I refer to the article “Wanted: Local talent in varsities” (Straits Times, Apr 5).
Only 28% of professors are Singaporeans?
It states that “The 2013 figures for the National University of Singapore’s (NUS’s) political science department, throw up a startling fact: 16 of its 25 faculty are foreign.
Only seven , or 28 per cent, are Singaporean.
Sometimes (actually quite often) – reading the news may be kind of like a striptease that does not reveal the most significant.
Isn’t the most important and obvious question – what percentage of the faculty in all the local universities are non-Singaporeans?
Was this “obvious question” asked or answered in Parliament?
“Locals” or “Singaporean” professors’ statistics?
As to “Besides the NUS political Science department, locals are also the minority at the university’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (38 out of 82 faculty) and at NTU’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (12 out of 29 faculty). And at NTU’s School of Communication and Information (WKWSCI), 21 of the 48 faculty are Singaporean”
- do you notice an apparent inconsistency or discrepancy – the above talks about “locals” in 2 faculties and “Singaporean” in one faculty.
So, do “locals” refer to Singaporeans and permanent residents (PRs)?
Perhaps the title of the above referenced newspaper article should be ”Unwanted: Local talent in varsities” – instead of ”Wanted: Local talent in varsities”?
% of non-Singaporean students?
Perhaps the other arguably even more “obvious” question has to the best of my knowledge never been answered in Parliament
- what percentage of all the students (undergraduate and graduate) are not Singaporeans, i.e. foreigners and PRs?
I estimate this figure to be about 40%.
Disappearing jobs for Singaporeans – IT?
Now comes perhaps an even more “obvious” question – how many jobs have disappeared for Singaporeans in some sectors?
Anecdotally, I understand that the IT (Information Technology) sector may have been one of the worse hit.
In this connection, in our volunteer financial counselling – we have increasingly come across Singaporeans from IT who can’t get jobs or have had their pay slashed by a large quantum.
I also understand that some IT departments may appear to be almost entirely staffed with non-Singaporeans, i.e. foreigners and PRs.
How about giving us the statistics on the above? (“Why you should worry about disappearing jobs”, Straits Times, Apr 5)
Leong Sze Hian
*Leong is the Past President of the Society of Financial Service Professionals, an alumnus of Harvard University, has authored 4 books, quoted over 1500 times in the media , has been host of a money radio show, a daily newspaper column, Wharton Fellow, SEACeM Fellow, columnist for Malaysiakini, executive producer of the movie Ilo Ilo (24 international awards). He has served as Honorary Consul of Jamaica and founding advisor to the Financial Planning Associations of Brunei and Indonesia. He has 3 Masters, 2 Bachelors and 13 professional qualifications.