1. Students of the new School of Science and Technology, Singapore (SST) can look forward to interactions with leading entrepreneurs and industry leaders, as SST sets up an Entrepreneurship Advisory Council to promote innovation and enterprise in the school. The Council will be chaired by Mr Inderjit Singh, Member of Parliament and the Chief Executive Officer of Infiniti Solutions Ltd.
2. Announcing the setting up of the SST EAC at the school’s open house today, Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence, said SST’s unique focus on entrepreneurship and close collaboration with industrial players, as well as its curriculum that focuses on applying knowledge to solve real-world problems, will help to groom students to be future captains of our economy.
The SST Entrepreneurship Advisory Council
3. The EAC, chaired by Mr Inderjit, is looking to tap on distinguished industry leaders with varied strengths and diverse expertise as members.
4. The key focuses of the EAC are to:
a) Provide guidance and advice to SST in its efforts to promote innovation and entrepreneurship;
b) Act as role models and mentors to inspire and motivate students; and
c) Provide networks and contacts with industry players, including the creation of mentorship and internship opportunities for students.
5. On SST’s unique focus on entrepreneurship, Mr Chua Chor Huat, Principal of SST, said, “The economy of tomorrow will be very different from what we know today. We want to build a school culture where all our students are enterprising enough to create and harness opportunities around them, regardless of what careers they choose. Promoting an entrepreneurial mindset is a good way to help our students to constantly think outside the box, be nimble enough to keep trying new things, and persevere when the going gets tough.”
6. Mr Inderjit Singh, Chairman of EAC, added that “Singapore needs to create high growth technology enterprises and we will need to expose our students to entrepreneurship and especially technopreneurship as early as possible. I think SST is the best place to start and I am looking forward to help develop this aspect of our young people in SST.”
Facilities at the Permanent Site
7. SST students can also look forward to specially-designed, well-planned facilities at SST’s permanent campus, located at the junction of Clementi Road and Commonwealth Avenue West.
8. When ready in January 2012, the campus will complement SST’s customised curriculum and programmes, and provide an environment that is conducive for bright minds to spark off good ideas. Some of the key features are:
a) Specialised Studios and Labs
The campus will be wireless-enabled and will have fully equipped studios and specialised laboratories to cater to SST’s curriculum. Some of the features are as follows:
o Fully wireless-enabled campus – This allows SST students to readily access and share information for collaborative learning anytime and anywhere.
o Science Hub - Incorporating design inputs of NTU and NP faculty, it provides opportunities for independent and collaborative research experimentation. For example, High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) equipment would allow Biotechnology students to isolate plant chemicals and survey food and drug products for contaminants.
o Design studios – The studios will support design work for both the ADMT (Art, Design, Media & Technology) Subject and the Design Studies Applied Subject. The studios will integrate the classroom, computer lab and workshop into a seamless learning space for design activities ranging from conceptualisation to realisation, and can be reconfigured to double up as exhibition areas.
o Media Studio – Supporting the Media Studies Applied Subject, the fully sound-proofed media studio will allow students to broadcast live news feeds to the whole school and to the Web.
o Innovators and Entrepreneurs’ Hub – This will allow students to hold video conferences with technopreneurs and inventors overseas, simulate various corporate and industry environments and support SST’s focus on innovation and enterprise.
b) Eco-friendliness
The new campus will retain as much of the existing green spaces as possible as part of the school landscape. Rooftop spaces will be effectively utilised to minimise construction on the ground. To harvest rainwater for the school’s usage, there will be water-retention ponds on the roof and eco-gardens within the campus.
c) Flexible Learning Spaces
While each class will have only 20 to 25 students, flexible classrooms with foldable dividing walls, could be opened up for a teacher to address two classes of up to 50 students at the same time. The school will also have a “Superhall”, which can function as both an indoor sports hall and a multi-purpose hall with flexible seating arrangements for various occasions.
SST students will also be able to find many collaboration spaces for interaction and discussion. There will also be display areas for students to showcase their creations to the school and the community.
School Admission
9. SST will select its students through the Direct School Admission (DSA) exercise this year. The school will admit up to 200 students for its first Secondary 1 intake in January 2010.
10. From now until mid July, interested students and their parents can register for DSA and find out more information on SST’s selection criteria via the school website at www.sst.edu.sg