finally NTU agrees to return 540 PHD students place to singaporeans

[GoldenDragon]

SadFcuk,
I was told by many local students that most of foreign students are on financial assistance fr PAP.pl tell us the real situation.

Thank you.

A-Star, headed by ex-civil servant Philip Yeo has many PhDs working there. Also, many on the road to a PhD. Many aren't locals there. Most are sent overseas to prestigious universities.

No way to over-rule this chap. He is a very powerful man. Matchmade LHL with Ho Ching, power bo? Even MPs and Minister also LL when dealing with him. The 'mountain' behind Philip was the late Goh Keng Swee.

 

[johnny333]

and then the chap got a 3rd degree while in NS right?

Does anyone need more than 2 degrees

He actually applied to Harvard & was told he was too young back then.

The reason I remember him is that he was brilliant and a nice guy. Well rounded too, a musician & active in church activities. It's very rare to find brilliant, wealthy Sporeans who are nice & well rounded

Lost touch with him but have no doubts about him succeeding in whatever he decides to do.

 

[GoldenDragon]

Does anyone need more than 2 degrees :

How many degrees not important. The most important degree is 90 degree!

 

[Unrepented]

Actually, it is 60.753%, because i am a more regular visitor than you. I checked their ID and tagged all students.

I wonder how you derive 60%

Actually is more than 60%. I regular visitor there.

 

[bluewolf]

GNN these funking foreigners use sin kies fund to study here FXXXXXXXXXXXXX

800 more PhD places at NTU
By Jane Ng

http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/image/20101116/suguaning-16.jpg

NANYANG Technological University (NTU) will have 800 more places for PhD students in the next five years, as it ramps up its research in areas such as clean energy, healthcare and new media.

Half of these places will be for Singaporeans, a bid to increase the number of local researchers. There are now 2,700 PhD students in NTU, and Singaporeans make up 20 per cent of this number. The new places mean 40 per cent of doctorate students will be Singaporeans.

At the National University of Singapore, about one third of its 4,200 PhD students are Singaporeans and permanent residents.

To build up its strengths in research, NTU will spend up to $100 million over the next five years, said the university's incoming president, Professor Bertil Andersson, on Tuesday.

In a press conference to outline its future focus, current president Su Guaning said NTU aims to make its mark globally in research areas like sustainability, healthcare, new media, entrepreneurship and engagement with countries such as India and Vietnam.

One way to attract more PhD students would be to introduce them to research at the undergraduate level.



The five peaks of excellence are:

Sustainable Earth
With more than S$830 million of research funding, NTU is a global leader in environmental technologies. NTU started developing a niche in sustainable development and urbanisation in the 1990s, in response to Singapore's need for new and reclaimable sources of water.

Healthcare
The Peak of Excellence in Future Healthcare leverages NTU's ongoing research at the College of Engineering, which has had more than 10 years of partnership with Singapore General Hospital. NTU has had some 200 projects in biomedical engineering and the use of technology in healthcare.

New Media
Institute for Media Innovation, a catalyst for interdisciplinary research at NTU. The institute will be the principal facilitator of cross-campus new media research collaborations and will work with NTU schools on external research funding.

New Silk Road
Beyond China, NTU is seeking to enlarge its links with India, the rest of Asean and the Middle East - places that hold the promise of bold new outcomes in education and research.

Innovation Asia
New programmes will be introduced to inspire an entrepreneurial mindset and nurture a sense of social responsibility, especially among students, who are often the major drivers of innovation.

The only way they can do it, and probably will do it, is to convert more foreigners to Singaporeans....

 

[bluewolf]

This seems to be the case, yes. There are many financial assistance schemes available for foreign students. I know for one that the university sometimes goes overseas for "talent" hunting and bring back interested foreign students and place them in our universities with a financial scheme.

In *some* of these financial schemes, the foreign student does not have to pay a single cent. With regards to how many % of these financial schemes are funded by local taxpayers, I do not know.

Like what GoldenDragon says, the opportunity costs are simply too high.

For guys who have served NS, they are already 2 years behind in their personal careers/lives. To commit another 4-5 years for a PhD is simply too long. By the time they graduate with a PhD, they are already 28-29 years old.

Compared to their peers, to start earning "real money" only at this age really sets back their lives.

Usually, only the most hardcore of academics pursue such a path.

It is not as what many of you down here say that the "foreign students are depriving the locals of their rightful PhD places".

I for one know this to be a fact.

------------------------------------------------------------
There is also the other question of "OK, I got my PhD. What comes next?"

The PhD scroll is only useful if you want to go into research or academics as a career. Add to the fact that local universities rarely recruit local PhD graduates due to the fact that they want to avoid "in-breeding", it does not take a genius to figure out that a PhD is a dead-end path for many.

But that is a topic that can/should be discussed in a separate thread on its own.

To encourage more students to take up PhD, they can adopt the Taiwan model. Let PhD graduates serve their NS in A*STAR. I'm sure a lot of Singaporean males will be taking up PhD..

 

[sinren67]

MIIWs has the habit of reviewing their policies when GE is near..

 

[vamjok]

the issue here is this, local grad need at least a 2nd upper to get into phd program. of course you would say those ah neh/chink they got in are 1st class in their uni as well. BUT UNFORTUNATELY THAT IS NOT THE CASE. i know many from 3rd rated university in china that just graduate with a normal degree without any class of honour in the phd program. you call this fair?

i ever talk to one ah neh, he told me its really hard to get an A here. he took level 5 modules with local undergraduate and master students and barely scrap through to stay on his phd program. these are the so call talents we are taking in as phd students

 

[sadfcuk]

You are correct to say that for PhD course, a minimum requirement of 2nd-Upper Honors is usually required.

This is what is written on paper.

Truth is, there has been such a lack of PhD candidates in recent years that *some* (I cannot say for all, but some) faculties in local universities do not follow these entry requirements to the dot in order to attract more students to enrol in the PhD programme.

Of course, you would have to pass a face-to-face interview first, and your degree must be of a "strong" 2nd-Lower class Honors (borderline 2nd-Upper).

It works something like those kids with strong CCA skills but poor academic results getting into top secondary schools... This kind of path taken by some is usually unpublicized and subject on a case-to-case basis.

 

[sadfcuk]

the issue here is this, local grad need at least a 2nd upper to get into phd program. of course you would say those ah neh/chink they got in are 1st class in their uni as well. BUT UNFORTUNATELY THAT IS NOT THE CASE. i know many from 3rd rated university in china that just graduate with a normal degree without any class of honour in the phd program. you call this fair?

i ever talk to one ah neh, he told me its really hard to get an A here. he took level 5 modules with local undergraduate and master students and barely scrap through to stay on his phd program. these are the so call talents we are taking in as phd students

The way you talk makes it sound as if there is a long queue of local students who want to enrol in PhD courses, but fail to meet this 2nd-Upper Honors requirement and are hence turned away from the door.

This it not true, for reasons I explained in my previous post. Local universities have been easing up the entry requirements over the years in order to attract undergraduates to enrol in PhD courses.

It is the case that local students are simply not biting the bait.

 

[heartlander]

Are there even 540 Singaporeans who would want to take these PhD places? Some people here are misguided.

 

[GoldenDragon]

Are there even 540 Singaporeans who would want to take these PhD places? Some people here are misguided.

Agree with you, heartlander. MBAs remain the trend and the max S'poreans go for. Afterall, being rational people, how much more can one earn with a PhD? Could be lesser than a professional degree or MBA. And you probably need 4-6 years to get the 'Dr' title?

 

[heartlander]

Agree with you, heartlander. MBAs remain the trend and the max S'poreans go for. Afterall, being rational people, how much more can one earn with a PhD? Could be lesser than a professional degree or MBA. And you probably need 4-6 years to get the 'Dr' title?

Yes, it's truly just a job that Singaporeans don't want - in the same category as cleaners and construction workers. Those Singaporeans who are smart and really want to do PhDs prefer to do it overseas, and most begin their academic careers there. I say let the foreigners have it. Our nation is not destined or designed to produce Nobel winners. Whether or not the foreigners who get their PhDs here remain in Singapore, our universities will benefit by affiliation when these PhDs make it big in academia. The alternative is a shortage of PhDs if we rely on locals alone, or a lowering of entry standards.

 

[GoldenDragon]

Yes, it's truly just a job that Singaporeans don't want - in the same category as cleaners and construction workers. Those Singaporeans who are smart and really want to do PhDs prefer to do it overseas, and most begin their academic careers there. I say let the foreigners have it. Our nation is not destined or designed to produce Nobel winners. Whether or not the foreigners who get their PhDs here remain in Singapore, our universities will benefit by affiliation when these PhDs make it big in academia. The alternative is a shortage of PhDs if we rely on locals alone, or a lowering of entry standards.

True. How many PhD holders made it in politics? I mean the successful ones - Tony Tan. If you have a PhD in the civil service, you probably need to report to someone who doesn't have one. So, it doesn't pay to get a PhD unless you are that keen on research or teach in the uni.

 

[Catherina]

If a Phd can assure a good job I bet many Sporeans will take it up. However don't forget that Sporeans have already wasted alot of time doing the GCE A & NS.

In Canada one can enter Uni with only GCE O results. In fact I knew someone who did just that & when he returned to Spore to do his NS, he'd already gotten 2 degrees.

Hi Johnny
Can U let us know which Uni in Canada admits students with GCE O results. IMO this is NOT possible at all.

 

[Catherina]

Does anyone need more than 2 degrees

He actually applied to Harvard & was told he was too young back then.

Hi Johnny

Universities in the US and Canada have no such rule on students admission. There is NO such rule as to your age or too young. If students meet her admission requirements they will consider his/her application. If too young, an interview may be required.

 

[sadfcuk]

I think it's funny to see how in *this case*, the entire charade of PAP-bashers have been brought down by the few of us.

 

[vamjok]

The way you talk makes it sound as if there is a long queue of local students who want to enrol in PhD courses, but fail to meet this 2nd-Upper Honors requirement and are hence turned away from the door.

This it not true, for reasons I explained in my previous post. Local universities have been easing up the entry requirements over the years in order to attract undergraduates to enrol in PhD courses.

It is the case that local students are simply not biting the bait.

the easing on the entry requirement portion for the local, this honestly i had not a clue. but entering a full time phd program it with a local 2nd lower or below, are there any issue is securing scholarship to sponsor for the whole program? perhaps i am ignorance, but as far as i know all scholarship for post grad most are open only to 2nd upper and above. what the point of being accepted if you cannot secure a scholarship? <----This is the key issue here. MONEY. paying for a phd program is no joke even if you do it locally. no one in the right mind will do it without a scholarship unless you are born with a silver spoon.

YET we have tons of these people who graduated from china, some even without good honours are allowed to do a full time phd program under fully paid scholarship. this is the issue.

 

[heartlander]

perhaps i am ignorance

indeed you are.

 

[Orion]

I think you folks around here need to really be aware of what is happening, instead of blindly throwing accusations here.

I am not sure of how many of you here with the unhappy sentiments have been to a local university, but the reason for why there is such a high number of foreign PhD students is not because they are depriving the local students of their rightful places.

It is because there is usually a lack of interest from local students in furthering their studies as a PhD.

In this case, naturally we are talking about a higher foreigner-to-local students ratio here.

It is not a case of them depriving local students of their rightful places as PhD candidates.

I think you also need to be aware that most people that took PhD are on scholarships and there is free allowances and pay. And more than 50% after graduating stay behind to be lecturers and associate professors, and given insane pay.

Which local doesnt want a PhD? Can you tell me, thanks? =)