18 October 2018

Singapore University of Social Sciences President Cheong Hee Kiat has said the university will continue to emphasise applied learning and work-study programmes, where students undertake longer work stints.

Currently, there are 40 students alternating between work and study. There are also 30 accountancy students who work alternate semesters in accounting firms and study at SUSS.

Prof Cheong said SUSS is looking at offering more of work-study programmes in other degrees. He said it is important that university education is not seen to be separate from work.

Prof Cheong added that alternating semesters of work and study is good preparation for the future.

“Work attachment is a powerful way of learning. It enables students to apply what they have learnt in the classroom and see the relevance of it. Increasingly, workers will have to keep learning while they work, to update their knowledge and skills,” he said.

16 October 2018

Singapore University of Social Sciences currently requires its students to go on work attachments for at least six months as part of its graduation requirements.

Many students end up taking on at least two work stints, with a combined duration of up to a year.

The university is proud of its emphasis on applied learning. The acquisition of work experience is one of the reasons the university continues to draw an increasing number of applicants.

SUSS president Cheong Hee Kiat said the university received 5,700 applications this year for its eight full-time degree programmes.

14 October 2018

Singapore Management University undergraduates now have a new living facility located along Prinsep Street.

The facility comprises of three blocks of four-storey apartments and spans an area of 5,000 square metres.

SMU has equipped the premises with a multi-purpose lounge as well as rooms for projects, meetings and seminars.

There are 23 apartments, most of which house 10 to 12 students each.

Students who live at Prinsep Street Residences, or PSR for short, will be strongly encouraged to initiate projects that will benefit society.

Students will also attend workshops, sharing sessions by industry guests and talks on mentoring and career.

12 October 2018

Last month, Nanyang Technological University organized an exclusive, invitation-only career fair called NTUtopia, which was open to undergraduates from scholar programmes or with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.75 out of 5.

Some undergraduates who did not fall into the above categories said they were not aware of this event until their friends who received the e-mail spoke about it.

According to Professor Tan Ooi Kiang, NTU’s Associate Provost (Undergraduate Education), about 3,600 students were invited to the fair based on their achievements in academic or co-curricular activities.

At the fair, students were allowed to pass their resume to participating employers from both the public and private sectors.

Among the participating employers from the public service were the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Infocomm Media Development Authority.

11 October 2018

Recently, five Raffles Girls’ School students represented Singapore by taking part in the F1 Schools world finals, where they were tasked with building a miniature car to race against competitor students from other schools around the world.

The competition tests students’ ability in the STEM subjects, namely, science, technology, engineering, mathematics, as well as their creativity in design.

Cars were built according to detailed guidelines using 3D computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing software.

The RGS team raced eight times over two days against teams from the US and Germany.

The girls won an award for their pit booth display, which showcased their car and other work they had done throughout the project.

09 October 2018

At the triennial Singapore International Technical and Vocational Education and Training Conference, Education Minister Ong Ye Kung spelt out how the SkillsFuture movement was transforming higher education, lifelong learning, and preparing Singaporeans for the future.

To survive in the 21st century, Singaporeans must go beyond academic qualifications and add skills to their repertoire.

Even academics now need skills to deliver research impact and craftsmen must internalise the science behind their work.

Hence, there have been major changes in the education landscape in recent years, including the up-skilling of adults, and the introduction of school admissions based on aptitude rather than grades.

To prioritise those who are passionate about a subject, polytechnics introduced the Early Admissions Exercise to allow students to gain conditional admission to a course based on their aptitude and talent even before their qualifying final exams.