Success Factors that
Improved the Asian Universities
Professor Bertil Andersson
President, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore
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Universitetskanslersämbetet | Stockholms Universitet | Sverige
23 November 2015
The Tripartite Academic World
Asia
(NTU)
Europe
(Stockholm University)
USA
(Harvard)
“Sometimes, we talk too
much about competition
here in Europe ... The rapid
rise of academia in Asia is
fantastic … A new part of
this World is starting to
contributing to the Global
Knowledge.”
Mr Leif Pagrotsky
Former Swedish Minister for
Education, Research & Culture,
2004 – 2006
The Heterogeneous Rise of Asia
 China: Rising (more quantity than quality)
 India: Slowly developing (private sector leading)
 Japan: Stagnant at a high level
 Taiwan: Stagnant at a relatively high level or even
declining
 Hong Kong: High-level quantity & quality
 Korea: Strong & rapid development
 Singapore: Strong & rapid development
 Malaysia / Thailand / Indonesia / Vietnam:
Slow development
World of R&D (2014)
Source: Battelle,
R&D Magazine
Global Scientific Output Trends:
Major Contributor
of World Publications
1940s
1970s
2010s
19 Asian Universities in QS Top-100
(10 in Top-50)
Rank
(Rank
in 2010)
Name of institution
Country
Rank
(Rank
in 2010)
Country
12 (31)
National University of
Singapore
Singapore
43 (79)
KAIST – Korea Advanced Institute
of Science & Technology
South
Korea
13 (74)
Nanyang Technological
University (NTU)
Singapore
51(42)
Chinese University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
25 (54)
Tsinghua University
China
51(105)
Fudan University
China
28 (40)
Hong Kong University of
Science & Technology
Hong Kong
56 (60)
Tokyo Institute of Technology
Japan
30 (23)
University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
57 (129)
City University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
36 (50)
Seoul National University
South Korea
58 (49)
Osaka University
Japan
38 (25)
Kyoto University
Japan
70 (94)
National Taiwan University
Taiwan
39 (24)
University of Tokyo
Japan
70 (151)
Shanghai Jiao Tong University
China
41(47)
Peking University
China
74 (102)
Tohoku University
Japan
87 (112)
Pohang University of Science &
Technology (POSTECH)
South
Korea
Highest ranked Swedish University: 70th (Lund University)
9 Asian Universities in Times Higher
Education Top-100 (5 in Top-50)
Rank
Name of institution
(Rank in 2010)
Country
26 (34)
National University of Singapore
Singapore
42 (37)
Peking University
China
43 (26)
University of Tokyo
Japan
44 (21)
University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
47 (58)
Tsinghua University
China
55 (174)
Nanyang Technological University (NTU)
Singapore
59 (41)
Hong Kong University of Science &
Technology
Hong Kong
85 (109)
Seoul National University
South Korea
88 (57)
Kyoto University
Japan
28th
2 highest ranked Swedish universities:
(Karolinska Institutet) & 81st (Uppsala University)
Country
No. of universities in
QS Top-100
Singapore
2
2
Japan
5
2
China
4
2
Hong Kong
4
2
South Korea
3
1
Taiwan
1
–
Total
19
9
Country
No. of universities in Times
Higher Education Top-100
Best university in QS World
University Rankings 2015 (Rank)
Best university in QS World
University Rankings 2010 (Rank)
Malaysia
Universiti Malaya (146)
Universiti Malaya (207)
India
Indian Institute of Science Bangalore (147)
Indian Institute of Tech Delhi (202)
Thailand
Chulalongkorn Uni (253)
Chulalongkorn Uni (180)
Indonesia
University of Indonesia (358)
University of Indonesia (236)
Philippines
University of the Philippines (401-410)
Ateneo de Manila University (307)
Asian Normalised Research
Impact Trends (NTU Top in Asia)
Source:Thomson Reuters
Normalised Research Impact Trends
(NTU vs Top Universities)
Source:Thomson Reuters
OECD Global Schools Rankings
(Top 10)
Based on test scores in Maths & Science,
at age 15, in 76 countries
1)
Singapore
6)
Finland
2)
Hong Kong
7)
Estonia
3)
South Korea
8)
Switzerland
4)
Japan
9)
Netherlands
4)
Taiwan
10)
Canada
Sweden ranked 35th
Perceptions of Asian Students

Excellent & disciplined

Pressurised

Not creative

Attracted to study
in the West
Singapore – East Meets West

Gained independence in 1965
 Population size: ≈ 5.47 million (2014)
 Land area: 718 sq km (2014)

English as the working language

3rd richest country in the World (2014):
GDP per capital S$ 71,318 (≈ €49,100)

GERD target: 3.5%

Multicultural, highly cosmopolitan &
diverse with people of Chinese,
Malay, Indian & other ethnicities

A rapidly emerging country when it
comes to Academia & Research

6 universities (including NTU & NUS)
+ A*STAR
Singapore
The Singapore Government “Walks
the Talk” for the Knowledge Society
• Research, Innovation & Enterprise Council (RIEC):
Chaired by the Prime Minister of Singapore, it brings
together world-leading experts & 9 Cabinet Ministers
to ADVISE the Singapore Cabinet on national research
& innovation policies & strategies to drive the
transformation of Singapore into a knowledge-based economy
5-year Science
& Technology
plan for
research
funding
Source: A*STAR
2016-2020
S$19 billion est.
(120 billion SEK)
15% increase
*Does NOT include basic funding for the universities
NTU’s Basic Facts & Figures

1991: Establishment of Nanyang Technological University (NTU)

Total student population: ≈ 33,200
 24,300 undergraduates
 ≈ 8,900 graduate students

International students:
 15% of undergrads (11.6% for AY15)
 53% of Masters
 76% of PhDs

Total staff strength: ≈ 7,310
 ≈ 1,660 faculty, with 967 international faculty
 ≈ 2,890 research staff
 ≈ 2,760 admin & support staff

The NTU College Structure
 College of Engineering
 College of Business
 College of Science
70% of international
faculty & research staff
 College of Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences
 Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine
 National Institute of Education
NTU – A Fast Rising University
 Recently ranked the world’s no. 1 fastest rising
young university by Times Higher Education
 Ranked 13th in QS World University Ranking
- Quantum leap of 61 places over 5 years
 Ranked 55th in Times Higher Education World
University Rankings
- Quantum leap of 119 places over 5 years
 Ranked 1st in QS Top-50 under 50
 Ranked 6th in Engineering & Technology
(QS Rankings by area)
74th
in 2010
174th
in 2010
4th
in 2012
NTU in 2000…
 Educational Focus
 Limited to Engineering & Business
 Research not encouraged
 Old academic structure
 Ad-hoc recruitment / promotion
 Totally in the shade of NUS…
What catalysed the rapid climb?
Broadening of
Academic Portfolio
2002 • Life Sciences
2005 • Humanities & Social Sciences
2005 • Natural Sciences / Mathematics
2005 • Art School
2010 • Medicine (partnership with
Imperial College London)
2014 • Environmental Sciences
Revitalising Human Resources
 American-based appointment,
promotion & tenure system
with high bar for success
 Applied retroactively to all
faculty at NTU (2007-2009)
 Out of 750 cases, one-third
did not make the cut
 Strong emphasis on international recruitment:
International stars & young upcoming post-docs
(ERC-type)
Non-Fatalistic Strategy
 Strong
governance: A high-level &
pro-active university Board
 Top-down
university
management (with big ears)
 Strategic
plan with
prioritised areas
 Economical
incentives
for success
 Strong
follow-up culture from
Board & Ministry
Emphasis on Research
 For
promotion & tenure
 Start
up research funding / seed funding
 Initially
 Push
reduced teaching load for new hires
for external competitive research funding
 Establishment
of interdisciplinary
thematic research centres
 Priority
of research areas in
so-called Peaks of Excellence
 International
academic &
industrial partnerships
Reform of Education –
Reduction in Passive Consumption of Lectures
Broader
education;
Interdisciplinarity
New
pedagogy:
ICT,
MOOCs,
Flipped
classrooms
Elite
programmes
Humboldtian principle: All professors do research
Infrastructure Investment
NTU investing >S$1.8 billion in new infrastructure
 Halls of residence for students; 50% more residential rooms for students
 16,000 students on campus;
1,000 professors
 Medical school
 24-hours learning hubs
 Research labs
 Restaurants, cafes, etc
Universities Today are GLOBAL –
Taking NTU to the World & Bringing the World to NTU
International academic
& industrial
collaborations
Global
international
leadership
Ambition that 80% of all
NTU undergraduate
students spend 1
semester abroad
Global Dialogue at NTU
(Partnerships with
Times Higher & the
Nobel Foundation)
70% international
faculty & research
staff
NTU satellites
abroad eg.
London / Berkeley
NTU’s
Outbound &
Inbound
Exchange
Mobility
(AY 2014/2015)
Singapore students
love Sweden;
Swedish students
love Singapore
 Asia & Singapore are
developing very fast
 What about Europe &
Sweden?
 Academically, the West
has influenced the East
 In future, will the East
start to influence the
West?
Sweden
Singapore
Thank you