Professor Jeanette Hacket, Vice-Chancellor, CurtinUniversity of Technology

Dr Rod Jones, Chief Executive Officer, Navitas

Distinguished guests

Ladies and gentlemen

It is my pleasure to join you this morning at the official opening of Curtin Singapore. We are delighted that Curtin University of Technology has chosen Singapore to set up its consolidated teaching facility. This is a significant addition to our vibrant education landscape and is testament to the draw of the Singapore Education brand-name.

Singapore’s relationship with Curtin began more than twenty years ago. That was when the school started offering joint degree programmes with its key Business Partners namely, the Marketing Institute of Singapore (MIS), Singapore Human Resource Institute (SHRI) and Singapore Institute of Materials Management (SIMM). Today, we are pleased that this long-standing relationship has been strengthened through the establishment of Curtin Singapore - a collaboration between CurtinUniversity and Navitas Ltd.

Our vision is for Singapore to offer a diverse and distinctive mix of world-class education services. In 2003, we launched an initiative to transform Singapore into a “Global Schoolhouse” for students from all over the world. Since then, we have developed a vibrant community of tertiary, pre-tertiary and corporate training institutions. Foreign students come to Singapore to further their education in a wide spectrum of disciplines, and continue to be attracted by our distinctive blend of the East and the West. Our multi-cultural learning environment offers a global outlook with an Asian flavour, and is a strong draw for those who want to expand their careers in the growing Asian markets.Local students also benefit greatly from the diversity of views that foreign students bring with them, and it enhances their learning journey.

In order to continue attracting the best students, we must continue to improve and expand the menu of educational offerings in Singapore.It is thus my pleasure to welcome Curtin to Singapore, as the newest addition to the growing number of foreign branch campuses already established here. What used to be the site of an old school has now been transformed into a contemporary city campus with comprehensive state-of-the art facilities. Indeed, students at Curtin Singapore can be assured of the same enriching experience as that in Curtin’s parent campus in Australia.From an initial cohort of 900 students, Curtin Singapore is expected to have an enrolment of about 3,000 students over the next three years. I understand that the school will start by offering degrees in business and management, and that there are plans to increase the number of disciplines over the next few years.

Singapore’s future in the global economy is inextricably tied to our ability to continue attracting, developing and retaining talent from around the world. As a Global Schoolhouse and cultural melting pot, Singapore should be able to continue to draw good students from the region and beyond.Together with our own local talent pool, this will allow us to actively build and develop strong capabilities critical for Singapore’s knowledge-based economy.

Let me end by congratulating Curtin and Navitas on this milestone project and wishing you the very best in this new endeavour. Thank you.