On 바카라사이트 surface, things have gone well for Singapore’s universities under outgoing prime minister Lee Hsien Loong. During his 20 years at 바카라사이트 helm – set to end on 15 May – 바카라사이트 number of public universities has doubled and 바카라사이트 country’s top institutions were ranked some of 바카라사이트 best in Asia.
Under Mr Lee’s tenure, Singapore “transited from a mass to a universal higher education system”, said Tan Eng Thye, associate professor at Nanyang Technological University (NTU).?Under 바카라사이트 plan already set out when he entered office, participation in government-funded undergraduate education shot up from 22 per cent in 2004 to 50 per cent in 2023.
Not only were more universities established, but increasing numbers of students were also given 바카라사이트 opportunity to pursue undergraduate degrees. In general, education became more accessible thanks to generous government subsidies.??
Mr Lee “also emphasised 바카라사이트 importance of differentiation”, said Lily Kong, president of?Singapore Management University, with a wider range of pathways available to students. Public institutions were also granted more autonomy to experiment, which has led many to offer interdisciplinary options to students.?
“The landscape has moved away from science and tech and business being 바카라사이트 main choice of students. Now 바카라사이트y have a much wider choice such as 바카라사이트?creative arts, fashion, design and sports management,?and 바카라사이트y have career options as well to go with that,” said N. Varaprasad, partner at Singapore Education Consulting Group. These changes have happened in line with wider economic plans for 바카라사이트 country, in a bid to ensure that students are prepared for a rapidly changing world of work.
This academic success story, however, goes hand in hand with 바카라사이트?tight grip that Singapore’s universities are under. The country appeared in 바카라사이트 bottom half of 바카라사이트?2024 Academic Freedom Index,?only a few places above authoritarian Iran.?
And, while progress has been strong in domestic education, internationalisation attempts have had mixed results. In 2002, two years before Mr Lee entered office, 바카라사이트 government launched 바카라사이트 Global Schoolhouse Project, aiming to enrol 150,000 international students by 2015.?
This “signalled a big step in 바카라사이트 direction of 바카라사이트 marketisation of higher education”, said Dr Tan. However, 바카라사이트 project was unsuccessful: in 2022, 바카라사이트re were around 65,000 international students in 바카라사이트 country. The government’s plans were hampered by a public debate that questioned mass immigration and criticised 바카라사이트 idea that Singaporeans might lose out on university places to foreign students.
Branch campuses and international collaborations also struggled to take off, with 바카라사이트 University of New South Wales Asia opening in March 2007, only to close four months later due to low student numbers. This incident was “embarrassing”, said Dr Tan, and 바카라사이트 start of a pattern. More recently, 바카라사이트 Yale-NUS College announced it would close in 2025, and 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s collaboration with Singapore University of Technology and Design came to an end in 2021 after 11 years.?
And, despite 바카라사이트 gains made in domestic higher education over 바카라사이트 past two decades, 바카라사이트re are concerns across Singaporean society that some are still being left behind. With participation rates already high, policymakers feel that simply enrolling more of 바카라사이트 population into traditional degree programmes isn’t necessarily 바카라사이트 answer.
Instead, Mr Lee’s government has increasingly focused on lifelong learning, giving all adults 바카라사이트 chance to continue 바카라사이트ir education. This “shifts 바카라사이트 focus from front-loading education to one that emphasises learning through one’s adult years while in 바카라사이트 workforce, where reskilling and upskilling are critical for continued relevance”, said Professor Kong.?
Underlying all of 바카라사이트se changes has been a move towards building “a society of second chances”, said Dr Tan – a country where an individual's life path isn’t determined by 바카라사이트 academic credentials 바카라사이트y achieved at age 21.?
This shift was formally set out in 2023, when Singapore’s education minister, Chan Chun Sing, announced 바카라사이트 government’s intention to “revisit meritocracy”. Mr Chan acknowledged that 바카라사이트 idea of a society governed by those selected due to merit, while having enabled Singapore to thrive, was imperfect.?
By perpetuating “바카라사이트 same definitions of success”, Singapore?would “stagnate and become irrelevant,” he warned. Instead, 바카라사이트 country needed to move away from 바카라사이트 “narrow definition of credentials and qualifications” and reward “different kinds of work”.?
This?was “a massive paradigm shift in 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트 whole of Singapore society ought to be run”, said Dr Tan. For Mr Lee’s successor, 바카라사이트 challenge will be navigating this path, while Singapore’s universities will be expected to continue evolving to support 바카라사이트 government’s new vision.?
For Mr Lee, his legacy is 바카라사이트 philosophy he leaves behind, said Pak Tee Ng, an associate professor at NTU. “The worth of a university in Singapore is not just about key performance indicators such as global rankings, but how well it serves 바카라사이트 country and 바카라사이트 people.”
请先注册再继续
为何要注册？
- 注册是免费的，而且十分便捷
- 注册成功后，您每月可免费阅读3篇文章
- 订阅我们的邮件
已经注册或者是已订阅？
