Impact of Completion of SUTD and MIT Tie-up

Ms Foo Mee Har asked the Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) what impact will the completion of the seven-year educational partnership between the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have on SUTD's future enrolment and positioning of the young university.

When SUTD was established, it was envisaged that, in time to come, it would graduate from its formal collaboration with MIT. After seven years, that time has come, as SUTD gears itself for its next phase of development. This is similar to how the Singapore Management University jumpstarted its development in partnership with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania when it was first formed.

Over the past seven years, SUTD has benefited immensely from its partnership with MIT. SUTD's structure and curriculum, including 90% of its undergraduate course materials, were designed and co-developed with MIT faculty. These are unique features of SUTD, which MIT would have done if it were to re-design its institutional structure and develop its curriculum all over again. Current and future students will continue to learn using these materials.

Through the collaboration, SUTD has received full accreditation from the Engineering Accreditation Board for its Bachelor of Engineering and Master of Architecture degree programmes and it is now fully equipped to provide these programmes independently.

Over the same period, SUTD has established itself as a popular choice among students. Applications have increased over the years, from 2,144 in 2013 to 3,503 this year – a 63% increase. Admissions have also increased by 69% over the same period, from 251 to 424.

SUTD graduates are also well-endorsed by employers. As reported in the 2015 and 2016 Graduate Employment Surveys, more than 90% of its graduates have obtained employment within six months of completing their final examinations and earn monthly starting salaries ranging from $3,600-$4,000, which compare very well with that of other local universities.

SUTD has also begun to establish itself as a high-quality, research-intensive university in design, engineering, technology and architecture. It has research collaborations with Temasek Laboratories and ST Engineering.

Looking ahead, SUTD will continue to collaborate with MIT in research collaboration and also student exchanges, albeit not under a formal partnership agreement. SUTD will, in fact, expand its network of collaboration partners with universities in different parts of the world.

In short, SUTD is well positioned to be a unique and high quality university – well regarded, reputable amongst employers and students, with a strong international network of partners. It will develop and grow to be stronger and better.