<p>Like other American universities that are establishing foreign outposts, do you think such ventures are a good idea? Do they extend influence to other parts of the world, or do they just give away American intellectual capital and our competitive edge with too little in return (other than perhaps money or brand recognition)?</p>
<p>“Do they extend influence to other parts of the world, or do they just give away American intellectual capital and our competitive edge with too little in return (other than perhaps money or brand recognition)?”</p>
<p>What American intellectual capital is it giving away that wouldn’t be given away otherwise? Some of the best student from Singapore is still going to come to Yale in New Haven and then head back to Singapore if opportunities emerge there. Cornell and NYU already have many ventures around the globe. What’s not good about establishing a foreign campus to offer a title and an American way of education while receiving cash in return? It’s all about demand, supply, and profits. What can Yale lose? Not much if anything. What can NUS lose? Not much if anything. Why not fulfill the demand then.</p>
<p>If I want to go to Yale, why would it have to be in Singapore? Yale is an American school in the Northeastern part of America. The experience of living in New Haven; mingling with the students, faculty and staff; having access to its vast resources such as the library and labs, etc, etc… are some of the reasons why top students would want to attend Yale. Unfortunately, those things cannot be transported to Singapore.</p>
<p>When I first read the article, one thought that occurred to me is that our system of higher education is a national resource that provides a competitive advantage in the global economy. Our college graduates are not only competing with other American graduates, but their competition is now global. Certainly, I think several other countries view their system of higher education in terms of competitive advantage. </p>
<p>Also, if an international student wants an American style of higher education, why not come to America to study? It seems that a significant opportunity for valuable cultural exchange is lost if an international can obtain a similar education in his/her own country.</p>
<p>“Also, if an international student wants an American style of higher education, why not come to America to study? It seems that a significant opportunity for valuable cultural exchange is lost if an international can obtain a similar education in his/her own country.”</p>
<p>If there’s demand for liberal arts in Singapore, then someone’s going to build a liberal arts school. You can’t just build something like that from the ground up (as anyone who has ever had any encounter with strategy consulting would know). The cheapest and most efficient way is to search for a foreign establishment with the necessary expertise in order to build a joint venture. I think it’s a great idea. If you drop your US-centric perspectives, you would see that not everyone wants to go to New Haven, and this is not about getting a Yale degree. This about experiencing liberal arts without leaving Singapore. I’ve been to Singapore numerous times, and I wouldn’t want to leave it for New Haven, not even for Yale.</p>
<p>“This about experiencing liberal arts without leaving Singapore. I’ve been to Singapore numerous times, and I wouldn’t want to leave it for New Haven, not even for Yale.”</p>
<p>I’m just raising the question of whether a valuable opportunity for cultural exchange is lost. The comment was more about experiencing America. Clearly, an international student learns more about the US by actually studying here. And, believe it or not, there are plenty of places to experience America besides New Haven. In some of those places, you can even “experience” the liberal arts.</p>
<p>IvyPBear, NUS has an excellent Liberal Arts program that can rival Yale’s. So, it’s clear to me that what NUS was after was the Yale name. Otherwise, they wouldn’t use the name of the school in the program.</p>
<p>OTOH there’s a valuable opportunity for cultural exchange in enabling students at these schools in the US to spend a semester (etc) studying at their sister schools in these other countries. And if professors are rotated (or choose to rotate) into these countries, what a broadening experience for them as well.</p>