Nanyang Technological University facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Nanyang Technological University

南洋理工大学 (Chinese) Universiti Teknologi Nanyang  (Malay) நன்யாங் தொழில்நுட்ப பல்கலைக்கழகம் (Tamil)
Coat of arms
Former name	Nanyang Technological Institute (1981–1991)
Type	Public research university
Established	8 August 1981; 43 years ago (1981-08-08) (as Nanyang Technological Institute) 1 July 1991; 34 years ago (1991-07-01) (as Nanyang Technological University)
Endowment	S$2.9 billion
Chancellor	President of Singapore
President	Ho Teck Hua
Provost	Christian Wolfrum
Academic staff	1,590
Administrative staff	6,407
Students	37,458
Undergraduates	24,800
Postgraduates	12,658
Address	50 Nanyang Ave, Singapore 639798
Campus	50 Nanyang Ave, Singapore 639798 (Main campus) 11 Mandalay Road, Singapore 308232 (Novena campus)
Colours	Red      Blue
Affiliations	ACU, APRU, ASAIHL, ASPIRE, AUN, DAAD, SATU, STINT, UAiTED, UCMSR, WA, Global Alliance of Technological Universities

Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is a public research university in Singapore. It was founded in 1981. NTU is the second oldest independent university in Singapore.

The university has many different colleges and schools. These include the College of Engineering and the College of Science. There is also the Nanyang Business School and the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine. Other schools focus on humanities, arts, social sciences, computing, and data science. NTU also has a Graduate College and the National Institute of Education. The S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies is part of NTU too.

NTU is home to special research centers. These include the Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering. Another is the Institute for Digital Molecular Analytics and Science. The Earth Observatory of Singapore is also a research institute here.

NTU's main campus is very large. It covers 200 hectares of land. This makes it the biggest university campus in Singapore. The main campus is in the western part of Singapore. NTU also has a medical campus in Novena. This area is Singapore’s healthcare district. As of 2024, NTU has 37,458 students. It also has 7,997 teachers and staff.

Discovering NTU's Past

Early Beginnings: Nanyang University (1960–1980)

The story of NTU began with Nanyang University. This university was started in 1955. It was built before Singapore became an independent country. The old administration building is now the Chinese Heritage Centre. This building is a national monument.

Becoming Nanyang Technological Institute (1981–1991)

In 1980, Nanyang University joined with the University of Singapore. They formed the National University of Singapore. Then, in 1981, Nanyang Technological Institute (NTI) was created. NTI took over the old Nanyang University campus. It was connected to the National University of Singapore.

NTU Today: A Leading University

In March 1991, the Singapore Parliament approved the creation of Nanyang Technological University. It officially opened on July 1, 1991. The National Institute of Education (NIE) became part of NTU. In 1996, the records of students from the old Nanyang University were moved to NTU.

NTU became an independent university in 2006. This means it can make its own decisions. Today, NTU is one of the two largest public universities in Singapore. It works with other universities for a PhD program. This program helps students from all over the world.

NTU has many students and teachers from different countries. About 65% of the teachers and staff are from other nations. Also, 31% of the students are international. This makes NTU a very diverse place.

Understanding the NTU Coat of Arms

When NTU was founded in 1991, it adopted a special symbol. This symbol is called a Coat of Arms. It was given to NTI in 1982.

The Coat of Arms has a shield. The bottom part shows a lion walking on a white background. The top part has two atomic symbols. These are on each side of a cog-wheel. They are above a wall on a red background.

Each part of the Coat of Arms has a meaning. The lion shows the close connection between NTI and NUS. The wall represents the School of Civil and Structural Engineering. The atoms stand for the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. The cog-wheel represents the School of Mechanical and Production Engineering.

Exploring NTU's Campuses

Beautiful Buildings and Design

NTU's campus is known for its beauty. It has been called one of the "World's Most Beautiful Universities." The ADM building is often featured. It has also been listed among "The 10 most beautiful universities in East Asia." The Learning Hub, also called The Hive, is another famous building.

The main campus layout was designed by Kenzō Tange. He was a famous Japanese architect. The ADM building was designed by Lee Cheng Wee. The Hive was designed by British designer Thomas Heatherwick.

Yunnan Garden Campus Highlights

Yunnan Garden Main Entrance

The old Nanyang University administration building is now the Chinese Heritage Centre. It became a national monument in 1998. It looks over the Yunnan Garden. The Yunnan Garden was renovated and partly opened in early 2020. The Nanyang University Memorial and its original arch are also national monuments.

NTU has an Art & Heritage Museum. It is a public museum. There is a small lake called Nanyang Lake. It is between the Chinese Heritage Centre and Hall of Residence 4. Only members of the NTU Anglers' Club can fish there.

The campus was also used for the first Youth Olympic Games in 2010. It served as the Youth Olympic Village.

Student Living: Undergraduate Halls

NTU has 23 Halls of Residence for students. Each hall can hold between 500 and 659 students. In total, they can house 14,000 students. All new students are guaranteed a room for their first two years.

The halls have shared facilities. These include lounges and reading rooms. There are also pantries and laundry rooms. Rooms can be single or shared. Shared rooms are for students of the same gender.

Getting Around Campus

NTU provides shuttle buses for transportation. The Campus Loop Red and Blue buses go around the campus. The Campus Rider bus connects the campus to the Pioneer MRT station.

• Architecture/Facilities of NTU
• 

  Administration Building of Nanyang Technological University.

• 

  Chinese Heritage Centre, formerly the Administration Building of Nanyang University.

• 

  Nanyang Lake

• 

  The Hive

• 

  Interior of The Hive

• 

  North Spine

• 

  South Spine

• 

  School of Art, Design and Media

• 

  Business School

• 

  Business School

• 

  Hall of Residence 5

• 

  Student Accommodation

• 

  Hall of Residence 9

• 

  NTU shuttle bus on Campus Weekend Rider

NTU's Colleges and Schools

NTU has many colleges and schools. Each one focuses on different subjects.

Nanyang Business School

The Nanyang Business School (NBS) is the biggest business school in Singapore. It has a large finance lab. This lab helps students learn about finance. It has special terminals to access real-time financial news.

College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

This college has four schools:

• The Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information teaches about Journalism, Broadcast, and Advertising. It was named after Singapore's former president Wee Kim Wee.
• The School of Art, Design and Media is Singapore's first professional art school. It offers programs in Art, Design, and Media. Its building has a unique sloping grassy roof.
• The School of Humanities offers programs in Chinese, English Literature, History, and Philosophy.
• The School of Social Sciences offers Economics, Psychology, and Sociology.

College of Engineering

The College of Engineering is NTU's largest part. It is ranked among the top engineering schools in the world. It has over 10,500 undergraduate students. It includes six schools. These focus on areas like Chemical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Materials, and Mechanical Engineering. They focus on technology and new ideas.

College of Computing and Data Science

In February 2024, a new college was formed. It brought together Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Data Science, and Artificial Intelligence. This college is now separate from the College of Engineering. It offers new programs like Applied Computing in Finance.

College of Science

This college has three schools. It has about 150 teachers and many students.

• The School of Biological Sciences teaches about Biological Sciences. It also has a program in Biomedical Sciences and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
• The School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences offers subjects like Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.
• The Asian School of the Environment focuses on environmental challenges in Asia. It combines different sciences to study the environment and sustainability.

Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine

In 2010, NTU announced a new medical school. It was a partnership with Imperial College London. The Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine opened in 2013. It received large donations to help it start. Its main partner for medical training is the National Healthcare Group.

Graduate College

NTU's Graduate College started in 2018. It manages all the advanced study programs at NTU. One program is the Interdisciplinary Graduate Programme (IGP). It allows students to do research with teachers from different schools. Another is the Industrial Postgraduate Programme (IPP). This program works with companies for research projects.

National Institute of Education

The National Institute of Education (NIE) is Singapore's main college for training teachers. It is located on NTU's campus. It works closely with Singapore's Ministry of Education. Teachers in Singapore's public schools must complete a course at NIE.

S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies

The S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) is named after S. Rajaratnam. He was a former Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore. This school offers advanced programs in international relations. It is an independent part of NTU.

NTU's Research Centers

NTU has three special Research Centres of Excellence (RCE). These centers do important research.

• The Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE) studies tiny living things called biofilms. It combines Life Sciences with Engineering to understand them.
• The Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS) studies earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, and climate change. It focuses on Southeast Asia. Its goal is to help societies be safer.
• The Institute for Digital Molecular Analytics and Science (IDMxS) is another interdisciplinary research center.

NTU's Global Recognition

Overall University Rankings

NTU is recognized as a top university worldwide. In 2024, it was ranked #40 globally. This ranking combines results from several major university lists.

Top Young University

NTU is also known as a leading "young" university. It has been ranked #1 in the Times Higher Education Young University Rankings 2023. It was also #1 in the QS "Top 50 Under 50" 2021. NTU has been the world's #1 young university by QS since 2015.

Notable People from NTU

NTU has had many successful students and teachers.

Leaders in Politics and Public Service

Many NTU alumni have become important figures in government. They serve in Singapore and other countries.

• Masagos Zulkifli – A Minister in Singapore's government.
• Sim Ann – A Senior Minister of State in Singapore.
• Tito Karnavian – Former chief of the Indonesian National Police and a Minister in Indonesia.
• Y.B. Datuk Seri Ir Wee Ka Siong – A Member of Parliament in Malaysia.

Business Leaders

NTU graduates have also achieved success in business.

• Dato’ Sri Tahir – Founder of Mayapada Group.
• Tan Lip-Bu – CEO of Intel.
• Merry Riana – Founder of Merry Riana Group.

Scientists and Researchers

Alumni from NTU have made important contributions to science.

• Shirley Meng – A Professor at the University of Chicago.
• Ming Joo Koh – An Associate Professor at NUS Singapore.

Artists and Writers

NTU has also produced talented artists and writers.

• Liang Wern Fook – A famous writer and musician.
• Tan Swie Hian – A well-known local artist and sculptor.

Media and Entertainment Personalities

Many NTU alumni are famous in media and entertainment.

• Stefanie Sun – A popular singer and songwriter.
• Joanne Peh – A well-known actress.
• Rui En – An actress and singer.

Sports Achievers

NTU alumni have also excelled in sports.

• Yu Mengyu – A gold medalist in table-tennis.
• Dipna Lim Prasad – A silver and bronze medalist in sprinting at the SEA Games.

Community Builders

Some alumni focus on helping their communities.

• John Chew – Former 8th Bishop of Singapore.

Notable Teachers at NTU

NTU also has many famous teachers.

Medicine, Science, and Engineering Experts

• Chen Xiaodong – Expert in Materials Science and Engineering.
• Joseph Sung – Expert in Gastroenterology.

Business and Technology Leaders

• Teck-Hua Ho – Expert in Behavioral Science and Marketing.
• Vijay Sethi – A top Business Professor.

Humanities and Social Sciences Scholars

• Duncan McCargo – Expert in Political Science.

See also

In Spanish: Universidad Tecnológica de Nanyang para niños