{"id":11906,"date":"2018-07-01T17:34:34","date_gmt":"2018-07-01T09:34:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/?p=11906"},"modified":"2025-10-20T11:45:21","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T03:45:21","slug":"whats-the-lesson-here","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/2018\/07\/01\/whats-the-lesson-here\/","title":{"rendered":"What’s the Lesson Here?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Much has been made of the staggering changes in today\u2019s fourth industrial revolution. Innovative technologies such as the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence are driving the confluence of the physical, digital and biological worlds at an exponential rate. Younger, digitally-connected millennials and Gen Z are amassing more influence and purchasing power, even as demographic trends point to an ageing global population. We now live in an age of disruption, where all industries and countries are scrambling to adapt to a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous <\/span>(VUCA) world.<\/span><\/p>

What does this mean for Singapore and its higher education landscape? At the macro level, the Government is leading the push to transform Singapore into a Smart Nation. It is also encouraging citizens, young and old, to take ownership of their learning, both for personal enrichment and to enhance <\/span>their career prospects as they contribute to the Smart Nation ambition. Universities have a crucial part to play in this endeavour, given their role in preparing students for the workforce and instilling in them a lifelong love of learning. Indeed, this emphasis on lifelong learning has led to an expanded institutional focus for NUS \u2014 and, by implication, deeper engagement between the University and its alumni.<\/span><\/p>

TOWARDS A SMART NATION<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>

In Singapore, efforts to harness the positive impact of technological disruption are underway through its Smart Nation vision. By implementing key strategic projects such as building e-payment platforms and deploying autonomous vehicles, the Government hopes to advance the city-state\u2019s economic competitiveness and liveability. National initiatives like SkillsFuture and Adapt & Grow have also been launched to promote lifelong learning among Singaporeans of all ages, so that they can upgrade their skills and take on new jobs in existing and emerging industries.<\/span><\/p>

The latest figures show that many Singaporeans are proactive in charting their own learning and career paths. More than 285,000 working adults have utilised the SkillsFuture Credit scheme to date, with many pursuing infocomm technology courses at substantially-discounted rates. And out of the 24,000 individuals who found jobs in 2017 through Adapt & Grow, 3,300 underwent the Professional Conversion Programme to reskill themselves and move into new occupations or sectors.<\/span><\/p>

Speaking at the recent May Day Rally, Prime Minister Mr Lee Hsien Loong urged mature workers in particular to take advantage of these initiatives amid the ongoing economic restructuring and changing job demands. \u201cFor younger Singaporeans not in the workforce, you will have sound education and market-relevant skills that will be sought after in the job market. For those already in the workforce, especially the older ones, we look out for you, and support you with all these schemes and programmes, [to] make you more employable,\u201d said the Prime Minister.<\/span><\/p>

Mr Lee\u2019s remarks on \u201csound education\u201d call attention to the importance of universities in equipping pre-employment learners with the requisite knowledge and skills to succeed in tomorrow\u2019s workplace. This is certainly true of NUS \u2014 however, it only tells half the story. While NUS continues to be a leading provider of undergraduate education, the last few years have also seen the University upping its efforts in serving adult learners through continuing education and training (CET).<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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In your career, we will be your anchor for lifelong learning so that you can make sense of the future economy, and your future jobs.<\/span><\/h5>

Prof Tan Eng Chye, NUS President<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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STUDENTS FOR LIFE<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>

The tone for NUS\u2019 lifelong learning strategy was set by NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye (Science \u201985) as soon as he assumed office early this year. In a speech delivered on 5 January, Prof Tan said, \u201cTo our students, we say that NUS is committed to helping you grow as a person. NUS will be here for you, for life. In your career, we will be your anchor for lifelong learning so that you can make sense of the future economy, and your future jobs. We aim to empower you so that you can give back to the community, to help others succeed.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

He also outlined NUS\u2019 plans over the next five years to \u201cre-imagine teaching and learning for the future\u201d, including progressively opening up programmes to non-NUS alumni and gradually integrating adult learners into undergraduate and postgraduate classes. This is a continuation of Prof Tan\u2019s efforts in his former capacity as NUS Provost to ramp up the University\u2019s foray into the CET space, most notably through the launch of the School of Continuing and Lifelong Education (SCALE) in 2016.<\/span><\/p>

Having become the NUS Senior Deputy President and Provost, Professor Ho Teck Hua (Engineering \u201985) is eager to further strengthen this commitment to lifelong learning. \u201cNUS sees CET as an integral part of our students\u2019 education and personal development. The importance of CET or lifelong learning is heightened by the rapidly-changing VUCA environment,\u201d Prof Ho tells The\u00a0Alum<\/em>NUS. \u201cWe at NUS are committed to serving our students and alumni over their entire career span by providing ready access to skills-based, industry-relevant courses necessary for upskilling or reskilling, so that they remain competitive and continue to make a significant and meaningful impact on the economy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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We at NUS are committed to serving our students and alumni over their entire career span by providing ready access to skills-based, industry-relevant courses necessary for upskilling or reskilling.<\/span><\/h5>

Prof Ho Teck Hua, NUS Senior Deputy President and Provost<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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LEARNING COMES IN MANY FORMS<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>

Most NUS faculties and schools offer executive education courses in their respective fields. To give a few wide-ranging examples, two-day courses on enhancing public engagement and PR skills are available under the Department of Communications and New Media, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences; the Institute of Systems Science conducts courses for digital professionals to keep abreast of technological and business trends; the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy\u2019s executive programmes aim to help people become more effective managers and leaders; and both open-enrolment and customised programmes are offered by NUS Business School for senior executives and organisations, respectively.<\/span><\/p>

On the pedagogy side, new innovations in adult education are explored and disseminated by staff at several NUS institutions, such as the Institute for Application of Learning Science and Educational Technology (ALSET) and the Centre for Development of Teaching and Learning (CDTL). Even the alumni community occasionally organises lifelong learning initiatives for NUS graduates. At the NUS Society\u2019s first-ever Active Ageing and Lifelong Learning Day this past April, participants joined a variety of interesting workshops, from picking up the ukulele and guitar to receiving health and wealth management tips.<\/span><\/p>

SCALE is also making headway in the CET space through its spectrum of offerings for working adults. These include part-time Bachelor\u2019s degree programmes, certificate courses and executive development programmes spanning across various disciplines and industries to support the SkillsFuture national movement. Today, SCALE is the largest provider of Data Analytics courses for the SkillsFuture Series.<\/span><\/p>

A standout programme is the Lifelong Learning Initiative for NUS Alumni (LLINA), which is administered by SCALE. Under LLINA, NUS alumni can study up to two University-wide modules for free over a three-year period from 1 August 2017 to 31 July 2020. A total of 140 modules across eight schools and faculties were offered during the first-year pilot phase, with 8,000 applicants vying for the first batch of 400 seats in 79 modules in Semester 1 of AY2017\/2018.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cOur computing- and business-related modules, such as data analytics and entrepreneurship courses, have been very well-subscribed because these skills are what the market demands of professionals in the workplace,\u201d says Professor Susanna Leong (Law \u201989), Vice Provost (Lifelong Education) of NUS, on LLINA. Encouraged by the positive response from alumni, NUS has rolled out a bigger, better programme \u2014 NUS Lifelong Learners (NUS L3) \u2014 which is eventually meant to replace LLINA.<\/span><\/p>

\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

THE 4Ps<\/strong><\/span><\/h4><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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“With NUS alumni adopting a lifelong learning mindset and CET becoming an institutional focus for NUS, NUS\u2019 responsibility as a provider of university education will shift from preparing our students for \u2018a career of a lifetime\u2019 to \u2018a lifetime of careers,\u2019\u201d says Prof Ho. The University is thus in the midst of redesigning its teaching delivery to accommodate adult learners, guided by four main principles:<\/span><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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  1. PATHWAY Varying pathways will be created for students and alumni to retool and upskill themselves.<\/span><\/p><\/li>

  2. PACE Students and alumni will be allowed to learn at their desired pace.<\/span><\/p><\/li>

  3. PEDAGOGY Backed by pedagogical research, focus will be given to the quality of teaching.<\/span><\/p><\/li>

  4. PLACE \u2018Learning on demand\u2019 systems will enable students and alumni to learn at a time and place of their choice.<\/span><\/p><\/li><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND PROGRAMME<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>

    \u201cWe constantly disrupt our own thinking and challenge ourselves \u2014 what else can we do to encourage more of our alumni to embrace the lifelong learning mindset and make it easier and more intuitive for them to embark on this journey?\u201d says Professor Wei Kwok Kee, Dean of SCALE. \u201cThe NUS L\u00b3 programme innovatively reconfigures the entire construct of NUS\u2019 CET offerings, advancing it beyond merely lining up a suite of CET courses for subscription,\u201d Prof Wei further notes. The unique features of NUS L\u00b3 include a \u201820-year enrolment\u2019; one free module to encourage the first step towards lifelong learning; an attractive option to stack modules towards a second qualification; and a substantial suite of CET courses that cover current areas such as Industry 4.0.<\/span><\/p>

    The NUS L\u00b3\u00a0CET catalogue is carefully curated to ensure that the courses are skills-based and industry-relevant. Depending on shifting demands and industry needs, the modules on offer will be changed periodically. Those enrolled in the programme \u2014 including LLINA participants who continue with CET under NUS L\u00b3\u00a0\u2014 also have the option of stacking up courses to earn a second qualification. Such professional upgrading will give alumni a chance to take on new job responsibilities or pursue alternative careers in their area of interest.<\/span><\/p>

    In debating whether or not to return to study, accessibility of classes is usually the foremost factor on the minds of alumni. \u201cThe decision to go back to school for adult learners invariably involves trade-offs, as they also have to deal with work and family obligations,\u201d says Prof Leong. To help them readily access the courses, blended-learning pedagogy combining physical classroom instruction and online materials will be employed. Other measures to create a conducive learning environment for alumni include a free first module, shorter semesters, as well as evening and weekend classes.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Our computingand business related modules, such as data analytics and entrepreneurship courses, have been very well subscribed because these skills are what the market demands of professionals in the workplace.<\/span><\/h5>

    Prof Susanna Leong, NUS Vice Provost (Lifelong Education)<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    NUS L3<\/sup><\/span><\/h3>
    \u00a0<\/h5>
    WHO IT IS FOR:<\/strong><\/span><\/h5><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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