JCU opens multi-million dollar Singapore campus

Australia’s James Cook University (JCU) will open its new multi-million dollar Singapore campus this week.

The campus at 600 Upper Thomson Road, which has been refurbished at a cost of almost $5 million to cater for up to 3000 students, will be officially opened at a ceremony on Thursday (September 4).

Hundreds of Singaporean, Australian and international dignitaries and education sector representatives have been invited to attend and the Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will be personally represented by his Parliamentary Secretary, Anthony Byrne MHR.

Mr Inderjit Singh MP, Deputy Government Whip and Member for Ang Mo Kio GRC, will officially open the campus as the representative of the Singapore Government.

The JCUS move to the new campus from smaller facilities in the SPRING Singapore Building was motivated by rapid growth in student numbers and academic programs.

Enrolments at the JCU Singapore Campus have increased from 50 to 1600 since the University commenced operations in Singapore in 2003.

The opening of the new campus comes a month after JCU became the first Australian university to be awarded Singapore Quality Class for Private Education Organisations (SQC-PEO).

The SQC-PEO scheme, administered by SPRING Singapore, recognises performance excellence in Singapore’s private education sector and provides a framework for accredited institutions to reach world-class standards of business excellence.

The awarding of SQC-PEO further boosts JCU Singapore’s reputation as an international education leader in Singapore, where The Straits Times recently named the campus among the top five international schools attracting Singaporean students.

The new campus is located on an 18,534.9 square metre site, with a gross floor area of 6031.5 square metres. The refurbished buildings hold 30 classrooms, nine laboratories, administration offices, space for retail outlets and a cafeteria.

JCU Vice Chancellor and President Professor Sandra Harding said the University’s Singapore Campus was a crucial element in JCU’s strategy to serve the peoples of the tropics.

“Our investment in creating a new and bigger campus is proof of our solid commitment to the University’s future in Singapore, and our aim to add to the nation’s talent pool,” she said.

“It is a strengthening of our relations with an important ASEAN nation.

“We look forward to welcoming Singaporean students to our new campus as well as those from other countries including JCU’s Australian students.”

JCU Chancellor Lt General John Grey will be the official host for the event, which will be attended by key university staff from Australia and Singapore, international education representatives, students and the local community.

Professor Harding will deliver the closing address, which will be followed with a media tour of the new campus. The following day (September 5) the JCU Singapore Campus will host its annual graduation ceremony and alumni function.

Issued: Tuesday, September 2, 2008

For more information contact Jim O'Brien on 4781 4822