Mr Gan Kim Yong,

Minister of State for Education and Manpower

Mr Tan Pheng Hock,

Chairman, Board of Governors, Nanyang Polytechnic

Mrs Tan Ching Yee,

2^nd Permanent Secretary, MOE

Mr Lin Cheng Ton,

Principal & CEO, Nanyang Polytechnic

Distinguished Guests

Staff of Nanyang Polytechnic

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good evening

Introduction

1.         It gives me great pleasure to be here this evening to join you in celebrating Nanyang Polytechnic’s 15th anniversary. I am delighted to see so many friends and familiar faces from the industry, government agencies and the education community on this very special occasion.

2.         Our polytechnics are the anchor players in Singapore’s system of tertiary education.  From just two polytechnics in the early 80s admitting 5% of each age cohort, we have 5 polytechnics admitting close to 40% of students in each age cohort today.  But it is not just the numbers, but the quality.  Our polytechnic graduates are in high demand by the industry despite massive expansion, and high demand by universities both in Singapore and abroad.  This is also why polytechnic education is now so well sought after by students, including many who have the choice of going to a Junior College.

3.         It is this quality, the constant scaling up of reputation in the market-place, that is the mark of success of our polytechnic system.

4.         Nanyang Polytechnic was the 4^th polytechnic to be set up in Singapore.  It is a relatively young polytechnic  -  15 years old.  I am told that within the polytechnic, NYP stands for New, Young and Promising, which to me, sounds very appropriate indeed.  But NYP has in fact developed and matured in remarkable ways in just 15 years, under the capable leadership of its founding Principal & CEO Mr Lin Cheng Ton.

5.         From an initial offering of seven courses in two schools in 1992, today NYP has a student enrolment of about 15,000 in seven schools which offer a range of 32 courses  -  in disciplines ranging from business to engineering, IT, digital media, health sciences, and chemical and life sciences.

6.         NYP has also distinguished itself with its agility.  It has innovated constantly to meet the needs of a changing economy, worked very closely with its partners in industry and focused continually on developing new capabilities.

‘Teaching Factory’ Concept

7.         What I have just mentioned is in essence the ‘Teaching Factory’ concept that has become the NYP hallmark  -  an approach that has allowed NYP to work collaboratively with industry to solve real problems, and to keep its capabilities up to date.  Cheng Ton, who originated the concept, tells me that the concept of the Teaching Factory also rests on a borderless organisation, where diverse expertise and resources from different schools within the polytechnic are seamlessly integrated.  This total systems capability is what gives industry the confidence to entrust real projects to the polytechnic.  In my own visits to NYP, I have seen for myself how staff and students work side by side on complex real-life industry projects.  I could sense their enthusiasm and the pride that came from undertaking projects that will make a difference in the marketplace.

Support for Strategic Initiatives to Build New capabilities

8.         I am also happy to note that NYP has been a significant contributor to various strategic initiatives aimed at developing specialist manpower for our economy as we move up the value curve, as well as building and strengthening capabilities in our local companies.

9.         One such initiative is the ‘Industry Communities’ initiative that has been promoted by the EDB.  These Communities aim to develop and position Singapore as a place for innovation in a number of critical technologies.  The Industry Communities provide a vibrant eco-system of companies consisting of leading industry partners, together with locally-based technopreneurs and start-ups, all hosted within an Institute of Higher Learning.

10.       Today, six such Communities have been set up within NYP, in wireless technology, integrated circuit design, embedded systems, security technology, games creation, and medical technology concept.  Through these Communities, budding technopreneurs and start-ups have access to a wide spectrum of support and services, from product conceptualisation to design & development, test & measurement, manufacturing, commercialisation, consultancy, intellectual property management, and funding.  The Communities also provide excellent opportunities for NYP’s staff and students to participate in industry projects that are directly relevant to their areas of expertise and disciplines of study respectively.

11.       In addition, NYP has been entrusted with the establishment and management of two national level projects in manpower development.  These are the Chemical Process Technology Centre (or CPTC) initiated by EDB and more recently, the Singapore Institute of Retail Studies (or SIRS), initiated by WDA.  The efforts put in by NYP in all these areas are important contributions towards ensuring that Singapore remains competitive in a globalised economy.

Overseas Initiatives

12.       While NYP has done well in Singapore, it has also achieved significant brand-recognition abroad.  Many foreign institutions, especially those in China, have sought to emulate the ‘Teaching Factory’ concept and to learn about Singapore’s experience in developing and managing modern technical institutions.  NYP was contracted by the PRC Ministry of Education and the World Bank to be the consultant and trainer in the vocational education reform project in China a number of years ago.  (82 technical colleges identified as model schools were selected from the provinces of Guangdong, Jiangsu, Liaoning, Shandong and the capital city of Beijing.  NYP provided consultancy services and also trained 75 principals and 82 specialist lecturers from these colleges.)  The project was so successful that the term “Teaching Factory”, or “Jiao Xue Gong Chang”, has attained widespread recognition in the technical education community in China.  To this day, NYP continues to receive requests for training from various provincial and municipal education authorities in China.

13.       To develop a global mindset in our young, MOE is encouraging our schools and IHLs to provide their students with more opportunities to go on overseas attachment and exposure programmes.  These experiences will enable them to appreciate the challenges ahead and seize emerging opportunities.  Having established its reputation and developed a strong network of overseas contacts, NYP is well-positioned to help its students gain such overseas experience.  In November last year, I witnessed in Beijing the signing of an MOU between NYP and the Beijing Information Technology College to set up an NYP Student Project Centre in Beijing.  NYP will be sending 160 students each year to the Centre, in four batches of 40 students.  This arrangement will give the students the opportunity to work with their Chinese counterparts on worthwhile projects while being immersed in the local culture and environment.

Conclusion

14.       Nanyang Polytechnic has indeed come a long way since its establishment in 1992, with many achievements it can be proud of.  NYP’s 35,000 graduates over the last 15 years each stand testimony to its quality, and grow in pride as their alma mater grows and develops in prestige.

15.       This has been possible only because of the very capable leadership of its board of governors and management team, as well as the strong commitment of the staff of NYP.  I want to acknowledge the excellent guidance provided by the board of governors under the chairmanship of Mr Tan Pheng Hock.  I also want to take this opportunity to commend Mr Lin Cheng Ton for his forward-looking and enterprising leadership as Principal and CEO.  Indeed, Cheng Ton’s personal conviction in the need for innovation, and his foresight in developing and harnessing the competencies of every staff member, has been pivotal in realising the many achievements of NYP over the years.

16.       I would also like to thank all NYP staff for your hard work and commitment in making NYP what it is today.  Let me therefore congratulate Nanyang Polytechnic on your 15 memorable years, and wish you all success as you continue on your journey of excellence.