Top students at Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) will head for a three-week challenge with a liberal arts twist in the United States, under the polytechnic’s Talent Development Programme (TDP). This Liberal Arts Challenge will be the first of its kind among the five polytechnics.

Announcing the good news ahead of a scholarship presentation ceremony to be held on Friday, 27 June, Ngee Ann said the initiative is an extension of its TDP which is being enhanced to cater to a bumper crop of bright students.

Of about 4,400 students admitted to Ngee Ann under the Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE) this year, more than 65 per cent scored an aggregate of 15 points and better. Of these freshmen, 1,220 had an aggregate of 10 points and better, giving NP a sizeable - possibly the largest - share of top students among the polytechnics.

Now into its 7th year, Ngee Ann’s TDP has already produced many success stories with TDP alumni winning prestigious scholarships such as the Public Service Commission Singapore Government Scholarship, NUS Global Merit Scholarship, Nanyang Scholarship and SMU Lee Kong Chian Scholarship.

Ngee Ann’s TDP students also broke new ground. For example, Ron Ng and Soong Jun Wei from the School of Life Sciences & Chemical Technology, made history when they became the first polytechnic students to be accepted into the National University of Singapore’s Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine in 2007. See appendix for more examples.

The TDP is a strategic programme structured to nurture critical thinking skills and groom leaders. It offers a suite of programmes that starts with a three-day residential leadership training camp. TDP students also take up prescribed modules on community, world issues, as well as innovation and enterprise, and participate in dialogues with political leaders and engage in current affairs roundtables throughout their three years of study.

“Moving on, Ngee Ann is further challenging our students with the new liberal arts programme. The exposure will expand their perspectives, take their awareness of current affairs and global issues to the next level, and encourage them to probe deeper. All these will add up to a valuable experience for the potential leaders we are grooming,” said Mr Chia Mia Chiang, the Principal of NP.

Tailor-made liberal arts programme for top Ngee Ann students

The three-week Liberal Arts Challenge has two distinct but interconnected components. They are a two-week tailor-made programme at a liberal arts college to expose Ngee Ann students to a cross-boundary, liberal arts approach in examining leadership, policy-making, social and economic issues, and one week of attachments to observe selected social and community organisations at work. As a key outcome, the students will do a comparative study of these organisations vis-a-vis those in Singapore.

Ngee Ann has approached a number of liberal arts colleges in the United States to conduct the tailor-made programme for its top students.

Ngee Ann expects to send at least 20 students to the United States for the liberal arts programme each year. The first batch will leave for the programme in mid-2009.

Locally, Ngee Ann has been sending its TDP students to seminars and workshops at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and the Institute of Policy Studies. This gives the students a deeper understanding of local public policy issues and the impact of global affairs on Singapore. More Ngee Ann students will get to participate in such programmes in the years ahead.

Mr Chia said: “Ngee Ann has built a broad-based approach to education since 2001, through the Ngee Ann Learning Model  which exposes all students to multidisciplinary learning. It is not unlike a liberal arts approach, albeit on a very modest scale. The Liberal Arts Challenge will build on this foundation. Liberal arts education, with emphasis on broad-based education for responsible citizenship, provides a powerful backdrop for us to frame our Liberal Arts Challenge.”

Bumper crop of scholars

This year, Ngee Ann is awarding its largest ever number of 200 scholarships to students based on their academic excellence, achievements in co-curricular activities and strength of character. This is an increase from 151 scholarships awarded in 2007.

Top scholars who go on the Liberal Arts Challenge can expect an award worth up to $15,000 each over their three years in Ngee Ann. This includes $6,000 for the tuition fees, about $3,000 for leadership and other programmes, and about $6,000 for the Liberal Arts Challenge.

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Success stories of Ngee Ann students under the Talent Development Programme

The TDP has already produced several success stories. Among them in the last two years are:

• Ron Ng and Soong Jun Wei from the School of Life Sciences & Chemical Technology, made history by becoming the first polytechnic students accepted into the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine in 2007.
• Dionne Liew from the School of Health Sciences was the only polytechnic student awarded an overseas Tan Tock Seng Hospital Scholarship in 2008 to read Nursing in the University of Sydney, Australia.
• Quek Siu Rui and Alvin Lim from the School of Business & Accountancy became the first polytechnic graduates to win the NUS Global Merit Scholarships in 2007.
• Marvin Kang from the School of Business & Accountancy, winning the NUS Global Merit Scholarship in 2008 to do a NUS Double Degree programme in Business Administration and Communications & New Media.
• Denise Tan from the School of Life Sciences & Chemical Technology, became the first Ngee Ann student to win a Public Service Commission Singapore Government Scholarship (Open) in 2007. She is now reading Biotechnology in the University of Melbourne, Australia.
• Debbie Teo from the School of Film and Media Studies was the only polytechnic graduate awarded the MOE Overseas Teaching Scholarship in 2007 to read English & English Literature in Loughborough University, United Kingdom.
• Laureen Lau Jia Jia from the School of Business & Accountancy won the SMU Lee Kong Chian Scholarship in 2007.
• Michelle Hoang from the School of Business & Accountancy was awarded the SMU Scholarship in 2008 for undergraduate studies in SMU.
• Priscilla Ng and Ivan Lim from the School of Engineering and Joanne Tan from the School of Business & Accountancy were awarded the Nanyang Scholarship in 2008 for undergraduate studies in the Nanyang Technological University.  

25 June 2008