National University of Singapore
10 Kent Ridge Crescent
Singapore 119260
SINGAPORE
PHONE: 65-7756666
FAX: 65-7786371
www.nus.sg

THE BOTTOM LINE

Barely a day goes by without some news from the National University of Singapore. A slew of new programs will be launched this year. Beginning in July, standout students will be allowed to customize 20% of their curriculum; they can choose what and how they want to study. A new degree in Information & Communications Management launches the same month. It combines arts with IT. Students will learn everything from e-commerce to ethics for the information age.

This year NUS also becomes the first Asian school to offer a multi-disciplinary graduate program, its new Master of Business Administration and Master of Law Degree. Then there is a bachelor's in law for graduates of other disciplines and the "technopreneurship" program that will train science and engineering students to exploit commercial opportunities.

No fewer than 10 new postgrad programs have been launched, ranging from applied finance and mathematics to urban design and ultrasonography. These are geared to meet job demand in those fields. The same goes for the Logistics Institute - Asia, a joint project with the renowned Georgia Institute of Technology. More than 7% of Singapore's workforce is in logistics.

IT, naturally, is a key NUS focus. Following a program to get every student to buy a laptop, the university plans to eventually provide 12,000 network access points, allowing students to plug in almost anywhere on campus. In fact, NUS's effective use of network technology has made it the only tertiary institution to be included in Computerworld's list of 25 most network-savvy organizations.

For all its devastating effects, the regional recession has not affected the university's operating budget. "We have suffered, but not greatly," says Vice-Chancellor Lim Pin. "Our reputation is carrying us through. People are still keen to come."

- By Audrey Perera