Lets Get Angry!

Straits Times blames UNSW for its own failure

Published Thursday, May 24, 2007 by Singapore Election |

Grand plans crumble
Pullout reasons: Too few students, too huge an investment, simply not sustainable

By Sandra Davie, Education Correspondent
May 24, 2007,The Straits Times

UNIVERSITY of New South Wales (UNSW) vice-chancellor Fred Hilmer was grim-faced yesterday as he told journalists that the Australian institution is quitting Singapore.

Too few students. Too huge an investment. Simply not sustainable, he said.

So it will all be over on June 28, when the current semester ends.

Yesterday's press conference was markedly different from the smiles and confident pronouncements of the past three years, whenever UNSW's top people came to town.

Just three years ago, then deputy vice-chancellor John Ingleson said UNSW was honoured to have been chosen to spearhead Singapore's vision to become a thriving education hub with 150,000 international students by 2015.

His targets: 10,000 students by 2015 and 15,000 by 2020.

It was a massive commitment, and not one that the Australians appeared to have arrived at hastily.

UNSW was already a highly reputable institution with a high proportion of foreign students, so it did not leap at the Singapore Economic Development Board's invitation to come here.

Its leadership took two years to consider the proposal, making several visits to universities and research centres here before deciding.

It was a 2004 visit to the Biopolis, the $500 million biomedical research complex in Buona Vista, that finally swung the decision.

Its success in getting up and running, attracting several companies and top scientific talent, impressed the Australians.

'It also showed us that once the political masters here are convinced of a strategy, they go all out for it,' Prof Ingleson revealed later.

Two weeks after that visit, the UNSW governing council made its unanimous decision to come to Singapore.

Things moved fast.

In October 2004, UNSW was unfazed by a survey in The Straits Times that said students found its fees hefty.

It promised value for money, a chance for undergraduates to shoot for two degrees in five years.

Students were also offered an opportunity to spend up to a year in Sydney.

Prof Ingleson confidently declared in an interview with The Straits Times then: 'We're asking the same as what we charge our international students at our Sydney campus. It's four times more than the local institutions in Singapore, so we will deliver quality. Otherwise, why should students want to pay that much?'

The Australians pressed ahead.

On frequent visits to Singapore, its dons scouted for research opportunities and funds and even launched a design competition for its 20ha campus in Changi South.

The architect finally picked was no less than winning architect Kerry Hill, famed for designing renowned resort hotels such as the Amanusa in Bali, Indonesia, and The Datai on Langkawi island in Malaysia.

When Britain's Warwick university was seriously considering taking up Singapore's offer to set up a campus here, UNSW's key personnel admitted that it could mean intense competition, but added confidently: 'UNSW thrives on competition.'

The man named to head the campus here, Professor Greg Whittred, called his appointment a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Ms Jennie Lang, executive director of UNSW International, and one of those who championed the Singapore enterprise, had more good things to say later on.

'Singapore appeals to us because it is a small island nation that isn't afraid to think big,' she said in 2005, expressing confidence that the education hub idea would succeed.

Indeed, Prof Ingleson said then: 'Singapore's vision for a top-notch education hub gelled with UNSW's idea to be a global university.'

All that changed quickly when the figures for its first intake were revealed in March this year.

A change in leadership at the university also appeared to have contributed to the rethink.

It took just two months for UNSW's new vice-chancellor, Prof Hilmer, to decide to pull the plug on the university's bid to go international.

He said yesterday: 'As with any pioneering venture, there is a fuller appreciation of the risks involved once the venture becomes operational.'

sandra@sph.com.sg

1 Responses to “Straits Times blames UNSW for its own failure”

Anonymous on 9:49 AM SGT

My friend just enrolled in another Australian university based in Singapore called JCU. They were not invited by EDB or funded but going by their record, they seem to be doing extremly well with so many local and foriegn students. How come they can succeed without the elite help while UNSW failed as Warrick and John Hopkins. Well I guess that it why the best in the private sector earn so much. Because if they fail they get the chop..so where is the chop chop chop for so many failures

Singapore Election Watch

Straits Times blames UNSW for its own failure

1 Responses to “Straits Times blames UNSW for its own failure”

[Uncensored] Search

Team Bloggers

Say NO to Pay Hike for Singapore Ministers

Say No to GST Hike

Contact Us/Submit Articles

Singapore Freedom Index

Election Watch Poll

Previous posts

Archives

Manifestos

Links

Online Petitions

RSS Feed

Endorsement

Empower Singaporeans