Det Fischer, director, international & marketing, James Cook University, Singapore, was recently in India to hold scholarship tests for students. In an interaction with FE, he says that the JCU Singapore campus is focused on making Asian students globally employable:
Why has JCU decided to hold scholarship tests in India?
We have seen that there are a number of Indian students who don?t have access to some of the resources students from other markets have. So, we thought of giving as many students as possible the opportunity to study in Singapore, preferably through scholarships.
How many students will be selected for the scholarships?
We haven?t thought of any number as of now; it will be decided as soon as results of the tests start coming in. But over the past four years we have taken about 300-350 students, to which we have provided some level of fee relief through our scholarship programme.
How many Indian students are already studying in JCU?
Around 400-500, out of the total student population of 3,000. And this is a good number.
What are the career opportunities Singapore offers to JCU students?
Singapore is the financial hub of Asia. It is also a hub for IT, tourism and hospitality. So, there are many opportunities for students. But we don?t just focus on Singapore, we try and make them employable, so that they can work with employers anywhere in the world.