University of New South Wales Asia - Announcement On Closure

Announcement On Closure

UNSW announced its closure on 23 May 2007. It was reported that the closure was due to its low student enrolment, causing the school to run into financial problems. The closure comes despite the fact that UNSW has already invested over S$22 million (A$17.5 million) in its Singapore campus. Students who are currently enrolled at UNSW Asia will be offered a place in an equivalent programme at UNSW Sydney.

The students of the university are petitioning against the closure of the Singapore campus. Together with the petition, they are asking for the S$140 million campus project at Changi to be abandoned to cut costs. They added they were happy with their current Kay Siang Road campus. Some said they did not mind paying their tuition fees in full to help the situation from the loss making campus. The petition will be sent to the UNSW management in Sydney as well as the Ministry of Education and the Economic Development Board. Students felt the university should be given a chance and the university has a lot of potential in Singapore as well as being a force in the Asian education system. Some students have plans to sue the university if their petition is unsuccessful, whereas others want the government to give them a place in the three local universities. Local universities said they will admit the students on a case-by-case basis. Scholarships are given to students to study in its Sydney campus with S$12,000 given to foreign students and S$22,000 to local students. Staff also do not have a guaranteed job at its Sydney campus and no compensation package has since been announced.