Presented to the rest of the world as ‘Uniquely Singapore’, this extraordinary city country is situated in Southeast Asia and comprises of a main island and around fifty smaller islands. With a total land area of 682.7 sq km, Singapore is home to more than four million people comprising Chinese, Malays, Indians and others. Given this brilliant blend of culture, cuisine, arts and architecture, Singapore brings the best of East and West together.
Predominantly low-lying, Singapore is located in the tropical belt and experiences hot and humid climate all round the year, with seasonal rains. Daytime temperature averages at around 30°C, with above 75% humidity.
Given its flourishing developed economy with a per capita GDP of $49,700 (2007 est.) it is no surprise that Singapore is popularly known as one of Asia’s economic ‘tigers’. Believing in a free market structure and blessed with a strategic global position, Singapore has grown into a major hub for trade, communication and tourism. Home to the busiest port in the world, it is quite truly the gateway to the Southeast.
For these reasons and many more, Singapore has been ranked as the most preferred destination by Asian expatriates with respect to quality of life, world class infrastructure, low crime rates and other similar parameters, as found out by ECA International, a human resources consultancy organization based in London.
Quick Facts:
Capital: Singapore
Population: 4,608,167 (July 2008 est.)
Nationality: Singaporean
Climate: Tropical with two distinct monsoon seasons- northeastern monsoon and southwestern monsoon.
Languages: Mandarin, English, Malay, Hokkien, Cantonese, Teochew, Tamil and others.
Govt. Type: Parliamentary republic
Currency: Singapore Dollar (Varies between Rs 31 to Rs 32)
Calling Code: +65
Time Difference: 8 hrs ahead of UTC/GMT (2 hours and 30 minutes ahead of IST)
Education System in Singapore:
With the government backing the education system, Singapore has been able to build a highly organized and systematic educational set up that works on the principles of flexibility and diversity, allowing its students to develop their abilities to the fullest. This network of education comprises of three local universities, five polytechnics and many private schools and international universities that offer varied courses in different disciplines. Like James Cook University, TMC Academy, Raffles Education Corporation, Nanyang Institute of Management, PSB Academy etc.
Popular courses:
IT, Business, Hospitality, Engineering, MBA, law, communication and media studies, creative arts
Benefits of studying here:
- High standard of living
- Flourishing arts and cultural scene
- Safe, with low crime rate
- Stable political environment
- Strategically located in heart of Asia
- Established infrastructure and accessibility
Approximate tuition fees:
Non-lab based: S$20,420 - S$21,950
Lab-based: S$22,420
Dentistry/medicine: S$83,870
Music: S$40,330
(At the three local universities)
All polytechnics: S$12,652
Approximate living expenses:
Accommodation: S$250 to 500 per month
Food: S$220 to 300 per month
Transportation etc: S$100 to 200 per month