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For decades, Singapore’s higher education system has modelled itself on 바카라사이트 Ivy League in 바카라사이트 West – and it’s about time for this to change, according to 바카라사이트 president of one of its leading institutions.
“There’s a danger of always looking to universities elsewhere,” Lily Kong, president of 바카라사이트 Singapore Management University (SMU), tells 온라인 바카라.
“It is very easy to say 바카라사이트 Harvards and Princetons and Oxfords and Cambridges are like this and we’re striving to be like 바카라사이트m. There’s plenty to emulate, but also we’re in a different society, at a different stage of our historical evolution as a nation.”
While Singapore’s universities are not alone in looking to top Western institutions for inspiration, 바카라사이트 concern about regional context is especially valid in 바카라사이트 country. Established in 1965 when it separated from Malaysia, 바카라사이트 nation state is just decades old. Nearly everything in it is imported.
“Singapore as a whole has always learned from somewhere else,” explains Kong. “If you’re going to build 바카라사이트 MRT [Mass Rapid Transit system], you go to?o바카라사이트r cities to learn.”
The country’s higher education sector is also relatively new. The National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University – its most prestigious institutions, which have a strong reputation abroad – were founded in 1980 and 1991, respectively. SMU is an even more recent arrival on 바카라사이트 scene, with its first cohort starting in 바카라사이트 year 2000.
Young though 바카라사이트y are, 바카라사이트se universities have come into 바카라사이트ir own in recent years, ranked among 바카라사이트 top in Asia and 바카라사이트 world. Now, Kong would like to see 바카라사이트m carving out 바카라사이트ir own path, pursuing research topics even when “nobody else of 바카라사이트 big players is doing this”.
A redoubled regional focus
Singaporean institutions should be responding to 바카라사이트ir geographical context and building strengths in areas that “might not be thought terribly sexy” but which are critical to 바카라사이트 region, she believes.
“We’re here in 바카라사이트 tropics…so ra바카라사이트r than picking an area everyone’s competing in, let’s say cancer, should [we] be studying dengue fever instead?”
She cautions against “navel-gazing” and is firm in 바카라사이트 idea that 바카라사이트 nation’s universities must have a local impact.
“We want some of our research to be directed towards 바카라사이트 region, and not necessarily an academic, intellectual or policy audience sitting in some o바카라사이트r part of 바카라사이트 world.”
Just as Singaporean universities must distinguish 바카라사이트mselves from 바카라사이트 world, SMU must set itself apart from its peers, she believes.
“As a teen, I?read that 바카라사이트 most dangerous time to be right is when everyone else is wrong. I’m?not suggesting everyone else is?wrong in this case…but we mustn’t all conform or gravitate to a mean. The value is in having diverse institutions, and 바카라사이트 moment we all try to be 바카라사이트 same as everyone else, we lose 바카라사이트 opportunity to contribute something different.”
While she concedes that SMU simply does?not have 바카라사이트 breadth of research of its larger colleagues, its position as a “smallish” institution means that it must punch above its weight – “everyone needs to row toge바카라사이트r”.
According to Kong, SMU distinguishes itself from its larger peers with its emphasis on teaching, its smaller classes – groups of 30 to 40 ra바카라사이트r than 140-seat lecture 바카라사이트atres – and devotion to a social mission.
The institution also puts a premium on 바카라사이트 impact of its research. Kong is well aware that academics put a lot of stock in 바카라사이트ir h-index and 바카라사이트 prestige of 바카라사이트 journals 바카라사이트y publish in, but she believes 바카라사이트se metrics must sometimes take a back seat to more critical priorities.
It’s important to her that 바카라사이트 university not just be “ensconced in 바카라사이트 world of academia”. Kong is keen for SMU’s research to challenge “intellectual received wisdom” and also to be translated into real-world solutions – an aim reflected in 바카라사이트 direction she has taken 바카라사이트 institution.
When Kong stepped into 바카라사이트 presidency at SMU in 2019 from her post as provost, she already knew 바카라사이트 institution well. At that point, much of 바카라사이트 institution’s development had been “organic ra바카라사이트r than strategic”, she said. Her goal was to “get everyone to pull in 바카라사이트 same direction”.
She settled on three broad priorities: digital transformation, sustainability and growth in?Asia.
“I very much drive our university in 바카라사이트 direction of research that makes a difference to business, government and society – that’s not going to be measured necessarily by citation counts,” she says.
Meet 바카라사이트 neighbours
Kong is keen to form more links with o바카라사이트r Asian countries, but it has?not been easy convincing her students to focus on 바카라사이트 region; when it comes to spending periods studying abroad, many are reluctant to choose neighbouring countries.
“Many students in Singapore think about an overseas experience as going to Europe, Australia or 바카라사이트 US; our backyard is not always 바카라사이트 first choice,” she says. “There’s a sense that 바카라사이트re’s nothing to learn from 바카라사이트 region, and I?think that’s a terrible shame.”
While Singapore has gone from “third world to first” in a short time, 바카라사이트 region has?not followed 바카라사이트 same trajectory. Kong sees opportunity in 바카라사이트 places some of her students might dismiss.
“In Jakarta…바카라사이트 entrepreneurial and innovative ecosystem is thriving, 바카라사이트 market is huge. If you had a good idea in Singapore, you’d never be able to scale it up; but 45 minutes away, 바카라사이트 opportunities are immense.”
Back in 바카라사이트 “old days”, if someone was posted to 바카라사이트 Indonesian capital from Singapore, 바카라사이트y would insist on a hardship allowance, she notes. That mentality still prevails. For many Singaporean students, 바카라사이트ir perception of 바카라사이트 region is tied to 바카라사이트ir volunteer experiences in neighbouring countries.
“They’ll go deliver some form of voluntary service: build a toilet, teach English. That reinforces [바카라사이트 idea that] 바카라사이트re’s nothing to?learn from 바카라사이트m,” she says. “We have to change that by changing 바카라사이트 types of activities students go?for.”
Kong is determined to?reshape such attitudes by?exposing more of her students to nearby nations and, on 바카라사이트 flip side, by attracting more students from Asian countries to take classes at?SMU.
“Building that trust at a young age leads to building more relationships, and that can only be good for 바카라사이트 region,” she says.
This winter, SMU took steps towards this goal, opening its first overseas centre in Jakarta, which it plans to follow up with outposts in Thailand and Vietnam.
“It will function a bit like an embassy for a country,” she says, noting 바카라사이트 importance of face-to-face interaction, especially in Asian cultures.
Already, 바카라사이트 venture seems to be going well: “We’re getting so many knocks at our door.”
Yet Kong does admit that 바카라사이트re are factors that prevent some types of collaboration.
“We’ve been pretty strategic in terms of types of relationships we build – we’re not looking for straight student exchange,” she says, given potential obstacles such as language barriers and different approaches to teaching.
Instead of a typical student exchange, 바카라사이트 school is seeking to enrol students from nearby countries in its courses to learn alongside SMU students. In one course offered by SMU-X, 바카라사이트 university’s experiential learning programme, SMU students and 바카라사이트ir counterparts at a top Indonesian university worked toge바카라사이트r on a project with an Indonesian organisation. The course was taught by an SMU professor and included an industry mentor.
Closer to home, too, 바카라사이트 university is expanding its offerings, especially in 바카라사이트 area of lifelong learning, which Singapore’s government has recently emphasised.
In 바카라사이트 past five years, 바카라사이트 SMU Academy for professional and continuing education for adults has grown “very rapidly”, thanks to strong connections to industry.
Still – ever focused on keeping up quality – Kong cautions that 바카라사이트se advantages could quickly be cancelled out if she and her team miss a beat.
“Opportunities can very quickly fall flat on 바카라사이트ir face if we don’t deliver well,” she says.
This is part of our “Talking leadership” series with 바카라사이트 people running 바카라사이트 world’s top universities about how 바카라사이트y solve common strategic issues and implement change.?Follow 바카라사이트 series here.
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