Fitting NTU to a T

Fitting NTU to a T

With engineering at its core, NTU should be the university with exciting interfaces between different disciplines rather than follow a comprehensive model like Harvard or Berkeley said NTU Provost Bertil Andersson.
“There’s a lot of new knowledge today and what students require is inter-disciplinarity,” he told the Enquirer in a recent interview.

“No one wants to be just an engineer; no one wants to be just a scientist. Young people today want to have a broader base; they want to look at the totality and to understand more things.”“No one wants to be just an engineer; no one wants to be just a scientist. Young people today want to have a broader base; they want to look at the totality and to understand more things.”

And NTU’s strength lies in its ability to be a university “based upon engineering and science, but having these interfaces”.

For example, combining engineering with biology creates new devices and biomaterial while engineering with business is “very important for the industry”, Prof Andersson explained.

About half of the current university undergraduate population are engineering students, and the university has marketed itself as one which offers a well-rounded global education with a distinctive edge in science and technology, according to its website.

In a speech at NTU’s 50th anniversary celebration four years ago, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong challenged NTU to choose between the Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) model.

“Both are outstanding institutions. But whereas Harvard is strong in all disciplines, MIT builds its reputation on its Science and Engineering schools, even though its Humanities and Social Sciences departments are world class,” PM Lee said. “NTU has to choose between these two models. You can aspire to be either like Harvard or MIT, but you cannot aspire to be both.”

If NTU were to become the MIT of the East, its name should stick added Prof Andersson, using the Ivy League in the United States as a comparison.

“If you look at the Nobel prizes in the last 50 years after World War II, which universities have the most Nobel prizes?” said Prof Andersson, currently a member of the Board of Trustees of the Nobel Foundation.

“It’s Harvard – it’s a comprehensive university. No 2 is Berkeley, it’s a comprehensive university. And No 3 is Oxford, Cambridge, also comprehensive.”

However, in the last 15 years MIT, Stanford and Caltech are first, second and third respectively with Harvard ninth on the list, he said to prove his point.

“Many of these universities have a “T” in their names. MIT is not just engineering; it also has humanities, so it’s also an interdisciplinary university but the engineering is in the center,” said Prof Andersson, adding that comprehensive universities may be too diluted to really concentrate on their research efforts.

Hence there’s no reason for NTU to drop the “T” from its name. “The ‘N’ is for Nanyang, the ‘T’ is for Technological, the ‘U’ is for University – I think everyone has its share,” he said. “And then the ‘T’ stands for the core of the university.”

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NU way to name change for NTU

NU way to name change for NTU

The Enquirer polled 150 students at various locations in NTU campus on their views about renaming the university---Illustration: Lin Junjie

Most NTU students are against the idea of a name change from ‘Nanyang Technological University’ to ‘Nanyang University’ according to a straw poll.

The poll indicated that 66% of 150 respondents said no to the suggestion of a change in the name of the university. Engineering students made up close to two-thirds of those against renaming the university.

In 2003, NTU led by President Su Guaning, aimed towards changing the university’s name to Nanyang University by 2005. However, in 2004, this plan was shelved.

According to a Straits Times article dated July 2004, President Su said this change will only take place once NTU becomes a full-fledged comprehensive university.

In response to the poll, many expressed the change as impractical and strange.

“NTU is already a global name. Having the name changed means we have to inform the world all over again.”Ms Lee Wei Ting, a second-year Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) student, said: “NTU is already a global name. Having the name changed means we have to inform the world all over again.”

“NU sounds strange,” first-year Economics major Mr Seng Yuan Gan said. He is not alone as Mr Lim Kuan Chien, majoring in Biological Engineering, feels that the acronym for the university must have three letters. “If not, it won’t sound nice,” the 20-year-old said.

Another concern was the identity of the old Nanyang University.

Mr Shang Yun Zhou, a second-year EEE major from China felt that NTU is different from the Nanyang University of the past as it was a mandarin-speaking university.

In addition, business student Sim Yihui expressed her concern that Nantah alumni will be unhappy if NTU were to change its name to Nanyang University.

“I read in the Straits Times before that a lot of the Nantah alumni do not see NTU as a continuation of Nantah,” the 21-year-old said.

Meanwhile, the remaining third of the total respondents warmed to the idea of a name change for several reasons. One factor was the presence of schools outside the technological field.

Second-year Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering student Mr Kevin Koh believes that having a strong business school is a good reason for renaming the university better known for its engineering schools.

“…because of the stereotypical thinking of the word technological, my UK friend asked why is an arts school doing in a technological university?” 19-year-old School of Art, Design and Media student Ms Jane Koh said.“…because of the stereotypical thinking of the word technological, my UK friend asked why is an arts school doing in a technological university?” 19-year-old School of Art, Design and Media student Ms Jane Koh said.

Besides the renaming of the university, the poll also asked students if Nantah was part of NTU. Nanyang University then, in the 1950s up till 1980, was commonly known as Nantah.

About 43% of the respondents were unsure about Nantah and its history relating to NTU. The remaining students were divided in their opinions over Nantah.

Second-year EEE major Ms Wong Yan Nan from China feels that although Nantah is part of NTU, it is now history. “It’s just a name and it does not matter,” she said.

However, there are others like final-year EEE student Mr Kheu Zong Jie who is certain that Nantah is part of NTU. “Monuments at Yunnan Garden are a big reminder of the Nantah Spirit,” he said.

Mr Allen Lee, an environmental engineering major and member of the NTU Basketball team, shared with the Enquirer the sense of encouragement felt at his games when the “old boys — really old, with white hair — come down to cheer on the NTU Basketball team”.

“That’s probably the Nantah spirit,” the 23-year-old said.

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Nantah’s spectre haunts NTU’s name

Nantah’s spectre haunts NTU’s name

The original Nantah gate now stands awkwardly amid HDB flats in Jurong West, quite a distance from the NTU campus where a proposal to rename it "Nanyang University" has similarly been forgotten. --Photo: Liew Shi Xiong

When late calligrapher and poet Pan Shou called for NTU to be renamed simply as Nanyang University in 1998, he saw it as a way to “quieten the hearts of many”, reflecting a desire among some Nantah alumni to see the old name of their alma mater brought back.

The remark was made in Mr Pan’s acceptance speech for an honorary degree to recognize his contributions to the arts in Singapore, and to Nantah, which he served as the first General Secretary in its early days.

However, on the same day, both then NTU president Cham Tao Soon and the then Education Minister Teo Chee Hean present at the ceremony told reporters that they saw no need for a name change. They felt that NTU was a name already well-known in the world, and the word “technological” reflected its strength and focus well.

Mr Pan passed away a year later, before he could see current NTU president Su Guanning express plans to drop the “T” in NTU by 2005.

Shortly after taking office in 2003, Dr Su had mentioned in an interview with the Straits Times of his desire to revive the “fighting spirit” in the founding of Nantah by adopting its name.

Yet, in a dramatic turn of events, Dr Su announced a year later that he would put the renaming on hold until NTU becomes a full-fledged, comprehensive university. The matter has not been brought up again.

History of Nantah

Nanyang University, or Nantah, was established in 1955 and merged with the University of Singapore (SU) in 1980 to form the National University of Singapore (NUS).

However, most Nantah alumni saw it as a forced closure of their alma mater. The bitterness ran deep, as the 12,000 Nantah graduates felt marginalised by a society that did not recognize their degrees. Many of them were unable to find jobs, or were given little pay compared to SU graduates.

In addition, Nantah was built using donations from Chinese from all walks of life – including trishaw riders, cabaret girls and washerwomen – to realise a dream of setting up a Chinese university in Singapore. This added to the deep sense of loss Nantah alumni felt when they saw an English medium technological institution set up where their mother school used to be.

Nanyang Technological Institute, which opened on the former Nantah campus in 1981, was expanded to become Nanyang Technological University 10 years later.

Proposed name change stirs alumni

The proposal to drop the “T” by Dr Su Guanning was endorsed by Mr R. Sinnakarupan, president of the then 75,000-member NTU Alumni Club. For more than a year since January 2003, news in the media reported only NTU’s steps in pushing towards reviving Nantah, setting 2005 as the target date.

Yet, it was not mentioned that there were dissenting voices from various alumni, who took to the Internet to voice their objection.

A Nantah graduate, who currently resides in Canada, conducted an online straw poll of 50 alumni, of which all but one saw NTU as a separate entity from Nantah and not a resurrection of the former Chinese university.

The pollster, Dr Choo Eng Ung, also posted a declaration online with three other alumni to state that there is “only one real history of Nanyang University” – that it was shut down in 1980 and has ceased to exist.

The declaration, supported by 72 Nantah alumni, sought to “stop NTU from using the exact name ‘Nanyang University’”, in order to “protect and preserve the integrity of the true legendary history of our alma mater Nanyang University”.

“Most alumni, including me, see Nanyang University as having officially ceased to exist at age 25,” Mr. Chong said.Various Nantah graduates interviewed by the Enquirer, like Mr Chong Wing Hong, echoed the views of the online voices. “Most alumni, including me, see Nanyang University as having officially ceased to exist at age 25,” Mr. Chong said.

“A group of alumni thought that NTU should be ‘linked’ with Nanyang University. But Dr Su tried it, and it didn’t work out,” added the senior writer for Lianhe Zaobao.

“NTU is a new and independent university,” said Mr Tan Hock Lay, another Nantah alumnus. “The cultural, social and academic environment of NTU and Nantah are also largely different, so there is no point in bringing up a name change.”

Another objection to using the name Nanyang University was its historical baggage and the possibility of rekindling old grievances Nantah alumni experienced during the “forced closure”, said Mr Chong, the senior writer for Lianhe Zaobao.

This sentiment is reflected by another alumnus, who wished to remain anonymous. He and his Nantah schoolmates were so unhappy being viewed as NTU Alumni that they “tore up NTU letters asking for donations every year”.

“The Massachusetts University in the USA is still called Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Yet it has a strong humanities and social sciences faculty, and has produced many excellent graduates. To change the name is not an issue.”“There is no harm continuing using the name ‘Nanyang Technological University’,” said Mr Chong. “The Massachusetts University in the USA is still called Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Yet it has a strong humanities and social sciences faculty, and has produced many excellent graduates. To change the name is not an issue.”

President of Nanyang University Alumni Academic Society, Dr. Choong Chow Siong, admitted that he was among the minority of Nantah graduates who also sees himself as an alumnus of NTU.

“There are two types of alumni of NTU – those who graduated from the university itself, the other established under the legislation,” Dr Choong said. Under a parliamentary act in 1995, the Nantah alumni rolls were transferred from NUS to NTU.

“Everyone has already deep set perception about what happened,” said Dr Choong, referring to those Nantah alumni who do not share his outlook as a dual alumnus of Nantah and NTU. “There is no need to actively push for a change in view, because it would be a 180-degrees change, one that is not easy to achieve.”

As for the continued possibility of a name change, Dr Choong said it is an important decision that should be made by stakeholders of NTU and Nantah together.

Name change shelved, for now

In July 2004, Dr Su suddenly announced a change of plan, saying renaming would come only after NTU becomes a full-fledged varsity. The move was backed by then Deputy Prime Minister Tony Tan. This time, there was no timeline.

It was unclear whether objections from various Nantah alumni were the cause of what happened. Yet, six years after Dr Su’s proposed name change, it seems as if renaming NTU has already dropped off the radar.

During a global reunion of Nantah graduates in Beijing on 17 October last year, a discussion found that while reviving the “Nantah spirit” continues to be among hopes of alumni, the option of renaming NTU is no longer within consideration.

More importantly, NTU Provost Bertil Andersson said in an interview with The Enquirer that NTU would retain its technological focus, a theme that fit well with what Dr Su said during his speech at NTU’s 2006 convocation.

“Among the three public universities in Singapore, we are the only science and technology university approximating MIT, whose excellence we want to emulate.”“Prime Minister Lee asked if we aspire to be Harvard or MIT. You will not be surprised that the answer is MIT,” Prof Su said as he addressed the freshly minted NTU graduates. “Among the three public universities in Singapore, we are the only science and technology university approximating MIT, whose excellence we want to emulate.”

When pressed for a response on the renaming issue, the university replied with “no comments”, and The Enquirer has been unable to get a response from Dr Su himself thus far.

Perhaps Mr Pan Shou’s wish may never be realized, but it appears a sizeable group of Nantah alumni — who do not want Nantah’s name to be used for what they feel is an unrelated entity — want to keep it that way.

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