Launch of UNSW Asia in Singapore

02 November 2004

28 October 2004, Singapore: The Chancellor of the University of New South Wales, Dr John Yu, has unveiled the name of the University's first offshore campus - UNSW Asia in Singapore.

Speaking at a UNSW alumni function to celebrate the major new venture, Dr Yu acknowledged the support of prominent alumni who have embraced Singapore's first foreign university.

"UNSW has a proud history of engagement with Singapore and has the largest number of graduates in South-East Asia of any Australian university," Dr Yu said. "We look forward to working with the Economic Development Board, the academic and research community here in Singapore and UNSW alumni to create Singapore's first overseas university - one that will be truly international in its scope."

The Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark Wainwright, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International) Professor John Ingleson, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Resources) Dr Alec Cameron and Deans joined the Managing Director of EDB, Mr Ko Kheng Hwa, to officially launch UNSW Asia to alumni in Singapore.

UNSW Asia in Singapore will offer a comprehensive range of undergraduate, postgraduate and research degrees. Students will also have the option of undertaking combined degrees, which can be completed in five years. The campus will be built on a greenfield site at South Changi and the first intake of students will commence studies in February 2007.

"Education of the future will be neither national nor local, but transnational, and the best of the universities will serve an international community. This is the model we have adopted for UNSW Asia in Singapore - one university, two countries," said Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International) Professor John Ingleson.

"Quality is key to everything we do and UNSW Asia in Singapore will increase the University's enviable international standing. It will also strengthen links with European and North American universities and boost our reputation for innovative internationalisation."

UNSW Asia in Singapore has many distinctive features. It will incorporate a cluster-based teaching and research approach, underpinned by research centres. The main clusters will be science, engineering, technology and health; commerce, humanities, urban planning, media, arts and design; and the Graduate School, which will combine programs in law, health, science, technology, engineering and social sciences with management education.

At least 70 percent of the student population will be drawn from the region and elsewhere, and up to 30 percent from Singapore.

Programs offered at UNSW Asia in Singapore will be of equal standing to those at UNSW in Sydney and go through the same rigorous approval, accreditation and quality assurance processes.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark Wainwright said that UNSW was committed to adding significant value to scholarship and research in the region.

"The investment made by UNSW Asia in Singapore will extend well beyond education to commerce and industry through its significant research output, high level analysis and high calibre graduates," he said.

"A significant amount of the research undertaken at UNSW Asia in Singapore will be highly relevant to the wider Asian region. In Singapore, we are committed to developing strong links with existing and emerging clusters identified by the Singapore Government including petrochemicals, banking and finance, logistics, microelectronics and the creative arts industries."

Mr Ko Kheng Hwa, Managing Director of Singapore Economic Development Board, said: "UNSW Asia is a tremendous boost to EDB's Global Schoolhouse initiative. Our aim is to develop Singapore into a world-class education hub offering a diverse and distinctive mix of quality education options. We commend the visionary leadership of UNSW in this trail-blazing endeavour. UNSW and EDB share the same vision and have developed a deep and trusting relationship over the past two years. This augurs well as we embark on the exciting journey ahead together to transform UNSW Asia from vision into reality at Changi, Singapore."

FACTSHEETS: For more information on UNSW Asia in Singapore and the University's engagement with the region factsheets are available.

MEDIA CONTACT: Judy Brookman, UNSW Director of Communications + 61 2 9385 3249 (m) + 61 421 061 251 or Denise Knight + 61 2 9385 3192 (m) + 61 405 207 685

Date issued: 28 October 2004