NUS, NTU shine in QS subject rankings

NUS, NTU shine in QS subject rankings


Source: Quacquarelli Symonds

TWO of Singapore's universities hit the top 10 globally in the latest Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject to be released today, in a total of 11 different disciplines.

The National University of Singapore (NUS) ranked fifth in chemical engineering, which was its highest ranking across 30 subjects tracked by QS, and also made it to the top 10 in 10 other subjects.

This included nabbing sixth position in materials science, mechanical engineering and electrical engineering, and seventh place in civil engineering and statistics.

On a regional level, it topped 18 out of 30 subjects, including accounting and finance, politics and international studies, and pharmacy and pharmacology.

Nanyang Technological University (NTU) was not far behind, placing among the top 10 universities in three subjects, with its best ranking of sixth in communications and media studies.

It also placed eighth in materials science and 10th in electrical engineering globally, and was first in Asia in education as well as communication and media studies.

QS head of research Ben Sowter said: "The rankings underline NUS' current position as Asia's top institution, and also show that NTU has continued its remarkable ascent towards the summit of global academia."

He added that the success of Singapore's universities fits into a wider shift in the global balance of power, with Asian institutions emerging as genuine competitors to the United States and Britain.

This is especially so in the study of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, where Asian universities made up a third of the top 30 institutions in chemical, civil and electrical engineering, and eight of them in mechanical engineering.

In terms of the most number of top 10 positions, the University of Cambridge took top spot with 27, followed closely by the University of California, Berkeley and Stanford University with 26.

NUS made the list at seventh position with 11 top 10 positions.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

Research on healthcare needs of Singapore's ageing population

NTU medical school to research on healthcare needs of Singapore's ageing population

The healthcare needs of Singapore's rapidly ageing population will be the focus of research conducted by the newest medical school here.

Nanyang Technological University's Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, which welcomed its first batch of 54 students in August last year, announced its long-term research strategy on Tuesday.

NTU added that it will increase intake at the school over the next few years, starting with at least 66 students for the second batch later this year.

Jointly set up by NTU and Imperial College London, the school has identified four key areas of research: metabolic diseases, neuroscience and mental health, dermatology and skin biology, and infectious diseases such as dengue.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

3 new undergraduate degrees in 2014

NTU launches 3 new undergraduate degrees in 2014

Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is launching three new undergraduate degrees this year - philosophy, earth science and one merging engineering with business.

The university, with an annual intake of 6,000 students, will offer 95 places in the three courses starting in August. There will be 30 spots for the Bachelor of Engineering with Business degree, another 30 for earth science, and 35 for philosophy. All are four-year honours programmes.

While NTU provost Freddy Boey admitted that offering a philosophy degree may seem like an odd choice for a science and engineering institution, he said this one will be different. It will include courses such as philosophy of science and philosophy of technology.

"Science and technology has transformed our lives and will continue to do so. But there has also been a downside, for instance issues on environmental sustainability and the ethical limits to the genetic modification of animals and human beings," he explained.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

NTU-built drones to fly at Singapore Airshow

NTU-built drones to fly at Singapore Airshow

The air force's Black Knights will not be the only ones flying in formation at the Singapore Airshow. A group of drones built by the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) will be showing off some fancy aerial moves as well.

This has been made possible after a research team from the university developed a system to solve the tricky problem of getting drones to move together, without crashing into each other.

A possible use of the system, which took over three years to build, could be to co-ordinate the drones as they search for survivors in a disaster zone.



~News courtesy of Straits Times~

Free online courses attract more than 27,000 applicants

NTU's free online courses attract more than 27,000 applicants

More than 27,000 people have signed up for the two free online courses launched by the Nanyang Technological University (NTU).

These two courses are offered on the online learning portal Coursera, which has tie-ups with more than 60 universities around the world.

The first course is titled Beauty, Form and Function: An Exploration of Symmetry, where students will learn how to identify symmetrical forms and appreciate their importance in nature, art, architecture, crystallography and technology.

Due to launch on February 17, it has already had more than 13,000 enrolments.

The second course to come on stream by May, Introduction to Forensic Science, offers a peek into the science behind the tools used by investigators to analyse crime scene evidence. It has already attracted more than 14,000 applicants.

NTU will also offer these free online courses to its undergraduates who will earn academic credits for them.

Prospective students who had taken and passed the NTU courses will also be able to transfer their credits to NTU should they enrol as an undergraduate later.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~