Nanyang Technological University
Nanyang Technological University is a national public research university in Singapore. Founded in 1981, it is also the second oldest autonomous university in the country.
In response to Singapore’s economic restructuring in the 1970s amid a shortage of engineers, the government established the Nanyang Technological Institute in 1981 on the former campus of Nanyang University, with engineering and applied science-focused programmes that emphasised laboratory training and industrial attachments.
NTI was elevated to full university status and officially inaugurated as NTU on 1 July 1991 through parliamentary legislation, incorporating the National Institute of Education to support national goals of industrial upgrading and research-intensive higher education in science and technology.
NTU's main campus, located in the western part of Singapore, covers of land, making it the largest university campus in the country.
The university also operates a medical campus in Novena, Singapore's healthcare district. As of 2024, NTU enrolled 37,458 students, and employed 7,997 faculty and staff.
The university is organised into a number of colleges and schools, including the College of Engineering, College of Science, Nanyang Business School, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, College of Computing and Data Science,
Graduate College, National Institute of Education, and S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
History
Nanyang University (1955–1980)
was founded in 1955 on land donated by the Hokkien Huay Kuan, prior to Singapore's independence from British rule. Conceived as a Chinese-medium university, it was largely supported by the local Chinese community and became the first Chinese-language university in Southeast Asia.Nanyang University was located south of the present Nanyang Technological University grounds, centered on what is now Yunan Garden. The former administration building of Nanyang University now houses the Chinese Heritage Centre, which has been designated as a national monument.
Nanyang Technological Institute (1981–1991)
In 1980, Nanyang University merged with the University of Singapore to form the current National University of Singapore. Nanyang Technological Institute, a tertiary institution affiliated to the National University of Singapore, was formed to take over Nanyang University's campus in 1981.NTI operated as an engineering institute for a decade and formed the academic and infrastructural foundation for the establishment of Nanyang Technological University.
Legacy of Nanyang University (1991)
As NTU subsequently grew into a full university, various efforts were made to have it claim the Nanyang University mantle. In 1996, the alumni rolls of Nanyang University were transferred from NUS to NTU. In 1998, the prominent local calligrapher and poet Pan Shou, who had been the first vice-chancellor of Nanyang University, called for NTU to be renamed Nanyang University, as a way to "quieten the hearts of many" NU alumni.
Present form
Establishment of Nanyang Technological University (1991)
In March 1991, the Singapore Parliament approved the formation of Nanyang Technological University. It was officially established on 1 July 1991, with the National Institute of Education incorporated into it. The alumni rolls of the former Nanyang University were transferred to NTU in 1996. Historically, Nanyang Technological University admitted students jointly with the affiliated National University of Singapore and charged the same fees. Students made only one application, and they would be accepted by either university. This arrangement ended in 2004 as both universities began to distinguish themselves with an end of its official affiliation. Currently, students apply separately to both universities. NTU became autonomous in 2006 and stands as one of the two largest public universities in Singapore today.Developments in the 21st century
Since the early 2000s, NTU has expanded its international engagement, graduate education, and academic profile.Approximately 65% of NTU's faculty and staff are foreign nationals, placing it among the world’s top 100 universities with the highest proportion of international faculty, according to QS.
The university is also highly international in its student body: 31% of students are foreign nationals, with 58% of them pursuing postgraduate degrees. It remains one of the few top 100 universities with more than 60% of foreign faculty.
Controversies in the 21st century
In 2013, a public debate over academic freedom in Singapore arose after Cherian George, an outspoken academic at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communications known for his criticism of the government, was denied tenure.Although George had been recommended for tenure by the Wee Kim Wee School, his application was rejected by a university-level committee that included representatives from the Government of Singapore.
The decision prompted a petition by students at the Wee Kim Wee School, but George's subsequent appeal was rejected by the university.
In 2021, some applications for on-campus hostel accommodations in NTU were rejected due to COVID-19 isolation protocols. The university claimed that the rejections were due to a shortage of housing facilities, which at full capacity was still unable to house every applicant, as rooms were oversubscribed. These rejections raised concerns, especially among international students, as returning students from Academic Year 2020–2021 were not granted on-campus accommodation despite the university's much-publicised policy of guaranteeing all incoming students a minimum of two years of campus housing. NTU eventually reversed their decision on 2nd July 2021, prioritising on-campus accommodations for international students that resided on campus at the time, students under scholarship programmes with guaranteed housing, and all Year 1 and 2 students under the guaranteed hall stay policy.
Coat of arms
On its foundation in July 1991, NTU adopted the Coat of Arms granted to NTI as its coat of arms.The Coat of Arms consists of a heraldic shield divided into two sections: the lower portion shows a stalking lion facing the spectator on a white background and the upper portion two atomic symbols, one on either side of a cog-wheel above a battlement on a red background.
It is blazoned:
The lion represents close links between NTI and NUS, the battlement represents School of Civil and Structural Engineering, the atoms represents School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and the cogwheel represents School of Mechanical and Production Engineering.
Campuses
Landscape and Architecture
NTU has been listed among the World's Most Beautiful Universities, with the Art, Design and Media building featured in a 2012 report by Travel + Leisure.Much of NTU’s campus layout dates back to the Nanyang Technological Institute period between 1981 and 1982, when the master plan—centred on the central academic spine known as the North Spine—was designed by Japanese architect Kenzō Tange
the recipient of the 1987 Pritzker Architecture Prize. The North Spine was officially opened in 1986.
Several landmark buildings on campus have since gained international recognition. The ADM building, featured in the Travel + Leisure report, was designed by Singaporean architect Lee Cheng Wee.
The Hive, another prominent campus landmark, was featured by Times Higher Education,
and was designed by British designer Thomas Heatherwick.
Yunnan Garden Campus
The former Nanyang University administration building was restored into the Chinese Heritage Centre and was gazetted as a national monument in 1998 – now overlooking the Yunnan Garden. The Yunnan Garden precinct has undergone restoration and redevelopment works that completed in 2021. This encompassed heritage conservation, landscaped public spaces, and upgraded facilities surrounding the Chinese Heritage Centre.The Nanyang University Memorial and original Nanyang University Arch were also declared national monuments of Singapore in 1998.
The NTU Art & Heritage Museum is an approved public museum under the National Heritage Board's Approved Museum Scheme; benefactors who donate artworks and artefacts to NTU enjoy double tax deductions. There is a small lake between the Chinese Heritage Centre and Hall of Residence 4 called Nanyang Lake. Only members of NTU Anglers' Club permit holder, the fishing club at NTU, are allowed to fish in this lake.
The campus also served as the Youth Olympic Village for the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in 2010.
File:NTU Administration Building.JPG|Administration Building of Nanyang Technological University
File:NTU former administrative building front.jpg|Chinese Heritage Centre, formerly the Administration Building of Nanyang University
File:Nanyang Lake, Singapore, 2015-02-07.jpg|Nanyang Lake
File:NTU North Spine.jpg|North Spine
File:NTU South Spine.jpg|South Spine
File:NBS1.jpg|Nanyang Business School
Colleges and schools
NTU is organised into several colleges and schools covering engineering, business, science, computing, humanities, education, and medicine.Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine
In 2010, NTU announced the formation of a pro-tem governing board to guide the establishment of the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, a collaboration with Imperial College London.The medical college was established in 2013. Prior to its opening in 2013, the school received record donations of S$400 million, including S$150 million from the Lee Foundation. The School's primary clinical partner is the National Healthcare Group.