[8 January 2003]
Singapore Management University and Carnegie
Mellon University to collaborate on development
of School of Information Systems
The Singapore Management University
(SMU) today announced that it has signed a Memorandum
of Understanding with Carnegie Mellon University,
a top American university and renowned for its excellence
in information technology. Carnegie Mellon University
will collaborate with SMU on the development of SMU's
recently established School of Information Systems
(SIS). Through this four-year partnership agreement,
Carnegie Mellon University will work with SMU to
design and implement the SIS undergraduate, masters
and executive education programmes, and research
centre.
"Through this partnership, Carnegie
Mellon brings a wealth of education and research
experience to Singapore in information systems, in
business, and most importantly, in the integration
of these two areas. Carnegie Mellon is also recognized
for educational innovation and for cross-disciplinary
work that spans technology, business, social sciences,
psychology and the arts. This relationship greatly
enhances SMU’s ability to deliver innovative
educational programmes and cross-disciplinary experiences,” said
Dr Steven Miller, the School's Interim Dean.
Carnegie Mellon University ranked
first among computer science programs nationally
in the 2002 US News and World Report Magazine survey
of graduate programs. In this same survey, its e-Commerce
Programme was ranked top of its kind for specialty
business areas. Carnegie Mellon faculty from these
and other programmes will work alongside SIS to develop
the undergraduate programme's curriculum, pedagogy
model, faculty resources, and organisational and
technological infrastructure. Carnegie Mellon University
will similarly share its expertise to plan, design
and launch the research center and the master's program.
Both parties hope to expand the relationship into
other areas such as the facilitation of student exchange
programmes, technology-related executive education
programmes, conferences, seminars and symposia on
topics of mutual interest.
"We are excited about the opportunity
to assist in the development of the new School of
Information Systems at Singapore Management University.
This joint partnership builds on the strengths of
both Singapore Management University and Carnegie
Mellon University. The new school will be designed
to help Singapore adapt to the changing world of
information technology," said Dr.
Mark Kamlet, Provost, Carnegie Mellon University.
SMU's fourth and newest school,
the School of Information Systems specializes in
innovative uses of information systems to improve
business performance and create economic value. Set
up in response to the changing needs of the region’s
digital economy, the SIS will welcome its first students
in August 2003.
SIS will have a cross-disciplinary
approach, preparing sophisticated and flexible IT
graduates who can interface between business and
technology. These graduates are expected to secure
positions such as software project managers and engineers,
business systems architects and analysts, process
innovation project leaders, entrepreneurs of new
business services, CIOs, IT finance managers and
even CFOs.
The SIS will be admitting 50-100
undergraduates in its first year of operation and
by 2006 it is expected to hold a total of 550 undergraduates
and postgraduate students. Admission criteria for
the new school will follow the current academic and
SAT requirements for SMU. As at all of SMU’s
schools, students who display varied interests, excellence
in other non-academic areas or have demonstrated
exceptional leadership or entrepreneurial skills
will also be considered by the Admissions Committee.
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