New common curriculum and career preparation for University of the Arts students

SINGAPORE – Students joining the new University of the Arts Singapore (UAS) in 2024 will need to take up at least one internship, and complete modules that will prepare them for work and the wider world.

In an interview with The Straits Times, UAS vice-chancellor Kwok Kian Woon said they will also have to take courses as part of a common curriculum that is beyond their main specialisation. These could include topics such as communication, digital literacy and social issues. 

UAS – the first in Singapore to focus on the arts – will take in its first cohort of students across undergraduate degrees and Master of Arts programmes in August 2024. It is expecting an intake of more than 700 students.

The university is formed by an alliance between Lasalle College of the Arts (Lasalle) and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Nafa), and will start receiving applications in the third quarter of 2023. 

It launched its logo on Wednesday at its inaugural UAS Arts Symposium held at Lasalle, where more than 450 arts educators and partners from government agencies, industry and cultural organisations gathered to discuss arts education. 

Education Minister Chan Chun Sing, who attended the event, said: “At a juncture where societies increasingly recognise the value of the arts, and economies are diversifying to increasingly value creative thinking, the establishment of UAS is indeed a worthwhile and important pursuit.”

“With its people, and its location spanning the heart of our civic district across the National Design Centre and Lasalle’s and Nafa’s campuses, UAS is especially well-placed to act as a catalyst for an even more vibrant arts and cultural ecosystem,” said Mr Chan.

“We have seen this with other leading arts institutions worldwide, such as with the Royal College of Art and University of the Arts London.”

UAS must offer new value propositions for the global economy, said Mr Chan, adding that its graduates must be industry-relevant, while remaining grounded in both core and specialised skillsets.

“The future of organisations is increasingly inter-disciplinary, with designers, artists, and engineers working closely together,” he said.

“Skills traditionally valued in the arts are becoming increasingly sought after in other sectors, such as in the areas of user experience design and creative placemaking. Art forms are also evolving with the rise of technology, including artificial intelligence and the metaverse.”

UAS should also be a “bridging force” in an increasingly fragmented world, and take advantage of Singapore’s unique position at the crossroads between the East and West to build a niche for itself, said Mr Chan, adding that the hope is for it to establish itself as a leading arts education institution regionally and globally.

In his keynote address, Prof Kwok highlighted the value of arts education and challenges in the face of global crises and technological advancement. These include teaching students how to use new tools without replacing the need to grapple with difficult questions and make judgements.

There is much potential for engagement with partners in the arts and educational precinct within the city, where UAS is located, he said.

The National Library Board’s plans to centralise its arts collection and programming is a golden opportunity for UAS to work closely with it, he added.

“We also find great affinity with the National Gallery of Singapore’s new initiatives in designing and delivering online courses on art, drawing from its Southeast Asian collections, networks, and expertise.”