School of Information Systems partners with China's Northeastern University to offer Fast Track Programme
The School of Information Systems (SIS) at Singapore Management University and the College of Information Science and Engineering at China's Northeastern University (NEU) have inked an agreement to offer a fast track programme to promising NEU undergraduates to graduate with a Bachelor of Engineering degree from NEU and a Master of Applied Information Systems (MAIS) degree from SMU within five years.
This is the first time SIS is partnering with a foreign university to offer fast track programme for MAIS students.
The agreement was signed by Professor Steven Miller, SMU Vice Provost (Research) and Dean, School of Information Systems, and Professor Liu Jianchang, Dean of College of Information Science and Engineering at NEU, at the 8th Singapore-Liaoning Economic and Trade Council meeting on 28 October 2014, which was co-chaired by Singapore’s Minister for Manpower Mr Tan Chuan Jin, and Liaoning’s Vice Governor Mr Bing Zhigang.
Located in Liaoning province in northeastern China, NEU is well-known for its Automation Department and its Computer Science Department.
Under the terms of the agreement, there will be one intake of students for the fast track programme per academic year with the first intake commencing studies in SMU in August 2015. Students will spend the first three years at NEU and the next one to two years at SMU for the MAIS programme.
Associate Professor Zheng Baihua, SIS Associate Dean for Postgraduate Research Programmes said, “This fast track programme will enhance the quality and diversity of undergraduate education at NEU and graduate education at SMU, and will provide a valued proposition to talented undergraduate students from China, in an increasingly competitive undergraduate market.
“Our MAIS programme is distinctive in its emphasis on industrial strength projects as an essential component of the curriculum. It will provide students with hands-on research/application experience through strong collaboration with aligned institutes, centres and labs, such as the Living Analytics Research Centre (LARC) at SIS, and the Institute of Innovation & Entrepreneurship (IIE). Students will be challenged with real problems faced by today's industries, gaining highly sought-after application development and research experiences.
“We look forward to welcoming the first batch of NEU students, as well as explore further opportunities for collaboration with NEU.”
[Photo: SMU’s Professor Steven Miller (seated, second from left) and NEU’s Professor Liu Jianchang sealed the agreement on the fast track programme at the 8th Singapore-Liaoning Economic and Trade Council meeting on 28 October 2014. The signing was witnessed by Singapore’s Minister for Manpower Mr Tan Chuan Jin (standing, fifth from left), and Liaoning’s Vice Governor Mr Bing Zhigang (standing, fourth from left)] (Photo: IE Singapore)