S'pore unis urged to link up with the world, community and industry

Universities here must work harder to connect with the world, with Singapore's communities and industries, as well as one another, said Education Minister Chan Chun Sing.

Singapore's educational institutions should not just transmit knowledge, but also become connectors for collaboration in response to an increasingly fragmented world, he added.

Mr Chan said: "In a world that is becoming more fast-paced, more divided and yet more interconnected, we will need a strong network of connections to keep us current, keep us together, and keep us open."

He was speaking at The Straits Times Education Forum 2022 on the evolving role of universities, held in partnership with Singapore Management University yesterday.

Universities should be platforms for young people to grow up understanding and interacting with the rest of the world, Mr Chan said, adding that Singapore should continue to send students overseas and welcome foreign students here.

Universities - both faculty and students - should also tighten their connection with industry, he added.

To do this, Singapore's polytechnic, university and Institute of Technical Education students must have access to quality internships.

He added that university faculty are critical for the relationship between industry and university, and more opportunities must be created for faculty to keep up with the latest industry developments.

This may mean more diversity among educators, he said, including tapping more industry experts to work as adjunct or practice-track faculty.

Mr Chan said educators will need different strategies and skills as they work with adult learners.

Universities also need to "up their game" in terms of their connection to the community, he added. "This will help the universities better understand the challenges of our community, industry and the world... to create better solutions for Singapore and the world."

Mr Chan also said Singapore's universities should work to deepen their collaboration with one another. He said: "I have an aspiration where our six autonomous universities operate as one team, leveraging each other's strengths... An aspiration where students can take modules across different universities, like the Boston system."

Mr Chan also spoke on the importance of instilling confidence in Singapore students.

He said: "In a world of contesting ideas, ideology and values, we must have the confidence to chart our own destiny based on a pragmatic and disciplined search for what works best for our people...

"While we learn from the world, we must never relegate ourselves to just copying other people's ideas without context."