MEDIA RELEASE
Republic Polytechnic Opens as a Campus with a Difference
Singapore, 31 July 2007 – There is a new pride in the north as Republic Polytechnic celebrates its Official Opening today. The GOH is Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Distinguished guests include ministers, members of parliament, permanent secretary, heads of statutory boards and industry leaders. The fifth and newest polytechnic celebrates its official opening today.
Built on a budget of $350 million, the campus is Singapore’s first open campus. Located strategically within a walking distance from Woodlands MRT and town centre, the fenceless campus welcomes residents in Woodlands to make use of its facilities.
The only Polytechnic to be awarded Green Mark Platinum Award in 2006, the campus is entirely wireless connectivity supports its unique curriculum based on learning by engagement.
Professor Low Teck Seng, Principal and CEO says, “In five years, Republic Polytechnic has built a name for itself. Today RP is known for providing a unique learning experience that is innovative, daring and different. As we go forth, RP will forge closer ties with the industry and the community.”
Occupying about 20-hectare, the campus was designed jointly by award-winning Japanese architect, Fumihiko Maki and DP Architects. The project started as early as 2003 in 3 phrases, in which phrase 3 was completed in April 2007.
From attractive and friendly physical features of its open courtyards, library and multi-purpose halls, sports and recreation facilities, down to the green conscious self-regulating air-conditioning system, the campus aims to provide the most conducive learning environment to its growing 8,000 students base.
Fronting RP’s state-of-the-art facility and outreach programmes is the 1,200 seating capacity Republic Polytechnic Cultural Centre (TRCC). Home to 25 cultural groups, TRCC has remarkable acoustic and stage facilities. To-date it has hosted many excellent cultural performances such as the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) outreach concert in Woodlands.
Professor Low added, “Our vision is to make RP a model of how an institution of higher learning can be more than just a place where future professionals are groomed. We want to build a community of life-long learners. In a cosmopolitan country like Singapore, we need to add value to the big picture of what Singapore strives to be. Our mission is to provide diversity to enrich the educational landscape. We now strive to make RP a technology, education, and cultural hub.”
More than 8,000 students, staff and invited guests are expected to celebrate the Official Opening this evening with 3-hour performances that include an exhibition and a lawn party. The official opening tonight also ushers in RP’s 5th year anniversary marked on every 1 August.
For more information on the campus, please log on to www.rp.sg.
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About Republic Polytechnic
The first educational institution in Singapore to adopt the Problem-Based Learning approach for all its diploma programme, Republic Polytechnic has five schools and two centres offering twenty nine diploma courses in Information & Communications Technology, Engineering, Applied Science, Technology for the Arts, Sports, Health & Leisure, Innovation and Enterprise, and Culture and Communication. Republic Polytechnic is committed to nurturing innovation and entrepreneurial learning in an environment that develops problem-solving process skills and a life-long learning attitude. Its holistic, broad-based curriculum, covering culture, enterprise development and cognitive processes, prepares students for an active and meaningful role in society. Republic Polytechnic strives for excellence by achieving various national and international accreditations, including People Developer Standards, ISO9001, ISO14001, OHSAS 18001, Singapore Quality Class, Singapore Innovation Class, and the Singapore Health Awards (Gold). For more information, visit http://www.rp.sg
Republic Polytechnic – The Education Hub of the North
As a leading educational institution, Republic Polytechnic’s key role is to prepare our students to meet the challenges of an increasingly competitive globalised economy. RP is committed to provide a holistic education and strives to create opportunities that allow our students to grow, learn and prepare for the workplace of the future where they have to anticipate problems that are as yet unknown and which require technologies that have not yet been invented. Leveraging on strong partnerships with prestigious academic institutions and research organizations, RP is on track to become the education hub of the North. The many collaborative partnerships RP now has are in the areas of Information and Communications Technology, Engineering, Applied Science, Arts, Sports, Health, Leisure, Enterprise, and Communication.
Key Initiatives in 2007
The School of Sports, Health and Leisure (SHL) has worked with reputable overseas universities on Foreign Specialised Institutes (FSI) scheme which enables students to enjoy articulation arrangements with British and Australian universities and a chance to obtain a foreign tertiary degree while studying in RP. This programme is expected to commence in 2009. SHL will also work closely with Singapore Sports Council (SSC) to engage in research and development work in areas such as Sports Science and Sports Management. Together, they will develop a Continuing Education Roadmap and coaching programmes to train sports administrators, leisure managers, sports educators, fitness leaders and coaches via specialist diplomas. RP’s staff and students will work with SSC to organise Sports Promotion and Education programmes.
The School of Applied Science (SAS) partnered Monash University’s Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences to develop the Integrated Programme in Biomedical Science (IPBMS) that allows students to complete an Advanced Diploma in Biomedical Science (ADBMS) within their 3-year Diploma in Biomedical Science (DBMS). Students in this programme will gain direct entry into the final year of a 3-year degree programme in Biomedical Science at Monash University. SAS is also exploring a similar structured programme in Pharmaceutical Science and Allied Health – nutrition, dietetics, and medical imaging. Recently, SAS signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Parkway Group Healthcare which will look into providing Advanced Diplomas and Specialist Diplomas in Allied Health programmes such as medical imaging, pharmacy management and practice. These diplomas will offer options of pre-employment trainings to students and adults. More details will be made known in due course.
Republic Polytechnic partnered Mil-Com Aerospace Training Centre, a subsidiary of Mil-Com Aerospace Group and a Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) accredited Training Centre, to launch a joint training programme in aircraft maintenance at RP’s Woodlands campus. Its curriculum is aligned with the CAAS Singapore Airworthiness Requirement 66 (SAR-66) Category B2. With this certification, Aerospace Avionics graduates from RP’s School of Engineering/Aerospace Avionics will enjoy exemptions in the SAR-66 examinations administered by CAAS. RP intends to extend this training opportunity to working adults, as part of RP’s Continuing Education Training (CET) Programme. The response from the industry has been favourable as companies are exploring various outsourcing models to meet their training requirements.
The Centre for Innovation and Enterprise (CIE) has a new Diploma in Hotel and Hospitality Management (DHHM) which will serve the tourism and service industries well given the growing demand for hospitality facilities and services. It will equip students with an innovative and enterprising mindset through RP’s unique Problem-Based Learning (PBL) pedagogy. RP will differentiate itself from other hotel and hospitality courses by its plans to develop an on-campus hotel and food and beverage (F&B) operations which will be commercially run with leading industry partners, but manned and operated by students from DHHM. It will be the first such facility for a Polytechnic in Singapore, enabling DHHM students to gain hands-on working experience in all aspects of hotel and F&B operations. The first batch of 150 DHHM students will enroll in 2008.
With the National Community Leadership Institute (NACLI), a national training institute whose key mission is in “leadership training aimed at instilling a sense of national identity and spirit of dedicated service to a multi-racial community”, RP will offer community leadership programmes. More details will be announced at the end of the year.
Another notable initiative is the Distinguished Professionals Programme (DPP) which started in February 2007. Through DPP, Republic Polytechnic will establish strong networks with industry partners and Institutions of Higher Learning to collaborate on developing Technology Development projects and increase its knowledge and competency base within RP. Leading academics and professionals in five categories will join this programme: Distinguished Scientist, Distinguished Engineer, Distinguished Artist, Distinguished Academic, and Distinguished Technologist. Currently, Professor Kwong Dim-Lee, Executive Director of Institute for Microelectronics, has been appointed as a Distinguished Scientist for the School of Engineering (SEG) and Professor Henk G. Schmidt, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences in Erasmus University Rotterdam, renowned expert in Problem-Based Learning, has been appointed as the Distinguished Academic.
An exciting collaboration was inked between RP and the National Arts Council (NAC) to further develop the arts scene by building capabilities, growing audiences and increasing engagement and participation. Both parties will work together to establish a regional arts hub in the northern part of Singapore, and bring the arts to the local community. This tie-up capitalises on the polytechnic’s purpose-built arts facilities and allows heartlanders greater access to and engagement in quality arts experiences. The NAC-RP MOU, which will be effective from August 2006 to August 2008, will also serve as a pilot which NAC hopes to eventually extend to other regional centres.
The Republic Cultural Centre (TRCC)
As the cultural landmark of the North, The Republic Cultural Centre (TRCC) presents a myriad of programmes to our diverse audience. TRCC is the focal point for the artistic development of our students, and also a cultural space that facilitates the integration of the community through the common appreciation of the arts.
TRCC’s venues provide aspiring artists a platform to realise their passion, and to share that with a wider audience. With its perennial weekly arts series “Culture Checkpoint” and the annual Community Arts Festival, TRCC hopes to raise cultural awareness and appreciation for our colourful heritage. In so doing, TRCC seeks to be the venue of choice for entertainment, exploration and enrichment of the arts.
Designed by Maki & Associates (Japan), TRCC exudes an elegant simplicity and balance of aesthetics and functionality that reflects our approach to nurturing an appreciation for the arts and culture. Under its fan shaped roof, TRCC has three main Performing Arts Venues. The largest is a 1,000-seat proscenium Theatre with full fly capabilities that can magically transform into a Concert Hall in 45 minutes. This is achieved by deploying a custom-made acoustic shell which enhances the acoustical experience for the patron, making it one of the best venues for ensembles, orchestras and symphonies. It is thus suitable for theatre productions, concerts as well as conferences. In the intimate 400-seat Studio, the flexible seating and staging configurations makes it a versatile performance space that is suitable for formal and casual occasions alike. And in the 120-seat Lab is a flexible, black box space equipped to support experimental productions and to act as a training facility for the technical arts. On top of these performing spaces, TRCC also has a complement of rooms and studios for practice, rehearsal and recordings.
Home to 25 student arts groups, TRCC enables members of these groups to explore and evolve their art forms in a supportive environment. This healthy atmosphere helps the group grow artistically as well as broadens their appreciation for what various groups championing other art forms are doing. The result is greater potential for creative collaborations based on synergies.
Professional arts groups are also part of the community that makes use of TRCC and its facilities for practice and performances, besides our outright hirers of venues. Artists-in-residence include Singapore’s top Gamelan group, Gamelan Asmaradana, and Singapore’s Freeform band, E.P.I.C. Both groups are based in TRCC and work closely with RP’s student groups to mentor and develop their craft.
TRCC is more than just a superb array of arts venues but also a driving force that strives to provide a viable platform for students, staff and community partners, to realise their passion for the arts and the cultural vibrancy that defines us as a nation.
For media enquiries and students interviews, please contact:
Benjamin Chow (Mr)
Administrative Officer , Office of Corporate Communications, Republic Polytechnic
Tel: 6510 3251
Email: benjamin_chow@rp.sg
Emma Sue (Ms)
Director, iBRAND
Hp: 9735 7760
Email: emma_sue@ibrand.com.sg