Whether it is management, engineering or hospitality, Singapore is fast becoming “a springboard to a brighter future.” VARUN SONI visits the island nation to bring you this report.
After completing Computer Engineering from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore, Mumbai lad Mohit Sindhwani is currently pursuing his post-graduation as well as teaching in the same institution. An experience, he feels, only NTU can offer.
Pursuing eMBAs from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business’s (GSB) campus at Singapore have enabled Pritash Mathur, Vice-President APAC, J P Morgan Chase Bank and Ram Mohan, Regional Technical Manager, AT&T Singapore, to adopt a more global approach at work.
The opportunities offered by Singapore in terms of employment are what prompted Dharmendra Yashovardhan to come to INSEAD to do his MBA.
Engineering students Neeraj Kumar and Shivanu Shukla at the National University of Singapore (NUS) find Singapore the ideal destination for higher studies as the island nation “provides ample opportunity to experience different cultures and grow individually.”
As the above examples indicate, Singapore is fast becoming Asia’s premier education hub, especially for Indians, owing to its close proximity, international standards and a distinctive mix of educational services in a safe, cosmopolitan and comfortable environment. Whether it is management, engineering or hospitality, the Asia-Pacific nation acts as “a springboard to a brighter future.” Here is an introduction to some of Singapore’s premier institutes:
Nanyang Technological University (NTU)
Established in 1970, NTU is one of two publicly funded universities in Singapore. NTU has collaborations in teaching and research activities with renowned universities such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cornell University, University of Tokyo, Cambridge University, Imperial College London and Stanford University among others.
Nanyang Technological University (NTU)
Established in 1970, NTU is one of two publicly funded universities in Singapore. NTU has collaborations in teaching and research activities with renowned universities such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cornell University, University of Tokyo, Cambridge University, Imperial College London and Stanford University among others.
The university has an enrolment of about 16,000 undergraduates, out of which 3,300 are foreigners. The number of students from India amounts to a mere 80. Says Professor Victor Choa, Dean of Admissions, NTU, “The Indian strength is minimal at the moment and we would like to see it touching the figure of 400. As to why Indians should choose NTU, the answer is simple — we offer quality education in a cost-effective manner, when compared to destinations like the US and UK. Further, Singapore is also closer to India and adjusting to the social life here is not a problem.”
“NTU also runs entrepreneurship programmes for its students, to equip them with the basic skills and knowledge necessary for the challenges of a technology driven career.”
National University of Singapore (NUS)
Since its foundation in 1905, NUS commands international recognition for its excellence in teaching and research. It has tie-ups with Harvard, Stanford, the University of Cambridge, Imperial College, the Peabody Conservatory of Music at the Johns Hopkins University, NUS College in Silicon Valley and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
As far as the Indian strength at the university goes, R. Rajaram, Deputy Director, Office of Admissions, NUS, says, “Out of a few thousand applications last year, the intake of Indian students stands at 50–100 at the undergraduate level. Engineering is the most popular subject for Indian students. A number of scholars programmes and scholarships are available for students both at the under- and post-graduate level.”
Applications for Indian school students who want to pursue an undergraduate course at NUS start from October 15, 2004 and the closing date is March 1, 2005. But, like NTU, international students at NUS also have to sign a bond wherein, after graduation, they are required to work for three years in any Singapore company. Though a student may not get the job of his choice, opportunities in Singapore are never hard to get. In order to enable students to get a more broad-based knowledge, one-fifth of the curriculum is taken up by cross-faculty modules.
Like NTU, NUS also offers technopreneurship programmes for all its students. Of note is the NUS Overseas College programme, which is an internship module with emphasis on technology entrepreneurship. “Under this, a student interns with companies located at the leading entrepreneurial and academic hubs of Silicon Valley (USA) and Shanghai (China). While there, students study part-time entrepreneurship courses at renowned partner universities like Stanford and Fundan University respectively,” says Gean Chu, Assistant Manager, NUS Entrepreneurship Centre.
Singapore Management University (SMU)
SMU holds the unique position of being Singapore's first private university funded by the government. Modelled after The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, America's top business school, SMU's curriculum aims to groom outstanding business leaders and creative entrepreneurs capable of excelling in a rapidly changing and dynamic world. Students from India form the largest proportion of the international student population in SMU. Apart from the usual business and management programmes, SMU also offers an M.Sc. in Wealth Management which is in collaboration with the Wealth Management Institute (WMI) and Swiss Banking School (SBS)
University of Chicago Graduate School of Business (GSB)/INSEAD
Both are premier, internationally renowned business management institutes, who have set up their overseas campuses at Singapore, seeing the country’s strategic location in the Asia Pacific region.
GSB: With more than 100 years of experience in business education, the GSB was the first business institution to establish an executive MBA programme, way back in 1943. The course spans 16 weeks over a 20 month period and you can pursue it at any of the three campuses worldwide — Chicago, Singapore and Barcelona.
The eligibility criteria is 7-10 years of corporate working experience. However, what differentiates GSB from other B-schools is “the cross co-ordination of ideas” that it encourages. Says Mathur, “The kind of interaction that we undergo at GSB is what sets it apart. Further, the orientation at Chicago and being trained at its worldwide campuses enables us to come in contact with different cultures and ways of doing business. In a sense, we are able to take global decisions.”
Adds Beth Bader, MD, GSB Singapore, “The kind of exposure that GSB offers is incredible. Also, you get tremendous opportunities to build relationships and network your way through.”
INSEAD: Established at Font-ainebleau (France) almost 50 years ago, INSEAD’s Asia campus was created in 2000 to better serve its regional and global partners. INSEAD was one of the first business schools to offer a one-year MBA programme and apart from this the institute also runs eMBA and PhD programmes at both its campuses. There are 22 Indians enrolled at INSEAD. Though the fee is expensive, the international image and the related experience is what propels people like Yashovardhan to opt for INSEAD.
Says Narayan Pant, Associate Dean of Executive Education, Asia Campus, INSEAD, “The institute provides a deeper understanding of the dynamics of Asian business to Western companies. Its learning environment is unique in various aspects — there is interaction between the faculty and fellow students in a multi-cultural environment; it creates opportunities for professional development and networking.”
In a nutshell, Singapore has something to offer everyone. No wonder, it is fast becoming the educational hub of Asia.