Selection and Integration of Foreign Scholars

Mr Yee Jenn Jong asked the Minister for Education (a) what are the criteria used to select foreign scholars at pre-tertiary and tertiary levels; (b) what programmes are in place to monitor, develop and integrate foreign scholars into Singaporean society throughout their years of study here; (c) under what circumstances can the Ministry recover monies invested in foreign scholars should a scholar be found to have behavioural issues or poor performance; and (d) how many times in the past 10 years has the Ministry taken action to recover monies from foreign scholars or to terminate their scholarships.

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Mr Lim Biow Chuan had earlier asked a similar question on the scholarship selection criteria. Scholars are selected based on their academic and non-academic achievements, as well as their conduct and character at the point of application. Shortlisted candidates are interviewed by a panel comprising senior management and experienced educators, including school principals.

On integrating international students, MOE had given a reply to an earlier question in 2008 by Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim.

Our schools and institutes help international students to integrate into our society by creating opportunities for students to interact and to share common experiences. Schools make use of organised school activities, co-curricular activities (CCAs) and community involvement programmes to promote interaction between local and international students. Schools also mount activities which facilitate integration, including orientation programmes and cultural awareness classes. Through the Character and Citizenship Education curriculum, international students also learn about Singapore and national issues, as well as our values and norms.

Integration efforts are continued in our Polytechnics and Universities through the International Student Offices and Offices of Student Life. There are orientation programmes, buddy schemes, host family programmes and a variety of campus and off-campus activities. There is also a good mix of local and international students in the residence halls to facilitate interaction.

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Many ASEAN scholars have gone on to make valuable contributions to their schools, Singapore and the region. They have also helped to promote a better understanding of our region among our students. But no system is perfect. There will be a few cases where scholarship recipients are found to have engaged in conduct unbecoming of a scholarship holder. Such cases will have their scholarship terminated, and they could be liable for liquidated damages.

On average, around 3% of international scholars have had their scholarships terminated or had to pay liquidated damages. Most of these were due to the scholars not meeting the stringent scholarship renewal criteria. Only a small number of scholarships had been terminated for misconduct.

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