civil & structural engineering - Institution of Engineers Singapore

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INTERVIEW SIT moves ahead with broadened portfolio and higher student intake Prof Tan Thiam Soon, President, Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), highlights some of SIT’s initiatives and achievements recorded last year and explains how the institution is addressing the challenge to produce value-added, work-ready graduates. Question: How would you summarise the activities of SIT in 2012? What are some of the highlights of last year, especially in terms of new programmes, student enrolment, facilities, scholarships and sponsorships, and employment opportunities? Firstly, I would like to mention that Prof Tan Thiam Soon. in partnership with universities in the UK, USA and Ireland, SIT launched seven new degree programmes last year. They are: • Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Aeronautical Engineering, and Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Aerospace Systems, from University of Glasgow, UK. • Bachelor in Science (Physiotherapy), and Bachelor in Science (Occupational Therapy), awarded by Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. • Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Communication Design, and Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Interior Design, from The Glasgow School of Art, UK. • Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education, awarded by Wheelock College, Boston, Massachusetts, USA We were also able to increase our total student intake for all our academic programmes, which now total 26, from 950 to 1,300. A particular highlight during the year was the unveiling of the designs of the satellite campuses in April 2012 and the subsequent ground-breaking ceremonies held at each of the polytechnics, between July 2012 and January 2013. We are also happy to state that the fi rst batch of students from Newcastle University’s Marine / Offshore Engineering programmes graduated in 2012, and that 92% of them have already secured jobs - mostly in related fi elds. Ten percent of these graduates received company sponsorships / scholarships during their course. Q: What are some of the specifi c programmes and activities in SIT, in 2013, that you would like to mention? A: SIT is offering two new degree programmes for Academic Year 2013. One leads to the degree of Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Electrical Power Engineering, conferred by the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, while the other is the degree of Bachelor of Science with Honours in Computing Science, from the University of Glasgow. Further, SIT is preparing to transit into an autonomous university, offering SIT’s own degree programmes. The key feature of the SIT degree programmes will be the integrated work-study programme which will require students to alternate study semesters with work attachments. Through this programme, SIT hopes to instill the SIT-DNA in every student, making them adaptable and capable of ‘learning, unlearning and relearning’. The fi rst batch of students from Newcastle University’s marine / offshore engineering programmes graduated in 2012. The University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. 16 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER February 2013
INTERVIEW SIT is also considering the possibility of extending the existing two-year programmes to three or even four years. The lengthening of the course period will allow SIT to take in students from non-articulating diplomas, who would then acquire the required knowledge content. SIT would also be able to impart the soft skills that students need for their chosen careers. Q: Could you elaborate on the SIT-DNA and on ‘learning, unlearning and relearning’? A: Many higher education institutions are looking to ensure they educate their students to be relevant and effective in a world in which change is occurring at an increasing pace and industries will need to evolve and change constantly. The work-study model, devised by SIT, encourages students to take up meaningful work stints as part of their university education. The SIT-DNA will enable its graduates to be able to boldly embrace change and to be adaptable. We also want our graduates to be thinking tinkerers - people who are hands-on, resourceful and practical. The importance of learning, unlearning and relearning becomes clear when we realise that with improving healthcare, most of us will work for some 40 plus years - nearly three times longer than the duration of our formal education. So for those who want to succeed, they must be able to deal with disruption. They will need to know how to learn, unlearn and relearn, while working. Unlearning has to do with mindsets and attitudes. It is about accepting that something you have learnt is no longer useful or applicable, showing the willingness to accept reality and then having the courage and fortitude to adapt and change. This can apply to technical know-how that has become obsolete, or even when a company has to relocate in order to survive or take advantage of new business opportunities. After unlearning comes learning and relearning. We constantly add new skills during our lifetime. As industry, processes and technology change and evolve, the question is whether or not our graduates are imbued with the right mindset to adapt to this new future. A key feature of the SIT pedagogy, moving forward, will be to ingrain into each and every one of our students that life is going to be about learning on the job, from the job and during the job. Q: From an overall perspective, in an uncertain world economic situation, what are some of the challenges faced by institutions of higher learning and how is SIT addressing them? A: Challenges faced by institutions of higher learning include having to meet the needs of the domestic economy against an ever-changing world economic situation. As one such institution, SIT will need to remain nimble and fl exible in terms of programme offerings and, at the same time, be able to train students to willingly embrace change and be adaptable. In order to address these challenges, SIT will not have the traditional faculty/school structures but will create multi-varied skills clusters to encourage cross-fertilisation. Our programmes will build on the skills and hands-on orientation of the polytechnic graduates, so that they become ‘thinking doers’. Also, with our industry-driven programmes, we hope to ensure that SIT graduates have the skills necessary for the future. Another challenge is that since industries expect graduates to be work-ready, there is therefore a need for a different programme structure to create value-added graduates. The University of Glasgow, UK. Accordingly, SIT will be working closely with industries to shape the teaching pedagogy via integrated work-study learning, project-oriented learning, IT-enhanced self-learning, and integrated global learning environments. February 2013 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 17
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civil & structural engineering - Institution of Engineers Singapore

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