UK science told to raise profile

British universities may miss out on the Singapore market unless they get on the map. Anna Fazackerley reports

Singapore is becoming an important target for British universities but those outside a more concentrated golden triangle of Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial College London may find they are not on the map, The Times Higher can reveal.

The small South-East Asian city-state has invested SG$3 billion (£1 billion) in a bid to position itself at the forefront of biomedical research and is determinedly pushing science across the board.

To fuel this expansion, the Singapore Government has also launched an overseas scholarship scheme to encourage students to enter research.

Some 400 bright students have been funded to spend three years studying for a science degree in another country, with big cash incentives rising to SG$900,000 (£300,000) for those who go on to take science PhDs.

But Britain is losing out to the US in the selection stakes - it has only three preferred universities, compared with 30 in the US.

Lam Kong Peng, executive director of Singapore's Biomedical Research Council, told The Times Higher : "More than half of our scholars go to the US. In the UK we would consider Cambridge, Oxford and Imperial. We believe these universities offer a very good training environment."

Successful academic appointments from Britain - such as Sir David Lane, the renowned cancer expert from Dundee University who transferred to Singapore in January - may make a difference.

Professor Lam added: "If someone said they wanted to work in cancer research at Dundee of course we would say 'yes', as we have a very famous scientist from there."

Brian Ferrar, first secretary for science at the British High Commission in Singapore, said that easily recognisable brand names such as Oxbridge still held tremendous sway.

He explained that at recent science and higher education events in the country 90 per cent of delegates had said that image was vital when considering whether to study, do business or collaborate with another country.

He told The Times Higher : "Singapore is keen to partner with world-class institutions - we therefore need to demonstrate the wide range of world-class research undertaken in the UK."

He warned that many other countries were already active in promoting their researchers and institutions in Singapore.

"We will lose out if we don't do the same, and other countries will reap the benefits," he said.

The High Commission has launched a UK-Singapore Partners in Science campaign, which will include persuading as many top UK scientists as possible to lecture in Singapore, in an attempt to raise the profile of British science in the country.

Warwick University may have already broken through any traditional image barrier. The university is considering an exclusive invitation by Singapore's Economic Development Board to set up a campus for up to 10,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students in the country.

A spokesperson for the university said: "They approached us completely out of the blue. As a university, we are about the same age as Singapore and have a reputation for getting things done."

The university hoped its "rapid rise up the league tables" had boosted its international image.

The spokesperson added: "Global reputations are important for any university these days - whether it is in Singapore or anywhere else. Just having a reputation in the UK isn't enough."

Warwick will announce in October whether it will proceed with the Singapore campus.

anna.fazackerley@thes.co.uk