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‘More needs to be done’ to bring top overseas-based S’porean scientists back

SINGAPORE — While the Republic’s universities have improved over the years and more multinational companies are drawn here to conduct biomedical science research, more work needs to be done to attract Singaporean scientists working abroad to return, and to get the private sector to pump in more money for research.

A scientist at a lab in Singapore. Bloomberg file photo

A scientist at a lab in Singapore. Bloomberg file photo

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SINGAPORE — While the Republic’s universities have improved over the years and more multinational companies are drawn here to conduct biomedical science research, more work needs to be done to attract Singaporean scientists working abroad to return, and to get the private sector to pump in more money for research.

These were the observations made by the National Research Foundation (NRF), which today (Dec 8) issued its report card on the Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) 2015 plan.

Under the five-year RIE plan, which started in 2011, the Government allocated S$16.1 billion to research, innovation and enterprise. Talent schemes were also launched to meet industry and public sector demand, and nurture local scientific leadership.

At a media briefing, NRF chief executive officer Professor Low Teck Seng said infrastructure is one of the reasons why Singapore “remained attractive globally”.

“Through the many years of investment in R&D, we have built superb infrastructure, very good facilities in our universities ... and, of course, our research institutes,” he said.

On the education front, the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have enjoyed a rise in their global rankings and improvement in research quality. Both universities have built up five research centres of excellence, which conduct research in fields such as quantum technologies and earth sciences.

Ms Lee May Gee, the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) Executive Director of Academic Research (Covering) and Director (Higher Education Policy), also noted that institutes of higher learning here have “evolved beyond basic education” to become “drivers of research and innovation and enterprise”.

Managing director for Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Professor Raj Thampuran said since the start of RIE2015, the number of industry projects had grown five times to more than 7,700 projects. During the same period, A*STAR had attracted over S$1.1 billion of industry research investments through public-private partnerships, he added.

Asked about the areas in RIE2015 that did not fare well or could be improved, Prof Low pointed out there was an “aspiration” in trying to get private-sector industries to spend S$2.50 for every dollar the Government spends on research.

“We did not achieve that but many things conspired against us, the macroeconomic upheavals in the financial world ... cause a lot of industries to be a bit more cautious in terms of R&D spending, for example,” he said.

However, Prof Low added that Singapore was on the “right trajectory”.

Singapore is also nurturing a strong local core of researchers to lead the work in places such as research institutions and high-technology companies. One way is through programmes such as the Returning Singaporean Scientists Scheme, to attract top overseas-based Singaporeans scientists back.

One Singaporean scientist who returned home from the United States is NUS Deputy President (Research and Technology) Professor Ho Teck Hua.

He was previously William Halford Jr Family Professor of Marketing at the Hass School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.

“I miss home and I’ve been away for 25 years. I feel that I made my career in the US; I want to do something different,” said Prof Ho. “NUS gives me a platform to do something really different compared to what I have been doing in the past.”

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