Singapore
National University of Singapore
About the University
The National University of Singapore (NUS) offers a global approach to education and research focusing on Asian perspectives and expertise. Founded in 1905 as the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School, it is the oldest established institution of higher education in Singapore.
Today, NUS has 16 colleges, faculties and schools, and three campuses with an enrollment of 44,000. The 30,000 undergraduates and 14,000 graduate students can choose from more than 4,000 modules offered each semester. The main NUS campus sits at the top of the western end of Singapore's Southern Ridges. This elevated strip of land runs through Kent Ridge Park, giving the NUS Kent Ridge Campus its name.
Cornell Connection: CALS Global Fellows
The CALS Global Fellows Program supports undergraduate students in pursuit of challenging, professionally focused summer internships and research placements that enhance and complement their career goals and academic progress while enriching their undergraduate experience with diverse cultural and international immersion. CALS and NUS have been partnering for more than a decade.
About the Student Experience
NUS welcomes more than 2,300 international exchange students yearly with a team of Peer Advising Leaders (PALs) to support the integration of incoming and outgoing exchange students. Learn more about international students at NUS.
NUS offers short-term programs. There are a variety of one- to two-week courses open to exchange students that run during the summer and winter. Learn more about the programs.
Cornell Faculty Lead: Thomas Pepinsky
Walter F. LaFeber Professor, Department of Government, A&S
Director, Southeast Asia Program, Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies
Tom Pepinsky studies the interaction of political and economic systems, mostly in emerging market economies. He serves as director of Cornell's International Political Economy Program and associate director of the Cornell Modern Indonesia Project.
Research Themes
NUS collaborates with partners from industry, government, and academia across their 30 university-level research institutes, centers, and Research Centers of Excellence. The university is supporting Singapore's Smart Nation initiative through research on data science, operations research, and cybersecurity.
Hubs provide a collaborative platform for thematic research areas based on Cornell's and our Global Hubs partners' academic strengths and local contexts. Research themes being explored at NUS includes:
- Big Data, AI, and New Media: The NUS Institute of Data Science provides innovation and solutions by combining expertise from multiple disciplines to tackle problems across various sectors.
- Future Cities: There are several research projects focusing on urbanization and sustainability.
- Inequalities and Social Justice: The Institute of Policy Studies researches inequalities and social mobility issues and examines what policies are needed to level the playing field for different groups and increase social mobility.
- One Health: Health is a primary research subject for NUS. Through the School of Medicine, School of Public Health, and Health Innovation & Technology/Institute for Health, the university conducts research on biostatistics and modeling, epidemiology, health systems, and behavioral sciences.
Learn About Hubs Research Themes
Seed Grants
New seed grants from Global Cornell and NUS are deepening relationships between Cornell and its Global Hubs partners across the world. Learn more about the research projects.
About the Location
Singapore
Located in a tropical rainforest just north of the equator, Singapore is a gateway to Southeast Asia, with Indonesia to its east and Malaysia directly north. Singapore consists of 64 islands, including mainland Singapore, historically known as Pulau Ujong, with a population of more than five million. There are four official languages: English, Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil, with English as the common language of business and education. Singapore has several major parks and nature preserves, including the Singapore Botanic Gardens, a World Heritage site over 160 years old. It is possible to drive 10 minutes from the city center to trek through a tropical rainforest with vast diversity of flora.
Alumni Activity
"Alumni in Singapore are excited at the opening of the Global Hub in conjunction with NUS. It is a wonderful way to bring our alma mater to this side of the Pacific! Local alumni look forward to welcoming and supporting Cornell faculty and students who come to Singapore." — Mark Hansen '79, advisor to the Cornell Club of Singapore.
