Study in Singapore

Located on the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, according to Malay tradition, Singapore was originally named Singapura by a Sumatran prince after he encountered a strange animal that he took to be a lion.

This was considered to be good luck, and thus, “Singapura” (which means “City of the Lion”) was founded. Once the hub of British power in Southeast Asia, Singapore was occupied by the Japanese during World War II, but reverted to British rule after the war. Eighteen years later, Singapore achieved independence and merged with Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak to form Malaysia. On August 9, 1965, Singapore was separated from Malaysia, becoming an independent republic, and the new country joined the United Nations on September 21 of that same year.

For most of the period since Singapore’s independence, the country was governed under the political leadership of Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, who served from 1959 to 1990. High economic growth rates and rapid industrialization since earning independence have placed Singapore among the “Four Asian Tigers,” along with South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Singapore is a hub for global foreign exchange and boasts one of the busiest ports in the world. Some of the main industries of this booming economy are electronics, chemical exports, financial services and tourism.

Singapore has four official languages: English, Malay, Mandarin Chinese and Tamil. English is the language of instruction for most subjects. Singapore recognizes the importance of a diverse student population and, in 2007, inaugurated the “Singapore Education Awards” to acknowledge exceptional contributions by individuals and organizations in the field of international education.

Singapore is the smallest nation in Southeast Asia consisting of one main island and 60-plus smaller islands and islets; Singapore is populated by people of Chinese, Malay, Indian and European descent. Each group has added its own art, architecture and culinary traditions to the overall culture of Singapore, creating a fascinating backdrop for students in search of a memorable study abroad experience.

Singapore’s postsecondary educational institutions include autonomous universities, private universities and institutions, and polytechnic institutions. Noted for their excellence in education, research and service, the three autonomous universities are the National University of Singapore (NUS), the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore Management University (SMU).

Singapore Offers master’s degree programs in public policy, public administration and public management. Engineering and technology, and sciences are the most popular fields of study. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs for future business leaders and entrepreneurs.

Interesting Facts about Singapore