University of New South Wales' Singapore campus to shut in
June
By Pearl Forss, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 23 May 2007 1715
hrs
Artist's impression of UNSW (Asia) Changi campus
SINGAPORE: The University of New South Wales will close its campus
in Singapore next month.
The announcement came less than two months after its grand
opening.
The school says it is running into financial problems because
enrolment was lower than expected.
Its target was 300 students in its first semester.
But it only got 148 students, 100 of whom are Singaporeans.
Students have already paid their fees, which range between S$26,000
and S$29,000 a year.
UNSW says these students will be offered a place at its home campus
in Sydney.
There will also be scholarships to help with the cost of travel and
accommodation.
The school adds that it is also in talks with local institutions
and other universities in the region to offer these students a
place to continue their education.
UNSW has already invested over S$22 million (AUD$17.5 million) in
its Singapore campus.
It was invited by Singapore's Economic Development Board in 2004 to
establish what would have been the first private comprehensive
university in Singapore.
The EDB refuses to reveal how much it invested in the school. -
CNA/ir
From EDB website
"The latest addition to
Singapore's vibrant intellectual community, the University of New
South Wales (UNSW), gives a major boost to the global schoolhouse
strategy. Unlike the other foreign universities, which are mainly
joint campus operations, UNSW Singapore, an A$100 million
(A$1=$1.20) research and teaching campus with a strong
focus on science and technology, will be wholly-owned and
independently run by the leading Australian university.
"We are honoured that the Singapore government has chosen UNSW to
spearhead its vision to develop Singapore as a hub of educational
excellence in the Asian region," said Professor John Ingleson,
Deputy Vice-President, Chancellor (International) UNSW. Ingleson
added that UNSW's first overseas venture into Singapore heralds the
next stage in the internationalisation of the university. UNSW
Singapore is scheduled to open its doors in 2007 with an intake of
about 15,000 students, of which at least 70 per cent will be
foreign. When fully operational, the university is expected to pump
about $500 million a year into the local economy.
Complementing the foreign universities are the three home-grown
universities. National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang
Technological University (NTU) and Singapore Management University
(SMU) are quickly gaining a reputation for quality education
worldwide. This year, NUS welcomed 5,600 freshmen from 71 different
countries, while SMU reported a 10 per cent increase in
international student applications from last year."
