Education

  Star Education Fair

Sunday April 2, 2006

Hello, Singapore!

For many Malaysians today, Singapore is a choice study destination. TAN EE LOO checks out several higher education institutions on the island to find out why this is so.

FANNY Hee knows that she wants to be a nurse. But she also knows that she does not want to pursue her nursing qualifications in Malaysia.

So, as soon as she had sat for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations, she left for Singapore, a country she had visited many times while growing up in Pontian, Johor.

Nanyang Polytechnic nursing students Hee (left) and Lee enjoy studying in Singapore.
“If you have the option of studying at an internationally-recognised educational institution where programmes are conducted fully in English, why not?” asks Hee, who is now a second-year nursing student at Nanyang Polytechnic in Singapore.

“Anyway, Singapore is so close to home, I get to go back every weekend.

“All I need is to take a bus and I’d be there within three hours. I certainly wouldn’t be able to do that if I were to study at, say, the university in Penang.

“Besides, the tuition grant is really attractive,” she says, adding that her father is a mechanic.

According to Singapore Tourism Board’s Basic Education and Higher Learning Department manager Quay Poh San, there were more than 70,000 international students in Singapore last year and about 13% of this figure were Malaysians.

In order to help promote Singapore as a premier educational hub, a multi-government agency initiative, Singapore Education, was launched in 2003 to help international students make informed decisions about studying in Singapore.

Why Singapore?

There are many factors which make Singapore attractive to prospective international students.

The tuition fee loan scheme administered by Singapore’s Ministry of Education (MOE) is one of them.

Former NUS student Low runs a game company from the university's campus.
When a student enrols into a polytechnic or university in Singapore, he or she will be given the option of applying for the Tuition Fee Loan Scheme which covers up to 80% of tuition fees.

To qualify for this scheme however, international students need to sign a deed to work for a Singapore-registered company for three years upon completion of their programmes.

Many students take advantage of the contract to gain working experience in Singapore, as they believe the exposure will give them an edge if they decide to work overseas in future.

According to Hee, Singapore is a popular option among many people living in Johor.

“Seniors studying in Singapore have been telling me about the excellent learning environment and facilities there,” she says.

“I also watch a lot of Singaporean programmes on television – this has helped me form an emotional attachment with Singapore.

“I would love to stay back and work here when I finish my nursing course,” she adds.

“Have I ever thought of going back to Malaysia to work?

“Frankly, not anytime soon,” says Hee, who is also on a tuition grant and recently did her industrial attachment at the Alexandra Hospital in Singapore.

Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts offers jewellery design students top-notch facilities for making jewellery.
According to Nanyang Polytechnic school of health sciences deputy director (nursing) Wong Luan Wah, many prospective students see polytechnics as a second choice in terms of higher education.

“They have a if ‘I can't get into university, then I will go to poly,’ mentality.

“However, we do have students coming in here with good results. These students only need to take one year of advanced studies after their diploma to get their degree.

“Actually, it’s an option rather than a second choice,” she adds.

Meanwhile, Hee’s coursemate Lee Lin Poh, who is also from Johor, is happy that she is studying in Singapore. She likes the fact that the pace of life in Singapore is faster.

“It’s like everyone is always ready to get up, go to work and get totally immersed in the vibrant city,” she says.

In great demand

If your goal is to earn a lot of money, then Nanyang Technological University (NTU) may be just the right place for you to build up your network and confidence.

The Straits Times in Singapore recently revealed that NTU’s graduates last year received the highest average starting pay of SG$2,600 (RM5,928) per month; 95% also found work (full and part-time) within four months of graduation.

CHIAN: International students need to brush up on their English.
“Let the industry tell us how good our graduates are,” says NTU Assoc Prof Chian Kerm Sin, who is actively involved in tissue engineering technology.

Industrial placement also gives NTU students an extra edge in the global job market.

“Our industrial placement with multinational companies is closely monitored.

“We make sure the company provides relevant training and that our students don’t go to work everyday and perform duties like sweeping the floor or making coffee,” he says.

However, one problem faced by many international students is their command of English.

“Students who are poor in English must make an effort to brush up on their English. It's not about passing exams like TOEFL or IELTS, it's more about being able to use the language confidently,” he says, “because engineers have to be able to present and sell products.”

Top rankings

For students who aspire to enter top-ranked universities, the National University of Singapore (NUS) will be a good bet.

In last year's Times Higher Education Supplement World University Rankings, NUS was ranked 22nd in the world and among the top three in Asia.

NUS is offering a new engineering science programme (ESP) this August. A joint initiative by the engineering and science faculties, ESP offers a broad-based, multidisciplinary curriculum.

“This programme will provide engineers with a strong theoretical base,” says Prof Wang Chien Ming.

“Research and development is the foundation upon which Singapore’s competitiveness is built.

“We hope to attract more Malaysian students to NUS to study with us,” he adds.

NUS also supports its students by providing them with an ideal environment for career development.

School of Computing corporate communications manager Alexia Leong says the university is dedicated to grooming talents.

“We want to cultivate the entrepreneurship spirit on campus and help our students realise their dreams,” she says.

A case in point is NUS graduate Kevin Low, 26, who is now running his game company Decision Ware from the university’s campus.

Low says he has learnt much about effective marketing strategies and financial planning from his lecturers.

Spanking new campus

Another top university on the island is the Singapore Management University (SMU), which was recently given a new 4.5 hectare, state-of-the-art city campus in the Bras Basah area.

“Our aim is to produce all-rounded graduates,” says SMU undergraduate admissions administrative executive Ong Si Ying.

The university, which specialises in business, adopts an American approach to undergraduate study.

Its curriculum is aligned with that of the Wharton Business School (University of Pennsylvania), along with Carnegie Mellon University.

To ensure that their students stand out in job interviews, SMU provides comprehensive training and exposure through seminars and site visits.

In the 2004 Graduates Employment Survey, 100% of SMU’s students found jobs within six months after graduation; 60% were offered employment even before they graduated.

“We require our students to go for career enrichment courses, covering topics such as effective negotiation skills, wardrobe coordination and table manners. This is to train them to be professional in every possible setting,” Ong says.

Students are also required to participate actively in discussions throughout their programmes.

“Before a class starts, students have to put their name cards in front of them so that lecturers can address them by name,” says Ong.

Excellent facilities for the arts

For students who want to pursue a career in arts, photography or fashion, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) has much to offer.

Be it in jewellery design, fashion or dance, NAFA has made its mark, producing eight Cultural Medallion winners and nine Young Artist Award (YAA) winners over the past few years.

NAFA marketing communications manager Tan Sook says the academy has superb facilities, including the 380-seat Lee Foundation Theatre with its rotating platform.

“We also have top-notch facilities for casting jewellery.

“Our photography studios are also equipped with advanced studio flash systems,” he says.

For more information on studying in Singapore, visit www.singaporeedu.gov.sg

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