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Nanyang University (1955–1980)
Nanyang University (abbreviated Nan-tah, 南大) was founded in 1955 on land donated by the Hokkien Huay Kuan, prior to Singapore's independence from British rule. Conceived as a Chinese-medium university, it was largely supported by the local Chinese community and became the first Chinese-language university in Southeast Asia.
Nanyang University was located south of the present Nanyang Technological University grounds, centered on what is now Yunan Garden. The former administration building of Nanyang University now houses the Chinese Heritage Centre, which has been designated as a national monument.
Nanyang Technological Institute (1981–1991)
In 1980, Nanyang University merged with the University of Singapore to form the current National University of Singapore. Nanyang Technological Institute (NTI), a tertiary institution affiliated to the National University of Singapore, was formed to take over Nanyang University's campus in 1981.
NTI operated as an engineering institute for a decade and formed the academic and infrastructural foundation for the establishment of Nanyang Technological University.
Legacy of Nanyang University (1991)
As NTU subsequently grew into a full university, various efforts were made to have it claim the Nanyang University mantle. In 1996, the alumni rolls of Nanyang University were transferred from NUS to NTU. In 1998, the prominent local calligrapher and poet Pan Shou (Chinese: 潘受), who had been the first vice-chancellor of Nanyang University, called for NTU to be renamed Nanyang University, as a way to "quieten the hearts of many" NU alumni.
Establishment of Nanyang Technological University (1991)
In March 1991, the Singapore Parliament approved the formation of Nanyang Technological University. It was officially established on 1 July 1991, with the National Institute of Education (NIE) incorporated into it. The alumni rolls of the former Nanyang University were transferred to NTU in 1996. Historically, Nanyang Technological University admitted students jointly with the affiliated National University of Singapore and charged the same fees. Students made only one application, and they would be accepted by either university. This arrangement ended in 2004 as both universities began to distinguish themselves with an end of its official affiliation. Currently, students apply separately to both universities. NTU became autonomous in 2006 and stands as one of the two largest public universities in Singapore today.
Developments in the 21st century
Since the early 2000s, NTU has expanded its international engagement, graduate education, and academic profile.
Approximately 65% of NTU's faculty and staff are foreign nationals, placing it among the world’s top 100 universities with the highest proportion of international faculty, according to QS. (NTU was ranked joint 3rd in the world on this metric, alongside NUS.)
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The university is also highly international in its student body: 31% (8,089) of students are foreign nationals, with 58% of them pursuing postgraduate degrees. It remains one of the few top 100 universities with more than 60% of foreign faculty.
Controversies in the 21st century
In 2013, a public debate over academic freedom in Singapore arose after Cherian George, an outspoken academic at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information known for his criticism of the government, was denied tenure.
Although George had been recommended for tenure by the Wee Kim Wee School, his application was rejected by a university-level committee that included representatives from the Government of Singapore.
The decision prompted a petition by students at the Wee Kim Wee School, but George's subsequent appeal was rejected by the university.
In 2021, some applications for on-campus hostel accommodations in NTU were rejected due to COVID-19 isolation protocols. The university claimed that the rejections were due to a shortage of housing facilities, which at full capacity was still unable to house every applicant, as rooms were oversubscribed. These rejections raised concerns, especially among international students, as returning students from Academic Year 2020–2021 were not granted on-campus accommodation despite the university's much-publicised policy of guaranteeing all incoming students a minimum of two years of campus housing. NTU eventually reversed their decision on 2 July 2021, prioritising on-campus accommodations for international students that resided on campus at the time, students under scholarship programmes with guaranteed housing, and all Year 1 and 2 students under the guaranteed hall stay policy.
From Wikipedia’s article on Nanyang Technological University, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4