The city-state of Singapore is a cultural melting-pot, a mix of the old, traditional and the new, urban and technological Asia. Singapore is an appealing place to follow a degree abroad due to the lower tuition fees compared to other Asian nations, the scholarship opportunities for international students, and most importantly, the excellence and innovation in terms of higher education system. Just like a great part of Asia is rising the quality of offered higher education, Singapore has become a great international study destination, thanks to government initiatives focused on the importance of educational innovation. Singapore, often referred to as the Lion City, or the Garden City, is a leading global city-state and Island country in Southeast Asia. Singapore lies at the southernmost point of continental Asia, north of the equator.
Education:
- The Government of Singapore spends a huge amount on education.
- After the secondary education, students can enroll themselves to a junior college and then move on to any university.
- Singapore universities provide state-of-the-art facilities and excellent opportunities in higher education.
- There are two public universities in the country – The National University of Singapore and The Nan yang Technological University.
- Undergraduate and Postgraduate degree programmes and Doctoral degrees in Singapore are respected across the world.
- The SMU in Singapore provides high quality education in Management and Business streams.
- Singapore educational institutions offer a comprehensive range of training and programmes for executives & professionals.
Career Opportunities in Singapore:
Singapore was declared as the “Easiest place to do business” for several years by the World Bank as well as “Global city with the best investment potential”. The Singapore is an economy is one of the freest, most competitive, and most business-friendly, having a significant influence on global affairs. The major sector in Singapore is the extended trade, followed by financial, oil-refining, electronics, petroleum refining, chemicals, mechanical engineering and biomedical sciences and tourism industries.
Companies with headquarters in Singapore are:
Singapore Airlines, Singapore Telecommunications, Singapore Technologies Engineering, Keppel Corporation, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC), and multinationals include Media Corp, General Electric, Hewlett-Packard, Shell, Citibank, Deloitte.
Singapore city life:
Singapore is a lively and energetic city 24 hours a day, offering travellers an abundance of leisure activities, including cultural and urban attractions. Nobody ever gets bored in Singapore.
International atmosphere in Singapore:
Singapore numbers a significant international student population, but several ethnic communities have set their homes in the city. Almost 40 % of the total population is comprised of foreign nationals, mainly Chinese, Malays, Indians and Eurasians. International students account for around 18% of all students in Singapore.
There are 4 official languages in Singapore: Chinese, Malay, Tamil and English, and more than 20 other languages spoken. English is the official language of instruction in Singapore. More than 75% of population speaks English too, so students who wish to study abroad in Singapore will have no problems in communicating with the locals.
Some Salient Features:
- Singapore is a place of several strategic industries for economic growth.
- The island nation of Singapore attracts more than twice that number in visitors every year.
- Singapore Zoo & Night Safari are excellent.
- Quality of education is high and internationally accepted.
- Singapore is the city of light.
- Lots of attractive places in Singapore.
- The full time undergraduate students of Polytechnics and Universities that are allowed to work part-time of up to 16 hours per week during school term.
- Singapore offers a wide variety of accommodation to suit different needs and budgets.
- Singapore has one of the most efficient public transportation systems in the world. Travelling is very quick and affordable.
Accommodation costs in Singapore:
Here are the student accommodation choices in Singapore:
- Rent a room in a residence near the campus – price for a single room ranges from 560 to 1,200 USD/month
- Apartment – rent or share an apartment; rates ranges from 1,400 to 3,500 USD for two – three bedroom units
- Home stay –price are between 630 and 1,400 USD/month with meals included.
- Hostel –a single room costs 775 USD/month.
Living costs in Singapore
Singapore is an expensive city, with high prices that correspond to high standard of living, especially accommodation wise. Prepare a monthly budget of around 800 – 1,000 USD for housing and another 300 – 350 USD for the other expenses (food bills, social activities, public transportation and books or other learning materials). For your supermarket food bills you would spend around 220 USD/month. A student bus or train pass costs around 50 USD/month.