The Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has appointed a Provost for the first time to deal with the demands of corporatisation.So, a Provost has been appointed to help the NTU President achieve these aims.
With corporatisation this year, NTU has many plans in store.
It wants to look at investments, raise more funds, collaborate with more universities, and at the same time, look at the integration of multi-disciplinary research, and produce more cutting-edge research work.
Professor Bertil Andersson is the Chief Executive of the European Science Foundation and a Trustee of the Nobel Foundation. He used to be the Chairman of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry. NTU believes that with Professor Andersson's appointment, there will be greater interaction between the university and research institutions in Europe.
Professor Andersson said, "Most Nobel prizes for basic science are actually (from) engineering universities....so therefore I think for the future, engineering universities (should) put a lot of emphasis on science."I think maybe the investments that are done here in Singapore may change the winds here and create the foundation...say in 15 or 20 years. Yes, Singapore will get a Nobel Prize, I think that is very realistic.
"Professor Andersson has also been tasked with seeking about a hundred new high-calibre faculty members for the university every year. The university says the faculty size needs to increase as more research is being done, and also because the student population is expected to grow to 21,000 by 2010. The current student population is about 18 000.
650 international candidates were considered for the new position of the Provost.
NTU President Dr Su Guaning said the structure of having a Provost and President follows the best practices of some of the top universities in the United States. NTU currently operates on the structure of having a President and Deputy President where the Deputy President is in charge of undergraduate education.
The new Provost will be undertaking more responsibilities, comparable to the duties of the University's President.
Professor Andersson will start work on April 1 next year.
Now, if you're a blue blooded hot headed Singaporean male who has traversed through the tribulations of National Service you would know there is one group of people you'd never want on your wrong side. Everything we take as given and a common KLKrime, these blokes will put you in deep shiet for it.
These include, smoking in uniform, bringing in a device that has photographic capability, storing contraband amongst your personal effects and other normal mischief that 18 year olds get up to. Of course, I've never been guilty of any of these misdemeanours. NOT!
They are the Provost. In the first place, this is a case of "oops, I think we named them wrongly". Provosts by definition are either a varsity administrator of the highest rank, the chief magistrate in certain Scottish cities and the keeper of a prison. What this has to do with unleashing a coupla youths and empowering them with policing powers is really beyond me. But yes, we would rather keep away from the Provost and hope they keep away from us too.
Back to NTU though, apparently we need to go produce a Nobel Prize winner just to validate our existence in this ulu jungle of a campus we're situated at. Come on la, first things first, extend the goddamn MRT from Boon Lay to school, later can use my rise in school fees to finance a Swede.
And we have 18,000 students in school? Zhun boh! And not even a handful of fit women come our way each day? What are the odds of that? And you service 18,000 students day in day out with just 2 bus services running from the nearest bus interchange? And the friggin bus bay is like the furthest away from the MRT station, practically placing it smack in the midpoint between here and Melbourne? And to add to that, you have such great plans about making a number one world class varsity out of this school when you come up with suka-suka academic programmes and change it year in year out cos the guinea pigs ended up dying? And you didn't do nothing to give the guineas a new cage to go breed in? Go FUCK YOURSELF!
Also, how appropriate. We make an April Fool outa the man who's gonna occupy the top position in the school hierarchy. What might I be doing next year on April 1? Probably at home, skipping school as usual. You blokes can enjoy the fanfare and welcoming festivities.
However as a good and loyal NTU student, I'd like to extend my warmest welcomes to Mr. Anderson. But not if my friends have anything to say about it.
You hear that Mr. Anderson?... That is the sound of inevitability... It is the sound of your death... Goodbye, Mr. Anderson...
Mr. Anderson... you disappoint me.
Tell me, Mr. Anderson... what good is a phone call... if you're unable to speak?
You have a problem with authority, Mr. Anderson. You believe you are special, that somehow the rules do not apply to you. Obviously, you are mistaken.
I'm going to enjoy watching you die, Mr. Anderson.
As you can see, we've had our eye on you for some time now, Mr. Anderson.
I want what you want... Yes. That's it, Mr. Anderson. Look past the flesh. Look through the soft gelatin of these dull cow eyes and see your enemy!
Why, Mr. Anderson? Why do you do it? Why get up? Why keep fighting? Do you believe you're fighting for something? For more that your survival? Can you tell me what it is? Do you even know? Is it freedom? Or truth? Perhaps peace? Yes? No? Could it be for love? Illusions, Mr. Anderson. Vagaries of perception. The temporary constructs of a feeble human intellect trying desperately to justify an existence that is without meaning or purpose. And all of them as artificial as the Matrix itself, although only a human mind could invent something as insipid as love. You must be able to see it, Mr. Anderson. You must know it by now. You can't win. It's pointless to keep fighting. Why, Mr. Anderson? Why? Why do you persist?
Can you feel it Mr. Anderson? Closing in on you? Oh I can, I really should thank you after all. It was, after all, it was your life that taught me the purpose of all life. Purpose of life is to end.
Ah, Mr. Anderson, I see you are as predictable in this world as you are in the other.
I killed you, Mr. Anderson. I watched you die.... with some satisfaction, I might add. Then something happened- something I thought would be impossible, but it happened anyway. You destroyed me, Mr. Anderson. Afterwards, I was aware of the rules. I knew what I was supposed to do, but I didn't. I was compelled to stay- compelled to disobey. And right now, here I stand because of you, Mr. Anderson. Because of you, I'm no longer an Agent of this system. Because of you, I'm unplugged. A new man, sort of speak- like you. Apparently free.
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