SENIOR Minister Goh Chok Tong will address NTU students tomorrow at the annual Ministerial Forum. However, the topic Singapore – City of Buzz reveals little of the forum’s agenda.
In contrast to last year, when Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong talked to NTU students about Singapore: Is there room for more?, the chosen theme for tomorrow night is vague.
Singapore, we could argue, is already one “buzzing” city. Long dubbed the “city that never sleeps,” the famed Asian Tiger is a hub for many major companies in the region.
The majority of NTU students enjoy the vibrant night life, shopping scene and culturally diverse food choices. So what is the new buzz in town then?
A running theme in Singapore’s growth
Making Singapore a “fun city” has been a running theme for Singapore’s development over the past five years, a direction that originated in 2005 when Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew’s spoke in parliament about making Singapore “more lively and exciting, a fun place.”
Singapore’s shift in mindset is pragmatic – the clean, neat and efficient image of Singapore is no longer sufficient in bringing home the bacon. Casinos, theme parks and vibrant night scenes are lucrative in a changing world.
The government had worked to spice up Singapore’s image over the past two years.
Two integrated resorts are now built and running. Marina Bay now boasts a Formula One street circuit, the only night race circuit in the world. The Youth Olympic Games in August gave Singapore international publicity some boost.
But all these are probably not the biggest issues on an average NTU student’s mind.
The younger generation may enjoy the vibrant Singapore life, but they will inevitably be concerned about bread-and-butter issues like most other Singaporeans. The value of our degrees and our employability upon graduation will be a nagging worry.
This will probably remain the real buzz among NTU students when SM Goh engages them tomorrow.
What could be asked?
SM Goh’s visit coincides with recent news developments in NTU, such as the 174th placing in the revised Times Higher Education world universities ranking, and the change in leadership as Dr Su Guaning steps aside next June.
Recent changes in the higher education scene will also raise concerns. The new Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), which partners the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will open in two years’ time.
More skilled employees in the market do not necessarily lead to more competition. They could enlarge the economy and give everyone a share from larger pie.
For the People’s Action Party (PAP), its a good platform to engage young Singaporeans. In return, NTU students should seize the opportunity to raise issues they are unhappy about.
If our university adapts well, our graduates can ride on this economic boost. If our university loses its competitive edge, NTU students suffer from competition from SUTD and NUS liberal arts graduates.
Will our engineering degrees lose some value when SUTD opens new courses on engineering? How will our School of Humanities and Social Sciences measure up to the new liberal arts education jointly provided by Yale and NUS?
These are good questions that NTU students can raise. The strong media coverage and attention of Singapore’s leaders makes it a good platform to do so.
On the national level
Besides, there are stronger hints of an oncoming Singapore General Elections, due by February 2012. While the Singapore Elections Department has not set an exact date for the polls, various parties are already holding walkabouts at their battlegrounds.
This upcoming election could also be the most keenly contested since 1988 when 70 out of 81 seats are contested, according to media reports.
Clearly, these major changes is in the air is the real buzz of the city, especially for the 23,000 plus NTU graduates, many of whom will be first-time voters.
For the People’s Action Party (PAP), its a good platform to engage young Singaporeans. In return, NTU students should seize the opportunity to raise issues they are unhappy about.
The timing of the forum, with its proximity to a coming General Elections, could make our voices more closely heard.
Editor’s Note: If you have missed out on the Ministerial Forum tickets, fret not. Check out our LIVE updates on Enquirer’s Facebook Page and Twitter from 6.30pm to 9.30pm on Friday, 29 October.
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