PINOYWORLD | PINOY WORLD

The search is on for the next students and scholars of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

The learning institution, formally established in 2004, is an autonomous graduate school of the National University of Singapore, considered among the top 25 universities in the world based on surveys.

The school has inherited a rich legacy left by its predecessor Public Policy Programme set up in 1992 and developed in partnership with the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University .

Its student population boasts of international leaders from various fields, including government officials, military officers and even non-government organization personnel.

As its name implies, the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy aims to provide opportunities for the education and training of the next generation of Asian policy-makers and leaders to raise the standards of governance throughout the region, and in the process improve the lives of the people and contribute to the transformation of Asia and the world.

The school offers three master degree programs in Public Policy, Public Administration and Public Management.

It also offers a wide range of customized executive programs and has trained over 1,000 public sector professionals since its establishment in 2004.

According to Stavros Yiannouka, vice dean for executive education and development, their institution is a vibrant place for the exchange of ideas with a diverse student population and faculty.

A majority of students are from China and India , and a number from other Asian countries like Indonesia , Pakistan , the Philippines , Bangladesh , Kazakhstan , Mongolia and Korea . There are also students from Africa and the United States .

“We are getting 700 applications for about 150 to 180 slots. Quite selective as the final cut is about 20 percent of the applicants and we have students from all over the world,” Yiannouka said.

But Filipino students are earning a reputable niche in the university with their proficiency in the English language and their ability to ask very relevant questions, according to Yiannouka.

As of now, the student population is 260, up from 60 in 2004.

Yiannouka acknowledges that the name of former Prime Minister Lee helps attract interest in the school.

“It sends a very strong signal that we are an institution that gives focus on good governance. And most people know that when Singapore does something, it usually does it very well,” he said.

Catherine Denise Jayme, senior manager for education who came to the Philippines recently with Yiannouka to drum up interest in the school, said they look at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy as a meeting place for debates, but stressed that they avoid politicizing.

An orientation is scheduled in July while the semester starts in August for two of the school’s programs. The public management program starts in January.

The school offers one-year and two-year programs but they also have a one-month certificate course, the flagship senior management program, that costs around S$27,000, inclusive of accommodation.

No scholarships are available for the one-month course but there are grants for the one-year regular program, which amounted to $215,000 last year.

“Seventy-five percent of our students avail of some forms of assistance,” Yiannouka said.

The minimum requirements for applicants are a four-year Bachelor’s degree, passing the placement test and at least eight years of relevant work experience. There is no age limit for applicants.

The one-month certificate course is very intensive, Yiannouka said, with everyday classes and a lot of skills-based training in public speaking and legislation.

Yiannouka also proudly stated that their school has a regular stream of visitors who give lectures to students, including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Yiannouka believes that in any part of the world, there are basically three requirements of good governance – order, avoidance of corruption and competence in public administration.

“The school offers training on a variety of topics on good governance, including economic reasoning, understanding how the policy making process works and understanding how management within the organization can be effective,” said Yiannouka.

“Perhaps we have managed to instill a civic and public consciousness in students that at some point, maybe even later in their lives, they would be able to use when they would go into public service, or start a foundation or an NGO. It really depends on the impact that the individual would have,” Yiannouka said.

“We have alumni who are trying to make changes in their areas,” added Jayme, echoing what Lee said that “the school’s participants are sure to benefit from a rigorous study of policies that have succeeded and failed.”

Written by Cheeko Ruiz | STAR | Friday, April 18, 2008