Debated in Parliament on 16 Oct 2012.
Mr Yee Jenn Jong asked the Minister for Education (a) in each of the past three years, what is the number of foreign students who have applied to study in our autonomous universities; (b) whether there are plans to reduce the number of scholarships and tuition grants given to foreign students in our autonomous universities; and (c) what impact will a reduction in such scholarships and tuition grants have on the universities' ranking and the number of students they will attract.
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About 17,000 international students applied to study at our autonomous universities in each of the past three years. The universities have stringent selection systems and, in 2012, international students formed less than 16% of the total number of students who matriculated into our autonomous universities.
International students add diversity and vibrancy to our university campuses, and provide more opportunities for Singaporean students to interact with individuals from other cultures and experiences. Such exposure to others from culturally different backgrounds helps prepare our university students for the global marketplace.
The importance of international students to a university's learning environment is widely recognised. Hence, most university ranking tables attach some weight to the proportion of international students. While reducing the proportion of international students may have some effect on rankings, this is not the reason why our universities take in international students. Rather, having an appropriate mix of students yields educational benefit as it enables our students to develop cross-cultural perspectives and sensitivities, and helps to prepare them for a more globalised world.
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Our universities, like many top universities worldwide, provide a range of scholarships and bursaries to attract international students who will be able to add diversity and enrich the campus learning experience. Since AY2008, the fee differentiation between Singaporeans and international students has been increased to reflect the privileges of citizenship. The number of scholarships and quantum of tuition grants, as with other policies, are reviewed periodically, taking into account the overall impact on the quality of education, the manpower needs of our economy as well as global and regional developments in education and other arenas that can have an impact on Singapore's development.
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PAPERCUTS