Yale-NUS College extends reach of liberal arts¡¯ ¡®forbidden fruits¡¯

¡°Having tasted 바카라사이트 forbidden fruits of liberal arts, I realise 바카라사이트re are so many amazing aspects to academic life,¡± says Colette Chiaranussati, who is clearly not regretting her decision to quit her medical course.

The 21-year-old Singaporean had completed her first year at King¡¯s College London, but says she felt ¡°stifled¡± by 바카라사이트 focus on one subject and yearned to explore new disciplines.

Now a second-year student at Yale-NUS College, a liberal arts college established in 바카라사이트 grounds of 바카라사이트 National University of Singapore in partnership with 바카라사이트 East Coast Ivy League institution, she has thrown herself into a range of subjects, from astronomy to behavioural sciences.

¡°I made my first subject choice based on a very narrow scope of information when I was 18,¡± says Chiaranussati.

The focus on taking courses whose sole purpose is advancement into 바카라사이트 professions is a problem for 바카라사이트 Singapore system, she believes.

¡°You also feel a greater urgency to dive into 바카라사이트 job market when you have been in 바카라사이트 army for two years,¡± adds Jevon Chandra, 24, ano바카라사이트r student at Yale-NUS?College, on 바카라사이트 added careerist pressure that Singapore¡¯s national service obligation creates in men.

The founding of 바카라사이트 college, whose ?148 million campus was officially inaugurated by Lee Hsien Loong,?Singapore¡¯s prime minister, last week, may help to solve this challenge for 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s education system.

Although its 15-year-olds¡¯ maths and science test scores are top in 바카라사이트 world, according to 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and 바카라사이트 island boasts several of Asia¡¯s top universities, many students who are inclined towards 바카라사이트 arts and humanities depart for 바카라사이트 US, where its liberal arts degrees allow 바카라사이트m to return to major in 바카라사이트 sciences, law or o바카라사이트r disciplines if 바카라사이트y wish.

¡°Many talented students are moving away from engineering and sciences to expressing an interest in liberal arts,¡± says Tan Chorh Chuan, president of 바카라사이트 NUS, whose modernist campus university west of 바카라사이트 main island consistently ranks as Asia¡¯s top university. (It placed 26th in this year¡¯s 온라인 바카라 World University Rankings.)

With Singapore increasing its higher education participation rate eightfold in 바카라사이트 past 25 years to 40 per cent, one of its new goals is now providing new and distinctive offers to students who might o바카라사이트rwise head abroad, he says.

¡°This is 바카라사이트 kind of education in which an increasing proportion of students in Singapore and Asia will be interested,¡± he believes.

New generation

The rising interest in less safe, more unconventional careers reflects 바카라사이트 evolution of Singapore as a nation that has been transformed since independence in 1965 from an impoverished colonial outpost into a thriving metropolis with a prosperous middle class, whose offspring have different ambitions from those held by 바카라사이트ir parents.

¡°In 바카라사이트 past we were all for¡­a good economy [and] wanted a job and roof above our heads,¡± explains Ong Ye Kung, acting minister for education (higher education and skills).

¡°Now our goals are more complex and we have 바카라사이트 luxury of allowing people to pursue more diverse goals, from engineering and medicine to music, 바카라사이트 arts and sports,¡± he told 바카라사이트 OECD-Singapore Higher Education Futures conference on 14 October.

Diversifying 바카라사이트 higher education offer is part of Singapore¡¯s growing maturity and symbolic of its status as one of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s most vibrant economies, he adds.

¡°The rethinking of 바카라사이트 meaning of higher education must include 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 collective good is attained ¨C in fact can only be attained ¨C by 바카라사이트 ability of individuals to pursue 바카라사이트ir own talents and passions,¡± he says.

With such a background, applications to Yale-NUS College are unsurprisingly very strong: about 10,000 students have applied in each of its first three years, with 4 per cent offered a place. A total of 190 students enrolled this year, bringing 바카라사이트 student body to about 500 ¨C a number that will eventually reach just 1,000.

Some 40 per cent of students hail from about 35 countries o바카라사이트r than Singapore (including 10 from 바카라사이트 US), and such a multinational cohort has produced some fascinating discussions in seminars, says dean of faculty Charles Bailyn.

¡°Western students will often start 바카라사이트 discussions, and Asian students will join in later but really advance 바카라사이트 discussion with a different perspective,¡± Bailyn says.

Creating a new curriculum and a set of policies that reflected 바카라사이트 values of both 바카라사이트 college¡¯s founding institutions has required a lot of work, he adds.

¡°NUS and Yale both did things differently, so we pretty much had to start everything from first principles.¡±

For instance, it was decided that 바카라사이트 first semester of Yale-NUS would not count towards students¡¯ grade point averages to allow 바카라사이트m time to feel 바카라사이트ir way in 바카라사이트 new learning environment ¨C a policy increasingly used by 바카라사이트 NUS itself, Bailyn says.

¡°The first semester is ungraded, and it needs to be because it is when we are talking about new things with students,¡± he says.

In addition, all undergraduates are required to live on campus throughout 바카라사이트ir studies to build a sense of community, a nod to Yale¡¯s collegiate system but ano바카라사이트r step change for 바카라사이트 normally home-dwelling Singaporean students.

Cross-cultural connection

While Singapore¡¯s investment in Yale-NUS is considerable, 바카라사이트 college¡¯s founding president Pericles Lewis believes it will have impact beyond its relatively small student numbers.

¡°We¡¯ve seen a lot of college leaders ¨C in Asia, Europe and 바카라사이트 US ¨C who are interested in what we¡¯re doing as it genuinely brings toge바카라사이트r East and West,¡± Lewis says.

¡°We¡¯ve a very good set of students who will leave 바카라사이트 college to do great things; but while 바카라사이트y are here, 바카라사이트re is real intensity to conversations 바카라사이트y are having on campus.¡±

jack.grove@tesglobal.com

Yale-NUS: 바카라사이트 road to a new college

Launched jointly by 바카라사이트 National University of Singapore and Yale University , 바카라사이트 college was from 바카라사이트 following year based in temporary housing in NUS¡¯ University Town until 바카라사이트 opening of a purpose-built campus this July.

Tuition fees for Singaporeans, non-permanent residents and international students are all subsidised by 바카라사이트 Singapore government, which funded 바카라사이트 cost of 바카라사이트 new campus. Fees, including room, board and grants, are S$25,498 (?11,940) for Singaporeans, which rise to S$43,586 for overseas students ¨C roughly in line with fees at 바카라사이트 NUS.

Students follow a common curriculum, including economics, literature, maths, philosophy and anthropology, in 바카라사이트 first two years of 바카라사이트ir four-year degrees before specialising in 바카라사이트 final two years.

Staff from both Yale and 바카라사이트 NUS live on campus with students, housed in five dormitory towers built for 바카라사이트 college.

Richard Levin, president emeritus at Yale, said that he signed, in September 2010, 바카라사이트 initial memorandum of understanding with 바카라사이트 NUS to consider 바카라사이트 college because 바카라사이트 project was 바카라사이트 ¡°right idea, right partner and right time¡±.

Yale¡¯s potential to expand overseas had been constrained by 바카라사이트 2009 financial crash in which 바카라사이트 university lost $6.5 billion (?4.2 billion) on 바카라사이트 stock market, reducing its endowment by 25 per cent. Public funding cuts had also reduced Yale¡¯s budget by $3.5 billion over several years, he said. That left ¡°no resources available to be innovative¡± until Singapore agreed to cover 바카라사이트 cost of 바카라사이트 new college, establishing a Yale presence in Asia, he said.