DOCSLIB.ORG

Foong Hui Ee, Michelle (B

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Foong Hui Ee, Michelle (B View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by ScholarBank@NUS CONTACT ZONES IN INTERNATIONALIZING ASIAN UNIVERSITIES: IDENTITIES, SPATIALITIES AND GLOBAL IMAGINATIONS FOONG HUI EE, MICHELLE (B. Soc. Sci., Hons.), NUS A THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SOCIAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE 2013 DECLARATION I hereby declare that the thesis is my original work and it has been written by me in its entirety. I have duly acknowledged all the sources of information which have been used in the thesis. This thesis has also not been submitted for any degree in any university previously. ___________________________________ Foong Hui Ee, Michelle 23/01/13 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This academic journey has been immensely fulfilling not least because it dealt with a topic close to my heart---as a student who was hungry for international experiences and later, as a teacher whose same insatiable appetite for travel has brought her to live and work with young people in several countries including Japan. However, the process of writing up this dissertation has often been gruelling as I painfully came to realise that my priorities have shifted (rightly so) since a decade ago when I had graduated from university. To this end, words cannot express how grateful I am to the following people, without whom I would have faltered along the way. My heartfelt gratitude goes out to my supervisor and mentor Professor Brenda Yeoh, who had also supervised my honours thesis. Her unwavering confidence in me, as well as tireless encouragement, was more than what any student could ask for. Leading by example, she continues to be my role model as a ‘super-woman’ who seemed to be able to impeccably juggle the many hats she wears. Special mention also goes out to Prof Yeoh’s secretary, Amelia Tay, whose gentle demeanour and kind words always soothed my soul (especially when a deadline was closing in). I would like to thank Professor Ho Kong Chong for granting me the precious opportunity to be part of the Globalizing Universities and International Student Mobilities in East Asia (GUISM) project, through which I had the privilege to work with a team of passionate and high-calibre researchers in the region. Among them, special thanks to Dr Francis Leo Collins (University of Auckland), who had patiently helped to refine the scope of my research in its early stages, Satoru Ando (University of Tokyo) who provided immense support to me in my fieldwork in Todai, Eugene Liow (NUS) for always lending a hand, and Kat, Emily and Yi’en, my fellow ‘international student’ researchers who selflessly share their findings, and whose passion inspires me. This research would not have been possible without my 46 respondents in both NUS and Todai, who had been so forthcoming and generous in sharing with me their stories, fears, hopes and dreams. My life has been enriched by these stories. I am indebted to Wen Liang and my parents, for their constant belief in me, bearing patiently with my grouchiness especially in those dreary ‘no inspiration’ moments. Note: This research was fully supported by the Singapore Ministry of Education, (Academic Research Fund Tier 2 grant), Grant number: MOE 20089-T2-1-101, Principal Investigator: Assoc Prof HO Kong Chong, National University of Singapore. The project name is Globalising Universities and International Student Mobilities. i TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Acknowledgements i Table of Contents ii Summary iv List of Appendices v Chapter One – Introduction 1.1 Trend toward internationalization of universities in East Asia 1 1.2 Geographical contributions in student mobilities 2 1.3 The case of NUS and Todai 2 1.4 Contact zones and research design 3 1.5 Research objectives and thesis Map 3 Chapter Two – Theoretical Junctures 2.1 Geographies of mobile youths in transit 6 2.2 International student mobilities and identity negotiations 7 2.3 International student mobilities, urban processes and campus micro-geographies 10 2.4 International student mobilities and cosmopolitan sensibilities 11 2.5 Contact zones 13 2.6 Safe houses 16 Chapter Three – Internationalizing universities in East Asia 3.1 Introduction 18 3.2 The ‘Singapore brand’—to be an education hub 19 3.2.1 The National University of Singapore (NUS) and its internationalization pathway 20 3.2.2 Advocating overseas/international experiences 23 3.2.3 UTown—merging of learning and living spaces 24 3.2.4 Challenges 25 3.3 Internationalizing Japanese universities—An overview 26 3.3.1 The Global 30 project and its dilemmas 27 3.3.2 Challenges towards internationalization 30 3.4 The University of Tokyo (Todai)—Propelling from national to international status 31 3.4.1 PEAK and the dilemma of English as the language of 34 internationalization 3.4.2 Concluding remarks--Drawing parallels between NUS and Todai’s 35 internationalization pathways ii Chapter Four – Research Design 4.1 Biographical interviews with international students 37 4.1.1 Interview matrix and process 38 4.1.2 Table 1: Profile of NUS respondents 40 4.1.3 Table 2: Profile of Todai respondents 43 4.2 Discourse analysis of print and online resources 47 4.3 Participant observation in campus ‘international’ events 48 4.4 Positionality and reflexivity 48 Chapter Five – (Re) constructing identities in the contact zone 5.1 Introduction 50 5.2 Contact zones challenge international students’ notions of nationhood, ethnicity and belonging 51 5.3 Confronting national politics in the contact zone 58 5.4 Being an ‘ambassador’ in the contact zone 61 5.5 A trigger to consider obligations to one’s family and country 63 5.6 Contact zones, identities and the experience of time 66 5.7 Concluding thoughts 69 Chapter Six – Spatializing contact zones in internationalizing Asian universities 6.1 Introduction 70 6.2 Institutionalised/ Routinised contact zones 71 6.3 Spontaneous contact in social/ casual settings 77 6.4 Conflation of learning and living spaces—the beginnings of cosmopolitan sensibilities? 84 6.5 Episodic and catastrophic events/encounters 86 6.6 Summary—towards building global imaginations 89 Chapter Seven – Global imaginations in the internationalizing university contact zone 7.1 Introduction 91 7.2 Multiple articulations of a global identity 91 7.3 Global imaginations in university settings and programmes 97 7.3.1 ‘International’ events on campus spaces 98 7.3.2 ‘Take me to places’ 100 7.4 Cities and limits to global imaginations 104 Chapter Eight – Concluding remarks and the way forward 107 Bibliography 112 Appendices 123 iii SUMMARY In the last decade, East Asia has experienced exponential growth in student mobility within the region, fuelled by factors such as strengthening economies and increased recruiting efforts from East Asian universities. The National University of Singapore (NUS) and the University of Tokyo (Todai) represent two top universities in East Asia with globalizing ambitions---both have an explicit agenda to recruit international students primarily within Asia. This study conceptualizes the globalizing East Asian university as a series of ‘contact zones’ which, according to Mary Louise Pratt (1997:63) are ‘social spaces where cultures meet, clash and grapple with each other, often in the contexts of high asymmetrical relations of power such as colonialism…or their aftermaths’. These ‘spaces’ include the study environment, everyday activities and social networks. The complex ethno-historic links among East Asian countries further complicate the dynamics within these contact zones. Specifically, this research investigates how international students in NUS and Todai are prompted to reflect, question and negotiate their ethno-national identities as a result of encountering differences in contact zones. Challenging dominant discourses of footloose global youth cultures, I illustrate the multiple and creative ways in which students continue to articulate emotional ties to home. Secondly, responding to recent calls to pay attention to the microgeographies of internationalizing university campuses (see Hopkins 2011 and Anderson et al 2012), I analyze contact zones on three interlinked spatial fronts of routinized, causal and episodic encounters, highlighting the politics at work and how safe houses, as spaces of refuge in frictional contact spaces constitute an integral coping strategy for international students. Finally, I interrogate the intersecting processes of students’ unique biographies, past mobility trajectories and experiences in the contact zones in shaping their multiple global imaginations, as well as students’ experiences of campus spaces and programmes that seek to develop ‘cosmopolitanism’. Through a comparative perspective of students’ experiences in NUS and Todai, I wish to uncover common themes and where they depart, thereby contributing to a more nuanced, regional understanding of the complex identities of international students in Singapore and Japan, as well as to the growing transnational literature on youth and mobilities within East Asia. Drawing primarily from 46 in-depth biographical interviews conducted with international students in NUS and Todai, the questions were designed to pay close attention to the particular pathways and experiences of individual students as they move through transnational education spaces, while encouraging respondents to develop their personal narratives. I also employ other qualitative methods of inquiry such as participant observation in campus-wide events and discourse analysis of print and
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Xerox University Microfilms 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106
    INFORMATION TO USERS This material was produced from a microfilm copy of the original document. While the most advanced technological means to photograph and reproduce this document have been used, the quality is heavily dependent upon the quality of the original submitted. The following explanation of techniques is provided to help you understand markings or patterns which may appear on this reproduction. 1. The sign or “target" for pages apparently lacking from the document photographed is “ Missing Page(s)“ . If it was possible to obtain the missing page(s) or section, they are spliced into the film along with adjacent pages. This may have necessitated cutting thru an image and duplicating adjacent pages to insure you complete continuity. 2. When an image on the film is obliterated with a large round black mark, it is an indication that the photographer suspected that the copy may have moved during exposure and thus cause a blurred image. You will find a good image of the page in the adjacent frame. 3. When a map, drawing or chart, etc., was part of the material being photographed the photographer followed a definite method in “sectioning" the material. It is customary tc begin photoing at the upper left hand corner of a large sheet and to continue photoing from left to right in equal sections with a small overlap. If necessary, sectioning is continued again — beginning below the first row and continuing on until complete. 4. The majority of users indicate that the textual content is of greatest value, however, a somewhat higher quality reproduction could be made from “ photographs" if essential to the understanding of the dissertation.
    [Show full text]
  • Title Singapore's Prescription for Successful Control of Transnational
    Singapore's Prescription for Successful Control of Title Transnational Emerging Infectious Diseases Author(s) Yoshikawa, Minako Jen Citation Southeast Asian Studies (2012), 1(2): 301-331 Issue Date 2012-08 URL http://hdl.handle.net/2433/167295 Right Type Departmental Bulletin Paper Textversion publisher Kyoto University Singapore’s Prescription for Successful Control of Transnational Emerging Infectious Diseases* Minako Jen Yoshikawa** Severe acute respiratory syndrome, a previously unknown emerging infectious dis- ease, spread to multiple locations across continents in 2003 without being initially identified as a life-threatening infectious disease. The Republic of Singapore, in Southeast Asia, was one of the countries/areas affected by the global outbreak. With almost no existing procedures on how to deal with an emerging epidemic of such severity and rapid transmission, the country managed to formulate and implement policies to support countermeasures against this infectious disease. The interven- tions by the Singapore government covered of social and economic issues beyond the scope of public health, and promoted the involvement of governmental bodies and the general public. This example set by Singapore has been well recognized by international communities as the employment of successful containment measures. By scrutinizing public health measures deployed by the country, this paper identifies a political will that was embodied in a total governmental approach toward the emerging infectious disease in 2003; analyzes the origin of
    [Show full text]
  • Government, National Identity, and the Arts in Singapore
    University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Undergraduate Humanities Forum 2013-2014: Penn Humanities Forum Undergraduate Violence Research Fellows 5-2014 State of the Arts: Government, National Identity, and the Arts in Singapore Shawn Teo University of Pennsylvania Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/uhf_2014 Part of the Asian History Commons, and the Cultural History Commons Teo, Shawn, "State of the Arts: Government, National Identity, and the Arts in Singapore" (2014). Undergraduate Humanities Forum 2013-2014: Violence. 1. https://repository.upenn.edu/uhf_2014/1 This paper was part of the 2013-2014 Penn Humanities Forum on Violence. Find out more at http://www.phf.upenn.edu/annual-topics/violence. This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/uhf_2014/1 For more information, please contact [email protected]. State of the Arts: Government, National Identity, and the Arts in Singapore Abstract In the 1960s, countries in Southeast Asia such as Indonesia and Malaysia were wreaked by ethnic violence. Race riots broke out in Malaysia in 1969 between Chinese and Malays. In 1973 and 1974 anti- Chinese riots and pogroms erupted in Indonesia. Amidst a sea of ethnic unrest, the Singaporean government became aware that the multiethnic nature of Singapore rendered it vulnerable to riots.Memories of the 1964 race riots and the 1950 Maria Hertogh riots were still fresh. The government hoped that the creation of a cohesive national identity would reduce the risk of ethnic and racial violence. In this project I examine the development of national identity in Singapore from 1965-1990 to see how the government and civil society interacted to create a national identity.
    [Show full text]
  • Casting the Shadow of Our Past to Illuminate the Future of Singapore
    International Journal of Social Science and Humanity, Vol. 6, No. 5, May 2016 Casting the Shadow of our Past to Illuminate the Future of Singapore Selina Lim and Chan-Hoong Leong What then are the key factors that determine the likely Abstract—Historical events are the repository of a nation’s shape and form of Singapore‟s future social representations? culture and identity. The interpretation of shared narratives What influences the national narrative and identity? Are offers a unique socio-cognitive lens to understanding the social there sufficiently shared experiences and corroborated ties that bind citizenry and country, and point us to the likely historical representations among the people to bind the trajectory for the future. This study examines how historical events in Singapore are viewed, with intersections on attitudes citizenry to the nation-state? to immigration, national pride, and political orientation. As the city-state enters the next phase of socio-political development, issues pertinent to population, rootedness, and political values II. THE CASE OF SINGAPORE are paramount to the management of social diversity and identity politics. A survey of 470 undergraduates rated their Singapore, a relatively young nation-state, gained its affective opinion and perceived importance of 38 historical independence from Britain, and the then-Federation of events in Singapore. Interestingly, the social representation of Malaya half a century ago. An island with almost no natural history varies according to individual political ideology. resources, the mainly ethnic Chinese populated Singapore is Respondents with conservative beliefs more readily affirmed flanked by two large Muslim neighbours – Malaysia and the importance of events that exemplify nation building Indonesia – and located in a politically turbulent region.
    [Show full text]
  • Dominant Party Resilience and Valence Politics
    Journal of East Asian Studies 18 (2018), 129–156 doi:10.1017/jea.2018.15 Steven Oliver and Kai Ostwald EXPLAINING ELECTIONS IN SINGAPORE: DOMINANT PARTY RESILIENCE AND VALENCE POLITICS Abstract The People’s Action Party (PAP) of Singapore is one of the world’s longest ruling dominant parties, having won every general election since the country’s independence in 1965. Why do Sin- gaporeans consistently vote for the PAP, contrary to the expectations of democratization theories? We argue that valence considerations—specifically, perceptions of party credibility—are the main factor in the voting behavior of Singapore’s electorate, and are critical to explaining the PAP’s resil- ience. Furthermore, we argue that the primacy of valence politics arose in part by design, as the PAP has used its control of Singapore’s high-capacity state to reshape society and thereby reshape voter preferences towards its comparative advantages. We use a multi-methods approach to substantiate this argument, including a comprehensive quantitative analysis of recent elections. Ultimately, our findings suggest that a focus on valence politics can increase the resilience of dominant parties, but that such a strategy also faces natural limits. Keywords Singapore, Dominant Party, Resilience, People’s Action Party (PAP), Valence Politics, Elections, Voting Behavior, Voters, Political Parties, Party Competition With each successive victory, the dominant party gains increased resources with which to reshape the country’s politics and society. Used wisely, these resources allow the dominant party to remake the country in its own image and likeness, in ways designed to benefit its supporters and weaken its opponents.
    [Show full text]
  • Download This Case As A
    CSJ‐ 08 ‐ 0006.0 Settle or fight? Far Eastern Economic Review and Singapore In the summer of 2006, Hugo Restall—editor-in-chief of the monthly Far Eastern Economic Review (FEER)--published an article about a marginalized member of the political opposition in Singapore. The piece asserted that the Singapore government had a remarkable record of winning libel suits, which suggested a deliberate effort to neutralize opponents and subdue the press. Restall hypothesized that instances of corruption were going unreported because the incentive to investigate them was outweighed by the threat of an unwinnable libel suit. Singapore’s ruling family reacted swiftly. Lawyers for Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his father Lee Kuan Yew, the founder of modern Singapore, asserted that the article amounted to an accusation against their clients of personal incompetence and corruption. In a series of letters, the Lees’ counsel demanded a printed apology, removal of the offending article from FEER’s website, and compensation for damages. The magazine maintained that Restall’s piece was not libelous; nonetheless, it offered to take mitigating action short of the three demands. But the Lees remained adamant. Then, in a move whose timing defied coincidence, the government Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts informed FEER that henceforth it would be subject to new, and onerous, regulations. These actions were not without precedent. Singapore was an authoritarian, if prosperous, country. The Lee family--which claimed that the country’s ruling precepts were rooted in Confucianism, a philosophy that vested power in an enlightened ruler—tolerated no criticism. The Lees had been in charge for decades.
    [Show full text]
  • Conference Book TABLE of CONTENTS
    Conference Book TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Welcome Message 3 2. Bioethics Advisory Committee’s 4 20th Anniversary Virtual Public Conference 3. About Bioethics Advisory Committee 6 4. Our History And Timeline 6 5. Programme Overview 7 Day 1: 17 June 2021 Day 2: 18 June 2021 6. Speakers’ Biographies 10 7. Guest-of-Honour: 18 Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat 8. Special Highlights: Fire-side Chat Invited Panellists 20 9. Panel Discussion with Religious Leaders 23 10. Thematic Sessions 25 Session 2: Artificial Intelligence Session 3: Gene Editing Session 4: Assisted Reproduction Technology 11. Award Recipients 30 12. Gallery 36 13. Acknowledgements 38 14. Contact Us 40 Welcome Message On behalf of the Bioethics Advisory Committee (BAC), I warmly welcome you to the BAC’s 20th Anniversary Virtual Public Conference on 17 and 18 June 2021. This year, the BAC celebrates its 20th Anniversary. The public conference provides us with the opportunity to look back on our achievements and contributions to Singapore over 20 years since the BAC’s establishment in 2000. As we commemorate the past accomplishments of the BAC, we must also look forward and prepare for the future. As biomedical sciences continue to develop, novel ethical issues will arise on the horizon, and bioethics continues to play an integral role in protecting the rights and welfare of research participants. It is essential to prepare our future generations to address these new challenges adequately and ensure Singapore continues to practise good and robust science with high ethical standards. Themed ‘Bioethics Future: Empowering Our Next Generation’, this conference aims to help educate and raise the awareness of our future generations on the importance of bioethics and be an interactive platform for us to exchange ideas on the future of bioethics.
    [Show full text]
  • Cheryl Narumi Naruse November 19, 2007 MA Project Project Committee
    Cheryl Narumi Naruse November 19, 2007 MA Project Project Committee: S. Shankar (chair), C. Bacchilega, J. Zuern Singaporean Identity and Contemporary Culture: The Nationalization of Capitalism and Modernity What makes a place unique, that gives it its distinct identity? Its people. Its landscape. Its place in the world. Its passage through time. Promotional Ad Campaign by ‘Uniquely Singapore,’ Singapore Tourism Board Becoming independent and sovereign only in 1965, Singapore has emerged as one of the most economically successful and controversial nations in South East Asia. While Singapore is often celebrated for its remarkable economic success, measured through its passage from Third-World to First-World status in a short time, it is also notorious for its controlling, socially conservative government. Despite the controversy, the Singapore government makes no apologies for their state policies. Instead, it celebrates what is perceived as the unique foundation for its success. It is from this notion of uniqueness that this project begins. As someone who has lived in Singapore for a number of years, my time away has also enabled me to look back at Singapore with a critical eye; indeed, what is it that makes Singapore unique and gives it a “distinct identity”? I turn back to the promotional campaign’s top answer: “its people.” How are the people of Singapore, its citizens, fashioned? What is the relationship between the state and the citizens of Singapore? Naruse 1 Through this paper, I examine three components of citizenry in Singapore – capitalism, modernity and (ethno)nationalism – that construct the ideal Singaporean citizen. The relationship between these three components, I believe, can be understood as a triad: The Singaporean Citizen Triangle (ethno)nationalism The nation- state Singaporean citizen capitalism modernity Each of these imaginaries – nationalism, capitalism, modernity – figures in the Singaporean citizen’s identity as registers and logics through which the Singaporean citizen’s identity is read.
    [Show full text]
  • Presidents of NUSS
    HAPPY SWEET th Our sixty years at NUSS are probably best measured not in time but in the relationships cultivated, the challenges overcome and the communities enriched by us together. Imagine time as a vessel, capturing a passionate blend of experience and new promise. Such is the NUSS journey, brimming with potential, towards an even better tomorrow. Old Wine, New Spirits The NUSS 60th Anniversary Commemorative Publication Design and Production Green House Design + Communications Pte Ltd Published by The National University of Singapore Society Kent Ridge Guild House, 9 Kent Ridge Drive, Singapore 119241 Tel: 6779 1811 Fax: 6778 8095 Email: [email protected] Website: www.nuss.org.sg Writer Edgar Liao Old Wine, New Spirits Commemorative Publication Team Lai Kim Seng, Lim Soo Hwee, Edgar Liao, Nadine Wu, Lai Choon How, Mephine Ong Old Wine, New Spirits Editorial Panel Yip Kum Fei, Lai Kim Seng, Chandra Mohan K Nair, Dr James Boss, Basskaran Nair, Jeffrey Khoo, Dr Paul Wang, Edgar Liao Photo Credits National Archives of Singapore Offices of the NUS President and the Vice-Provost (Student Life) Harry Chan, Mervyn Sek, Ho Junyi, Stefan Choo, Wayn Chiua, Zou Kunyi, Liu Guoyi, Hu Yang, Brandon Albert Lim, Tan Zi Tong, Ow Yau Loong, Marcus Royce Lee, Pamela Tan, Dr James Boss, Agnes Ng, Lim Shoo Hoe ISBN: 978-981-09-1962-7 ©2014 The National University of Singapore Society No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the Publisher.
    [Show full text]
  • Singapore's Foreign Policy: Beyond Realism
    SINGAPORE’S FOREIGN POLICY: BEYOND REALISM Submitted by Ming Hwa Ting This thesis is submitted to the University of Adelaide as a requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Centre for Asian Studies North Terrace Campus, the University of Adelaide March 2010 consummatum est ii Abstract .......................................................................................................................... vi Thesis Declaration ........................................................................................................ vii Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................... viii List of Abbreviations ...................................................................................................... x 1. INTRODUCTION: WHY STUDY SINGAPORE‟S FOREIGN POLICY? ........ 11 1.1 Singapore in Southeast Asia: The Vulnerability Myth ................................. 12 1.2 Why Realism is in Vogue: Size as a Deteminant in Singapore‟s Threat Perception ..................................................................................................... 15 1.3 Limitations of Realism .................................................................................. 17 1.4 Literature Review .......................................................................................... 21 1.4.1 Singapore‟s Foreign Policy: Paucity of Empirical Research .................... 21 1.3.2 Paucity of Alternative Theoretical Research ...........................................
    [Show full text]
  • 1 State of the University Address 2016 NUS President Professor Tan
    State of the University Address 2016 NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan 4 November 2016 Empowering for the Age of Empowerment NUS Pro-Chancellors NUS Trustees Distinguished Guests Colleagues, Students, Alumni, and Friends If you visit Ciudad Perdida in Colombia, and looked down upon its walled terraces, you can’t help but sense that this is a special site. Ciudad Perdida was the heart of a network of Tayrona Indian settlements first set up some 1,400 years ago. These covered a large area, as this stone map is believed to show. Here, the Tayronas flourished, and produced rich articles of gold and emeralds. Prof Tan Chorh Chuan, Ciudad Perdida, Colombia Dr Evelyn Tan with Romaldo But in the 16th century, Spanish conquistadors shattered their way of life, and the Tayronas abandoned the Ciudad. In March this year, Evelyn and I did the hot, humid three-day hike to the restored site. There, we were lucky to meet Romaldo, the shaman of the Ciudad – you can see him here in white robes, chewing coca leaves. The shamans were traditional leaders of the indigenous communities. They also interpreted events and divined the 1 future. But, understandably, they could not grasp the rapid developments in Europe in the 16th century or foresee the implications for themselves. It was fascinating to talk with shaman Romaldo. His outlook reflected his jungle village setting, and the fate of Ciudad Perdida is a point in history now long past. Yet, it remains a stark reminder of the dangers of not keeping up. It should cause us to reflect on how vital it is, to stay well abreast of the powerful trends and drivers which are reshaping our world.
    [Show full text]
  • Translational Strategies in an Integrated Economy:- Perspectives from Singapore
    Translational strategies in an integrated economy:- perspectives from Singapore TAN Chorh Chuan President, National University of Singapore Dy Chairman, Agency for Science Technology & Research National university of Singapore • Comprehensive, research-intensive global university • 3 campuses – Kent Ridge, Bukit Timah, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Translational Strategies in an integrated economy • Why Biomedical Sciences sector was selected as a focus • Translational research - Key approaches & challenges 3 The Singapore Growth Story….. Innovator of new products GDP $B & services Future: Knowledge- 80s: 90s: Intensive Capital- Technology- intensive intensive 70s: 60s: Skill- Labour- intensive intensive GERD 1.9%GDP 2.7%GDP Public sector R&D S$13.5bn S$6bn S$4bn 1995 2000 2005 2006 2010 Why BMS? • Global importance of human health & disease • Talent mobility + advances in research technologies mean newcomers can be competitive Does Singapore have a chance? • Small talent base + Competition intense with several established hubs already Does Singapore have a chance? BMS needs 2 things, which Singapore happens to be good at: • long-term vision & view = substantial & long-term support • close coordination between different agencies Phase 1 of BMS Initiative: 2000 - 2005 Emphasis on basic science • Critical mass of high quality research talent in Research Institutes & programmes • ~500 top local students in research training • State-of-art infrastructure in Biopolis, universities • Growing base of industry R&D labs • Substantially expanded BMS sector’s economic contribution Biopolis: A Vibrant BMS R&D Community Shared Facilities . Scientific Services . Core Services Phase 1 . General Amenities . Animal Facility Phase 4 Phase 2 Phase 3 2,000 scientists 20 private companies 2.4 mil sqft Phase 3 .
    [Show full text]