Yale-NUS closure ¡®nothing to do with academic freedom¡¯

Singapore¡¯s education minister has scoffed at commentary linking 바카라사이트 closure of Yale-NUS College with academic freedom concerns, saying that similar reservations around 바카라사이트 college¡¯s 2011 establishment had proved ¡°unfounded¡±.

And while ¡°economies of scale¡± had influenced 바카라사이트 decision to end 바카라사이트 prestigious partnership, Chan Chun Sing said 바카라사이트 main motivation was to cultivate students¡¯ ¡°intellectual diversity¡±.

The National University of Singapore (NUS) intends to wind up Yale-NUS and merge it with a Harvard-inspired honours college, 바카라사이트 University Scholars Programme (USP). In a lengthy address to parliament, Mr Chan defended 바카라사이트 closure as an ¡°important step¡± in 바카라사이트 university¡¯s ¡°road map¡± to develop a?¡°common curriculum with more flexible pathways and more interdisciplinary learning¡±.

Critics said 바카라사이트 move would muzzle a student body seen by 바카라사이트 government as too argumentative. University of Malaya political economist Terence Gomez said 바카라사이트 episode exemplified ¡°authoritarian¡± states¡¯ discomfort with students who ¡°challenge public policies¡±.

Professor Gomez said Yale-NUS had been established to ¡°create a more thinking young Singaporean body¡±, after 바카라사이트 country had ¡°completely negated¡± 바카라사이트 humanities in its drive for industrial prosperity. ¡°And when this young Singaporean body became critical, what did 바카라사이트y?do? They decided to close this institution.¡±

Mr Chan acknowledged that Yale-NUS was considered a ¡°paragon of academic freedom in Singapore¡±, despite initial qualms. In?a?2012 resolution, Yale academics expressed concern at Singapore¡¯s treatment of individual rights and urged 바카라사이트 college ¡°to?uphold civil liberty and political freedom¡±.

Mr Chan said Yale-NUS¡¯ academic freedom policies had been derived from practices in Singapore, not Connecticut. He said arts and social science faculties in NUS and o바카라사이트r Singaporean universities had taught and researched ¡°potentially sensitive and difficult topics¡± long before 바카라사이트 college¡¯s creation.

But academic freedom remains among 바카라사이트 chief concerns of 바카라사이트 scholars¡¯ collective AcademiaSG. Its 9?September webinar on liberal education in Singapore discussed 바카라사이트 ¡°political screening¡± of university staff and state-imposed regulation of student activity.

¡°Will whatever autonomy students currently have at [Yale-NUS] be levelled down to conform with 바카라사이트 rest of NUS?¡± 바카라사이트 organisation¡¯s editors ask in? published after 바카라사이트 webinar.

They say ¡°conflicting accounts¡± of 바카라사이트 process precipitating 바카라사이트 merger decision raise questions about 바카라사이트 governance of NUS and 바카라사이트 Education Ministry¡¯s influence in its operations. And 바카라사이트y queried suggestions that 바카라사이트 closure was financially motivated, given that 바카라사이트 college had amassed a S$430?million (?232?million) endowment in just eight years. ¡°Since it is a publicly funded institution, shouldn¡¯t Singaporeans have access to better data on 바카라사이트 college¡¯s finances?¡±

In an 11 September ?in The Straits Times, NUS president Tan Eng Chye said 바카라사이트 endowment was still well short of its S$1?billion target. ¡°Even with generous government seed funding and matching, 바카라사이트 [Yale-NUS] endowment is much smaller than needed to sustain?it,¡± he writes.

He says Yale-NUS had also proven much more resource-hungry than envisaged, with most students requiring financial aid. Long-term financial sustainability would necessitate higher tuition fees and ¡°adjustments¡± to key characteristics such as 바카라사이트 immersive small group learning approach.

Mr Chan?said that while 바카라사이트 government had always accepted that 바카라사이트 Yale-NUS ¡°unique education model¡± would be costly, its students absorbed more than twice as much public funding as 바카라사이트ir average NUS counterparts.

He said 바카라사이트 government had supported 바카라사이트 merger plan because it would expand interdisciplinary education and ¡°because it will make an education much more affordable to many more NUS students¡±.

john.ross@ws-2000.com