With roots stretching back to 1905, the National University of Singapore (NUS) is one of Singapore's most established tertiary institutions. The forward-thinking and innovative flame that has helped the university maintain its competitive standing over the years is still burning strong.

Characteristics of NUS

Three characteristics distinguish NUS today: it is a global university, it is centred in Asia and it enjoys strategic partnerships with other top overseas universities.

A Global Education in a Global University

A global education defines NUS. NUS President, Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, said, "As a core differentiating quality, NUS students develop the ability to be effective across cultures. That means that they not only understand other cultures, they are effective in them as well.

"To do this, we create many opportunities for students to interact closely with their peers from other backgrounds, countries, and cultures, both in and outside the classroom. This translates into a strategy at NUS where we bring students in from all around the world, so that they and the local students can interact together in academically meaningful ways."

The exchange goes beyond the classroom. Nearly 70 per cent of NUS undergraduates go overseas, with about three in ten going for six months or longer. It is these overseas experiences, with a strong academic focus, that train students to be effective across cultures.

A University Centred in Asia

Besides being global, NUS differentiates itself by being centred in Asia. "Our graduates are going to work around the world, but many of them will be in Singapore and Asia. They will work in both multi-national and Asian companies. This makes them the bridge between Asia and the rest of the world," Professor Tan said.

"As a university centred in Asia, we weave the relevance of the region into our curriculum. For example, in our business school, students learn about the basics of finance, but we also include case studies that relate to business in Asia, such as family-owned businesses. Understanding such things is very important for our graduates so that they know what is taught in business schools around the world, and at the same time, they can appreciate how these elements work in Asia."

It is also the case that NUS professors who develop expertise in the Asian region are highly sought-after by those who seek to understand it.

Professor Tan cites three reasons for the importance of Asia, "First, Asia is becoming more prominent worldwide. As it is growing very rapidly, there are many opportunities for it to leapfrog and to do new things. If you look at the area of public health, for example, as countries in Asia get richer, they are going to invest more money in their health systems. But the question is: how should they best use this money? What new models could they look to? We aim to contribute significant solutions to these questions, which will at the same time, avoid some of the known pitfalls.

"Second, the rapid growth of Asia creates a lot of challenges in areas like pollution, food safety, and culture. We believe our research will enable us to come up with relevant and appropriate solutions in these areas, too.

"Third, as the amount of research funding in Asia grows, there will be increased expertise and development of human capital in this part of the world. Over time, we expect the global thought leadership in at least some areas to start to shift to Asia. There's no reason why Asian-based centres cannot be the pre-eminent leaders in their fields. With this shift, we would want NUS to be the thought leader in Asia in a number of important areas. So there are a variety of important reasons why being international in focus and in standards, and at the same time having expertise in Asia, are important differentiators for NUS."

Strategic Partnerships with Leading Universities

Strategic partnerships with universities in the areas of student exchange and research have led to the creation of groundbreaking ideas. For example, the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, established in partnership with the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, has gained international recognition within a very short period of time. Another example is the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, which was recently featured as a case study by the Association of American Medical Colleges. The curriculum and pedagogy developed in Singapore was taken back to Duke University and used there to enhance its own teaching.

Another pioneering partnership is the Yale-NUS College, where a liberal arts and science educational model is being developed, bringing the East and West together in an Asian context. Not surprisingly, the collaboration has received attention and interest from the wider community.

Professor Tan is optimistic that the Yale-NUS College will develop as a model for Asia in time to come, and he has already hosted many visitors from around the world who have come to NUS to study the way this partnership is being realised.

For Professor Tan, working with top universities is not about importing their models of education; it is about the opportunity to develop a new model, approach and curriculum with a leading partner. He is confident that the partnerships NUS has established represent true innovations, which will not only benefit Singapore, but Asia and the rest of the world as well.

Professor Tan added that in the partnerships NUS has formed with both Duke and Yale, the stakeholders involved were driven by the same goal of developing something unique and of high quality. This common goal is vital in choosing partners, and in bringing universities together.

"In terms of partnerships, both Duke and Yale have been tremendous. We also have well established governance processes that allow us to work together to jointly develop our respective goals, visions and programmes."

The process of working with overseas universities has been a positive one. "I have been involved in both the Duke and Yale partnerships quite substantially. They have been associated with positive changes in attitude and culture among our staff as they look at issues, examine assumptions, make changes, and break new ground. I would count this as one of the valuable aspects of the partnerships," Professor Tan said.

Arts and Social Sciences Research

Without a doubt, an area in which the university tie-ups will contribute is arts and social sciences research.

Professor Tan considers research and scholarship in the arts and social sciences as fundamentally important for NUS, and for Singapore as a society.

"As I was trying to explain in the State of the University Address 2012, you cannot actually address many of the big problems that our society and societies in the world face through science and technology alone," he said. "You need to look at the social dimensions and behaviour. We need arts and social sciences research to work side-by-side with science and technology research in a well-integrated way.

"With the advent of the Internet and social media and the exponential increase in migration and lifestyle changes, such research will also cast light on a rapidly changing world. Research will help mankind to comprehend the impact of such things on issues like identity, social policy and social interaction.

"There is another dimension in the humanities that is as vital as other types of research. You might not be able to ascribe a utilitarian value to areas of study such as history, philosophy, and sociology, but they are essential. Like literature, they tell you how societies have thought about issues: universal themes, social norms, and they are as significant as all of the more obviously important fields of research. As a comprehensive university, we also need to build this dimension because these are equally crucial areas of research and scholarship for our university as well as for Singapore," Professor Tan explained.

University Town and the Halls of Residence

An important aspect of the NUS pedagogy is the residential experience. Living on campus enables students to interact with a diverse group of people, learn to be members of different communities, and take part in activities beyond what they would regularly do.

There are three options for students to choose from when deciding to stay on campus: three residential colleges at University Town (UTown), Student Residences, and six Halls of Residence.

Students inclined towards a vibrant student life coupled with the experience of learning within a college environment may apply to the residential colleges at UTown. Two colleges — the College of Alice and Peter Tan and Tembusu College — offer the University Town Residential Programme (UTRP), a multidisciplinary academic programme. Under the UTRP, undergraduates will need to complete five modules over four semesters with their respective colleges as part of their overall degree requirements. These modules complement the curriculum offered by the university’s faculties and schools.

Cinnamon College at UTown is home to the University Scholars Programme (USP). All USP students stay in the college in Year One, and a second year of their choice. Interested students will need to apply directly to the USP.

UTown, which houses Singapore’s first residential colleges, welcomed its pioneer batch of students in August 2011. A fourth residential college will be in operation in 2015.

"We try to be as diverse as possible in the residential colleges with our mix of students. Each college is about 30 per cent international in its make-up, with students coming from 30 countries. The focus on diversity is essential. The issue, of course, is that you can mix students together, but will they interact? The answer is that they have no choice but to interact, because they do modules in the college together. Most students in the UTRP stay for at least two years. They take five courses in groups of 15, and they are with the same group for the whole duration. The groups are completely diverse, so students have to work with people who are from different backgrounds. This will feed into what I was talking about earlier — learning to be cross-culturally effective," Professor Tan elaborated.

In addition to a diverse mix of students, the residential colleges stand out through the modules students study under the UTRP. Two modules focus on critical thinking and writing and cover a wide range of topics. Students have to conduct research, put their thoughts together, and explain their findings in a clear and coherent way.

The three other seminar-style modules enable students to do research and attend seminars on topics that are globally important but at the same time distinctly Asian. For example, for a course on sustainable cities, students from philosophy, engineering, the sciences, and law will have different perspectives. International students from China, India or Europe will also have their own national or cultural outlooks. Therefore, within a seminar, the sheer variety of inputs helps students to understand that every issue may be looked at in different disciplinary or cultural dimensions.

Professor Tan said the two biggest differences in NUS’ residential colleges are the diversity of students and seminar size. "We maximise the diversity, but we cannot afford the one-on-one or two-on-one tutorials you would find at Oxbridge. But when we do seminars with 15 students in a group, there is the advantage of having varied opinions. In a properly structured course, the students will learn more.

"With the fourth college, we would be catering to 2,400 students at the residential colleges. Over four years, we would cover close to 5,000 students, and that is a substantial number. We should have a better idea about the outcomes in three to four years, but the initial feedback is extremely positive."

Those who used to study at NUS will be more familiar with the Student Residences, which include Prince George’s Park Residences, Kuok Foundation House, and Ridge View Residences. These offer independent living in a communal setting, with opportunities for cross-cultural interaction as well as the freedom to decide on participation in the variety of activities organised. Many student residents on campus also participate in events and activities organised by campus-wide clubs, societies and interest groups.

NUS hall life is legendary for its richness in sports, the arts, heritage and community spirit. The university’s six Halls of Residence are: Eusoff Hall, Kent Ridge Hall, King Edward VII Hall, Raffles Hall, Sheares Hall, and Temasek Hall.

Professor Tan is clearly pleased with the residential options that NUS is creating for its students, and feels that the current choices cater to a wide range of needs and preferences.

Future Directions for NUS

While NUS is widely respected as a research-intensive university, strong emphasis is placed on the synthesis and application of knowledge in problem-solving. Technology makes this easier. And because students have online access both to learning materials and to assessments that can be done at their own pace and time, technology also frees up more time for face-to-face interaction in the classroom.

"The practice-driven approach is a good diversification and provides more options for students to choose programmes based on their interests," said Professor Tan. "But for NUS, we need to concentrate on what we do best to contribute to the overall picture. We are known for our rigour. Our students have a very high degree of rigour, they can solve very tough problems, many of which are applied, and we want to train people up to do even more complex types of work in the future.

"Through the different curricula, we hope to provide a more diverse and balanced, trained workforce for the future and that is probably the best way we can help contribute to Singapore’s economic growth."

To admit the most promising students, the admission process is reviewed regularly. In 2012, the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine introduced refinements to its admission selection process to ensure that students with the right aptitude, attributes, passion and public service mindedness are admitted. Another initiative adopted by the medical school is the omission of grades in the first year of study. This allows students to focus on learning and teamwork, and not academic competition. Professor Tan explained that studies have shown that such moves are beneficial.

Professor Tan is determined to continue to look for ways to enhance the university’s academic processes — from learning and examinations to admissions and the student experience — and is not afraid to make changes when there is evidence that the modifications will be helpful.

Building On the NUS Legacy

Although NUS is the oldest university in Singapore and held in high regard around the world, Professor Tan is not one to be complacent.

"Though NUS has been around for over a hundred years, we are growing vigorously and people are able to see the speed at which we perform, and our ability to execute pertinent tasks. We are doing many distinct, innovative things, and people want to be involved with us. Our aspirations and trajectory are actually much more rapid than many other universities around the world. We celebrate our history but are not trapped by it. We sit on top of strong foundations, which we use as a platform for innovation.

"Cumulatively, with the leadership of NUS, we have a culture of continually seeking to be better, of continually doing things differently. And we’re starting to see all the manifestations. I must say that I am very happy with the way the different faculties are innovating, and this extends to the administrative staff. There’s a culture here of being imaginative, of being different in a positive way, which is very critical if you want to constantly make rapid progress."

Professor Tan believes that the lively landscape at NUS boils down to two factors: growing faculty and staff numbers, and the way the university is managed.

With high quality, ambitious and dynamic faculty and staff members, NUS is able to propel and set itself apart from the other universities. People are what make a university, and Professor Tan acknowledges that this is a very important factor for NUS. To attract outstanding people, they have to be able to pursue their ideas and feel valued at the university.

To this end, Professor Tan started a special fund when he was Provost, to turn good ideas from the faculty staff into reality. This fund helped to kick-start the Design Incubation Centre in the School of Design and Environment, a space where faculty could showcase creative ideas in industrial design. The department initiative became so successful that it was subsequently funded at the faculty level, and eventually evolved into a regular programme.

The way the university is managed is another success factor. To encourage independence, teamwork and responsibility, NUS is managed through a combination of centralisation and decentralisation.

"We must centralise strategy formation, budget control, space allocation, and the way we appraise and reward our staff. But at the same time there is a sufficient level of decentralisation in these processes. For example, once we allocate a budget to a faculty, the faculty leadership has the freedom to determine how it wants to deploy that budget," Professor Tan shared.

To compete successfully and excel as a university, different groups of the university must be able to work alongside each other. An example of such cohesion at NUS is the Bachelor of Environmental Studies, where eight faculties work together to teach the interdisciplinary programme.

Moreover, the leadership team at NUS is given latitude to implement their own ideas once a consensus has been reached on goals and strategies. In giving them free rein, Professor Tan discovered that they take greater ownership of their work, and are inspired to start initiatives that benefit both students and faculty. This freedom has also contributed to the culture of dynamism at NUS.

It seems clear to EduNation that with their forward-looking management style coupled with their strong adherence to the university’s best traditions, Professor Tan and his co-leaders at NUS possess the potential to shape the university into an innovative and vigorous model that others can only seek to emulate.
 

历史不是国大创新的绊脚石

陈祝全领导着新加坡历史最悠久的大学，可年仅53岁的他，却是新加坡六位大学校长年纪最轻的。

他说："在新加坡，国大的历史相对较长，但对于世界其他大学来说，迈入108岁的国大仍算年轻。在国际，国大有很优良的口碑，这是因为大家看到我们的效率和成果。和其他新加坡大学相比，我们的历史虽久，我们仍然开发许多有创意、创新的项目，国际声誉不断攀升。凭借这股精神与能量，我们足以在原有的基础上，再取得一番全新的大跃升。"

陈祝全认为现在的国大比从前更有活力， 这 必须归功于有一个高素质的学术团队、一个权力分散适中的系统以及积极的领导团队。

他说："我们的教职员素质很高，本地和外国的人才都有。他们胸怀大志，很有活力，不断想要创新。

"另外，是领导层能在权力的'集中'与'下放'之间取得平衡。国大要成功，各方必须一同努力和合作，做好各领域的研究。例如我们的环境研究学士课程是由八个不同院系一起讲授，这很少有。要做到这一点，必须先由大学中央决定课程架构、控制预算、设立系统，评估和奖励教职员等细节。我们也下放权力，让各院系的领导自由分配预算。"

陈祝全在担任教务长的时候，曾设立了一个特别基金，让想出好点子或新发明的院系申请。如果这个创新的点子真的很好，而且和大学的目标一致，校方会在院系的预算以外，资助它们。他注意到"很多时候，好点子都在萌芽阶段被繁琐的程序所拖累，或被否定声所扼杀"，所以"打造一个'友善'的环境很重要，我鼓励大家把创新的概念提出来，只要是好点子，校方一定支持。"

陈祝全举了国大设计与环境学院设立的"设计育成中心" 为例。当时学院希望网罗极具创意的设计师，教导学生掌握设计的技能。后来的事实证明这个计划非常成功，学生所设计的产品在许多国际比赛中得奖，毕业生也被知名公司招聘。

他说："当初，我们就觉得它很特别，决定支持它。现在，它已经成为设计与环境学院的一项固定计划。"去年，陈祝全在校政报告中表示，为了落实教学与课程大改革计划，他决定设立总值500万元，称为LIF-T的'科技创新学习基金'。LIF-T的三个主要工作方向是：

一、每年向各学院征集科技教学建议书；
二、针对学生人数较庞大的班级，尤其是理学院、工程学院、人文及社会科学院等的班级重新设计课程内容；
三、对于国大起步公司，如果他们开发了创新教育产品，能有效强化教学效果，LIFT可以提供资助。

战略性的伙伴
与国际战略性伙伴的合作，也是国大创新的尝试。

陈祝全说："过去几年，一些与我们有非常深厚且具战略性伙伴关系的海外顶尖大学，帮助我们创造了一些新的项目。

"2001年我们和美国约翰霍普金斯大学皮博迪音乐学院合作建立的杨秀桃音乐学院，在短时间内成为受世界高度认可的音乐学院，证明了这项合作模式是成功的。"

2007年，国大与美国杜克大学合作开办的杜克-国大医学研究生院正式开课，开办医学博士课程，也深获好评。

陈祝全说：“最近杜克—国大医学院成为美国医学院协会的研究案例，可说是对我们的肯定。在美国以外的国家开发一个美国式的医学研究院课程，是一项成功的案例。我们以杜克大学的课程为本，开发新的课程和教学法。这个尝试很成功，杜克大学还把它带回美国，改善他们的教学。”

国大和美国耶鲁大学的合作也是如此，通过和耶鲁的合作，国大开发新的课程模式。

针对各界对耶鲁—国大学院的特别关注，陈祝全认为这是难免的。“我们知道耶鲁—国大学院的合作项目是前所未有的概念。我们尝试把西方博雅学院的概念和东方的思维汇集在国大这个环境里。

“正因为这是前所未有的概念，才会引来国际的注意。我到国外时，许多大学校长对这项合作以及这样的伙伴关系非常感兴趣。既然是新概念，从来没有人尝试过，就有很多未知数。我们听到的部分意见，反映人们并没有完全了解博雅学院所要尝试的，不知道它的独特性。也因为它是全新的，美国与亚洲不同的文化需要一段磨合期，这是耶鲁—国大学院成为亚洲模范的必经之路。”

出任国大校长之前，陈祝全已参与了许多国大与伙伴大学的合作计划。他有信心，国大所开展的创新合作伙伴计划将使新加坡、亚洲甚至世界各国获益。他认为，要成为伙伴大学，两校必须要有共同目标。这个共同目标，必须是高素质而且是创新的。陈祝全发现，“通过与不同伙伴大学的合作，国大教职员的态度产生了积极的变化，他们的思想变得开阔了，对待不同文化的态度也改变了。他们现在更懂得突破旧有的框框来正视问题。这是合作计划为我们带来的积极影响。”

对于是否会增加伙伴大学，开展更多合作项目，陈祝全表示伙伴关系“重质不重量”。国大目前还在苏州工业园内设有研究院。他认为，重点是确保合作项目能够成功。“合作的关键不是伙伴数量的多少，而是彼此的关系是否密切。”

设立住宿型学院

国大另外一项创新就是设立住宿型学院，打造一个充满活力的大学城。它的目的是“要为学生经营另外一种更深刻的学习体验”。陈祝全说：“尽管我们现在重视科技，要采取科技辅助的教学方法，但是大学学习中仍有一些重要部分，是任何网上的课程无法取代的，就如宿舍生活。它让学生建立起主动性、团队协作精神、领导力和端正的品格。”。

2012年竣工，占地19公顷的的国大大学城，有四所新型的住宿型学院，每所兴建费约6000万至7000万元。这四所学院已经启用三所。每所学院都各有一位荣誉院长和一位院长。大学城已在2011年8月迎来第一批学生。第四所学院将在2015年投入服务。

陈祝全在去年的校政报告大会上对自己在国大的宿舍生活想念不已。他的大学生活多姿多彩，是宿舍的活跃分子。他在四排铺的爱德华七世宿舍住了五年，经常参加宿舍的活动，如历史悠久的花车展及售旗日活动。

他说：“我每天晚饭前总要消遣一下，我最喜欢泡在桌球室。大学生涯最让我难忘的就是那段寄宿时光，正是这段经历，让我的身心品格获得了全面发展，给了我大学生涯无可替代的独特价值。”

那为什么要在学生宿舍外，再设立“住宿型学院”呢？

陈祝全说：“住宿型学院最大的特色是它的‘多元性’和‘强制性’。”

所谓“多元性”，指的是校方在收到学生要求入住大学城的申请后，以“达致最高的多元性”为准则，按学生的院系、学年、国籍等，安排入住不同的学院。包括交换生在内，每一所住宿型学院有大约30%的国际学生，力求背景多元化。把来自超过30个国家、年龄、文化、院系都不同的学生安排在一起住宿与学习，就是住宿型学院的特点。

至于“强制性”，指的是申请入住的学生，没有选择入住哪所住宿型学院的选择权。他们只能要求入住大学城，而不能要求入住哪所住宿型学院。而且一住，要住两年。两年内必须与不同背景的同学，同吃同住同学习。他们被分成15人一班，在所住的学院里修读五个单元：两个写作单元和三个研讨课单元。因为别无选择，不管怎样都要和不同背景的同学合作，学习如何在多元化的环境下发挥作用，进行跨文化学习等等。

另外一项特别之处在于小班制。

陈祝全说：“我们不像牛津、剑桥，没有充足的资源以一对一或一对二的方式上课。我们以研讨课方式进行，15人一班是有好处的，因为15个人有15个不同的观点。如果课程设计得当，学生可以学得更多。

“写作课上，15名不同背景的学生必须研究不同的课题，搜集资料，整合意见，学习以精确和流畅的文字表达自己的观点和意见。研讨课则会就全球化课题进行研究、研讨，在以不同的角度分析问题的同时，学习以亚洲的视角审视问题。

“比如说，一个关于可持续城市的课题，15名学生分别来自哲学系、工程系、理学院、法律系等，不同院系，有不同的视角。当中还有中国、印度或欧洲学生，他们更会呈现自己独有的国家和文化视角。因此，在研讨课上，同学间互相学习，了解从跨学科或跨文化看问题的不同角度。这样的学习方式在全球化的时代非常需要。”

住宿型学院启用至今已有两年，学生的反映都非常正面。甚至有家长表示孩子不想回家，显然，住宿型学院的学习模式令学生乐不思“家”。

陈祝全说：“我们正在仔细观察学生的学习成果。四所住宿型学院可容纳2400名学生，每名学生住两年，四年后就有5000名学生体验过住宿型学院的学习生活。这个数目蛮大，三到四年后就能够有初步的结果。到目前为止，大家对住宿型学院的意见都很好。”

为了让学生在校园里有更多学习，国大尽可能让学生入住校园。为现有2万5000名本科生，校方提供了不同的寄宿模式。除了住宿型学院，国大校园内还有另外两种寄宿模式：学生宿舍和学生公寓。

国大现有尤索夫、肯特岗、爱德华七世、薛尔斯、淡马锡以及莱佛士等六所学生宿舍，每所宿舍都有丰富的历史和传统，在学生的学习与生活体验上发挥了重要作用。

与学生宿舍丰富的文化、热闹的环境不同，学生公寓让学生在与来自不同国家的同学交流的同时，享有更多的私人空间。学生能够按照自己的兴趣选择想要参加的活动，也可以自由参加由学生俱乐部或学生团体组织的各种校内活动。国大有乔治王子公园住宅区、郭氏基金住宅区和岭景住宅区等三座学生公寓。

加强人文与社会科学研究

新加坡教育部于1997年成立国际学术咨询团（IAAP）作为国家大学教育发展的指导顾问。

在去年的会议上，这个咨询团提出新加坡的大学有必要“在人文与社会学科方面培养更多人才、开展更多研究，以辅助新加坡未来的社会与经济发展。”咨询团同时也意识到“这方面的研究必须有‘实用性’并且配合社会需求，这将对新加坡的公共政策有利。”

对于新加坡的人文与社会学研究，陈祝全也有相同的看法。

“人文与社会科学的研究和学术团队，在未来会是国大发展的重点。不只对国大，对新加坡社会也是如此。我在去年校政报告中提出，在我们的社会、亚洲社会或是其他国家的社会，有很多重大的问题是科学与科技解决不了的。我们必须同时探讨社会的各个层面，了解社会与人类行为的关系。因此人文社科研究必须与科学科技研究携手并进，通过综合研究项目，为重大问题寻求解决方案。

“此外，人文社会科学本身也是个重要的研究领域。在高速变化的社会，快速的网络与社交媒体、频密的人口流动以及生活方式上的改变等让我们面对许多挑战。我们需要了解这些现象对人们的身份、国家政策和社交方式所带来的影响。惟有了解它们，才可以进步。我们需要从社会的角度来帮助了解。”

在国际教育市场咨询公司Quacquarelli Symonds（简称QS）2012的亚洲大学排行榜中，国大的人文暨社会科学院排名亚洲第一。

“有人认为人文社会科学的重要性不如其他学科来得显著，我们虽不能以功利价值来衡量文学、历史、哲学和社会学，但它们仍然是重要的。文学可以让我们知道社会如何思考，社会的行为举止、规范等。作为一所全方位大学，我们必须在这些领域进行研究，建立我们的学术团队。”

现在，国大已经在亚洲研究所进行人文与社会科学的研究，研究绝大部分的资金都来自国大。将来政府如果对这一方面有更多的经济资助，国大将会进一步加强人文社科研究的设施，增加研究项目，招收更多研究生，加强竞争力。

国大是一所世界级顶尖大学

面对新大学的挑战，国大除了创新跟上时代，它继续保持一所世界级顶尖大学的特色。

陈祝全说：“每一所顶尖大学，一定要建立稳固的根基，要有优秀的教职员、学生、设施和环境。而在这稳固的根基上，又要具备特色，才能脱颖而出。

“如果你问外国大学，新加坡国立大学有什么特色？他们会告诉你，国大是一所世界大学。所谓‘世界’有很多意义，其中一个指的是环球教育。我们的环球教育计划，让国大的学生不只了解自己的文化，还能在多元文化的情景里发挥作用。”

住宿型学院是其中一个新的环球教育计划，营造跨学科院系、跨年龄等多元化环境，让学生成为跨文化的人才。国大还制造许多机会，让来自不同背景、国家和文化的学生彼此交流。有将近70%的本科生会到外国大学浸濡，30%会到外国六个月或更久。不同文化的学生不只在课堂上互相交流、切磋，校园内多姿多彩的课外活动也培养学生主动、团队合作精神，并建立端正的品格。

国大面向世界，根植新加坡，成为东西桥梁。

陈祝全说：“我们的毕业生会到世界各地工作，很多会留在新加坡和亚洲。有能力成为世界和亚洲的桥梁，是国大生的优势。”

国大把握位于亚洲的地利，在课程上加入了与亚洲相关的案例研究，如商学院研究亚洲家族事业。从这些相关案例研究，学生可以把亚洲特色与世界联系起来。

学术研究方面，国大还会针对亚洲相关课题进行研究，发展这一方面的专长。

“我们希望国大成为亚洲问题的专家，培养对亚洲了如指掌，在国际扬名的教授。

“亚洲在国际的地位已经越来越重要，对国际局势的影响举足轻重。在迅速发展的时候，亚洲有很多机会进行新的尝试，例如公共卫生这个领域。随着亚洲国家越来越富有，他们对卫生系统的投资也会随之增加。国家要把钱投资在哪里？要采用什么新模式？是必须参考针对亚洲的研究结果，才可避免其他区域系统所犯的错误。”

除了创造机会，亚洲在发展的同时，许多问题也随之产生，“我们常看到有关水源污染、空气污染、食品安全以及文化分歧等问题的报道。亚洲许多挑战，需要我们找出适合亚洲的解决方法。我相信通过我们的研究努力将会找到适当的解决方案。亚洲已开始成为某些领域的佼佼者，有充足的条件带领世界，国大希望能够在这些重要的领域里扮演领头羊的角色。”

国大将继续专注在学术研究

筹备中的两所新大学的办学方向都以应用为导向，新加坡社会也开始正视从前被认为是次于学术的实践性课程。针对这点，陈祝全表示国大一向重视实践，但仍将继续专注在学术研究，为不同的学生提供不同的需要。

他说：“我们是一所研究型大学，但同时也确保学生知道如何应用所学。医药、法律、商学系或工程系等学科的毕业生，都了解运用所学知识来解决问题的重要性。

“对新加坡来说，高等教育多元化是好的。不同的大学，让学生根据自己的兴趣，选择适合自己的大学，更好地加强终身受雇能力，有更多选择是好的。

“至于国大，我们必须专注在我们的专长上，才能够为新加坡的高等教育作出贡献。 ‘严谨’是我们所长。我们的学生思想周密，可以解决艰难的问题。我们所栽培的，是能够在未来胜任较复杂工作的人才，这样的人才可以和应用型大学的毕业生互补。这样，新加坡就能拥有一个多元且平衡的劳动力。我认为这是国大对新加坡经济发展作出贡献的最好方法，相应的，我们的毕业生也会有很好的就业前景。”

陈祝全在2012年的校政报告中，以座头鲸比喻国大：“国大就像是个庞大组织，正在高速轨道上疾驰。我们并不是鲸鱼，但我们可以、甚至必须仿效超级大鲸鱼，机灵敏捷，纵使高速往前直奔，也能在必要的时候作出战略调整。

“这场考验的确严峻艰辛，但我深信我们做得到，不只成功，还能展现优雅从容的姿态。”