SINGAPORE: The next Singapore university should be a publicly-funded institution offering disciplines such as Design and Architecture, Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Business and Information Technology, with an integrated approach centred on these disciplines.

This was the recommendation made by the Committee on the Expansion of the University Sector in a preliminary report released on Tuesday.

The committee also proposed that the fourth local university should set an annual intake of about 2,000–2,500 students and provide the bulk of the additional university places required to achieve the target 30 per cent cohort participation rate outlined by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the 2007 National Day Rally.

While recognising the progress made by Singapore's existing universities, the committee - which began studying the education landscape last September - asked that consideration be given to the introduction of a liberal arts education in Singapore.

Since the the National University of Singapore (NUS) has already proposed the setting up of a liberal arts college (LAC) as an autonomous institution under the NUS umbrella, the committee recommended a deeper study of issues relating to the LAC, such as a possible partnership and funding model.

In addition, the committee said there is scope to offer students more opportunities to pursue degrees in niche areas currently not offered as publicly-funded degree programmes.

This, it said in its report, will complement the demand in strategic sectors of the economy, and the committee encouraged local polytechnics to explore more tie-ups with specialised institutions for niche degree programmes.

It added that the number of places available through such tie-ups could grow beyond the current target of 460 by 2010 to 700 in the longer term.

The committee, which will submit its final report to the government next month, has also recommended public funding for a limited number of students taking up bachelor degree programmes in high-quality independent degree-awarding institutions in Singapore, such as those brought in by the Economic Development Board under its Global Schoolhouse Initiative. - CNA/sf