Chairman’s Statement
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lthough we are still beset with COVID-19 and huge disruptions and uncertainties globally, the world of tomorrow is one awash in promising possibilities. Our horizons are expanding – the many groundbreaking missions to space, for instance, have gripped the collective imagination as governments and enterprises alike pursue inter-planetary exploration. Terrestrially, the quest for new ways of living, triggered by our planet in crisis, continues apace. From pressures for carbon neutrality and a greener world to human and social sustainability, we are witnessing a revolution of how we live, work and play. What is the place of the university in this new world? On the back of these challenges emanate innumerable possibilities for exhilarating discoveries and innovation which will require, foremost, a shift in mindset and approach. We will need to have an insatiable curiosity, an inquiring mind, and audacity in seeking new frontiers. Depth of expertise in a single domain can no longer suffice. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), while existing technology is able to address many of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, approaching these issues in silos will hold us back from fully realising technology’s potential and attaining the Goals comprehensively. The WEF advocates the embrace of interdisciplinarity to meet the needs and challenges of the future. Interdisciplinarity entails drawing connections across traditional disciplines, and integrating techniques, perspectives and knowledge from different fields to solve the increasingly complex challenges ahead. It has become a central feature of our refreshed common curriculum. The diversity of disciplines offered by our new College of Humanities and Sciences promotes the cross-pollination of the arts and the sciences in our students. Our School of Design & Environment and Faculty of Engineering, too, have adopted a common curriculum to inculcate the inseparability of form and
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NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE
