Research at National University of Singapore

National University of Singapore is the largest comprehensive university in Singapore that is the 22nd in the 2014 QS World University Rankings (NUS, 2015). NUS hosts 12 faculties and 21 university-level research institutes including three Research Centers of Excellence (RCEs) and a number of faculty-based research centers (Halliwell, 2010). In addition to teaching and conducting research, NUS also serves to the country. In 1985, NUS has built a National University Hospital (NUH) that allows young researchers and scientists conduct research in biomedicine and life sciences with the direct implication of research outcomes (Halliwell, 2010). Today, the expenditure for R&D at NUS constitutes over one-third of the whole expenditure for research and development (R&D) in Singapore (Wong et al., 2011). Importantly, NUS is interested in cross-disciplinary innovative research that can “break new ground and establish new paradigms” in all fields of study (Halliwell, 2010, p. FA15). Moreover, research aims to investigate the state of religion, global attitude towards Singapore, the value of culture, history, family, migration and other aspects of life that are relevant to modern Singapore (Halliwell, 2010).  NUS has a significant support from foreign universities and organizations. For instance, NUS has a joint recruitment scheme with Cambridge University (Halliwell, 2010). Currently, NUS establishes joint research programs with leading universities around the world. Interestingly, NUS is a member of group alliances such as International Alliance for Research Universities (IARU), which appears as “an alliance of 10 of the world’s leading research universities” that include Yale University, University of California, Berkeley etc. and the Universitas 21 (U21) that is “an international network of research-intensive universities” (Xavier & Alsagoff, 2013, p. 231). Xavier and Alsagoff (2013) argue that the main goal of NUS is to be the first and best in conducting certain types of research, therefore “positioning itself proudly as an innovative institution” (p. 232). NUS represents itself as an enterprise with a clear strategic plan. The “NUS Enterprise” is a ground-breaking project that integrates education and research with the purpose of providing “an entrepreneurial and innovative dimension to the University’s core research and educational activities” (Xavier & Alsagoff, 2013, p. 230).  References Halliwell, B. (2010). The National University of Singapore and what it does. Biointerphases, 5(3), FA15-FA18. National University of Singapore (2015). University Rankings. Retrieved from National University of Singapore website http://www.nus.edu.sg/oam/whynus/university-rankings Wong, P. K., Ho, Y. P., & Singh, A. (2007). Towards an “entrepreneurial university” model to support knowledge-based economic development: The case of the National University of Singapore. World Development, 35(6), 941-958.  Xavier, C.A., & Alsagoff, L. (2013). Constructing “world-class” as “global”: a case study of the National University of Singapore. Educational Research for Policy and Practice,12(225), 225-238.