[23 May 2003]
Singapore Management University City Campus Offers a New Educational Experience When Completed

New campus sets to encourage open, flexible and interactive learning

The Singapore Management University (SMU) announced today that the public can look forward to a new chapter of educational experience when the city campus opens in 2005. It also added that development progress has been on schedule.

Built from scratch, facilities in the new campus reflect SMU’s pedagogical approach to encourage active learning and critical thinking as well as to foster greater interaction between faculty and students. Key features include seminar-style classrooms which seat between 40 – 60, and clusters of small ‘break-out’ rooms, each designed to accommodate 5-10 people to facilitate project work and small collaborations which generate the best learning experience.

In addition, all the school buildings are linked with one another through a basement concourse to facilitate ease of movement for students to cross between buildings for courses in the different schools. This interlink feature underscores SMU’s broad-based curriculum, which allows students to choose various subjects across multiple disciplines as part of the University’s goal to provide an all-rounded education.

The Campus Centre serves as the central arena for public activities. A porous hub within the unified space, it houses a food court, deli, café and a bookshop, which enables interaction with members of the public.

Technological connectivity is central in the SMU classrooms and beyond, simulating real life where information technology steers and drives all applications for business and management in today’s era. The full wireless infrastructure will enable students to work on their laptops and have access to Internet connectivity - anytime, anywhere – within SMU’s ‘campus in the park’.

In explaining the design concept, Mr Foo Yit San, Director of Campus Development said, “These days, students are spending more time on the campus to discuss projects or be engaged in research. From the start, we pored over every intricate detail from the foundation level, classroom and building design, amenities, public access, conservation to landscaping as we recognize that a comfortable environment will aid learning. We also want to encourage interaction between the University (among faculty and students) and members of the public.”

As a management university, SMU will also benefit from the ready network of business partners and add synergy to the business community within the proximity. Its prime location facilitates an exchange of commercial and educational activities such as internships, business attachments, study visits, sponsorships, and the provision of executive education.

“The completion of the SMU city campus will open up a new chapter of educational experience and marks the beginning of Singapore’s first urban university. Our students can benefit and leverage on SMU’s relationships with key stakeholders. They are able to grasp and respond to real-life situations through interactions with these key players. In addition, the new campus also provides easy and convenient access around Singapore,” said SMU President, Professor Ronald Frank.

By fully leveraging on these existing opportunities while adding vibrancy to the business and cultural communities in the neighbourhood, SMU is able to position itself strategically as an university of choice for industry-leading research and distinguished teaching.

The masterplan was the brainchild of the talented partnership between Singapore’s KNTA Architects and Britain’s Edward Cullinan Architects, Master Architects for the “Bras Basah” project. It was developed to respect and respond to the diversity of the historical, cultural and physical landscape of the Bras Basah district.