Nanyang Technological University

Nanyang Technological University   (University)
Formation	1981
Headquarters	Singapore
Type	Autonomous university
Subgroups	S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
Sponsored by	Hewlett Foundation
Significant ties to deep state and military-security complex

The Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU) is the second oldest public autonomous research university in Singapore. NTU has been ranked as overall 1st in the ranking of young universities in the QS World University Rankings since 2015 as of August 2020. It has 23,951 full-time enrolled students and 3846 full-time teaching staff; it has achieved 13th in the overall ranking of current QS World University Rankings as of August 2020.

The University is organised into several colleges and schools, including the College of Engineering, College of Science, Nanyang Business School, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, and Graduate College. NTU is also home to several autonomous institutions such as Singapore's National Institute of Education, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Earth Observatory of Singapore and Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering.

NTU's main campus covers 200 hectares (490 acres) of land, making it the largest university campus in Singapore. The primary campus grounds are located in the western part of Singapore, along 50 Nanyang Avenue. It also has two other campuses in Singapore's healthcare and start-up districts, Novena and one-north respectively.

History

Nanyang University (1955–1980)

In 1955, prior to Singapore's independence from the British, Nanyang University was established south of the current Nanyang Technological University campus, with the centre of the present Yunnan Garden as its heart. Its administration building currently houses the Chinese Heritage Centre, a national monument.

Nanyang Technological Institute (1981–1991)

In 1980, Nanyang University merged with the University of Singapore to form the current National University of Singapore. In complement, Nanyang Technological Institute (NTI), a tertiary institution affiliated to the National University of Singapore, was formed to take over Nanyang University's campus in 1981.

Nanyang Technological Institute (NTI) was set up on 1 August 1981 with a charter to train three-quarters of Singapore’s engineers.

When NTI started in 1982, it had a total student population of 582 in three engineering disciplines – civil and structural, electrical and electronic, and mechanical and production engineering. By 1990, the institute’s undergraduate student population had grown to 6,832. The first two graduate students were admitted in 1986.

Three engineering schools were added, and the School of Accountancy from the National University of Singapore was transferred to NTI in 1987. A school of applied science was also started. In 1990, the government announced that the Institute of Education would be merged with the College of Physical Education to form the National Institute of Education and that it would be part of the new NTU upon its establishment in 1991.

Present form

In 1991, NTI merged with the National Institute of Education (NIE) (founded in 1950) to form the Nanyang Technological University (NTU). The alumni rolls of the former Nanyang University were transferred to NTU in 1996. Historically, Nanyang Technological University admitted students jointly with the affiliated National University of Singapore and charged the same fees. Students made only one application and they would be accepted by either university. This arrangement ended in 2004 as both universities began to distinguish themselves with an end of its official affiliation. Currently, students apply separately to both universities.

NTU became autonomous in 2006 and stands as one of the two largest public universities in Singapore today.

NTU is currently a collaborative member of Singapore International Graduate Award for PhD applicants worldwide, which comprises Agency for Science, Technology & Research (A*STAR), the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).

Autonomous Institutes

NTU hosts a number of autonomous research and educational institutes.

• The National Institute of Education (NIE), occupying 16 hectares (0.16 km²; 40 acres) in the western part of NTU's Yunnan Garden campus, is Singapore's main teaching college and is run in close collaboration with Singapore's Ministry of Education. Full-time teachers in Singapore's public schools are required to complete a post-graduate diploma course at NIE, sponsored by Singapore's Ministry of Education. NIE is also internationally acclaimed and provides educational consultancy to countries from Indonesia to UAE.
• The S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), named after Singapore's former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, offers graduate programmes in international relations and is an autonomous graduate institution of NTU. The school has the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies—long recognised as a world authority on strategic studies and terrorism. RSIS was ranked second among university-affiliated think tanks in Asia in the 2011 Global Go-To Think Tank Rankings.

• The Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE) is a unique interdisciplinary Research Centre of Excellence (RCE), funded by National Research Foundation, Singapore Ministry of Education, Nanyang Technological University and National University of Singapore. Hosted by the NTU in partnership with NUS, SCELSE is linking new insights from the Life Sciences with expertise from the emerging technologies in Engineering and Natural Sciences to understand, harness and control microbial biofilm communities. The union of these fields has established a new discipline of Environmental Life Sciences Engineering.

• The Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS) is an autonomous research institute specialising in Earth Sciences and conducts fundamental research on earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis & climate change in and around Southeast Asia, towards safer and more sustainable societies.

• The Wealth Management Institute (WMI) is a practice-based education and research institute with a comprehensive suite of practice-based programmes deeply integrated and aligned to serve the needs of the wealth and asset management industry. Established in 2003, with the support of Temasek Holdings and GIC Private Limited to catalyse Singapore’s growth ambition as a premier international wealth management centre, WMI has in close collaboration with Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the Institute of Banking & Finance (IBF) as well as the Wealth Management industry, played an instrumental role in expanding and deepening the skills and expertise of professionals in the industry. With a wide range of accredited wealth and asset management programmes covering topics from investment products, portfolio allocation, client engagement, trust and estate planning, to risk management and a MSc Asset and Wealth Management, programmes incorporate an Asian focus with a global perspective. WMI has benefited much from the stewardship and leadership provided by Temasek Holdings and GIC Private Limited to build its capabilities and industry network and has developed deep connections and fostered rich networks with industry thought leaders, senior practitioners, regulators as well as academics.

 

Sponsor

Event	Description
Hewlett Foundation	Huge foundation setting the agenda by funding lots of deep state projects.

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