Dr Richard Hu, Chancellor, SMU,
Mr Ho Kwon Ping, Chairman, SMU Board of Trustees,
Professor Howard Hunter, President, SMU,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen
Introduction
1 I am happy to join you for the opening of the Singapore Management University (SMU) – our very first university campus in the city.
Preparing for the Knowledge Age
2 Universities everywhere are playing an increasingly important role to prepare young people for a changing and unpredictable world. With the rapid diffusion of knowledge worldwide, new possibilities for improving economic conditions and human welfare are opening up everywhere. Companies and countries are seizing these opportunities, adapting quickly, and leveraging on innovations and technology to surge ahead of their competitors. Globalisation is pushing out the frontiers of knowledge farther and faster.
3 Competition will intensify in this environment. But the nature of competition will be different. It is no longer about working cheaper and harder, but also working smarter and more effectively. Increasingly, R&D, innovation and other cutting-edge activities clustering around communities of talent, or what Bill Gates has called “IQ magnets”. Knowledge and talent have therefore become more crucial than ever in attracting investments and jobs.
Greater Diversity, More Opportunities
4 With no natural resources of our own, Singapore has long relied on knowledge as our principal means of livelihood. This is why we have made sustained and heavy investments in education at all levels – primary, secondary and tertiary.
5 But in this new environment, we must do even more to update and upgrade our education system. We must nurture in our students the habit of thinking in new and original ways, and the creative vigour to create new opportunities for themselves. The education system must also be flexible enough to cater to different students and unlock the potential of each individual. This is why we are diversifying the education landscape to create alternative pathways for students to develop and grow. Our aim is to provide opportunities for all Singaporeans to receive a first-class education and pursue their diverse interests and talents.
6 In the university sector, many changes are already underway. We are opening up the playing field to new and different institutions, including overseas universities. We are introducing a wider range of courses and more electives to offer more choices to students, so that they can work hard at what they enjoy and have a passion for. We are also creating new paths to university education, so that it is not just a single route but many pathways to success, with every opportunity provided for students to excel and rise to the top.
7 These changes will foster a more dynamic and vibrant university landscape. It will nurture an environment that embraces diversity and new ideas, and encourages learning and experimentation. It will give young Singaporeans a more rounded and integrated education, and a more varied range of experiences to prepare for the future.
8 SMU is a good example of the diversity that we are seeking to inject into our universities. As a new entrant, SMU has shown that it is prepared to break the mould and do things differently. SMU was the first local university to establish itself as a not-for-profit public company, limited by guarantee. Its success gave the Government confidence to corporatise NUS and NTU so that they too can operate more autonomously and chart their own ways forward.
9 As a niche business university, SMU has collaborated with key partners and industry players who are at the forefront of their respective fields. One example is the partnership between SMU, the Wealth Management Institute and the Swiss Banking School to support Singapore’s developments as a centre for wealth management. The UOB-SMU Entrepreneurship Alliance Centre is another joint initiative to support promising SMEs and to allow our students to work on business projects under the supervision of SMU professors.
10 SMU’s distinctive strengths are also evident in the quality of its students. Many employers have noticed that SMU students are different. They are more ready to speak up and more confident in putting across their ideas. This may be the result of SMU’s admission criteria which evaluates students holistically, based on a wide range of abilities and interests. It may also be that SMU attracts a certain kind of student: one who is more prepared to experiment and take risks.
11 But I believe SMU’s innovative approach towards education has also made a difference. SMU has adopted a broad-based curriculum which includes training in life skills like leadership, communication and creativity. Lessons are conducted in seminar-style with a strong emphasis on team work and class participation. Students are also encouraged to learn or better work overseas. I was told of one student who had participated in several overseas programmes. He took up an internship in Bangkok, studied for a semester in Denmark, and participated in a study mission to Southern India. Of the 48 months that he was in SMU, 12 were spent outside Singapore. I am sure this exposure offered a tremendous learning experience which will stay with him for a long time.
12 It is therefore no surprise that students who have gone through an SMU education have found it a most enriching experience. SMU graduates are in high demand in the job market. All of SMU’s graduates in 2004 were employed within 6 months after graduation, at good salaries. More remarkably, more than half had secured jobs even before graduation.
13 Besides SMU, other new institutions are also coming up to add greater variety to our university sector. The SIM University (or UniSIM) has just started degree courses for working adults and is doing well in student recruitment. Next year, the University of New South Wales will be the first comprehensive foreign private university to set up a branch campus in Singapore. In addition, niche institutions, such as the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) which offers hospitality programmes, and the DigiPen Institute of Technology which offers courses in 3D animation and games development will soon offer undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in their specialised fields.
14 Over the next 5 years, we expect up to 10 specialised institutions to be set up in Singapore. Some will partner our polytechnics to offer specialised degrees in applied and creative disciplines. This will give polytechnic graduates more options to pursue further studies. It will also ensure a good mix of graduates in selected applied disciplines to meet the diverse manpower needs of our economy.
15 Taken together, these changes will dramatically transform our higher education landscape. We will create a whole new thriving industry of tertiary education, catering to both Singaporeans and foreigners alike. This will keep Singapore at the forefront of research, promote a cross-fertilisation of ideas, and help to nurture creativity and diversity in our small but vibrant cosmopolitan city.
SMU – Heart of a Vibrant Global City
16 At the heart of this city is the SMU campus. With its new city campus, SMU will join the ranks of urban universities in leading cities around the world, like London, New York and Paris. These universities have added life and youthful energies to their respective communities.
17 I believe that SMU can have a similar impact on our city. When SMU first decided to build its campus on this location, many were concerned that it would spoil the charm of the area and damage the greenery, including the many Angsana trees in the old Bras Basah park. But the SMU city campus has turned out very well. SMU’s buildings are gracious and human-scale, integrated with the trees, and blend in with the overall character of the city.
18 More importantly, SMU’s faculty, staff and students have shown that they are not passive tenants ensconced in ivory towers but active participants immersed in the community. SMU has been hosting exhibitions, performances and public talks, some put up by its own students. SMU’s cafes and its Kopitiam in the basement have become popular haunts, not just for its students but also for many young Singaporeans to hang out and get together. In this neighbourhood besides SMU we also have the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, the LaSalle-SIA College, and the new Singapore Arts School. All together, we can expect more than 16,000 students in the city. And as we bring back the schools and students, I am confident that activities and events will increase, turning the entire Bras Basah-Bugis area into a lively arts, culture and learning centre in the middle of the city.
Conclusion
19 That SMU has been able to accomplish so much in so short a time speaks of the quality of its leadership, past and present. I would like to acknowledge the contributions of Dr Tony Tan, who has steered our universities to become institutions of teaching and research excellence for more than two decades. SMU has also benefited from the guidance of Mr Ho Kwon Ping, who has been the Chairman of the Board of Trustees since SMU’s inception.
20 Finally, I urge the faculty and students of SMU to take full advantage of your time in this university, and the excellent facilities on this campus. SMU has a reputation for breaking new ground and doing things differently. I trust you will live up to this name.
21 I congratulate the SMU Board of Trustees, management, faculty and students on the opening of the SMU city campus. I wish you all every success in the exciting years ahead.
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