Forum: NZ uni’s S’pore campus will offer students more choices

I refer to the news report on Massey University’s joint venture to invest in a campus in Singapore (

NZ university’s plan to open S’pore campus sparks anger among staff

, Sept 3). Some negative viewpoints were expressed in the article, but the reality of global collaboration makes the project sensible.

The University of New South Wales’ short-lived Singapore campus in 2007 did not discourage some Australian universities from setting up campuses here – for example, Curtin and James Cook – to offer a suite of courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels in popular disciplines.

The right choice of investor partners and effective marketing initiatives are critical for long-term overseas educational investments.

Massey has experience in Singapore with the Singapore Institute of Technology and PSB Academy as existing partners for its undergraduate and postgraduate programme offerings.

If the success stories of Curtin and James Cook are indicators, Massey has a reasonable chance of competing in Singapore’s education hub, even with some world-class United States universities already here.

Each institution holding a position in any respectable university ranking has unique offerings for the international student community demanding customised learning experiences and choice of modes: online, offline, face-to-face or hybrid; internal or external.

While investing overseas and downsizing locally may be painful for some stakeholders, developed economies have witnessed such episodes repeatedly and responded proactively.

By hosting a variety of established institutions, Singapore’s education hub has an excellent track record of working with foreign universities.

Tng Cheong Sing