I do not know who and how old are those people who left their comments here but from a foreign observer's point of view, I reckon that quite a fair bit of the Singapore people are stereotyping that education is all about getting distinction and studying in renown Universities. This is a display of shallow opinionated views on education. Education is really about gaining new knowledge and growing in understanding of a discipline. I reckon your country is just a few years behind mine and I can assure you that in the next decade, your country will probably go through a shift in mind set. Employers here are already beginning scouting for talented individual and employing skilled employees with a passion in the things they do that could boost their business. Many don't even have a college degree. It is a market constantly seeking for the speciality and services which could be of advantage to the potential employer. Qualification has taken a back seat here hence it might not even secure you a job. The influence of globalization will eventually hit your part of the world. What is important is that you have enjoyed the education phase of your life. You might disagree with my opinion; it is certainly your rights. Cheers.

Agreed, too much emphasis here is placed on getting good grades and studying in a good university but you dun live here hence you won’t understand that these mindsets are deeply rooted. Students are taught from very young age (as young as 2-3yrs old) by teachers and parents that academic smartness is the only surviving tool in order to excel in my society. Singapore is like Japan although we won’t have incident of desperate parent killing a neighbor’s kid in order so that her own could get into a famous school but it’s equally bad. I presumed you are from the America. USA has at least 500 yrs of history and Singapore is only 40 yrs old, its really still a long way for my society to mature into a state similar to yours in terms of mindsets or even cultural aspect.

well..i think UNSW ASIA is created for C or D students whom can't make it to the local uni or rejected by them! although it appears to be a good news for such group of students but bad in reality...I think UNSW is not really a world class University...getting into this uni is super easy! My friend scored C ,D and E in his "A"level and still received an offered from UNSW and now he became UNSW scholar after the closure of unsw asia!
The only good University in Australia is probably Melbourne University and the rest are second or third class Uni...so sad!

No wonder a few of them were so pissed that the thing was being cancelled. It was probably their best chance to study in a top U with mediocre results. And no wonder the UNSW wanted to give up.

The UNSW idea doesn't sell in Singapore at all. There's this stigma about Australian unis that they're just a place you go to if you can't get into Singapore. I even had a friend who went to an ivy, and somebody actually asked him (probably didn't know what ivies were) if he went there because he couldn't get into NUS.

i agree, mate. getting a uni degree isn't enough. we need to rank the unis so we can gloat to everyone we know that the uni we attended is better than theirs and through association, claim that our dicks are larger than theirs.

well..i think UNSW ASIA is created for C or D students whom can't make it to the local uni or rejected by them! although it appears to be a good news for such group of students but bad in reality...I think UNSW is not really a world class University...getting into this uni is super easy! My friend scored C ,D and E in his "A"level and still received an offered from UNSW and now he became UNSW scholar after the closure of unsw asia!
The only good University in Australia is probably Melbourne University and the rest are second or third class Uni...so sad!

MAYBE YOU SHOULD GET A MIRROR FOR YOURSELF!!! what kind of uni you got into and what's the big deal in getting into a good university but having a bad character like you!!! it doesnt matter if you get good grades but if your personality sucks and yes yours' suck like hell, i dont think you can feed yourself in the future because to get a job doesnt equals to get a good grades and study in a good university! such a pity that you got into the university you are in now or maybe you might like to tell us where your school is because you're a COWARD!!!!!

Oh you need to figure out your "who"s and "whom"s lest you get taken for one of those C or D graders of whom you speak.

Thanks Anonymous mole for providing the link. This is an interesting piece of reading. Seems like the opinion that UNSW had on Singapore was pretty good so what happened that caused the change of heart? (Taken from article) - "By 2007 Australian Universities will be unable to meet the demand for international student places. UNSW Asia was expected to enrol high calibre students from the Region’s Polytechnics."

> How deep is the rabbit hole? Could this be the ultimate reason?
" Concern was expressed that UNSW Asia may not be able to attain the best staff to deliver the University’s offerings or may cause a brain drain at Kensington due to the fact that salaries received more favourable tax treatment in Singapore than Australia."
> Stumbled upon this minutes of meeting of UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES - Faculty Board of the Faculty of the College of Fine Arts (COFA) dated to 27 October 2004.
http://sovietmole.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/cofbmo04.pdf

This is a commercial decision by UNSW so they have have every right to do so once they fulfilled their contractual obligations.

Within it's legal confines, more disclosure is required from the government on how the money was managed and used. Every Singaporean has the right to know since they are indirect stakeholders in these agreement.

This is a commercial decision by UNSW so they have have every right to do so once they fulfilled their contractual obligations.

Within it's legal confines, more disclosure is required from the government on how the money was managed and used. Every Singaporean has the right to know since they are indirect stakeholders in these agreement.

LOL~ On the UNSW Asia incident, the gahmen ppl adopted the usual surreptitious methods when hit by troubles. That is to stay in stealth mode and laying low. Wonder when will EDB come out from hiding and address the issue. The public just wanna some honest answers. Where r u?

From related articles: Singapore auditors find irregularities in ministries

How far does the rot go?

at least u got $22k to help u! i wished i had applied to UNSWasia instead of coming here.if u cannot afford then drop the course and shop for another course! by the way the $22k is for one time or the entire course? (meaning every year get $22k)?
if its for the entire course, its very good already! can help u settle some of the fees !!! stop complaining and be thankful that at least they offer money to help u get that degree...!!!
u think our govt will help u? ur guess is as good as mine!

from http://news.asiaone.com.sg/a1news/20070525_story17_1.html:

Current local students at UNSW Asia would be compensated $22,000 each year for the duration of their studies in Sydney while international students would only receive $12,000.

that works out to 1.8k a month. i wish someone was paying me 1.8k a month to live in sydney. if that sad student is seriously disgusted with that offer from unsw, gimme the scholarship lor. i'll gladly drop everything i'm doing now for a chance to study overseas.

Yah what iPodPeople* said is right. Why whine so much? Singaporean's bad habit! 22K is a good deal and working part time in Sydney should be able to cover living cost. Believe it or not those wages they paid for part time in Singapore is nothing compared to those you can get in Sydney. Saving extra is unlikely but it should suffice to cover rent and food. I know coz I'm one of the many Sg students studying & working here. To the UNSW Asia student, why be disgusted and unsatisfied ? This could well be the window of opportunity for you to come out of Singapore to see the real world. "Don't be the frog in the well!" Chances like this don’t come by that easy the second time.

Trackback from Singapore auditors find irregularities in ministries:

Several high-profile Singapore government departments have committed financial and accounting irregularities, a parliamentary report said on Friday. ...

its is surreal to notice that everyone is busy fussing over the unsw uni students when there is a considerable number of unsw asia foundation year students here too.they are the ones who lose out,especially those who have a goal of entering unsw asia here.
i dont see any reports of what the government will be doing to help them financially though and within a few days this whole issue will be swept under the carpet hush hush.the unsw uni students are drumming up publicity for they have an outlet due to numerous reports of their predicament on ST ,how about the foundation year students?
do people even know they exist?

i feel really sorry for you guys, definitely got the short end of the stick in this whole saga. you guys definitely deserve similar compensation to the undergrads based wholly on the premise that you expected to go to unsw asia upon completion of the foundation year.

but seriously, do people have to run to the gahmen every freaking time? take care of the problem yourself lah.. beg, borrow, sue, whatever lah.. just don't keep running to the gahmen for everything.

do you know how many singaporeans it takes to change a lightbulb?
one, only need one to complain to the mp.

Yeh you should use your own initiative, take your short end of the stick and stick it up them where the sun dun shine.

Feels good too.

Do you post here just to plug your blog?

Yeh but it would be a bonus if I could get up your nose as well.

I feel sorry for you but... meh.

I was a proud student of UNSWAsia just 5 days ago. Now, I am totally disgusted and unsatisfied with the way I am been treated. I was a victim to the schools unethical 'trap' right from the start!
Are there no moral justices with regards to this matter which the affected students and staff can rely on?
Since Wednesday, I’ve been spending sleepless nights thinking about my future and the additional and hidden expenses which I will be incurring if I take up the offer to study in UNSW Sydney. So why should I still continue to study with the institution which have toyed with my dreams? The answer is simple. We as students are not given a fair choice. If we do not take the 22k and surrender to them, we are left with nothing! Is this what the school call justice?
I am appalling to the public to hear our cries and speak up for us.

''I am appalling to the public to hear our cries and speak up for us.''

Did he mean to say 'i am appealing...?' instead of appalling? My english isnt tip top but I've never heard of that before. If he's wrong, no wonder he did'nt get into NUS,NTU or SIM.

Yeah! You've got your chance to come here and laugh at us who are paying so much to study here. For most of us who are on loans, it will take us forever to service the loans when we’re done studying but you won’t have such a worry. I guess your issue is the sense of feeling cheated by the Uni but what have you got to lose? Feeling is nothing compare to the $ you’ll be getting. Take up the offer. Many of us Sg students who are studying here chose to not go into local universities not because we couldn’t get in but because this is a chance of a life time. Dun regret not making a life changing decision only later. I’m just sick of those stereotyping back home saying only those B-grades students joined UNSW Asia or overseas to study. Lol~ we came here because we wanted the real deal, something which one probably won’t get in the controlled environment of the local universities back home. Plenty of academic freedom here! Cheers mate.

Well u can't blame people for classfiying unswasia students as B grade students..I agree, they might be few good students out of 100 studying there but to be honest, many of them are not even "B" students! In fact, few of my friends ' cousin who enrolled unswasia due to their bad grades..i kew one of the guy scored a C and 2 D in his A level and still got into unswasia..and now this group of people have become unsw's scholar to study in sydney under scholarship! they should be flattered to be called B students, in reality they are D students! Good students will either go to UK/US or enrol in NUS/NUS..fewer students will choose Australia if they are excel in their studies! That's the fact known to many of us

yeah lor, how dare these c/d grade students even think of bettering themselves and getting a university education. don't they know how stupid they are? they're lucky singapore isn't ancient sparta lor.. or we'd have thrown them into the baby pit. stupid c/d grade students... worthless to society one!

Seriously man, what you said is a bit over the top. What with the 'toyed with your dream' stuff.
I am Singaporean and Ive been in UNSW Sydney for 2 years now. And mind you, its not because i didnt get into any of the local unis but because i wanted to study in unsw. I agree that you are on the losing end when it comes to closing shop and stopping your education for a while. Its a shit shit world. Nothing can be done about it.
But the fact that you are going to get S$ 22 000 per year off your education is extremely generous. So essentially, you are going to be getting your degree for less than $5 G a year. Now tell me that thats not a damn good deal. No doubt you have to relocate to Sydney, but hey, look at it as a whole new country dude. You only pay for living costs. And trust me, there are no 'hidden costs' when it comes to that. It the same as every country including Singapore. You pay for rent, you pay for food, you pay for necessities. In my opinion, yes unsw made a drastic mistake when it comes to closing shop, but they are also bending over backwards to make sure you as a student are not losing out.
And as for students who want to remain in Singapore, transfer to NUS or NTU or SMU. I mean, if you can't get into any of them, whose fault is it? Yours. So you dont want to come to Sydney but still want that 'foreign uni experience'? Fine, transfer to any one of the other foreign uni places they have in Singapore. In fact, if you did well (like you are meant to) in your first session of study at UNSW Asia, you would'nt have a problem transferring to any of the other local unis.
So for once in your life man, take this chance and come to sydney and laugh at us Singaporeans who are already studying here and paying much much more than you.

agree with what you said, but just feel the need to clear some things..

the 22k is for living expenses only, not for the fees. but since the fees at unsw asia and the kensingon/paddington campus is the same and since they are already prepared to pay as much, this isn't a problem.

and the 22k is per annum btw, that works up to 1.8k per month and that's if you stay for the full 12 months. it works out to 2.2k a month if you come back during the summer break. geez, i managed to stay fed with a roof over my head for less than 1k a month when i was there.

my heart goes out more to the unsw foundation year kids, all they got was a return ticket to sydney.

dont bother replying to him...hes too tired cause he spent sleepless nights thinking about his future. Frankly, i would be thinking of ways i could spend that 22k.

well said.

Damn right you are appalling all right.

For once, I agree with the 1.42m dwarf sieteocho -- you are appalling.

Here's another option: walk to the apex of Benjamin Sheares Bridge, climb over the railing, and jump.

(sieteocho will encourage you to quit your university aspirations and join the Jemiah Islamiah or Al-Qaeda. Ignore him. He wants the money for himself. $22,000 will buy him plenty of anal lube and butt plugs.)

I think that maybe they'd rather close down the school than to teach people like you who haven't mastered English to the sec 4 level.

simi master engrish? i the sieteocho dun even pass one littleture course ah. i pathetic servile civil servant at PSA... collect 10 cent for each person entering toilet one and maintain traffic chart for elite scholars to analize.

psst... sometimes, when no one is looking, i peep in girls bathroom and fwap!. heh heh!

fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap! fwap!

22k not enuff for u to cheong in sydney izzit?
poor ppl will not whine on 22k... in fact.. poor student will nvr enrol to UNSW in the first place..

lamer..

I was a proud student of Singapore just 5 days ago. Now, I am totally disgusted and unsatisfied with the way I am been treated. I was a victim to the countrys unethical spending of my tax money right from the start!
Are there no moral justices with regards to this matter which the affected citizens can rely on?
Since Wednesday, I’ve been spending sleepless nights thinking about my tax dollars and the additional and hidden expenses which I will be incurring if I believe in EDB's stance that we can still attract other foreign universities. So why should I still continue to pay taxes to a county which have toyed with my dreams? The answer is simple. We as citizens are not given a fair choice. If we do not take the shit and surrender to them, we are get thrown in jail or sued! Is this what we call justice?
I am appalling to the public to hear our cries and speak up for us.

i dunch even get 22000 as compensation.. no offer to teach at unsw.. how? i got wife and kids, and 2 mistresses to support leh... if i appall to the public, will they hear my cries and speak up for me?

Just a matter of curiosity: What is it you want?

What additional and hidden expenses? Trust me, the 22k you get is enough for basic living expenses in Sydney. If you need more money for fun, get a part-time job there.

I really don't see the problem here. You've been given an opportunity for subsidized overseas education and a chance to test your mettle in a foreign country and you're whining about how unfair it is to you? Forgive me if I don't feel the slightest amount of pity for you.

The positive thing that came out of all this? Now, Singapore's aim of becoming an Educational Hub is being broadcasted all across the world, to as far as the shockwaves of this abrupt pull out has reached in today's day an age of information transmission. Perhaps this could be by far the greatest PR coup that the Government can capitalize on;

UNSW failed in their attempt, any other established Universities in the world dare take up the challenge? There's room and space for one world class University here to compete against NTU, NUS and SMU and use Singapore as a launchpad for it to become a dominant academia in Asia. Who wants a shot? Here's what we've got to offer, go do your math and remember to get your actuary students and professors to calculate the risk of the venture failing or get your marketing department to carry out some solid market research. If all else fails, do an expensive $22million focus group involving about 148 participants a year and then displacing them.

Malaysia is promoting aggresively for foreign college. I think they will fare better there for a number of reasons.

1. Cost of living there is much, much lower than here and Australia. Like the saying goes, ' half the price, twice the fun'! (can you attract them with lower living cost?)
2. Security- those who come from the ASIAN region will feel nothing of it. maybe much safer than their respective countries. (so you couldn't convince them with that security crap. If fact, I guess the chances of meeting such crime is much less there than here based on statistic & probability alone and not figures.)
3. Fun - They have not short of that and at a much affordable price! I guess its funny they seems to be the trend setter these days and not us? They started off with pole dancing, late night entertainment, IR, F1 , the big Ferris Wheel and what else.

With all these, won't you send your kids to study there? Now, what is the difference between a degree from Monash University malaysia and a degree from UNSW Asia? Less Costly! More Fun! Security wise not much issue! Monash Degree is as good as an UNSW degree.

So I hope EDB should do more thought and less talk! You don't brush off UNSWAsia exit just like that. Others will just follows.Unless you don't mind promoting fly-by-night institution which either run away with the student fee,issue degree that can be bought, or just to issue student passes to China girl...

Dream on!

They are also more flexible and compromising when making deals than our big-headed scholars.

They are brushing aside this as, well, no big deal. They are already talking of attracting others here as if people are scrambling to find a foothold here.

Yes, carry on dreaming!

I think Singapore aim to create a education centre is a joke. yea... 80000 come to Singapore . I bet 50000 are the mamasan, 20000 are the one attend the so-called 'specilised' instutution doing 'hostess' courses, and the remaining....??

Seriously, I am not surprise instead of 70foreign to 30local ratio, you get the reverse. Are they implying the 70 percent enrolled to UNSW Asia are the local rejects?

Now lets talk about the 30% foreigner who come here...

Hypotetically, If you are the rich student from our neighbour, would you come to Singapore to attend the UNSWwith a higher cost of living in Singapore and lesser value in life or to Australia with a total different cultural experience, total creativity?

If you are the poor student from our neighbour, would you go to Monash Uni in Malaysia which offer a much lesser cost of living?

All in all, I guess we might as well attract those who cannot go direct to the REAL stuff..

Now...to the EDB... DO YOUR HOMEWORK & DO NOT PASS THE BUCK AROUND!

Trackback from Conspiracy Penguins:

Perhaps they had similar feelings or the fact that it feels embarrassing to say you studied at UNSW Singapore. Its like wearing LeeVice Jeans and getting caught....

LOL~ The gahmen ministers are million dollars ministers lor. That is why nobody dares to step forward to take the responsibilities. No one is willing to provide an answer as to how much went down the drain because it will jeopadize their million dollar rice bowl. From all those international mistakes investments to domestic incident like the NKF thingy, no one from the gahmen came forward to apologize to the ppl. And don't forget these million dollar ministers are already the ELITE. If they resign, who esle can take their place? Maybe our women will then become maids in other countries! That's our autocratic gahmen lor. Phui!

In other countries, the press would be all over EDB. Only in the perfect little red dot can the EDB just keep quiet and nobody - not the government, not the press - can ask any questions. Or they can pretend to ask some perfunctory, polite queries which will be met by general comments like "EDB resepcts UNSW's decision to close the campus".

HAAALLOW...we want to know how much taxpayers' money went down the drain as a result of million dollar earning ministers and government officials' screwed up decisions. We want someone ANSWERABLE to this mistake and mistakes of the past - SHIN CORP, SHUZHOU.