Resilience and growth: A University’s response for future-proofing graduates and careers

Abstract

Powering a learning society requires new and innovative ways to adapt to the changing development narratives of a country. For a country like Singapore, whose trajectory has evolved from manufacturing into becoming a global knowledge economy, investments in education to produce a resilient and future-ready workforce necessitate rethinking the ways universities operate and contribute to society. This chapter highlights the different approaches of the National University of Singapore (NUS), the country’s premier institution of higher learning, to respond to the challenge of promoting a learning society. NUS promotes interdisciplinary education, has undertaken robust lifelong learning initiatives, and focuses on translating academic research into real-world applications and solutions. This chapter also investigates the extent through which universities can collaborate with various stakeholders; and questions the future of such collaborations in a world characterized by disruption, rapid economic shifts, and changing learning demands and patterns.