Its rigorous academic programmes and high-quality research have earned this prosperous island nation’s oldest university the reputation of Asia’s premier higher education institution – Dipta Joshi The National University of Singapore (NUS, estb.1905) is the island nation’s oldest and most internationally reputed higher education institution. Its rigorous academic programmes and high-quality research have earned it the reputation of the premier centre of higher education in Asia. In the QS World University Rankings 2021 NUS is ranked #11, while the Times Higher Education ranks it #25 in its WUR 2021. Spread across three contemporary campuses in Singapore, NUS has also established 11 overseas colleges in China (Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing), Israel, Sweden (Stockholm), United States (Silicon Valley and New York), Canada (Toronto), Switzerland (Lausanne) and Germany (Munich). Founded in 1905 as a modest medical school by a group of local businessmen, this 115-year-old institution has changed hands (and names) several times before the National University of Singapore was established following the merger of the University of Singapore and Nanyang University in 1980. NUS is especially reputed for its high-impact research in engineering, social sciences, natural science, life sciences and biomedicine. It hosts an awesome 29 research institutes and three of Singapore’s five Research Centres of Excellence. Currently, NUS’ 17 multi-disciplinary colleges offer 300 undergraduate and postgrad programmes to 43,885 students from over 100 countries mentored by 2,314 faculty. Notable alumni include Kofi Annan, former secretary-general of the United Nations; Benjamin Sheares, former president of Singapore, and Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organisation, among others. To check the spread of the still rampaging Covid-19 pandemic, NUS currently provides a mix of online and offline classes to students. Singapore. Once a British colony and untidy port, over the past five decades since it became a politically independent island nation, Singapore (pop.5.69 million) has miraculously metamorphosed into Southeast Asia’s most prosperous, modern and well-administered country notable for civic discipline and high per capita income (US $92,270). Also South-east Asia’s business and financial nerve centre, it boasts an excellent public transport system and public parks, museums, restaurants, nightclubs and tourist destinations including the verdant Botanic Gardens — a Unesco World Heritage site. Singapore’s climate is tropical — warm and wet most of the year. December is the coolest month and May the warmest with average temperatures ranging between 220-33o celsius. English is the language of administration, business and technology. Other languages spoken are Malay, Chinese (Mandarin) and Tamil. Campus facilities. In Singapore, NUS sprawls across three campuses — Kent Ridge, Bukit Timah and Outram — all set amid green groves. The Bukit Timah campus is sited contiguous to the Botanic Gardens and Outram campus adjacent to Fort Canning Park. The main Kent Ridge campus is spread across 150 hectares and houses the university’s academic, research and admin buildings, student residence halls, sports and other recreational facilities. This campus is linked by the College Link Bridge to University Town (UTown) which hosts the Yale-NUS College, Singapore’s first fully residential liberal arts college. The Bukit…
