THE ROLE OF THE UNIVERSITY-BASED EDUCATION IN NTU IN THE REMAKING OF SINGAPORE

摘要

Since independence in 1965, Singapore has achieved robust growth of 8. 7% per annum on the back of two engines of growth—OECD and Asean. These two engines—the OECD market for our manufacturing exports and the Asean market for our services—have weakened considerably since 1997, the year of the Asia financial crisis. Many Asean countries are still struggling with high unemployment, slow progress in banking and corporate sector reforms, and various social and political problems. Investors have moved away from investing in South-East Asian regions, and are turning their attention to North-East Asia. China, which is developing rapidly is pulling away MNC investments from Singapore or the Asean region. Singapore has seen a hollowing out of its manufacturing industries, especially electronics, as companies seek to reduce costs and exploit the opportunities offered by the vast Chinese market. USA, Europe, Japan and Asean, our major markets for Singapore's exports are down. Employment market is down, engineering jobs are lost-some forever! Our economy has to be restructured from purely manufacturing and serviced-based to one of a knowledge-based type in a global environment. University students have to be imbibed with the latest up-to-date technologies relevant to the 'new' economy and be equipped with survival skills in a highly ' hostile' world. This paper aims to touch on the following issues: ① How Nanyang Technological University is making shifts to its attachment programmes to meet the short and long term learning needs of our students for a knowledge economy? ② The consequences arising where life-long learning will be pan and parcel of study and career paths and graduates of NTU? ③ The support of government in the process of learning change?