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Angsana College: Full steam ahead for August 2012 opening |
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By Ma Anyi
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Jan. 16 2012 |
Come August, students at the National University of Singapore will have yet another option for on-campus living and learning.
Angsana College, the third of four residential colleges to open at University Town, will begin accepting students next semester. The college aims to promote active citizenry and community engagement and will be helmed by Rector J. Y. Pillay and Master Adeline Seow.
Pillay is currently chairman of the Council of Presidential Advisers, and adjunct professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
Seow is associate professor at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health.
In an email to The Campus Observer, Seow said the college is currently looking for students who “would like to experience residential college living and learning, and who is keen to be part of the pioneering batch of students who will help to ‘grow’ the college in its formative years”.
Angsana College is currently running a pilot project at Cinnamon College, ahead of its official opening in August 2012. The project includes about 30 students, a faculty fellow and residential assistants.
Similar to Tembusu College, which opened in August 2011, students enrolled in Angsana College will have to complete five modules under the University Town Residential Programme (UTRP). These modules will likely take the form of junior and senior seminars.
Cinnamon College is occupied by the University Scholars’ Programme, which does not follow the UTRP.
As Angsana College is geared toward community engagement and active citizenship, modules on offer would likely emphasize those themes.
In addition, a novel initiative is in the works. Labeled the “Capstone Experience”, it is a chance for senior students to work in small groups with an external organization under the mentorship of a faculty member. The aim is for students to derive real-life applications from the theories and concepts covered in the classroom.
The push to groom students as potential community leaders is not a new idea. Just last November, the Chua Thian Poh Community Leadership Programme (CTPCLP) was launched at Cinnamon College, with the intention of grooming the next generation of community leaders and influencers.
When asked about the apparent similarity in the CTPCLP and the aims of Angsana College, Seow said there were many similar points, and much potential for collaboration.
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