Research at Nanyang Technological University

            Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is a young autonomous university in Singapore that is the first in the world among young universities according to the 2014 QS Top 50. Main focus of the university is in engineering field. Andersson and Mayer (2010) claim that NTU is probably “the world’s largest engineering-based institution on a single campus” (p. FA9). NTU has bilateral relations with leading universities of Asia, Europe, and North America in terms of scientific research and joint degree programs (Andersson & Mayer, 2010). 

What is important, NTU conducts a strategic cross-disciplinary research in a variety of fields such as medicine and healthcare, research in interactive digital media, and China and Asian studies that are significant to Singapore (Andersson & Mayer, 2010). In 2010, for instance, NTU established a medical school offering a joint degree with Imperial College that is the largest medical school focusing on innovative approaches in a healthcare in the United Kingdom (Gopinathan & Lee, 2011).

            Under NTU, there are several research centers. One of them is a business incubator Gintic Institute of Manufacturing Technology (GINTIC) that closely works with NTU faculty staff and performs joint research projects with the participation of graduate students (Lee & Win, 2004). In 1989, NTU with the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) set a Center for Advanced Construction Studies (CACS) with the aim of training young scientists, conducting research, and transferring technology into industry (Lee & Win, 2004). Starting from 1991, the Thermal Spray Group in NTU has been productively involved in a variety of projects with foreign thermal spray research centers (Khor, 2003). 

            The government of Singapore now concerns about translating research into “intellectual property and hence into the development of the Singaporean economy” (Andersson & Mayers, 2010). For solving this issue, NTU came with a plan that includes development of entrepreneurialism among students and faculty staff and enhancing research cooperation with industry.

            Being a highly competitive on local and international arena higher education institution, NTU represents the “ambitions and success of Singapore in the 21st century – the century of Asia” (Andersson & Mayer, 2010, p. FA13). With its clear strategy, NTU certainly will be among leading universities not only in Asian region.

           

References

Andersson, B., & Mayer, T. (2010). Singapore and the Nanyang Technological University – A young country with a young university on the move. Biointerphases, 5(3), FA9-FA14.

Gopinathan, S., & Lee, M. H. (2011). Challenging and co-opting globalisation: Singapore's strategies in higher education. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 33(3), 287-299.

Khor, K. (2003). Thermal spray research at the advanced materials research centre. Journalof Thermal Spray Technology, 12(3), 323-326. 

Lee, J., & Win, H. N. (2004). Technology transfer between university research centers and industry in Singapore. Technovation, 24(5), 433-442.