Corporate Development
NIE and Top Teacher Education Colleges Meet in the US
By Associate Professor Low Ee Ling, Office of Teacher Education
From 24 to 29 April 2011, NIE Director, Professor Lee Sing Kong led a delegation comprising Associate Professor Quek Jin Jong, Principal Officer, Associate Professor Low Ee Ling, Associate Dean, Office of Teacher Education, and Associate Professor Sylvia Chong, Deputy Head, Office of Academic Quality Management, to visit Teachers College (TC) and Boston College (BC) at the invitation of the President of TC, Professor Susan Fuhrman and the BC Provost, Professor Cutberto Garza, respectively.
(From left) Exchange of Gifts:
BC Provost, Prof Cutberto Garza and
NIE Director, Prof Lee Sing Kong
The podium at the Milbank Chapel has
hosted many luminaries in Education
The three days at Teachers College involved meetings with its President and Senior Faculty members on a range of issues – including, the hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) project meeting on the identification of Unique and Promising Practices in Mathematics and Science Teacher Preparation among APEC Economies in Singapore in October 2011; the latest developments on a Joint TC-NIE Masters in Leadership and Educational Change; and the possible convening of a symposium on the topic of the "Future of Education Schools in 2012". NIE Director Prof Lee was also invited to give a talk on "The Globalisation of Education Schools: Singapore's Approach" to TC faculty and students from the podium of the Milbank Chapel which has hosted many other luminaries in the field of Education.
A well-attended lunch organised by NIE's overseas graduate scholar Ms Suzanne Choo for Asian students at TC was also the perfect backdrop for meaningful exchanges with the delegation.
The delegation then visited Boston College where they were warmly received by BC Provost and Dean of Faculties, Professor Cutberto Garza, the interim Dean at the Lynch School of Education, Professor Maureen Kenny and faculty members. Discussions centred around the possible undertaking of a joint research project between NIE and BC on international benchmarking and further explorations about the possible offering of a Joint Masters' programme by the two institutes.
The six-day official trip promises a fruitful outcome with follow-up conference calls with the two institutes scheduled to take place in early June 2011.