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Conclusion
This chapter has provided a review of the existing research literature of higher edu-
cation studies in Singapore. Synthesizing from these research works, a few major
themes and issues on higher education in Singapore have been identified. Firstly, it
is about the relationship between the developmental state and higher education and
the role of government in higher education development. In the case of Singapore,
the strong state, together with its strong commitment in financing higher education
and R&D, is instrumental for a more rapid growth of higher education without com-
promising its academic standards and quality. Secondly, the trend of massification
was also widely researched by scholars to see how Singapore would not follow the
footstep of other countries which experienced the same trend that the quality of
higher education would not be sacrificed. Admission criteria for Singapore’s univer-
sities have become more stringent to maintain their elitist character. In the mean-
time, institutional performance is subject to the scrutiny of quality assurance
systems, which comprise self-assessments and external reviews. Thirdly, the land-
scape of higher education development in Singapore has been altered by globaliza-
tion, which is closely related the trends of marketization, internationalization and
entrepreneurialization.
It is observable from the existing research works that the development of higher
education in Singapore is largely determined by the state and globalization factors.
The developmental state in Singapore, whose political legitimacy is based on its
past achievements and performance, has been playing an irreplaceable role in gov-
erning higher education for the interests of both national and economic develop-
ments. The state’s involvement in higher education is not confined to setting major
policy directions but also providing substantial financial resources for higher educa-
tion institutions to expand and provide a pool of skilled labours and researchers who
can cope with the needs of economic restructuring since the 1980s. When the pro-
cess of globalization has gained its momentum in the 1990s, there has been a chang-
ing focus on such global practices like quality assurance and audit systems and
international rankings especially for universities. Particularly for Singapore, global-
ization denotes a global war for talents to make up the existing “brain-drain” prob-
lem, which can only be solved with retaining local talents and attracting foreign
talents simultaneously. It also points to how higher education institutions contribute
to the future of the Singapore economy by creating new niches in high value-added
industries and economic sectors to maintain Singapore’s competitive advantages.
These reveal the fact that higher education is more likely seen as an economic
instrument from the Singapore state’s perspective.
Some lessons can be drawn from Singapore’s experience of developing higher
education being diagnosed in this chapter. It is undeniable that the strong role of the
state makes it possible for Singapore’s higher education system to experience a
more rapid and sustainable growth and expansion. Singapore’s higher education is
claimed to benefit from the strong state’s commitment in the sector. Other higher
education institutions worldwide should envy their counterparts in Singapore whose
funding would not be affected by global economic crises in recent years. R&D is
M.H. Lee