News Release

Innovative joint undergraduate degree
program begins launch in Singapore

CHAPEL HILL – An innovative joint undergraduate degree program joining the academic strengths of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the National University of Singapore (NUS) will reach another milestone Monday (Feb. 26) in Singapore when the program officially launches for students from both universities.

Top UNC officials are traveling to NUS for a ceremony to sign a memorandum of understanding that will formally kick off plans for the program, which begins this fall for students in Singapore and Chapel Hill.

“We are excited about this opportunity to extend and enhance an already excellent partnership with the National University of Singapore through a new joint degree program,” said Peter Coclanis, associate provost for international affairs. “This collaboration will provide UNC and NUS students with an outstanding academic experience at a time when globalization presents them with such important challenges and opportunities.”

The joint program is believed to be a first at the undergraduate level outside of a professional school setting among UNC’s U.S. peer campuses. Students will apply for the program after being admitted to either university. Eligible UNC undergraduates in the College of Arts and Sciences can take two to four semesters of classes at NUS and earn diplomas from both universities. NUS students can study in Chapel Hill and also receive a degree from both campuses. NUS students will be encouraged to come to North Carolina early in the program to benefit fully from UNC’s general education offerings.

The program, which starts next August, is designed to serve students who major in economics, English literature, geography, history and political science. Initially, about five students will be accepted in the program from each campus. UNC and NUS leaders expect student interest from among participants in an existing semester exchange program between both institutions, which also collaborate to operate the Carolina Southeast Asia Summer program at NUS. UNC’s Southeast Asia Interest Association also has more than 300 student members, including undergraduates who are potential future applicants for the new program.

“This partnership with the University of North Carolina, one of America’s leading public universities, is setting a new trend for joint international undergraduate education,” said Professor Lily Kong, NUS vice provost for education. “We are very pleased to be joining in a program with such great potential for more collaborations bridging the physical distance between Singapore and Chapel Hill. We hope our work together will become a model for other universities that are making global connections.”

The new program’s launch follows up on plans initially discussed on a visit by Chancellor James Moeser and a UNC delegation to NUS, Singapore and Bangkok in 2005. NUS is partnering with several leading U.S. universities on various academic programs.

During Monday’s ceremony, Coclanis and Madeline G. Levine, interim dean of UNC’s College of Arts and Sciences, will join their NUS counterparts for a series of events including a formal signing ceremony for a memorandum of understanding.

Coclanis will speak on “Rights and Responsibilities:  Globalization and the International Research University” to an NUS campus audience on Tuesday (Feb. 27). Other sessions that day will include NUS and UNC students sharing their experiences with study abroad in Chapel Hill and Singapore, as well as an informational meeting for students interested in the new program.

UNC’s Study Abroad Office will hold a kickoff session, including a cultural event and meal, for the program in Chapel Hill on March 28. Related campus resources include the Carolina Asia Center, a linchpin in the university’s globalization efforts.

Coclanis said the joint program was a cost-effective approach to meet the growing demand among students on both campuses for an international education. NUS, with some 200 faculty members specializing in Southeast Asian studies, can efficiently serve UNC students interesting in pursuing such courses and research. At the same time, NUS students interested in Western studies will have plenty of options at UNC.

NUS, which enrolls more than 23,000 undergraduates and has about 1,900 faculty, was ranked among Asia’s top three universities and 19th worldwide by The Times, a London newspaper. UNC regularly ranks among the top public universities in the United States and has long been a leader in producing undergraduates who study abroad.

Globalization is among UNC’s major academic priorities. In December, Moeser and a UNC delegation traveled to China to help co-sponsor a conference on health-care reform with Peking University. In May, UNC will dedicate its European Study Center in Winston House, which will be home to UNC’s honors program and London and open for use by faculty, students, alumni and programs from across the university and its partner institutions. UNC is also nearing completion of the FedEx Global Education Center, which will bring several key international activities under one roof and advance a major academic priority. The university broke ground in 2004 for the building, which will create a vibrant hub of international studies, academic services, research, public service and cultural exchange.

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Related NUS links: http://www.nus.edu.sg/,  http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/undergrad/toknow/academic_requirements/jdegree_uncch.html; http://newshub.nus.edu.sg/pressrel/0702/070226.htm
Related UNC links:  http://international.unc.edu/; http://studyabroad.unc.edu/studyabroad.cfm; http://artsandsci.unc.edu/

UNC contact:  Mike McFarland, (919) 962-8593, mike_mcfarland@unc.edu