SINGAPORE - Five of Singapore's university student unions have formed a new network to collectively tackle issues concerning undergraduates here, such as mental health, employability and sustainability.
Known as the Inter-University Network, it comprises the student union leaders from the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore Management University (SMU) and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), as well as Yale-NUS College, which is within NUS but has its own student union.
The network aims to bring the universities together and represent, protect and empower the interests of undergraduates and young people on a national level, the leaders said in a press release on Saturday (Feb 26).
Work on formalising the network in collaboration with the National Youth Council (NYC) began in October last year, and it was launched at the Inter-University Dialogue at the NTUC Centre in One Marina Boulevard on Saturday.
The Singapore University of Social Sciences and the Singapore Institute of Technology are not formally involved in the network as they do not have student unions.
However, the network will work with students from those two universities, beginning with its first initiative, UCare, which aims to understand mental health stressors among undergraduates here.
It will work with clubs and interest groups at the universities to look at existing prevention and intervention support for mental health problems, as well as identify possible gaps in these support systems, said the release.
NYC chief executive David Chua said: "In the spirit of providing opportunities for youth to be heard, be empowered and be the change, the Inter-University Network will provide recommendations for the Government to consider on issues that matter to youth, and the NYC will facilitate the interface with government agencies."
Findings will also be shared with university administrations and student leaders. The network will propose recommendations in a written report and present its findings at a mental health forum later this year.
The network also aims to deepen collaboration between student unions and share knowledge on student leadership.
Speaking to The Straits Times after the launch event on Saturday, NUS Students’ Union president Lee Yat Bun, 22, said the network seeks to build on the informal connections the various student unions already share.
President of SUTD’s student government Sarah Chua, 23, said setting up the network has given the various student unions a concrete platform to advocate for more causes and action.
NTU Students’ Union president V. Dhanraj, 24, said that previously when a student union wanted to push a particular policy, the student leadership at other universities would also pick up on it.
“This network will allow us access to a combined national platform to tackle issues because our student bodies face very similar issues on things like mental health and access to food options on campus.”
