SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Education (MOE) said it's on track to set up Singapore's fourth university by 2015. But it's mindful of maintaining high standards for publicly-funded universities.

Taking the International Academic Advisory Panel's (IAAP) recommendations to focus on attracting quality staff and students, the ministry said it will carry out more studies to ensure the university starts off on a good position.

It will also conduct more studies on the proposed liberal arts college because the IAAP had said that while the college would have "strategic value" in Singapore's education landscape, there were concerns about attracting the right calibre of students.

Education Minister, Dg Ng Eng Hen, said: "The question is whether Singapore can successfully build such an institution in Singapore, because parents and students have their choices.

"They can choose other professions - doctors, engineers, lawyers - or they can go elsewhere for this kind of education, in the States basically. So that's the challenge." - CNA/vm