New School, New Methods

Now under construction, the Singapore University of Technology and Design is the country's $700 million try at cultivating the next generation of engineers and technology innovators, says the Chronicle of Higher Education's Jeffrey Young. The institution, which will start classes at a temporary campus in 2012, is being established in collaboration with MIT, though MIT researchers are planning to try out new teaching methods and curricula instead of using the same methods and classes taught in Massachusetts, Young says. MIT also plans to export the new methods and classes to Cambridge if they are successful in Singapore. The new institute will also have input from Zhejiang University in China, which is helping to design some of the courses, and will provide internship opportunities for the students as well as a partner for research collaborations, Young adds. The permanent campus won't be ready until 2014.