee also recommends that NUS Buona Vista forge a
strong partnership with a reputable foreign university to better attract
students and faculty.
Executive Summary
8.
NUS Outram is envisaged as a small, specialised institution providing
medical and possibly, allied health science education. The proposed
Graduate Medical Programme (GMP) that leads to an MD degree, with an
intake of 50 each year, can be the anchor offering of NUS Outram. The
Committee also feels that in the longer term, there may be scope for NUS
Outram to set up a School of Health Sciences and expand to provide for a
small undergraduate intake (around 350) in allied health science courses.
NUS Outram could then have an undergraduate enrolment of about 1,000,
and a GMP enrolment of about 200.
9.
The Committee recommends that while operating within an MCU
system, each campus be given flexibility to set additional admission criteria
over and above the prevailing guidelines on university admission to better
target a student profile that is aligned with its mission and focus. To achieve
a balance between common branding and the ability to differentiate from
each other, degree scrolls could be identical in design and carry the NUS
label, followed by the specific campus name. To provide strategic
leadership for the MCU system, the Committee suggests that the MCU
system be under the oversight of a Vice-Chancellor (VC). The VC, together
with an MCU Co-ordinating Council, is responsible for setting the strategic
directions of the MCU and the three campuses.
10. The Committee recommends that NTU expand into a full-fledged,
comprehensive university to include disciplines in the physical sciences,
humanities and design & media. NTUs annual intake will grow to about
6,000 students (from its current intake of 4,400), and have a steady state
undergraduate enrolment of about 22,300 students. Students will then have
a choice of two comprehensive universities with a wide base of disciplines
within our public sector.
11. The Committee suggests that SMU should continue in its existing role as
a quality university offering business and management education, with a
steady state undergraduate enrolment of 6,200.
12. With these structural changes in effect, most major disciplines will be
represented in two or three campuses. This will create the diversity and
competition necessary to propel our universities forward.
PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES
13. The Committee supports the role of private universities in providing
undergraduate education in Singapore beyond the 25% CPR. It is open to
a small number of good quality private universities setting up in Singapore.
With a robust bedrock public university sector catering fully to the target
25% CPR provision and meeting our graduate manpower needs, the
private universities will further expand the options available to students and
faculty. The Committee feels this is in line with the strategic objectives of

creating diversity and enhancing healthy competition within the overall

university sector.
GRADUATE MANPOWER PLANNING
14. Graduate manpower planning is currently done through the setting of
faculty-specific targets at the undergraduate level. The Committee notes
that going forward, the current form of planning needs to be more flexible
and responsive, as it will be more difficult to predict growth industries and
hence, the type of manpower required in the new economy. The current
faculty-specific targets may also hinder universities from developing new
hybrid courses in response to industry demand for manpower with multidisciplinary training.
15. The Committee therefore recommends that more flexibility be given
to the universities to determine the distribution of intake among various
undergraduate courses, so that they can respond more quickly to industry
needs. In this regard, broader targets should be set. A certain number of
university places should also be set aside in a flexible target category for
the universities to distribute among the various courses at their discretion.
The Committee is of the view that technical manpower will continue to be
important drivers of growth, as Singapore evolves into a knowledge
economy. Hence, there is a need to maintain a technical bias in the
targets being set, so that the intake of students into science, engineering
and technology courses is safeguarded.
In the longer term, the
Government needs to supplement numerical target setting to focus more
on skills needs, competencies and personal traits to be taught through the
university curricula, as well as to place greater emphasis on planning for
continuing education and training.
16. The Committee further notes that as we evolve to a more flexible
planning approach, market-based signals and indicators will become more
important to achieve alignment of interests among the universities, industry
and students. To this end, the Committee recommends that a system of
market-based signals, such as regular publication of the employment
statistics of graduates of the various universities, be put in place. More
information on manpower trends and forecasts should also be
disseminated to the public.
17. As the supply of postgraduate manpower has been growing in
tandem with demand, the Committee does not see the need to set
postgraduate targets for the local universities at present. However, it sees a
need to strengthen data collection and feedback on the need for
postgraduate manpower, and for the Government to regularly review the
postgraduate manpower situation.
Executive Summary
AN OPERATING ENVIRONMENT THAT SUPPORTS DIVERSITY

18. The Committee supports NUS efforts in setting up a Graduate School
for Integrative Sciences and Engineering which aims to embark on multidisciplinary education and research. This School can be a strategic focal
point for NUS to collaborate with the RIs, industry and international bodies,
and will complement the faculty-based provision of postgraduate
education that already exists in NUS Kent Ridge.
It will also facilitate
research talent attraction and manpower development and enhance
interaction with the RIs, thus developing a mutually beneficial relationship
that optimises resource utilisation and enhances synergy in both teaching
and research.
19. At the national level, the objectives of our R&D efforts are to attract
and train superior research manpower and produce research outcomes
that translate into economic or strategic gain. With a broad disciplinary
base, and early access to potential R&D talent, our universities are well
placed to provide a gestation habitat for cultivating research manpower
and rooting research talent in Singapore. By focusing on R&D manpower
development in strategic areas, the Graduate School can partner with RIs
and provide the necessary resources and support to identify, create and
improve on common areas of research focus and manpower training with
RIs and overseas partners.
20. The Committee suggests that the other universities could also explore
setting up graduate schools or other suitable postgraduate education
structures, to allow better facilitation of multi-disciplinary postgraduate
education and synergy with RIs. In this way, our universities could work
towards the longer-term goals of training manpower, producing immediate
R&D outcomes and rooting research talent in Singapore.
21. Besides an operating environment which boosts research and
postgraduate training, the Committee notes that with the diverse university
sector and the impending changes to the Junior College curriculum, there
is a need to review the university admission system in the near future. Out of
the overall university CPR of 25%, the Committee expects that 19%-points
could come from the junior colleges, and 6%-points from the polytechnic
route. Given these developments and to allow the universities greater
autonomy in shaping the profile of their students, the Committee
recommends that the universities and the Ministry of Education (MOE) finetune the university admission system. There should be a reasonable
balance in intake from the two sources as well as of candidates with other
qualifications. Whilst there should continue to be minimum standards of
eligibility for the university sector to maintain international standing, more
latitude could be given to individual faculties and universities to adopt
different admission criteria beyond the threshold criteria.

22. To take into account the differentiation in institutional missions and

foci, the Committee suggests that we encourage the universities to expand
their sources of funding, e.g. from endowments and industry participation.
We could also allow campuses and faculties to charge different fees based
on the principle that varying quality of education requires different
resources. While we allow a differentiated fee structure, the Committee
suggests that universities will have to justify any fee increase, and seek the
Governments approval. Such requests will be reviewed on the basis of
objective parameters. Those who are able to benefit from a university
education will not be denied a place because of financial difficulties.
Hence, financial assistance schemes should be retained to ensure a needsblind policy for university admission.
23. Further, in subsidising postgraduate education, the Committee feels
that we should ensure that our universities exercise greater selectivity to
improve the quality of their postgraduate intake and ensure the relevance
of the fields/courses offered. MOE will also ensure that funding of
postgraduate education is aligned with the strategic objectives of
producing industry-relevant graduates and enhancing our countrys
research capacity. As such, we will employ postgraduate funding to
encourage more to move into targeted areas of postgraduate research.
MOE could work with the relevant economic agencies and Ministries to
identify such targeted areas.
CONCLUSION
24. The Committee is of the view that a vibrant and robust university
sector will enable our universities to meet the economic and social needs of
Singapore in an increasingly competitive world economy. The restructured
university sector will also better cater to the needs of a wider spectrum of
university-bound students, as well as to industrys requirements for a diverse
workforce profile. By making timely changes, the Committee hopes to
position our university sector for success in an exciting and challenging
future.
Chapter 1
Introduction
Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 1
Introduction
1.1
Over the last three decades of Singapores progress as an

independent nation, our universities have played a vital role in
Singapores growth and transformation by providing cohorts of highly
trained graduates for various sectors of the economy.
1.2
Our university sector has evolved with capabilities structured to

develop our small population to its full potential. Our three universities
two public and one private, offer university programmes at both
undergraduate and postgraduate levels, as well as research
opportunities spanning a broad range of disciplinary and
multidisciplinary areas.
1.3
In August 2001, Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong spoke of the need for a
new economic strategy to remake Singapore. The Economic Review
Committee (ERC) headed by Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
was set up in October 2001 to fundamentally review our development
strategy and formulate a blueprint for restructuring the economy. Key
imperatives included the need to acquire new competencies and
bases of growth to maintain Singapores economic progress. Given
that our universities will play a key role in transforming and supporting
the economy, it was timely to launch a fundamental review of the
structure of our university sector so as to train and produce the
appropriate graduate manpower to support the new economy.
COMMITTEE TO REVIEW THE UNIVERSITY SECTOR AND GRADUATE MANPOWER PLANNING

1.4
In February 2002, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Dr

Tony Tan, announced the setting up of an inter-ministry Committee
chaired by Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister of State (Education and
Manpower) to recommend a long-term structure for our university
sector that would continue to serve Singapores requirements as we
transit to a new economic structure. The other members of this
Committee to Review the University Sector and Graduate Manpower
Planning are Permanent Secretary (Education), Permanent Secretary
(Trade & Industry), Permanent Secretary (Manpower) and Chairman,
Economic Development Board (EDB).
1.5
The terms of reference of the Committee are as follows:

a.
To establish the degree and level of detail we should set intake

targets for the universities, and put in place the processes
needed to support this;

b.
In the light of the national economic restructuring initiative, to

review and recommend the long-term structure for our university
sector, for it to better serve Singapores requirements as we
transit into the knowledge-driven global economy; and
c.
In the context of (b), to consider the inputs of the earlier Review

Committee on Upgrading Opportunities at Degree Level, and to
recommend to the Government the course of action on the
proposed fourth university and its desired profile and structure.
CONSULTATION AND FEEDBACK PROCESS
1.6
During the course of its deliberation, the Committee has benefited

from feedback obtained through consultation with various groups of
stakeholders. The Committee released its Preliminary Findings to the
public at a press conference on 2 Jan 2003.
1.7
MOEs International Academic Advisory Panel (IAAP) discussed and

endorsed the Committees recommendations during its 4th meeting
from 13-16 Jan 2003. The IAAPs comments are at Annex C.
1.8
Between April and May 2002, Dr Ng chaired three focus group

discussions with industry representatives, private education service
providers, and representatives from the universities and polytechnics
to seek their input on issues relating to the restructuring of the university
sector. Following the release of the Preliminary Findings, feedback
was obtained through various channels, including meetings/dialogue
sessions with the senior management of NUS, NTU and SMU; the three
university Councils; principals of the polytechnics and junior colleges;
the Government Parliamentary Committee for Education; and from
the Feedback Unit. During the 2003 Committee of Supply debate on
the Ministry of Education budget, Members of Parliament had the
opportunity to discuss the proposed restructuring of the long-term
university sector. A summary of the feedback from the stakeholders
can be found at Annex D.
Chapter 2
Strategic Objectives of the
University Sector
Chapter 2 Strategic Objectives of the University Sector
Chapter 2
Strategic Objectives
of the University Sector
EVOLUTION OF THE UNIVERSITY SECTOR
2.1
The development of our universities in Singapore has mirrored the

transition of Singapore from a British colony to a nation state, and has
been rooted in the need to play a key role in the nations economic
and social development.
2.2
1905 to 1979 - The universities in Singapore trace their histories back to

1905 when the first tertiary institution, the Straits Settlements and
Federated Malay States Government Medical School (renamed King
Edward VII Medical School in 1912) was set up. Major milestones since
then have included the establishment of Raffles College in 1929, the
establishment of the Teachers Training College in 1950, the founding
of Nanyang University in 1953, and the formation of the University of
Singapore in 1962. To cater for the upgrading of teacher training, the
Teachers Training College was upgraded to the Institute of Education
in 1973.
2.3
1980 to 1991 - Enrolment in our universities grew rapidly from the early
1980s, in line with the national push towards higher value-added
economic activities. The university cohort participation rate (CPR)
grew by about three times, from 5% in 1980 to about 14% in 1991.
During the 1980s, major structural changes were made to the
university education sector, including the 1980 amalgamation of the
University of Singapore and the Nanyang University into the National
University of Singapore (NUS). This was followed by the establishment
of the Nanyang Technological Institute (NTI) in 1981, which aimed to
produce practice-oriented engineers. In 1991, NTI incorporated the
National Institute of Education to become a full-fledged university, the
Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
2.4
1992 to the present - Enrolment in our universities continued to grow

steadily, and rose from 16% CPR in 1992 to 21% CPR in 2002. The
universities expanded their postgraduate education and research
efforts. At the same time, with the increasing need for graduates, a
third university, the Singapore Management University (SMU), was set
up in 2000 as a publicly-funded private university to provide
undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in business and
management.

2.5
In 1998, the Economic Development Board launched its World Class

Universities (WCU) programme to attract at least ten WCUs to establish
a significant presence in Singapore within ten years. The WCU
programme aims to bring in overseas institutions which are recognised
as leaders in the field of higher education. The WCU programme has
introduced niches of excellence at the postgraduate level by
attracting top foreign universities to Singapore. To date, Singapore is
host to ten top educational institutions, which have established their
presence either by collaborating with local institutions3, or by setting
up branch campuses4.
2.6
Separately, our universities are also involved in collaborations with the

Research Institutes.
The RIs are part of the national research
landscape. Administered by the Agency for Science, Technology
and Research (A*STAR), they aim to maintain industry competitiveness
and develop long-term research capabilities, particularly by
developing research human capital. They are organised to support
specific industry clusters, viz. the Electronics, Engineering, Chemicals,
Info-communications, and Biomedical Sciences clusters. Whilst RIs and
universities operate under different mandates and are not linked
structurally under one system, they collaborate on research projects
and co-sharing of resources, e.g. joint appointments.
FEATURES OF THE CURRENT UNIVERSITY LANDSCAPE

2.7
Our university sector currently comprises the National University of

Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, and the Singapore
Management University. NUS is a comprehensive university with a full
range of disciplines. NTU focuses on professional and technological
disciplines, while the SMU provides business-related degree
programmes.
2.8
Collectively, the three universities had a full-time undergraduate

enrolment of about 39,000 students in 2002. Besides undergraduate
education, the three universities also provide postgraduate training
and research, albeit to varying degrees. In addition, there are
collaborations with the RIs, industry and/or the WCU institutions5.
3 These are the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Johns Hopkins University, the
Georgia Institute of Technology, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania,
Technische Universiteit Eindhoven (TU/e), Technische Universitt Mnchen (TUM), Shanghai
Jiao Tong University and Stanford University.
4 Two branch campuses have been set up in Singapore under the WCU programme:
INSEAD, and the Chicago Graduate School of Business.
5 Examples of university-WCU collaborations include the Singapore-MIT Alliance, a
collaboration between MIT, NUS and NTU on global engineering education and research;
the NUS-Georgia Institute of Technologys collaboration on The Logistics Institute Asia Pacific
in Singapore; the Design Technology Institute an NUS-TU/e collaboration to train future
10
2.9
Presently, institutional segmentation in the university sector is not

explicit, as the three universities have clearly differentiated missions
and programme provisions. There is some segmentation by student
quality that occurs because different disciplines attract students of
different calibre. For instance, certain courses attract a good number
of top quality students and thus have significantly higher entry criteria,
or cut-off points, as compared to other courses. Examples of such
courses are medicine, dentistry, law, and chemical engineering in
NUS, and accountancy and communication studies in NTU.
2.10 There is limited (and healthy) competition within the sector as some
programmes (e.g. business and engineering) are offered by at least
two universities. There is also a technical bias in the university sector,
with about 60%6 of our undergraduates enrolled in hard science
programmes (e.g. science, engineering, or computing).
RATIONALE FOR REVIEW
2.11 Our universities and their products, viz. graduates and
postgraduates, play a critical role in the transformation of our
economic structure. Thus, the key impetus for the review is to ensure
that the structure and operating environment of the university sector
are in line with the new economic strategy to remake Singapore.
2.12 At the same time, Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, in his Aug 2001
National Day Rally speech, announced that the Government aimed
to expand the university sector to provide places for one in four of
each Primary One cohort by 2010. As part of the review, the
Committee has assessed that, amongst our student cohorts, we have
potentially a larger pool of students who could benefit from a
university education without compromising the standards of our
universities. We should not merely expand our university capacity for
expansions sake. The Committee is cognisant of the fact that we
need to maintain and where possible, enhance the standards of our
universities as we restructure our university sector. The increase in 4%points to the CPR will translate into an additional intake of about
leaders in Product Design and Development and to conduct research and education on
Design Technology; a Masters degree programme in Industrial Chemistry jointly mounted by
NUS and TUM, which will be run as part of the German Institute of Science and Technology;
and the Wharton-SMU Research Center which was established as a research powerhouse for
SMU. Faculty from The Wharton School and SMU co-engage in various areas of research,
e.g. technopreneurship. In terms of linkages with RIs, both NUS and NTU host RIs on their
campus premises to facilitate synergies in R&D. Both NUS and NTU enjoy industry sponsorship
of research and development projects.
6 Excluding NIEs B. Ed programmes.
11

3,5007 university places in NUS/NTU by 2010. The increase in university

places will also cater to the increase in cohort sizes8, in particular, the
1988 Dragon Year cohort which is due to enter university from 2007.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES OF OUR UNIVERSITY SECTOR
2.13 The Committee notes that our university sector has been constantly
evolving to stay relevant to the economic and social development of
Singapore. As the global arena becomes increasingly knowledgeintensive, our human capital and knowledge infrastructure will be key
in ensuring Singapores continued economic success. In this setting,
the economic relevance of our university sector will mean more than
simply being a good supporting cast in the national economy.
2.14 Thus, the Committee feels that while the Government should continue
to fulfil its social obligation to provide adequate university places to an
expanding cohort, the university sector must also grow to become an
invaluable asset that will anchor our economic progress. The ability of
this sector to enrich our talent pool and its capacity to create new
knowledge will become decisive competitive advantages over other
countries.
2.15 To this end, the Committee has identified three strategic objectives for
the university sector that will form the basis of the restructuring of the
university sector.
2.16 Development of human capital. Our universities play a fundamental
role in enriching our national stock of human capital. This role takes
two thrusts. Firstly, our universities are the primary source of graduate
manpower training in Singapore. To optimise our indigenous talent,
our universities must continue to be an effective bridge between the
requirements of the economy and the aptitudes and learning needs
of individuals. On one side of this bridge, universities should provide
more opportunities and options to meet the diverse needs of all those
who can benefit from a university education. On the other side, our
universities must rise to the task of preparing graduates for a working
environment that is increasingly more dynamic and more demanding
7 Our universities today have an undergraduate intake of about 11,000, with foreign students
making up a maximum of 20% of the total intake. To achieve a 25% CPR by 2010, the
universities must provide for an intake of about 15,400 undergraduates each year, including
up to 20% foreign students. Thus, by 2010, about 4,400 more places will need to be provided.
SMU, in its 3rd year of operations, took in about 600 students. By steady state in 2010, SMU will
have increased its intake by another 900 students. Thus, the additional places to be
provided by the public university sector is about 3,500 (i.e. 4,400 900).
8 Excluding the 1995 Primary One cohort of Dragon Year babies, the average Primary One
cohort size for the 10-year period 1996-2007 is about 19% higher than that during the
preceding 9-year period of 19861994.
12
of graduates ability to adapt, innovate and add value. Universities

must also be responsive to the economys need for industry-relevant
graduates.
2.17 Secondly, our universities are well placed to amass and add to our
human capital pool by attracting talent to our shores. Being the
junctions of cutting-edge knowledge and learning, universities across
the world draw into the communities and societies around them a
congregation of talent. Our universities should similarly be magnets to
bring in top minds, skills and character from across the world to enrich
our local pool, and create a vibrant, cosmopolitan environment to
spur our local students to greater heights. In addition, our universities
must be able to create an environment that engenders a sense of
belonging to our community, thereby helping to root talent in
Singapore. Currently, NUS and NTU target to attract sufficient foreign
students to comprise 20% of their respective undergraduate intakes.
The foreign students we attract must be of academic quality that is
comparable to, if not better than, our local university-bound students.
Our universities should focus on improving the quality of the foreign
talent while continuing to target a 20% foreign student intake.
2.18 Ideas & wealth creation.
Universities have a primary role in
conducting research and creating new knowledge. To do this, our
universities research efforts must achieve a comb-shaped capability
profile. They must possess depth in specialised areas at the cutting
edge in these domains (the vertical teeth of the comb), as well as
sufficient breadth (the horizontal stem) in terms of expertise along the
spectrum of disciplines. This will entail building capacity for a broad
spectrum of research activities, across different disciplines and for
different types of research, while striving for research excellence in
areas that are of high economic impact to Singapore. Such a profile
will allow our universities to contribute directly to the economy, and be
nimble enough to exploit any promising new research directions
which are likely to be found at the intersections of disciplines.
2.19 To reap economic returns from our investment in research, our
universities should not just be engines of new knowledge and ideas,
but be able to facilitate the transmission of ideas created into spin-offs
and other long-term economic gain, through closer linkages with
industry. In short, universities ideas must find a way from the mind to
the market.
2.20 The Committee recognises that the success of universities as engines
of new knowledge and ideas will help build a vibrant R&D culture in
Singapore, and cultivate a reputation to draw even more talent, both
local and foreign, into the research arena. This will have an uplifting
effect on the entire national research landscape. The long-term
13

viability of and benefits derived from research efforts depend on not

just hardware and facilities, but more importantly, on the deepening
of the talent pool available for research work. Universities must be
able to feed on past successes to build up research manpower
crucial to sustaining our edge in research.
2.21 International branding. Looking forward, the Committee feels that
our universities should strive to realise international branding and
excellence. Universities with strong reputations for being at the
forefront of academic excellence and/or knowledge creation will
further entrench our repute as a centre for educational excellence,
and firmly establish Singapore as a key player in the global
educational arena. Besides helping to root talent, both local and
foreign within our shores, such branding could also serve to attract
knowledge-based industries into Singapore.
2.22 The ensuing chapters outline key strategies to achieve these
objectives of our university sector.
14
Chapter 3
A Robust & Vibrant
University Sector
Chapter 3 A Robust & Vibrant University Sector
Chapter 3
A Robust & Vibrant University Sector

3.1
This chapter outlines the proposed features and long-term structure

that will meet our strategic objectives for the university sector.
FEATURES OF THE LONG-TERM UNIVERSITY SECTOR

3.2
High Quality. It is imperative that our universities maintain, and where

possible, enhance their current standards as we expand our university
sector. For this to be realised, we need to ensure that we do not
compromise on the quality of students admitted into university. We
also need to create an environment that supports the pursuit of
institutional excellence.
3.3
The Committee is of the view that there is a potential pool of good

quality students to sustain a high-quality university sector. Our junior
colleges (JCs) are producing quality students who are able to benefit
from a university education. From 1995-20009, we have seen a steady
improvement in the A Level performance of our JC students, as
shown by a higher proportion of students with 70 A level points or
more from 21.6% to 23.4% of the A Level candidature.
3.4
Currently, only 2%-points of the 21% university CPR come from

polytechnics. From 1995-200010, the number of O Level students who
were eligible for admission into JC but opted to go to the polytechnics
instead increased from 3,576 to 3,900. In terms of basic academic
quality, this group is similar to the JC cohort. Typically, about 80% of
our JC students progress to university. Based on this progression rate,
about 3,120 of the group of 3,900 who chose a polytechnic education
after their 2000 O Levels would be university-bound material. This
represented 8% of the corresponding Primary One cohort.
Furthermore, polytechnic students who are admitted into our
universities have performed reasonably well. Over the past three
years (2000-2002), 22.9% of polytechnic students who graduated from
engineering courses at NUS and NTU obtained at least a 2nd Class
Upper Honours, compared to 28.6% for graduates who were A Level
holders. For NTUs engineering courses in particular, the polytechnic
students outperformed the A Level students with 22.8% and 15.1%
with at least 2nd Class Upper Honours respectively.
This refers to the year of candidature for the A Level examinations.

This refers to the year of candidature for the O Level examinations. Students would obtain
their O Level results and gain admission into a JC or a polytechnic in the year subsequent to
the year of candidature.
10
15

3.5
The Committee further notes that the size of the university-bound

cohort is projected to peak at about 15,400 in 2010, and gradually fall
to about 14,000 by 201911 as a consequence of falling birth rates. It is
important to bear in mind that we should continue to admit only those
who can benefit from a university education and not fill any excess
capacity by lowering the standards of our universities.
3.6
Besides admitting high-quality students, to create an environment that

encourages institutional excellence, our university sector also needs to
embody the features of diversity, healthy competition and robustness.
3.7
Diversity.
The Committee feels that diversity in institutional missions
and foci will better position our universities to achieve excellence and
branding in their respective fields. Diversity will allow the individual
institutions to develop niches of excellence based on their individual
strengths and character. It will not be realistic to expect all our
universities to excel in teaching every discipline, or be equally adept in
research.
3.8
There is also a need to provide for the more diverse educational

needs that come with an enlarged student pool, given our targeted
increase in the CPR. Instead of a one-size-fits-all university sector, the
wider spectrum of students educational needs and abilities should be
met by a diversity of institutions offering different pedagogy and
curricula, to maximise the individual potential and strengths of each
member of the university-bound cohort.
3.9
Healthy Competition.
While the Committee recognises that an
expanded university sector should have institutions that play different
roles, we need also to create a university ecosystem that allows the
institutions to compete, and dynamically seek out their individual
niches of excellence. Healthy competition among institutions will
breed a strong entrepreneurial climate, raise standards all round and
build branding as universities compete for students with common
provisions (e.g. in Engineering or Business programmes) and try to
carve out niches for themselves. The Committee therefore suggests
that the restructuring of the university sector must create a conducive
environment in which healthy competition thrives. As institutions spur
each other on to achieve new heights in teaching and/or research,
we should have a university sector that is innovative, vibrant and
responsive to the needs of both the students and the economy.
3.10 Robustness. While universities should respond to changes and shifts in

the larger economy, the university sector as a whole must remain
This assumes that CPR remains at 25% and foreign student intake remains at 20%
throughout this period.
11
16
resilient and robust. The university sector must continue to be able to

command high national confidence in its ability to offer an education
that is relevant, of high quality and is reasonably accessible. Thus,
central planning will still be required to ensure a high standard of
university entrants and an appropriate output of graduates
commensurate with the economic goals for Singapore. We need a
robust university sector that bridges the aspirations of individuals with
the overall manpower needs of our economy.
WHY NOT A FOURTH UNIVERSITY
3.11 The Committee notes that the Committee to Review Upgrading
Opportunities at Degree Level chaired by Mr Peter Chen, former
Senior Minister of State (Education and Trade & Industry), had
highlighted the existence of a sufficiently large pool of good quality
students to sustain a high quality university sector at a CPR of 25%. It
had recommended the provision of more places for undergraduate
training in the areas of science and technology, and of proportionally
more university places for students from the polytechnics.
3.12 The Committee feels that while this could be accomplished by setting
up a new university, there is a strong likelihood that such a new
institution, in trying to cater to the additional demand for university
places (especially from polytechnic upgraders), will find it difficult to
achieve quality. Starting from scratch, the fourth university will be
without the benefit of an established name or track record. The new
university has to compete not only with the existing local universities
but also in the international arena, with foreign universities. It will take
a long time and substantial resources to overcome the limitations of a
fledgling institution and build up its reputation amongst students,
parents, the academic community and employers.
3.13 The Committee concludes that the resources to establish a fourth
university are likely to yield greater results if we leverage on the
excellent reputation of our existing universities to cater for the
increased CPR while at the same time, restructuring the university
sector to achieve our strategic goals and support Singapore's
economic restructuring initiatives.
EXISTING STRUCTURE OF OUR UNIVERSITY SECTOR
3.14 The Committee notes that the existing structure of the university sector
has served Singapore well. NUS and NTU have been the main
providers of undergraduate education and have attained worldwide
recognition and acceptance by industry. While SMU is a relatively
young institution, initial public and professional feedback as well as
17

increasing student applications clearly indicate confidence in the

university.
3.15 The overall university sector landscape also encompasses foreign
universities of high international standing that have established close
affiliation with our public universities in Singapore under EDBs World
Class Universities project, and the RIs. Their presence enables our
universities to sharpen their profiles and standards, and provides
healthy competition in the area of postgraduate education and
research, thereby achieving the desired vibrancy in the university
sector.
3.16 The Committee feels that NUS, NTU and SMU should continue to form
the bedrock of university education in Singapore and should be
expanded to accommodate the target 25% university CPR. This
means that the public universities (including SMU, which is publiclyfunded) will provide for an enrolment of about 57,400 undergraduates
at steady state.
A PROPOSED NEW STRUCTURE FOR THE PUBLIC UNIVERSITY SECTOR
3.17 The need to create additional capacity within the public university
sector affords an excellent opportunity for us to restructure the sector
in order to best meet our strategic objectives through diversity, healthy
competition and robustness within the public universities.
3.18 To enhance the robustness within the system, the Committee proposes
that both NUS and NTU provide comprehensive undergraduate
education to cater to the graduate manpower training needs of the
economy. To accomplish this goal, NUS (at Kent Ridge) should
continue with its existing spread of undergraduate disciplines, while
NTU could expand by adding the Schools of Physical Sciences,
Humanities & Social Sciences, and Design & Media. Having both
deep and wide disciplinary expertise within their academic
communities, these two universities are also well-positioned to push
the frontiers of research and development towards knowledge and
wealth creation.
3.19 To allow for diversity and to achieve niche excellence, the Committee
recommends that we set up three niche institutions in our university
sector which could focus on forging new paths of excellence in
different fields. Each niche campus could seek to differentiate itself
by, inter alia, forging strategic alliances with reputable international
partner(s) which share their respective visions. Such partnerships will
allow these niche campuses, and the university sector as a whole, to
plug into a global network, and benefit from their experience,
expertise and reputation to achieve international branding.
18
3.20 Such a model is already present in SMU, which is partnered with the
prestigious Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and the
Carnegie Mellon University, the former specialising in business and
management and the latter renowned for its information systems
programmes. The Committee recommends that two more niche
institutions in similar fashion be formed in the university sector: the first
specialising in science and technology, and the second in the health
sciences.
3.21 To accommodate these two niche institutions, the Committee
recommends that NUS be transformed into a multi-campus university
(MCU) system that will include the existing Kent Ridge campus, NUS
Buona Vista a research-intensive university focusing on engineering,
science and info-communications technology (ICT), and NUS Outram
a specialised institution providing medical and health science
education. This will allow the new institutions to leverage on the
reputation, strengths and efficiencies of the existing campus, i.e. the
current NUS, and avert the problems characteristic of fledgling
independent universities, including the difficulty in attracting talented
faculty or students, without a track record. Based on findings from the
study trip to several US universities in April 2002, and research on multicampus university systems, the Committee notes that individual
campuses within multi-campus university systems are able to hold their
own internationally, and do well in university rankings whilst belonging
to the larger federated entity. For the proposed NUS MCU, all three
NUS campuses, each with its particular strengths, will have a stake in
the NUS branding that cuts across the larger entity of the MCU, and
will thus be motivated to help bring up standards within the system as
a whole.
3.22 The proposed new structure will thus accommodate the additional
capacity needed for an increase of 3,500 to the university intake, as
shown in Table 1.
Table 1: Projected Undergraduate Intake and Enrolment
Campus
NUS Kent Ridge
Projected Intake
in 2010
Projected Steady
State Enrolment
6,500
23,900
500 1,000
4,000
350
1,000
SMU
1,550
6,200
NTU
6,000
22,300
Total
15,400
57,400
NUS Buona Vista

NUS Outram
19

Rationale for the New University Sector Structure

3.23 The Committee is of the view that the proposed new structure of the
public university sector will be well-positioned to realise our strategic
objectives. The basis of our recommendation is as follows:
3.24 Builds on Existing Strengths of Our Institutions. These changes leverage
on the existing branding, strengths and achievements of NUS and NTU.
In this way, we increase opportunities for our students to enter
university, without compromising on the existing achievements and
standards of our universities. NUS established track record will ease
the creation of new campuses and facilitate acceptability and
success. The MCU structure will also better allow NUS to offer
customised programmes to a varied pool of students with different
learning abilities and needs. NTUs efforts to deliver broad-based
education will be realised with the creation of new disciplines that can
also benefit from synergy with the engineering and technological
disciplines.
3.25 Creates Greater Diversity. The mixture of comprehensive and niche
institutions will create further diversity and strengthen our university
sector. Even the two comprehensive universities are significantly
different, in terms of institutional character, course provisions and
governance: NTU will be a standalone and independent university,
while NUS Kent Ridge will be an autonomous constituent leveraging
on the strengths of the larger parent MCU structure. The effect of this
diversity will be to allow each institution to develop its unique mission
and identity, and to exploit its institutional strengths to achieve
excellence in selected fields. While the comprehensive universities
have more room to seek out their desired institutional niches of
excellence, the presence of the three niche campuses will ensure
that, systemically, our university sector will be capable of achieving
excellence in areas that have a very direct impact on our economy.
Such a university sector, by virtue of its diversity, will also be able to
offer students a fairly differentiated spread of programme offerings
which adopt different pedagogy and curriculum.
3.26 Encourages Competition.
The proposed structure will generate
competition both between the two comprehensive universities, and
between the comprehensive and the niche universities. In effect, most
major discipline groups will be represented in two or three campuses.
Universities will be spurred by the strong competition all-round to raise
teaching and research standards, and the overall university sector will
benefit from different and innovative institutional approaches to
achieving excellence.
20
INSTITUTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS AND ROLES WITHIN THE NEW UNIVERSITY SECTOR

STRUCTURE
3.27 The Committee notes that NUS will need to change most significantly
in light of the proposed new university sector structure.
The
transformation of NUS from a single university into a multi-campus
university system will result in a federated entity comprising the existing
Kent Ridge campus, and two new niche campuses NUS Buona Vista
and NUS Outram. NTU, on the other hand, should broaden its
undergraduate provisions in an evolutionary manner, although the
expansion in terms of student capacity should ensure that there will be
sufficient places by 2007, when there will be a large increase in cohort
size. SMU will continue in its existing role as a standalone university
offering business and management education.
NUS Kent Ridge
3.28 NUS Kent Ridges mission to excel in teaching and research and to
contribute to the nations development remains relevant in the new
knowledge-intensive global economy. It should continue to build up
excellence and branding as a comprehensive university, with a
strategic intent to attain standards of excellence in teaching and
research that are benchmarked against leading international
universities.
Size
3.29 NUS Kent Ridge should target a steady state intake of about 6,500
students which translates into an undergraduate enrolment of about
23,900. The undergraduate programmes will be complemented by a
broad spectrum of postgraduate programmes, both in terms of types
and areas of research.
Student Profile
3.30 NUS Kent Ridge will continue to seek a balanced and appropriate
student body composition that enables it to fulfill its two-pronged
mission of teaching and research. It should continue to admit
students from diverse educational backgrounds and strategise to
achieve pockets of excellence whilst providing quality education to
all.
Academic Programmes
3.31 NUS Kent Ridge will be a comprehensive campus offering
programmes in a full range of disciplines, including professional
degrees in medicine, dentistry, law and pharmacy. The current
21

Schools and Faculties could continue to offer courses in these

disciplines as well as in the arts, social sciences, sciences, applied
sciences, engineering, and computing.
Postgraduate Education
3.32 The Committee supports NUS Kent Ridges efforts in establishing a
Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, which will
complement its existing discipline-based graduate programmes. This
cross-discipline entity could afford NUS Kent Ridge greater agility in
mounting high-quality postgraduate programmes which cut across
the various faculties and link with the RIs. Further, faculty holding joint
appointments at the RIs could be based in this graduate school entity,
thus extending the RIs deep networks and trend knowledge to the
graduate school.
3.33 Such a Graduate School will be a one-stop shop that enables
researchers from the RIs to supervise PhDs, enjoy academic affiliation,
and do interdisciplinary research, thus deepening the capabilities of
both NUS Kent Ridge and the RIs. The Graduate School could chart its
own growth trajectory, and, based on these strategic plans for
research, seek out partners from across the world who could
contribute to and benefit from this plan.
NUS Buona Vista
3.34 The Committee proposes that NUS Buona Vista be a researchintensive university focusing on nurturing a vibrant research culture
fuelled by a sizeable postgraduate research population and offering
a unique opportunity for undergraduates with a research inclination.
We envisage that such an institution will be a strategic resource with
substantial economic impact as Singapore evolves into a knowledgebased economy.
3.35 NUS Buona Vista will be ideal in offering premium undergraduate
education in the fields of engineering, ICT and the sciences. NUS
Buona Vista will effectively integrate its postgraduate and
undergraduate education to achieve international branding and
excellence, and will attract local and foreign students with high
academic aptitude who can benefit from the research-oriented
environment that the campus offers. The strength of Buona Vista as a
research-intensive institution in engineering, ICT and the sciences will
have a levelling-up effect on the NUS multi-campus university system
as a whole. The NUS MCU system will be well-positioned to better
compete globally for talent and research funding. The overall
university sector will also be uplifted in the process.
22
Size
3.36 NUS Buona Vista could provide places for about 4,000 postgraduates
to train our national research manpower and to boost the campus
research capacity. NUS Buona Vista will also cater to a very selective
steady-state undergraduate intake of between 500 to 1,000, or an
enrolment of between 2,000 to 4,000. Hence, the overall size of NUS
Buona Vista will be 6,000 to 8,000.
Student Profile
3.37 NUS Buona Vistas students should have a diverse composition of
different educational backgrounds, including a healthy proportion of
talented foreign students. As such, foreign students from the region
and across the world could comprise about 30% of NUS Buona Vistas
total intake to widen its catchment and ensure top quality entrants.
However, the NUS MCU campuses will still preserve a 20% foreign
student proportion overall. The Committee has suggested a possibility
for campuses to be given more flexibility in university admission criteria.
NUS Buona Vista could choose to adjust its admission criteria to ensure
that it achieves its intended student profile, e.g. by giving greater
weight to research projects, or factoring in creditable performance in
international academic tournaments such as the International or
Asian Olympiads.
Academic Programmes
3.38 NUS Buona Vista will comprise three Schools in the long term offering
honours degrees, namely, the School of Engineering, the School of
Science and the School of Info-communications Technology. Each
School will offer its own core degree programmes as well as modules
to enrich the curricular offerings campus-wide. The Committee
envisages that the campus will have a strong technological bias12.
Research Focus
3.39 Given NUS Buona Vistas spread of disciplines, its research activities will
naturally be concentrated on technology and the sciences. Within
this scope, NUS Buona Vista should strive to form synergistic links with
RIs, industry and also NUS Kent Ridges research efforts. There should
be a balance of basic research and research that is more closely tied
to the current needs of industry.
NUS Buona Vistas students will also be exposed to a humanities component in their
undergraduate education for an all-round education.
12
23

3.40 The Committee anticipates that the undergraduates who enrol in NUS
Buona Vista will be those with the aptitude to go beyond the 1st
degree to become industrial specialists and researchers to support
knowledge-based industries. At the undergraduate level, NUS Buona
Vista should tailor a unique curriculum and pedagogy that endeavour
to enthuse and prepare its small and bright undergraduate
population to enter the research field as research postgraduates, thus
creating a pipeline of research manpower to stream into the research
talent pool. A good dose of undergraduate research, while in itself
not usually significant to industry or to academia, will create exposure
to and interest amongst students in future research work.
International Collaborations
3.41 Being a new campus, NUS Buona Vista could achieve branding by
forging strategic alliances with world-class overseas partners, either at
the school or institutional level. These partners should have strong
reputations in fields that match NUS Buona Vistas institutional focus.
Collaboration with a foreign partner could take a variety of modes,
including curricular design and development, faculty and student
exchange, joint R&D projects and the offer of double-degrees.
Possible Location of NUS Buona Vista
3.42 Given its research-intensive emphasis, and its niche in technology, NUS
Buona Vistas physical campus should be located where its student
and faculty communities will have maximum opportunities to interact
and collaborate with research partners. Co-location with RIs and
industry R&D facilities focused on the same niche areas as NUS Buona
Vista will facilitate closer ties and afford greater opportunities for
synergy. NUS Buona Vista should strive to have a vibrant 24/7
research culture and atmosphere. Its location should allow sufficient
provision of student housing facilities that will facilitate the germination
of an on-campus community.
3.43 Based on the above considerations, the Committee is of the view that
NUS Buona Vista can reap maximum benefits if it is located within or
near One-North. NUS Buona Vistas mission is aligned with what the
Government has envisioned for One-North, i.e. a hotbed for R&D and
a regional hub for technopreneurial activities. The Committee also
notes that the presence of high-tech media and ICT commercial and
R&D activity in One-North offers great potential for synergy with NUS
Buona Vistas technology specialisation and niche area of excellence.
24
NUS Outram
3.44 The Committee notes that the Working Group13 on the Graduate
Medical Programme has recommended a Graduate Medical
Programme (GMP) to complement the MBBS programme at NUS Kent
Ridge. The ensuing paragraphs outline the Committees proposed
profile for NUS Outram, taking into consideration the proposals of the
Working Group on the GMP.
Institutional Mission and Focus
3.45 NUS Outram will be a boutique institution which specialises in providing
medical and, possibly, allied health science education. NUS Outram
will be anchored by a Graduate Medical Programme which will lead
to an MD degree. The GMP will be conducted in partnership with
SingHealth14, which will provide clinical training for the graduate
students.
Academic Programmes
3.46 The Committee recommends that NUS Outram start with one School,
namely, the School of Medicine offering the GMP. As an alternative
model for medical education, it will offer a graduate entry15 medical
training programme. It will comprise a four-year curriculum leading to
an MD degree.
3.47 With the GMP as the anchor programme, the Committee is of the
view that there may be scope for NUS Outram, in the longer term, to
set up a School of Health Sciences and expand into a small number of
undergraduate provisions in allied health science courses, e.g.
pharmacy, nursing, medical radiation therapy, physiotherapy, speech
therapy, occupational therapy, dietetics, etc.
Size
3.48 Based on an intake of 50 each year into the GMP, NUS Outram will
have a steady state postgraduate enrolment of 200.
For
Arising from the recommendations of the Medical Education Review panel (MERP) chaired
by Lord Ronald Oxburgh (Honorary Professor, University of Cambridge) for an increase in the
output of doctors from our universities for the dual purpose of healthcare services and
research, Deputy Secretary (Health) led a working group comprising MOH, MOE, EDB, SGH
and NUS officials, to look into the setting up of a Graduate Medical Programme (GMP)
mounted by NUS. The Working Group has since completed its study, and recommends that
the GMP admit 50 students each year, and be mounted in collaboration with a foreign
university.
14 SingHealth, which stands for Singapore Health Services Pte Ltd, is one of the two public
healthcare clusters in Singapore.
15 That is, applicants will already have one basic degree.
13
25

undergraduate programmes in the allied health sciences, based on

preliminary projections16, NUS Outram could, in addition, support an
enrolment of about 1,000 undergraduates in the allied health science
courses, or an intake of about 350 each year. With both the GMP and
the
accompanying
undergraduate
allied
health
science
programmes, total enrolment for NUS Outram will be about 1,200 at
steady state.
International Collaboration
3.49 The GMP will be conducted in collaboration with a foreign partner.
The international collaboration should aim to tap on the foreign
partners branding, expertise in curriculum development, delivery of
medical education and academic clinical research. Such an alliance
will help raise the profile of NUS Outram, and enhance the standing of
Singapore as a regional centre for medical education and clinical
research.
Location
3.50 The Committee notes that the Singapore General Hospital grounds
(one of the hospitals under SingHealth) will be an appropriate location
for the NUS Outram campus, given the resources human, clinical
throughput and physical infrastructure already in place there.
The NUS MCU System
3.51 The three NUS MCU campuses will have significant institutional
autonomy. Academic and research matters will come largely under
the purview of their respective presidents and Senates. Each campus
will thus be enabled to strategise its offerings to entrench its strengths
and better meet its goals. All MCU campuses should strive for diversity
in their student body.
3.52 In view of the different missions and institutional foci, the Committee
envisages that there should be some difference in the admission
criteria and academic requirements of the various MCU campuses.
As such, the Committee supports a model which allows individual
campuses to award degrees in their own name; all degrees could be
Projections for undergraduate intake and enrolment are based on the current indicative
demand at both the diploma and degree levels. Nanyang Polytechnic currently admits
about 600 diploma students into nursing programmes and about 120 into paramedical
programmes. A small proportion of these diploma students could form the potential pool for
allied health science degree programmes in NUS Outram. Further, SingHealth offers
scholarships in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, diagnostic radiography and radiation
therapy to overseas universities, e.g. University of Sydney.
16
26
identically designed and prominently labelled NUS degrees, but the

specific names of individual campuses will be reflected on the scroll.
3.53 To enable such an NUS MCU system comprising three separate
campuses, the Committee suggests that the MCU system be
managed by a Vice-Chancellor who, together with an MCU Coordinating Council, is responsible for setting the strategic directions of
the MCU and providing oversight of the three campuses. Please see
the diagram below for the proposed governance structure of the NUS
MCU system.
MCU Co-ordinating
Council
Vice-Chancellor
NUS MCU Office
Governing
Council
Governing
Council
Governing
Council
NUS Outram
President
NUS Kent Ridge

President
NUS Buona Vista

President
Legend:
Co-ordinating
Command
3.54 At the campus level, each campus will be run by a president who
reports to a governing council. He will have operational control over
financial, personnel, academic and research matters for the campus.
He will also consult his governing council to chart the strategic plans of
the campus, with input from the Vice-Chancellor and the MCU Coordinating Council.
3.55 The proposed MCU Co-ordinating Council comprises six members
the Vice-Chancellor, the three chairmen of the campus governing
councils and two other members appointed by the Minister for
Education. The chairman of the MCU Co-ordinating Council will be
appointed from among the six members.
The three campus
27

presidents will serve as ex-officio members in the MCU Co-ordinating

Council. The MCU Co-ordinating Council is a forum at which the
different campuses and the Vice-Chancellor can come together to
align the missions of the campuses with the strategic directions of the
MCU system as a whole, and promote synergies among the
campuses.
Nanyang Technological University
3.56 NTU will be a full-fledged comprehensive university providing
undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in a range of
disciplines.
Size
3.57 With the proposed evolution of NTU into a comprehensive university,
NTU could increase its steady state intake to 6,000 students per year,
or an undergraduate enrolment of about 22,300 students. NTU will
also have a spectrum of postgraduate research programmes to meet
specific manpower needs within our industry.
Academic Programmes
3.58 NTUs academic provisions can be divided into four broad disciplinary
clusters, viz. Science/Technology, Business, Humanities and Creative
(mass communications, design & media).
3.59 In the Science/Technology fields, NTU will continue to offer a full range
of engineering degrees and biological science degrees.
The
Committee recommends that a further addition of a School of
Physical Sciences will complete NTUs repertoire of programmes in
disciplines which will support sectors identified as critical to Singapores
continued economic growth and success. The two Schools, Biological
Sciences and Physical Sciences, will allow NTU to integrate knowledge
and skills from the physical sciences and engineering with the
biological sciences, providing vital manpower in these disciplines at
the tertiary level. This Science/Technology cluster will thus enable NTU
to be a major player in supporting Singapores aim of building up our
life sciences industry.
3.60 The Business cluster will include business and accountancy
programmes.
This cluster will synergise well with the Science/
Technology cluster to produce graduates that, armed with both hard
technical knowledge as well as the softer business and management
skills, can be versatile and entrepreneurial in the workplace.
28
3.61 For the Humanities cluster, the Committee notes that NTU has plans to
set up a new School of Humanities and Social Sciences, which will
enable NTU to mount a wider range of humanities and social science
modules for all its students, as part of NTUs efforts to broaden its
curriculum. A full-fledged School will enable NTU to attract a pool of
good faculty in the humanities and social sciences, particularly
through mounting dedicated programmes in these disciplines at both
undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Such a School will serve as
a good source of expertise on which the National Institute of
Education (NIE) can tap for its bachelor degree and postgraduate
diploma programmes.
3.62 In addition, a Creative cluster could be created in NTU by setting up a
proposed School of Design & Media to complement its existing School
of Communication and Information. The Committee notes that the
ERC Sub-Committee on Service Industries17 has recommended the
establishment of a flagship art, design and media programme at
university level to build up Singapores stock of creative experts.
Design arts and media degree courses, hitherto not provided for in the
university sector, will be a useful addition to the different skill sets the
economy needs. An appropriate range of design arts courses will
provide a viable means of building up our manpower and talent in
the graphic design and media-related fields. Design arts and media
courses will synergise with the current courses in communication
studies offered by the School of Communication and Information.
Design arts and media modules will also support the design aspect of
IT and engineering R&D work in NTU.
Postgraduate Education
3.63 The new NTU will have a wider base of disciplines on which to launch
its postgraduate education and research endeavours. As one of the
two comprehensive universities in our sector, NTU, like NUS, will be
expected to support the national R&D effort in terms of talent and
manpower development, as well as the generation of new ideas and
knowledge. NTU should therefore consider how best to re-configure
the existing structures of postgraduate education to best achieve this.
Singapore Management University
3.64 SMU, established in 2000 as a business and management university, will
continue to grow into a quality institution offering a different approach
to the delivery of these disciplines. As the only state-funded private
university, it will serve to provide an alternative model for business
Chaired by Mr Khaw Boon Wan, Senior Minister of State (Transport and Information,
Communications & the Arts)
17
29

education that is welcomed by industry. To the university sector as a

whole, SMU will become a natural test bed for introducing new and
innovative practices and approaches in curriculum, pedagogy and
even university management.
3.65 SMU should aspire to produce broad-based, creative and
entrepreneurial leaders for the knowledge-based economy as well as
generate quality research with high impact in business-related fields.
As the only campus specialising in business and management
programmes, SMU should strive to be a key player in our national effort
to build up the Services sector.
Size
3.66 In its steady state, SMU will have an enrolment of 6,200
undergraduates, or an intake of 1,550 students per year. SMU could
also build on its postgraduate provision to support its research
activities and achieve research excellence.
Academic Programmes
3.67 The Committee notes that SMU has already established four Schools
in its main subject areas viz. the School of Business, School of
Accountancy, School of Economics and Social Sciences and School
of Information Systems. The latest addition the School of Information
Systems will take in its first batch of students in August 2003 and offer
programmes which differ from existing IT programmes in NUS and NTU
by placing equal focus on IT and business disciplines. SMU believes
this will create professionals with the skill sets to add value to the IT and
related industries. This School will help SMU infuse all of its programmes
with a broader diversity of technology courses and students, which
can complement the existing schools in SMU.
3.68 In line with SMUs mission of producing quality business students with
an entrepreneurial spirit, the Committee further recommends that all
of its undergraduate and postgraduate programmes have a clear
business bent; this emphasis will set SMUs programmes apart from
those of other universities, thereby creating diversity of choice for
students and raising standards in these areas. An interdisciplinary
orientation will also be emphasised in all the course offerings.
International Linkages
3.69 The Wharton-SMU Research Center was initiated in April 2000 to serve
as a platform for faculty from SMU and The Wharton School to work
closely together on various business- and management-related
research projects. In addition, SMU has tied up with Carnegie Mellon
30
University to set up a School of Information Systems. Such a multipartner framework has allowed different Schools to seek out suitable
foreign partners that will better meet their own needs.
3.70 A schematic representation of the proposed university sector is shown
at Annex E.
ROLE OF PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES
3.71 The Committee supports the role of private universities in providing
undergraduate education in Singapore beyond the 25% CPR. The
bedrock public university sector will ensure that the graduate
manpower needs of the economy will be met. Beyond this, the
Committee is open to a small number of good quality private
universities setting up in Singapore. The presence of private universities
will further expand the options available to students and faculty, and
incentivise all institutions to excel within the entire university landscape.
The Committee notes that this will be in line with the strategic
objectives of creating diversity and enhancing healthy competition
within the university sector.
3.72 The Committee notes that two ERC Sub-Committees have separately
recommended a role for private universities in Singapores university
landscape. The Working Group on Education and Training of the ERC
Sub-Committee on Enhancing Human Capital, had recommended
exploring the possibility for a university landscape comprising a mix of
state and private universities of good standing18. The Sub-Committee
feels these universities could provide greater competition and the
necessary impetus for differentiation within the university sector.
Separately, the ERC Sub-Committee on Service Industries had also
recommended a gradual process19 to allow private universities to be
part of our university landscape, as part of the effort to develop
Singapores education industry into an exportable sector.
The
Committee notes that the recommendation to introduce private
universities takes, predominantly, an economic perspective and does
not impact the robustness of our university sector, so long as such
private provision falls outside the Government-funded 25% CPR.
The ERC Sub-Committee on Enhancing Human Capitals report was released on 11 Nov 02.
Source: Developing Singapores Education Industry: a report of the Education Services
Working Group of the ERC Sub-Committee on Services Industries.
18
19
31
Chapter 4
Manpower Planning for
the University Sector
Chapter 4 Manpower Planning for the University Sector
Chapter 4
Manpower Planning
For the University Sector
4.1
This chapter outlines the recommendations pertaining to manpower

planning at the university level.
BACKGROUND
4.2
In 1999, the National Manpower Council (NMC) was formed to set

directions and oversee national manpower planning and
development. It replaced the Council for Professional and Technical
Education. Among other things, the NMC oversees the setting of preemployment training (PET) targets for public post-secondary
educational institutions.
4.3
For the universities, the NMC currently sets faculty-specific targets at

the undergraduate level. These are endorsed annually with inputs
from the universities, and relevant economic agencies and Ministries.
OBJECTIVES OF MANPOWER PLANNING

4.4
The objectives of manpower planning are to ensure that manpower

supply is able to keep pace with and support the anticipated
manpower needs of industries; and to help minimise structural
unemployment among Singaporeans.
This involves equipping
Singaporeans with the training required for good jobs that have the
potential for growth.
IMPETUS FOR REVIEW

4.5
Whilst the current planning framework may have served us well up to

now, the new operating environment necessitates that we review and
refine the framework.
4.6
First, the new economy is characterised by globalisation, information

explosion and accelerated technological advancements. In this
environment, it has become more difficult to predict growth industries,
and hence, the future manpower demand and skills needs.
4.7
Second, in contrast to traditional industries, new sectors and their

corresponding workforce have become less discretely defined as a
result of technological advancement. Progressively, workers need to
have the breadth of knowledge and competencies to be effective in
33

their jobs. This implies the need for multi-disciplinary training at the
university level. Our local universities have been gradually moving in
this direction, customising courses with components stretching across
various faculties. In line with this, the current faculty-specific targets at
the university level may no longer be reflective of industry demand,
and could also hinder universities from responding more quickly to
market demand to develop new hybrid courses which are more
relevant to industries needs.
4.8
Third, in the new economy, skills and training would become obsolete
more rapidly.
PET-focused numerical manpower planning will
therefore no longer be sufficient. Instead, manpower planning needs
to focus more on the skills and competencies to be taught through
the course curricula, and also on CET planning.
4.9
Finally, the new economy requires people with specialised knowledge

and expertise at the post-basic level to create value, and
professionals in market-based innovation who can help realise this
value. There is a need to assess whether postgraduate manpower
requirements are being adequately addressed, and if postgraduate
manpower planning should be incorporated into the current planning
framework.
PROPOSED NEW MANPOWER PLANNING FRAMEWORK

4.10 Given the changes in the operating environment, the current form of
numerical manpower planning will become less reliable and relevant
in the future. Rapid changes in the manpower and skills requirements
of industry, as well as changing aspirations of Singaporeans,
necessitate a more flexible, responsive and qualitative approach to
manpower planning. On the other hand, there is still a need to ensure
that we have sufficient indigenous talent in critical areas to compete
in the knowledge-based economy.
4.11 The Committee notes that the NMC has been moving in the direction
of giving universities greater flexibility to determine their
undergraduate intake in response to changing industry demand and
to better meet student aspirations. However, with the rapid pace of
change in the new economy, the Committee is of the view that there
is a need to give even more flexibility to the universities. This will give
added impetus to the universities to strengthen their market liaison
abilities and be more attuned to industry requirements, as well as
allowing them to respond more quickly to industry needs.
4.12 The rest of this section sets out the Committees recommendations on
how the current undergraduate target setting framework can be
modified to give greater flexibility to the universities, and at the same
34
time, ensure that the strategic manpower needs of the economy are
met.20 It also looks at whether there is a need to set targets at the
postgraduate level.
Undergraduate Target Setting Framework
Set Broader Targets and Introduce Flexible Target Category
4.13 The Committee recommends that broader targets be set at the
undergraduate level21 in clusters of disciplines such as Engineering,
Sciences and Humanities rather than at the current faculty-specific
level. In addition, a flexible target category can be introduced,
where a certain number of places can be set aside for the universities
to allocate at their discretion. For a start, this flexible category could
be set at 10% of all university places. The specific targets that will be
set will ensure a reasonable spread of graduates across disciplines,
while the flexible category will give universities greater flexibility to
mount hybrid courses and decide on placements to better meet
industry needs and student aspirations.
Continue to Maintain Technical Bias in Targets
4.14 The Committee notes that the NMC, and the CPTE before that, have
been maintaining a deliberate bias towards Science & Technology
(S&T) courses22 over the years, in terms of the targets being set. The
proportion of S&T students graduating from the universities last year
was about 50%.
4.15 Given that S&T manpower are important drivers of growth for
knowledge industries (e.g. biomedical sciences), the Committee is of
the view that there is still a need to safeguard the intake of students
into S&T courses at the universities. An environmental scan of the
labour markets globally showed that many developed countries
including Germany, the UK, Canada and the US are experiencing
shortages of technical manpower due to the strong and rising
demand for technical manpower, coupled with a slowdown in the
domestic supply. Many of these countries therefore have to rely on
foreign talent to meet the shortfall. As the global competition for
technical manpower intensifies, Singapore needs to continue to
The recommendations do not apply to the targets for medicine, dentistry and law. Current
policies governing the targets for these disciplines will continue to apply.
21 The Committee notes that the ERC Sub-Committee on Enhancing Human Capital had
recommended that universities be allowed to combine certain National Manpower Council
targets to enable them to respond to changing industry needs.
22 S&T courses refer to engineering, computer science, sciences (including applied sciences
and pharmacy).
20
35

produce an adequate supply of technical manpower from our local

universities. An added advantage of technical manpower is that they
tend to be more versatile, as they can go into non-technical jobs
more easily than non-technical manpower can go into technical jobs.
This is likely to add resilience to our workforce.
4.16 The Committee hence recommends that the NMC continue to
maintain the technical bias in the targets at current levels. However,
care should be taken to ensure that local universities also produce a
spread of graduates in other disciplines who are needed in the
economy, particularly as the services sector gains importance.
Focus on Employment Outcomes
4.17 As we evolve to a more flexible planning approach, the Committee
notes that market-based signals and indicators will become more
important to achieve alignment of interest among the various parties,
viz, universities, industry and students. Ultimately, the market test of a
university education is in the employability of its graduates. There is a
need to put in place a system of market-based signals to ensure that
the universities and students aspirations are better aligned with
industry demand. For instance, the universities could make public the
findings of their graduate employment surveys, and 5-year or 10-year
tracer surveys (e.g. employment and wage rates of their graduates) in
a format that facilitates comparison across universities. This will help to
inject healthy competition among the universities, and spur them to
train graduates who are relevant to industry. Such market-based
signals will also serve to encourage students to go into areas with high
demand. Besides monitoring education outputs, the NMC could also
monitor the universities based on the continued employability of their
graduates.
4.18 In order to guard against an over-supply of graduates in certain
areas23, or to ensure that graduates are being trained in capabilities
needed by future growth industries, the dissemination of information
on manpower trends and forecasts of skills needed in the future is
equally important. At present, the Government is the main source of
such information to help the universities plan. There is scope to have
more market intelligence players in Singapore to conduct research
into, and provide analysis on, manpower trends and forecasts, which
can then be disseminated to Government, industry, universities and
the public.
23
Due to the time needed to train a graduate, it is possible that responding to market signals
(e.g. high wages) prevailing at the time the graduates entered the university could result in a
situation of oversupply when the graduates are ready to enter the workforce 3-4 years later.
This is because industry demand could have changed by then, or there could have been an
oversupply of graduates in earlier years.
36
4.19 The above recommendations will apply to all university placement

policies, other than medicine/dentistry and law which will continue to
remain under the purview of the relevant ministries, i.e. the Ministry of
Health and Ministry of Law respectively.
Postgraduate Manpower Planning
4.20 In order to determine whether there is a need to set postgraduate
targets as part of manpower planning, the Committee has examined
the supply and demand situation for postgraduates24 in Singapore.
4.21 The demand for postgraduate manpower is expected to grow further,
as Singapore becomes a knowledge economy. However, the
Committee observes that the supply of postgraduates has also been
growing strongly. In the last decade, the proportion of our labour
force with postgraduate degrees has risen from 0.8% in 1991 to 2.8% in
2001. Our workforce profile is likely to improve further in the years
ahead as an increasing number of postgraduates are entering the
workforce every year.
In the last four years, the number of
postgraduates who graduated from our local universities more than
doubled, increasing from about 1,780 in 1997 to 4,170 in 200125. In
addition, the number of postgraduates from external degree
programmes has also increased, nearly tripling from 890 in 1998 to
2,330 in 200026. Among the postgraduates from local universities, the
most popular discipline was engineering sciences, followed by
business management & related courses. In contrast, postgraduates
from external degree programmes overwhelmingly preferred business
management & related courses.
4.22 Based on the current assessment of the demand and supply situation
for postgraduates, the Committee does not see the need to set
postgraduate targets for the local universities at present. The supply
of postgraduates trained in business management and related areas,
as well as in science, engineering and technology areas has been
growing strongly. Thus, individuals have been responding well to
market demand for postgraduate manpower. Supply is also likely to
meet the expected increase in demand for such manpower, at least
in the near future. In addition, economic agencies such as EDB and
A*STAR have postgraduate scholarship schemes that are intended to
Postgraduates refer to those with PhD, Masters and Postgraduate Diplomas (excluding the
Postgraduate Diploma in Education or PGDE).
25 This covers full-time and part-time postgraduate diploma and higher degree courses
offered by NUS and NTU, and higher degree courses (excluding PGDE) offered by NIE.
Source: Local universities administrative records.
26 Refers to residents only, i.e. Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents.
Source:
Education Upgrading Through External Degree Programmes, Statistics Singapore Newsletter
(Department of Statistics).
24
37

train specialised postgraduate manpower in critical areas either in

local or overseas universities, which will help to meet postgraduate
manpower needs.
4.23 However, as Singapores economy is in a state of transition and
evolving rapidly, the Committee is of the view that there is a need to
strengthen data collection and feedback on the requirement for
postgraduate manpower at the Masters and PhD level, particularly in
the science, engineering and technology fields. The Committee notes
that in the year ahead, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Ministry
of Trade & Industry (MTI) will be working with economic agencies to
better understand the manpower and skills needs of the various
industries (including for Masters and PhD manpower) for manpower
planning and human capital development purposes. The findings
can then be reviewed by the NMC. Subsequently, the NMC should
review the overall postgraduate manpower situation regularly, say,
once every two years.
CONCLUSION
4.24 The fast changing environment necessitates that we have a more
flexible, responsive and qualitative approach to manpower planning.
At the same time, however, it is important for the planning framework
to continue to ensure that the universities will produce sufficient
indigenous talent in critical areas to compete in the knowledgebased economy.
38
Chapter 5
A More Responsive
Operating Environment
Chapter 5 A More Responsive Operating Environment
Chapter 5
A More Responsive
Operating Environment
5.1
5.2
The Committee recognises that the operating environment must be

made more responsive to complement the reconfigured university
sector structure to achieve the strategic goals of our universities. Each
university, indeed each faculty, must have an increased ownership of
its mission and destiny. Accordingly, we should allow more flexibility
for institutions to respond to varied needs and allocate adequate
resources and more self-governance to produce desired outcomes.
Hence, the Committee has reviewed the following key elements in the
university sectors operating environment:
a.
Research and postgraduate training;
b.
University admission; and
c.
Funding.
The following sections provide the Committees recommendations for

relevant changes to each of the elements above.
RESEARCH AND POSTGRADUATE TRAINING

5.3
The Committee supports NUS efforts in setting up a Graduate School

for Integrative Sciences and Engineering which aims to embark on
multi-disciplinary education and research relevant to science today.
The traditional silo-driven approach, particularly to university research,
and the traditional department structure often do not provide the
ideal environment for staff to collaborate in inter-disciplinary or transdisciplinary research. The Graduate School therefore serves as a
strategic focal point for NUS to enter into collaborations with the RIs,
industry and other international bodies, while maintaining the mission
of each, and will complement the faculty-based provision of
postgraduate education that already exists in NUS Kent Ridge.
5.4
The Committee agrees that the Graduate School will facilitate

research talent attraction and manpower development for NUS. It will
enhance interaction with the RIs and bring both sectors closer
together by formalising linkages and, in doing so, develop a mutually
beneficial relationship that will optimise the utilisation of research
resources and enhance synergy in both research and teaching
efforts.
39

5.5
Our universities, given their early access to potential young talent at

the undergraduate level and the broad base of opportunities they
offer due to their comprehensive research nature, are well-positioned
to become key players in our national R&D landscape. At the
national level, the objectives of our R&D efforts are to attract and train
superior research manpower and to produce research outcomes that
can be translated into economic or strategic gain for the nation. The
Committee is of the view that the permanence and stability of the
university research environment provides an excellent gestation
habitat for cultivating research manpower for Singapore.
5.6
Furthermore, the Committee feels that our universities can provide the
mechanism to root research talent in Singapore. Neither the RIs nor
industry are presently able to absorb all of the PhD research
manpower and the universities should be positioned to catch the
spillover of research manpower from industry.
5.7
The Graduate School can also focus on research and manpower

development in strategic areas so as to effectively partner with the
RIs. The School can also serve as a safety net to retain research
talent within Singapore, including Research Scientists and Engineers
churned from the RIs due to rapid changes in the RIs research
agendas.
A well-structured Graduate School can provide the
necessary resources and support to identify, create and improve on
common areas of research focus and manpower training with RIs, as
well as with potential overseas partners.
5.8
The Committee suggests that the other universities could also explore
setting up such a Graduate School, or other suitable postgraduate
education structure, that will align well with its mission to reach the
same objectives. In this way, our universities could work towards the
longer-term goals of manpower training, producing immediate R&D
outcomes and rooting research talent in Singapore.
DIFFERENTIATED UNIVERSITY ADMISSION

5.9
The Committee is of the view that there is no necessity at present to

change the core components of the University Admission System
(UAS)27. However, the Committee recognises the need to fine-tune
the UAS in the near future to address two issues: the increasing
27 In 1999, the Government accepted the recommendations of the Committee on the

University Admission System to implement from AY2003 onwards a new UAS. For A Level
holders, the UAS will comprise the core components of A Level results, SAT I, Co-Curricular
Activities and (only with effect from 2005) Project Work.
40
diversity of the university sector, and the impending changes to the JC

curriculum28.
5.10 Under the proposed long-term structure of the university sector, there
will be a variegated profile of universities and campuses, each with a
different mission and focus. As we increase our CPR, the universitybound cohort will comprise students with a broader spectrum of
educational abilities and needs. While there should continue to be
minimum standards of eligibility for the whole university system to
maintain our international standing, there could be greater latitude for
individual faculties and universities to adopt different admission
criteria29. This will allow each university to develop distinctive missions
and foci, and to better manage the broader spectrum of student
abilities. This will also allow them to better recruit the target group of
students who will best benefit from and contribute to the institution.
However, we will still need to ensure that the principles of meritocracy
and objectivity are maintained, and that there is broad alignment
with the desired outcomes of education at the Upper Secondary/JC
level.
5.11 With the increase in the CPR, the number of polytechnic upgraders
entering university will rise. Currently, polytechnic students account for
2%-points of the 21% university CPR. Within the target 25% CPR for the
overall university sector, the Committee expects that 19%-points (i.e.
status quo) will come from the JCs, while 6%-points will come from
polytechnic upgraders. Within these broad parameters, to give the
universities greater autonomy in shaping the profile of their students,
the Committee recommends that MOE and the universities work on a
reasonable balance in intake from the two sources as well as
candidates with other qualifications. This will also enable universities to
respond to the recommendation by the Committee to Review JC and
Upper Secondary Education for greater diversity within the Upper
Secondary and JC educational landscape.
Changes to the JC curriculum as recommended by the Committee on the Review of JC

and Upper Secondary Education which will have an impact on the UAS include new subject
requirements and the proposal to offer subjects at three different levels.
29 The Committee concurs with the ERC Sub-Committee on Enhancing Human Capital on its
recommendation for the university entry requirement to be refined to better create a more
diversified and vibrant university culture and landscape and better recognise the variety of
talent in our student base.
28
41

FUNDING FRAMEWORK FOR THE UNIVERSITY SECTOR

5.12 The Committee is of the view that the funding framework will have to
be revised to take into account the differentiation in institutional
missions and foci under the proposed long-term structure of the
university sector. The key recommended changes include:
a.
A differentiated fee structure; and
b.
More targeted postgraduate funding.
Differentiated Fee Structure

5.13 The Committee recognises that, in a more variegated university
sector, there will be greater variability in the cost structures of different
institutions. We should actively encourage universities to expand their
sources of funding, e.g. from endowments and industry participation.
Also, we could allow campuses and faculties to charge different
fees30 based on the principle that varying quality of education
requires different resources.
5.14 While we allow a differentiated fee structure, the Committee suggests
that universities have to justify any fee increase proposed, and seek
the approval of the Government. MOE will then review requests
based on objective parameters.
5.15 However, we should retain the guiding principle that those who are
able to benefit from a university education will not be denied the
opportunity because of financial difficulties.
There should be
adequate financial assistance schemes to ensure that university
admission continues to be needs-blind.
More Targeted Postgraduate Funding
5.16 While MOE will continue to subsidise postgraduate education, the
Committee notes that we should use the funding lever to ensure that
our universities exercise greater selectivity to improve the quality of
their postgraduate intake and ensure the relevance of the
fields/courses offered.
The Committee also notes the ERC Sub-Committee on Enhancing Human Capitals
recommendation to encourage universities to further diversify and optimise their funding
sources, and to develop areas of excellence and expertise in teaching and research using
appropriate rewards and incentives. It will reduce the reliance on Government for such
discretionary expenditure.
30
42
5.17 In addition, MOE will ensure that funding of postgraduate education

must be, as far as possible, aligned with the strategic objectives of
producing industry-relevant graduates and enhancing our countrys
research capacity. Guaranteed per-student funding of postgraduate
education could be de-emphasised and resources rechannelled to
provide more scholarship funding to attract the right types of students.
We could also use funding to encourage more to move into targeted
areas of postgraduate research. MOE could work with MTI (including
EDB and A*STAR) and MOM to identify such targeted areas. For
postgraduate programmes by coursework, MOE could work with EDB
and A*STAR to implement a co-funding scholarship scheme to
engage industry directly in shaping the postgraduate courses that
meet their needs.
43
Chapter 6
Conclusion
Chapter 6 Conclusion
Chapter 6
Conclusion
6.1
The Committee is encouraged by the enthusiastic response of NUS,

NTU and SMU in embracing the proposed changes to the university
sector in the coming years. The road ahead may be a long and
arduous one, but with the commitment and cooperation of the key
stakeholders, we have every confidence that we will reach our
destination.
6.2
Thus far, our universities have more than fulfilled their role in
contributing to Singapores progress by providing cohorts of highly
trained graduates to meet the economic and social needs of the
nation. In an increasingly competitive world economy, a vibrant and
robust university sector becomes ever more crucial. It will not only be
able to expand access to better cater to the needs and aspirations of
a wider spectrum of university-bound students, but also meet industrys
requirements for a workforce which is more diverse and adaptable.
Yet, as we expand our university sector to cater to a 25% CPR, we
must maintain and where possible, enhance the current standards of
our universities.
6.3
Besides maintaining quality and providing diversity of choice, the

healthy competition generated by the restructuring will spur our
universities on to make themselves distinctive, thereby achieving
excellence in education and research. With this as the backdrop, the
Committee is confident that our universities will continue to nurture our
precious human capital, and be committed to knowledge and
wealth creation, innovation and enterprise. They have stretched
beyond the confines of our small island state to both link up with the
top universities in the world and distinguish themselves in the global
educational arena.
6.4
By making timely changes now to further enhance institutional quality,

the Committee hopes to position our university sector for even greater
success in an exciting and challenging future.
45
Annexes
Annex A Summary of Recommendations
Annex A
Summary of Recommendations
S/N
Recommendation
Para
A New Public University Sector Structure

1
To establish a long-term university sector comprising:

2 large comprehensive universities NUS Kent Ridge and NTU; and
3 niche universities NUS Buona Vista, NUS Outram and SMU
3.18
3.20
To transform NUS into an NUS multi-campus university system consisting of

NUS Kent Ridge, NUS Buona Vista and NUS Outram
To establish NUS Buona Vista as a research-intensive university with a

sizeable postgraduate population, offering programmes in engineering,
sciences and info-communications technology at undergraduate level
3.21 &
3.51
3.55
3.34
3.43
To establish NUS Outram as a boutique institution specialising in medical

and allied health science education
3.44
3.50
To expand NTU into a comprehensive university
To allow a small number of good quality private universities to offer

undergraduate programmes, outside the Government-funded 25% CPR
target
3.56
3.63
3.71
3.72
Manpower Planning for the University Sector

7
Undergraduate Target Setting Framework

To give more flexibility to universities to determine the distribution of intake
among various undergraduate courses by setting broader targets, and
setting aside a flexible target category for universities to distribute among
various courses at their discretion
4.13
To continue to maintain a technical bias in targets set to safeguard the

intake of students into science, technology and engineering courses
4.14
4.16
To put in place a system of market-based signals to achieve alignment of

interests among universities, industry and students, and to disseminate
more information on manpower trends and forecasts to the public
4.17
4.18
47
Report of the Committee to Review the University Sector

and Graduate Manpower Planning
10
Postgraduate Manpower Planning

To strengthen data collection and feedback on the requirement of
postgraduate manpower at the Masters and PhD level, and for the
Government to regularly review the postgraduate manpower situation
4.23
A More Responsive Operating Environment
48
11
Research and Postgraduate Training

To encourage universities to explore their own/similar model for
research and postgraduate education vis--vis NUS plans to set up a
Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering to enhance
synergies with the RIs
5.3
5.8
12
Differentiated Admissions System

To review the University Admission System to align with increased
diversity in the university sector and changes at JC level, and to give
universities greater autonomy to shape the profile of their students
5.9
5.11
13
Funding Framework for the University Sector

To support MOEs intention to allow differentiated fee structures within
the university sector and adopt more targeted postgraduate funding
5.12
5.17
Annex B Composition of the Committee
Annex B
Composition of the Committee to Review the

University Sector and Graduate Manpower Planning
Chairman
Dr Ng Eng Hen
Minister of State (Education and Manpower)
Members
Mr Chiang Chie Foo
Mr Heng Swee Keat
Ms Yong Ying-I
Mr Teo Ming Kian
Permanent Secretary (Education)

Permanent Secretary (Trade & Industry)
Permanent Secretary (Manpower)
Chairman, Economic Development Board
Secretariat
Ministry of Education
Mr Lim Chee Hwee
Mr Tan Kok Yam
Mdm Julie Tan
Ms Audrey Chen
Ministry of Manpower
Ms Elizabeth Quah
Ms Yong Yik Wei
Ms Doris Kuek
Director, Higher Education

Assistant Director, Higher Education
Senior Head, Higher Education (Policy) (till 30
Nov 2002)
Senior Head, Higher Education (Policy)
Divisional Director, Manpower Planning and
Policy
Deputy Divisional Director, Manpower Planning
and Policy
Manager, Manpower Planning
49
Annex C Comments by the International Academic Advisory Panel
Annex C
Comments by the
International Academic Advisory Panel
1.
The 4th International Academic Advisory Panel met in Singapore from
13-16 January 2003.
The Panel deliberated on the preliminary
recommendations of the Committee and provided the following
comments:
EXPANSION OF COHORT PARTICIPATION RATE TO 25%
2.
The Panel notes that while there has been a shift away from the fourth
university proposal, the intent to expand university cohort participation
remains. The proposed restructuring of the university sector and the
recommendation to set up a multi-campus university and new niche
institutions will cater to the diverse needs and interests of students, and raise
the overall quality of the university sector.
3.
The Panel notes the degree of overlap in the academic calibre (as
measured by performance in the O Level exams) of polytechnic and
junior college students. Consequently, there is some room to expand the
university CPR from the current 21% to 25% so that more students (especially
the top students at the polytechnics) can also proceed to the universities.
They advise that we should not compromise quality for the sake of quantity.
As such, standards should be closely monitored as we allow more students
into our universities.
4.
The Panel also proposes that while we increase the CPR by 4%-points,
we should also pay more attention to what should be done to develop
talent at the very top. A different educational product could be delivered
to the very best students through, for instance, accelerated programmes,
and more exposure to research and residential experiences. The proposed
establishment of NUS Buona Vista is one approach to allow us to offer a
targeted programme for those interested in, and with the aptitude for,
research.
EXPANSION OF NTU INTO A COMPREHENSIVE UNIVERSITY
5.
The Panel agrees that NTU should expand both in terms of intake
numbers and disciplinary provisions to become a comprehensive university.
The Panel notes that with the establishment of the three new schools, NTU
will be able to offer the breadth of education that is currently being offered
only at NUS. Panel members applaud this move as broad-based education
is important in the development of future researchers and entrepreneurs.
51

NUS MULTI-CAMPUS UNIVERSITY SYSTEM

6.
The Panel endorses the proposal to transform NUS into a multi-campus
university system. With such a set-up, NUS as a whole will be better able to
meet the different needs, as well as cater to the different aptitudes of
students and faculty, thereby optimising their potential. The MCU system will
be able to leverage on and contribute to the branding of the existing NUS
Kent Ridge. Panel members emphasise the need for synergy and porosity
among the campuses within the MCU system. There must be connectivity
between campuses to ensure that all campuses can achieve an uplift in
quality.
NUS OUTRAM
7.
The Panel supports the establishment of a Graduate Medical
Programme at the proposed NUS Outram. Having the GMP will allow us to
inject competition as well as diversity, through introducing the US model of
graduate medical education.
8.
Given the GMPs small size, the Panel recommends that the GMP
draw on the expertise of existing medical faculty at NUS Kent Ridge for preclinical training, particularly in the less dynamic fields like physiology and
anatomy. While Panel members feel that it is useful to capitalise on the
resources of the Singapore General Hospital, there should also be resource
sharing between NUS Kent Ridge and NUS Outram. This is pertinent
particularly if the objective is to produce some medical researchers, who
will need exposure to the physical sciences at NUS Kent Ridge.
NUS BUONA VISTA
9.
Panel members support NUS Buona Vistas objectives of improving the
quality of undergraduate and postgraduate education, and providing for
students who will benefit from a more research-intensive environment. A
new institution will offer NUS the opportunity to start afresh in a new direction
with a new culture. A small institution will allow it to be more nimble and
focused to compete with the best in the world.
10. However, Panel members point out that it will be difficult and costly to
recruit the world-class faculty required for NUS Buona Vista. Large numbers
of new faculty talent will have to be identified and funding will also have to
be found for expensive post-doctoral researchers. This is no easy task for a
new institution. The Panel suggests that the sizing and scope of the new
campus will need to be carefully considered to ensure that such a hefty
investment will yield the desired returns.
11. The Panel also highlights that the mode and pace of realising NUS
Buona Vista should not adversely affect the progress and quality of NUS
52
Annex C Comments by the International Academic Advisory Panel
Kent Ridge. The path forward for NUS Buona Vista will have to be carefully
designed to ensure maximum flexibility and connectivity with NUS Kent
Ridge.
NUS KENT RIDGE
12. The Panel is of the view that NUS Kent Ridge should continue to be the
main provider of undergraduate education in NUS and maintain its efforts
to achieve excellence. Some of the recommendations to improve the
educational quality of NUS Kent Ridge include tailoring differentiated
programmes to meet the varied needs and inclinations of students,
strengthening the development of postgraduate education in specific
disciplines and increasing affiliation to the campus through more
opportunities for a residential undergraduate programme. One suggestion
is for the University Scholars Programme to be developed into a residential
programme to offer students a totally different experience that is on par
with an overseas education at a leading US university.
FUNDING AND FEES
13. There is some concern regarding the long-term cost implications of
operating the new institutions. The funding models of top US universities are
now very stretched, with an ever-increasing gap between cost and fee
revenue. Fees and funding have also become major issues in the UK,
particularly with the increase in the cohort sizes entering universities. The
result is that fee-controlled public institutions are now, due to lack of
resources, falling behind private institutions which do not face the same
restrictions in setting fees.
14. The Panel notes that some US universities practise a system of price
discrimination at the individual level. Different students pay different levels
of fees, based on financial need or academic merit. There is also a
constructive ambiguity in public university financing in the US. Revenue
received from the undergraduate stream could be used to fund graduate
education and research, and vice versa.
15. The Panel observes that, for the public university sector in general, an
egalitarian funding principle (which is often the most publicly acceptable
approach) has a levelling down effect on quality, making it difficult for
public universities to achieve excellence. Government grants for university
education should be regarded more as financial aid than as entitlement,
and there should be room for differentiated and more flexible funding of
the public universities. The Panel also notes that for Singapores universities
to aspire to world-class status, there is a need to source for additional
revenue streams to support the human capital needed.
53
Annex D Summary of Key Feedback Findings
Annex D
Summary of Key Feedback Findings

CONSULTATION AND FEEDBACK PROCESS
1.
The Committee released its Preliminary Findings to the public at a
press conference on 2 Jan 2003.31 During the course of the Committees
deliberations, feedback on the proposed restructuring of the university
sector was obtained through various channels:
a.
Focus group discussions with representatives from industry,

universities, polytechnics and private education service
providers;
b.
Meetings with the Presidents and deans of NUS, NTU and SMU;
c.
Re-make NUS Task Force;
d.
Dialogue session with the Government Parliamentary Committee

for Education;
e.
Feedback Unit of the Ministry of Community Development and

Sports;
f.
Dialogue session with university representatives and principals

from the polytechnics, junior colleges and integrated
programme schools;
g.
2003 Committee of Supply debate; and
h.
Meetings with the NUS Council, NTU Council and SMU Board of
Trustees32.
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
Increase in Cohort Participation Rate and Impact on Student Quality
2.
There were mixed reactions to the proposal to increase CPR to 25%.
On the one hand, there was concern regarding the possible dilution of
The Preliminary Findings were posted on the MOE internet website.
Deputy Prime Minister, Dr Tony Tan, Minister for Education, RAdm Teo Chee Hean and
Minister of State (Education and Manpower), Dr Ng Eng Hen met with the three university
councils on separate occasions.
31
32
55

standards at the universities if the cohort size was increased. While there
was acceptance of the need to give more students greater access to
university education, we should proceed with caution in the light of
evidence from other countries which had shown that increased
participation could lead to falling standards and increased attrition rates.
On the other hand, there was the view that the CPR could even be raised
to 30% or higher without diluting standards because of the increasingly high
quality of students. The 25% CPR was considered low compared with the
CPR in other countries, particularly in view of the observation that the 20% of
JC students who could not make it into local universities managed to enrol
in overseas universities, albeit of varying standards.
3.
A related issue had to do with the match between supply and
demand for graduate manpower in the different disciplines in view of the
recent difficulties faced by graduates in securing employment. One fear
was that the increase in CPR could exacerbate the problem of graduate
unemployment.
4.
Industry generally expected the percentage of university graduates to
go up over time. However, they would like our university graduates to have
a better job fit with the industries. The students should have a more broadbased training at university and develop a holistic mindset that would
enable them to manage companies and deal with the demands of
globalisation. Polytechnic graduates were deemed to be good hires by
most companies as they had a more hands-on approach and were willing
to learn the basics. Certain companies were willing to send these
polytechnic graduates for further education and pay full fees for their
degree education, if necessary.
5.
While there was consensus that polytechnic graduates generally did
well at university, a few expressed concern that the polytechnic curriculum
did not give students an adequate foundation in mathematics for courses
in engineering and design & environment. One weakness highlighted for
both junior college and polytechnic students was their poor
communication and writing skills. It was noted that if students were properly
prepared for university, raising the CPR would not result in lower standards.
NUS Multi-Campus University System
6.
Some thought that a multi-campus system would allow mission-driven
differences to emerge, allowing different schools to stand out and offer
more choices to serve the needs of a larger cross section of the population.
Others expressed concern over building more layers of bureaucracy under
such a multi-campus system. Most felt that an MCU system was preferred to
the fourth university proposal as the building up of a brand name was a
very long process. The NUS brand name would provide an umbrella for the
56
new campuses to allow a faster ramp-up than would have been possible
for a new institution starting from scratch.
7.
For the new campuses within the MCU to establish a distinctive
identity, it was proposed that they should be separately administered, with
clear financial autonomy and possibly separate admission systems. The
new campuses could introduce new specialisations for which there is
market demand, and in so doing, mitigate the duplication of resources
across the campuses. Such an approach would increase the universitys
research intensity without an invidious a priori designation of one as a firsttier institution and the others as second-tier. Some felt that we should aim
to achieve multi-disciplinary education and research interaction across the
MCU system by ensuring that the campuses are in close proximity to one
another.
8.
With an MCU system, there would be more career opportunities for
faculty and greater sharing of facilities and resources. Students could be
allowed to transfer to or take courses offered by another campus. Overall,
the transformation of NUS into an MCU system would add new dimensions
to the university sector and was a sign of its maturation.
NUS Outram
9.
While noting that the medical intake would increase, there were some
concerns over the setting up a second medical school at NUS Outram as it
could be wasteful and duplicative. More benefits could possibly be reaped
from co-locating the GMP with the medical school at NUS Kent Ridge to
foster closer links between researchers and clinicians and to facilitate the
cross-fertilisation of ideas.
10. Others felt that a second medical school at the graduate level
offering a different curriculum and learning experience at NUS Outram
could provide healthy competition and more choices for the students, than
if there were only one medical school in the whole of Singapore. Besides,
the medical school at NUS Kent Ridge was already quite large by
international standards.
NUS Buona Vista
11. There was support for the proposal to set up NUS Buona Vista as a
research-intensive institution to provide an alternative destination to attract,
inter alia, the top students who currently chose to go overseas for their
university education. However, there was some concern that NUS Buona
Vista would cream off not only the top students, but also the top faculty
and hence weaken the departments at NUS Kent Ridge. Furthermore, it
57

would be difficult and expensive to recruit good faculty for such an

institution.
12. Some felt that the establishment of NUS Buona Vista was a
tremendous opportunity for NUS to compete globally for top students,
besides uplifting the overall NUS brand name. To kick it off, an enduring
partnership with a top foreign university would help make NUS Buona Vista
more attractive to top local and foreign students. With NUS Buona Vista,
bright students wanting to enrol in NUS would be offered a choice between
two different types of education the diverse disciplinary offerings of a
comprehensive university at NUS Kent Ridge or the research-intensive focus
of NUS Buona Vista.
Expansion of NTU
13. There was strong support for the proposal to turn NTU into a
comprehensive university, as broad-based education was well-accepted
within NTU and had already been put in place within its existing spread of
disciplines. A broad-based curriculum would produce better quality
graduates with a more balanced knowledge base.
14. The introduction of Design & Media was considered timely given that
design was becoming increasingly technology-based. Media design fit in
well with the School of Communication and Information which was already
offering integrated technology courses. Some of the new disciplines in the
proposed School of Humanities and Social Sciences were in fact already
being offered by NIE and economics was taught in the Nanyang Business
School. The proposed School of Humanities and Social Sciences could
expand into other aspects of economics and also serve the other schools.
NIE academics would also have a home base in the university within which
to extend their content knowledge. Furthermore, the number of applicants
for science courses, particularly the biological sciences, had been
increasing. If the biological sciences graduates managed to obtain good
jobs, the momentum for recruitment in the physical sciences would be
boosted.
15. Some highlighted the need to ensure that the momentum gained by
NTU was maintained and its reputation enhanced through this move to turn
NTU into a full-fledged comprehensive university. NTU might also consider
changing its name to reflect its new identity and mission.
Private Universities
16. There was some support for the proposal to allow private universities to
operate in Singapore. The main argument was that the private universities
would expose the public universities to greater competition and help raise
58
standards even higher. Some suggestions included: (a) allowing public

universities greater autonomy to compete with private universities on an
equal footing; (b) allowing differentiated fees in the public universities to
better reflect student demand and reward staff members; (c) subjecting
private universities to rigorous academic reviews or accreditation to shield
the public from low quality private providers; and (d) not providing funding
for private universities.
Fourth University
17. Most agreed that it would be difficult for a brand new institution
starting from scratch (i.e. the fourth university proposed previously) to
quickly establish its reputation and attract students and faculty. At worst, it
might be perceived as a second-rate university. It would be a major
undertaking to start a new institution with a large intake of 3,000-5,000
students. Furthermore, if it expanded too quickly, it might not be able to
recruit sufficient quality faculty and risk diluting the standing of the university
degree and employment opportunities for its graduates. If the new
university remained small, it might be unable to achieve economies of
scale.
Manpower Targets
18. The universities were supportive of the move to set broader targets for
university admission. There were suggestions that universities be given more
autonomy to adjust the numbers internally based on student demand and
their own capacity.
University Admission
19. The universities welcomed the proposal to have differentiated
admission criteria which offers greater latitude for individual faculties and
universities to set their own criteria, and in the process, to better manage
the broader spectrum of student abilities when the university intake is
increased.
59
Annex E Proposed Structure of the Bedrock Public University Sector
Annex E
Proposed Structure of the Bedrock Public University Sector
NTU
NUS Kent Ridge
Comprehensive university
Comprehensive university
Projected Sizing:
Undergraduate Intake: 6,000
(4,400)*
Undergraduate Enrolment:
22,300 (15,600)
Projected Sizing:
(6,000)*
23,900 (22,000)
Disciplines:
Engineering
Business
Accountancy
Biological Sciences
Communication Studies
Education (NIE)
Physical Sciences**
Humanities & Social Sciences
Design Arts & Media
Disciplines:
Engineering
Computing
Business
Architecture
Sciences (including Pharmacy)
Arts & Social Sciences
Medicine
Law
Dentistry
NUS Buona Vista
NUS Outram
Science and Technology

university with a strong
research orientation
Boutique institution offering

medical & health science
education
Projected Sizing:
Undergraduate Intake:
500 1,000
2,000 4,000
Projected Sizing:
Undergraduate Intake: 350
1,000
Disciplines:
Engineering
Info-Comm Technology
Sciences
Disciplines:
Medicine (Graduate
Medical Programme)#
Allied Health Sciences
* Figures in parenthesis are current (AY2002) figures for full-time students.

** Disciplines in italics are proposed new disciplines.
# NUS Outram will offer its Graduate Medical Programme with an annual intake of 50 students.
SMU
Business and Management
university
Projected Sizing:
(600)*
6,200 (1,400)*
Disciplines:
Business Management
Accountancy
Economics & Social Sciences
Information Systems

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Restructuring the

Report of the Committee to Review the

Strategic Objectives of the University Sector

Evolution of the University Sector

A Robust & Vibrant University Sector

Features of the Long-Term University Sector

Manpower Planning for the University Sector

A More Responsive Operating Environment

Research & Postgraduate Training

Comments by the International Academic Advisory Panel

Summary of Key Feedback Findings

Proposed Structure of the Bedrock Public University Sector

Report of the Committee To Review The University Sector

Report of the Committee To Review The University Sector

creating diversity and enhancing healthy competition within the overall

AN OPERATING ENVIRONMENT THAT SUPPORTS DIVERSITY

Report of the Committee To Review The University Sector

22. To take into account the differentiation in institutional missions and

Over the last three decades of Singapores progress as an

Our university sector has evolved with capabilities structured to

COMMITTEE TO REVIEW THE UNIVERSITY SECTOR AND GRADUATE MANPOWER PLANNING

In February 2002, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Dr

The terms of reference of the Committee are as follows:

To establish the degree and level of detail we should set intake

Report of the Committee To Review The University Sector

In the light of the national economic restructuring initiative, to

In the context of (b), to consider the inputs of the earlier Review

CONSULTATION AND FEEDBACK PROCESS

During the course of its deliberation, the Committee has benefited

MOEs International Academic Advisory Panel (IAAP) discussed and

Between April and May 2002, Dr Ng chaired three focus group

Chapter 2 Strategic Objectives of the University Sector

The development of our universities in Singapore has mirrored the

1905 to 1979 - The universities in Singapore trace their histories back to

1992 to the present - Enrolment in our universities continued to grow

Report of the Committee To Review The University Sector

In 1998, the Economic Development Board launched its World Class

Separately, our universities are also involved in collaborations with the

FEATURES OF THE CURRENT UNIVERSITY LANDSCAPE

Our university sector currently comprises the National University of

Collectively, the three universities had a full-time undergraduate

Chapter 2 Strategic Objectives of the University Sector

Presently, institutional segmentation in the university sector is not

Report of the Committee To Review The University Sector

3,5007 university places in NUS/NTU by 2010. The increase in university

Chapter 2 Strategic Objectives of the University Sector

of graduates ability to adapt, innovate and add value. Universities

Report of the Committee To Review The University Sector

viability of and benefits derived from research efforts depend on not

Chapter 3 A Robust & Vibrant University Sector

A Robust & Vibrant University Sector

This chapter outlines the proposed features and long-term structure

FEATURES OF THE LONG-TERM UNIVERSITY SECTOR

High Quality. It is imperative that our universities maintain, and where

The Committee is of the view that there is a potential pool of good

Currently, only 2%-points of the 21% university CPR come from

This refers to the year of candidature for the A Level examinations.

Report of the Committee To Review The University Sector

The Committee further notes that the size of the university-bound

Besides admitting high-quality students, to create an environment that

There is also a need to provide for the more diverse educational

3.10 Robustness. While universities should respond to changes and shifts in

Chapter 3 A Robust & Vibrant University Sector