SINGAPORE: Seventy-one Public Service Commission (PSC) scholarships were awarded out of more than 2,000 applications submitted, the PSC said at its awards ceremony on Wednesday (Jul 12).
Of these, 17 recipients chose to study a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subject. Eight of these scholarship holders were awarded the new PSC Scholarship (Engineering) that was launched in December 2016.
Under the PSC Scholarship (Engineering), holders will undertake stretch postings in one of three engineering clusters: The defence and security cluster, the information and communications technology and smart systems cluster or the infrastructure environment cluster.
PSC chairman Eddie Teo said in his opening address that the response from applicants showed that younger Singaporeans were eager to contribute to the nation's goal of being at the forefront in using technology to improve the lives of people.
In his keynote address, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean - who is also Minister in charge of the Civil Service - said that governments worldwide were seeking new sources of growth, and that Singaporeans needed to deepen their skill sets to "constantly upgrade ourselves to be future-ready".
"Rapid advances in technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotics are disrupting existing models and can be a source of anxiety for some workers," said DPM Teo. "But these disruptive technologies can also provide new opportunities for growth for Singapore-based companies and workers.
"To continue to stay ahead and harness the opportunities, Singaporeans need to deepen our skills and have the appropriate mindset to constantly upgrade ourselves to be future-ready."
DPM Teo added it was also important for public service officers to develop an innovative and bold mindset.
"In our constantly evolving operating environment, we must update our policy assumptions, and challenge the status quo," he said. "Our officers must help spot 'pattern-breaks' early so that we can adjust our policies, act fast and put in place the necessary measures to test new ideas, and scale up good solutions for the benefit of Singapore and Singaporeans."
PSC also noted that some of this year's scholarship holders will be studying in "non-traditional countries". For example, two of them will be going to non-English speaking countries for their undergraduate studies.
One such scholarship holder, Yuki Chong, told Channel NewsAsia that she chose to study in China because the country was "prominent economically and politically".
"I really think that I would be able to bring back quite insightful perspectives when I study side by side with my Chinese counterparts in school," said Ms Chong. "And I'll be able to contribute in quite a unique way to the civil service."
Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news...ice-commission-awards-71-scholarships-9025828