EDB's funding for B-standard education a big flop for UNSW
Simon Marginson, a professor in higher education at the University of Melbourne, said UNSW Asia was never in the university's interests because it was designed for "B" students, while the best students went to Singapore's own universities. "This was not good given that UNSW itself is a world class research university not far below National University of Singapore and at least as strong as Nanyang IT."
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Brisbane TimesSingapore's Economic Development Board (EDB), the chief architect of the country's ambition to be a leading education centre in the region, conceded the closure was a setback but put a brave face on it.
Singapore is trying to attract more foreign students as part of a wider drive to boost its skilled labor force.
'I admit that it is a setback. For us, we just have to keep working at it,' Aw Kah Peng, the assistant managing director at EDB, said at the briefing.
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Reuters
I think UNSW & EDB did the right thing. Cut losses and move on.
ReplyDeleteEDB definitely had a part to play. When you have a university competing with NUS/NTU/SMU for Singaporean students, I would be concerned.
With the cost of land going up, EDB probably has other plans for this piece of land.
Lets figure out what the working relationships should be. UNSW promotes Singapore education for Singapore, by encourging students to study in Singapore for us? UNSW provides the courses and degree recognition. EDB provides the land and maybe some infrastructure.
I dont think EDB lost much except for the infeastucture (which is still there btw)
What I think UNSW was smart to do was not to waste huge amount of $$ to market education for Singapore. (evidenced by the high SG student figures)
Neither is Singapore about to go out of its way to market UNSW as the institution to study in SG. You won't find UNSW in Singapore Tourism brochures.
So the trust factors just aren't there. Australians are not going to be taken for a ride by Singapore.
Alternatively, they were probably pressured to commit more to Singapore.
Totally unthinkable when the cost of rent and food is driving the overall cost of foreign student education beyond Singapore's reach.
That is why we have introduced the Student holiday working visa so that they can earn $$ in SG to pay for that education.
Simple really.
Maybe they did the right thing maybe not... Whatever the case the way this has been handled and the way it was handled has been totally disappointing and irresponsible.
ReplyDeleteAlthough a school is akin to a company, it is first and foremost an educational institution, its priority should be its students and staff who are its shareholders - without them what is a school?
In life nothing is ever simple, just as there is no such thing as a free meal.
I think they got the name of the EDB guy wrong. He should have been called Chio Kah Peng.
ReplyDeletemorale of the story? never truly trust such insititutes... they are losing sight of themselves
ReplyDeleteI wonder if our educational standards really works in our culture!
ReplyDelete