The recent ambassadorial visit to Singapore organised by Air India for the RANK and BOLT Awards (Race for Awareness and Knowledge and Broad Outlook Learner Teacher Awards) was a successful initiative of Air India towards exposing students and teachers to a model nation where civic conduct and eco-support system are supposed to be the best.

The RANK and BOLT awards were conceptualised by Air India to recognise excellence outside the field of academics for teachers and students who fly to Singapore as guests of Air India on an ambassadorial visit. Besides helping students explore the frontiers of discovery, the tour also stimulates them with new perspectives, creates new ways of looking at surroundings and makes them re-examine their vision and beliefs.

A drastic development achieved by Singapore, especially in the education sector is something that attracted Indian students and teachers this time round. The programmes of Nanyang Technological University, one of the top 20 technology universities in the world, certainly attracts Indian students.

NTU, which has given a new dimension to science and technology in Singapore, makes significant contributions to the nation's renewed drive for research and innovation spearheaded by the Singapore National Research Foundation. This effort will see $2.4 billion (Singapore dollars) being invested over the next five years in biomedical sciences, environmental and water technologies, and interactive and digital media - areas NTU is strong in.

The university has been attracting scholars from all over the world. According to Mr Ronald Louis Low, Head, International Admission Section, Nanyang University, the NTU is more than a place where you earn a degree. It has been the place where students begin to lay foundations for successful careers. Students will have international exposure and a rich cultural and educational experience through the university's immersion programmes, where the university partners top universities worldwide.

He says the university offers many facilities to foreign students. As an international student, aspirants could have the choice to be admitted as a full tuition fee-paying student or a subsidised fee-paying student. ``If you are eligible and you choose to apply for tuition grant, you will pay the subsidised tuition fee. In return, you are required and bound under the terms of the Ministry of Education Tuition Grant to work in any Singapore registered company based overseas or in Singapore for three years upon graduation,'' he said.

In recognition of academic excellence and leadership potential, NTU offers a variety of scholarships to new as well as existing students based on academic merit, leadership qualities, unique talents and outstanding co-curricular records. Students could apply for ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship, Nanyang Scholarship, CN Yang Scholars Programme.

At NTU, a wide comprehensive range of financial assistant schemes are being extended to make it financially possible for the needy to complete their education. Eligible international students can apply for Tuition Fee Loan and NTU Study Loan. Upto 90 per cent of the subsidised tuition fee payable by Singaporeans may be financed from the Tuition Fee Loan. Another 10 per cent of the subsidised tuition fee payable by Singaporeans plus an annual living allowance of upto $3600 (Singapore Dollar) may be financed from the NTU Study Loan.
The university's College of Engineering has six schools focused on technology and innovation, and is one of the world's largest engineering colleges. The College of Science (another NTU institution) pushes the boundaries of Singapore's life sciences initiatives and runs the only direct Honours degree programmes in the physical and mathematical sciences in Singapore.

The Nanyang Business School offers one of the world's top 100 MBA programmes and is the only business school in Singapore and one of only three in Asia to be awarded both the EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System) and AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) accreditations — international hallmarks of quality.

The College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences boasts Singapore's first professional art school offering degree courses in art, design and media; a fast-growing humanities and social sciences school with distinctive niches of excellence; and the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, a top journalism and media school in Asia.

NTU's Undergraduate Experience, offering a broad education in diverse disciplines, including residential living and international experience, has also received external endorsement for its holistic curriculum featuring a rich selection of majors and minors.

The Wee Kim Wee School of Communication
The school offers a four-year programme leading to a Bachelor of Communication Studies (Honours) degree. The curriculum provides students with a strong foundation in both communication theory and practical media techniques.There are extensive opportunities to explore a wide range of communication interests and specialise in one or more of the following areas.

Journalism
With a focus on print journalism, photojournalism, online information services and media management, students will be trained in various reporting techniques and analyses. Students joining the school may also specialise in Broadcast and Cinema Studies where they are exposed to radio, television and multimedia production as well as broadcast journalism where a sound understanding of the context of production, information technology and film studies are instilled. Students could also specialise in subjects like advertising, public relations, communication policy and research.

Job opportunities for international students at Nanyang are aplenty. The Global Immersion Programme of the university provides the experience of studying in top universities and working in leading organisations abroad such as the US, China, Europe and India. The other major programmes of the university include Overseas Attachment, International Student Exchange Programme, Global Summer Studies, Global Leadership Studies, C N Yang Scholars Programme, Residential Learning, etc.

Tech-savvy and adaptable, graduates of the university are sought-after and well-paid, drawing some of the highest starting salaries among local university graduates. The NTU's international outreach is broad and strong and includes academic and research partnerships with more than 300 institutions in about 45 countries. The university's multi-country programmes and initiatives are conducted with many reputed institutions spread across the world.