03
April
2019
|
15:00
Asia/Singapore

Singapore’s first PhD student exchange programme launched

From left: NUS Senior Deputy President and Provost Prof Ho Teck Hua, Prof Tan, Prof Suresh and NTU Provost and Vice President (Academic) Prof Ling San

NUS and the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) launched the NTU-NUS PhD Student Exchange Programme with a signing ceremony on 2 April. A first in Singapore, the programme will provide eligible NUS and NTU doctoral students the opportunity to enrol for courses in both universities, and allow them to benefit from a much broader and richer spectrum of PhD course offerings. 

A three-year agreement on the programme was inked by NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye and NTU President Professor Subra Suresh during the signing ceremony. To commence on 1 June, the programme will be open to full-time PhD students who have completed at least one semester of study, and have met the academic requirements of their home university. 

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Prof Tan noted that by drawing on the complementary strengths of NUS and NTU, the programme significantly expands NUS’ teaching resources and broadens the scope of doctoral training at both universities. “The programme provides a stimulating environment for our doctoral students, who will be the innovators of tomorrow, to learn and work in cross-disciplinary teams to address real-world challenges…This cross-pollination of ideas will energise the local research community, seed new partnerships and further strengthen Singapore’s global reputation as a forward-looking research hub,” he elaborated.

The programme provides a stimulating environment for our doctoral students, who will be the innovators of tomorrow, to learn and work in cross-disciplinary teams to address real-world challenges…This cross-pollination of ideas will energise the local research community, seed new partnerships and further strengthen Singapore’s global reputation as a forward-looking research hub
— NUS President Prof Tan Eng Chye

Ms Lim Si Ying, a first-year PhD student from the NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering welcomed the initiative, observing that the programme is a good avenue for academic enrichment, collaboration and networking. She said, “Attending classes at NUS and NTU gives us the best of both worlds – we can gain access to valuable expertise in niche areas as well as academic insights of professors from both universities. This adds new dimensions to our learning and research, and further promote cross-disciplinary innovations."

See press release.