National University of Singapore and Hebrew University of Jerusalem to promote training and research in biomedical science starting August 2013

Newswise — Singapore and Jerusalem, July 3, 2013 — The National University of Singapore (NUS) and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem are launching a Joint Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree program in biomedical science beginning in August 2013.

Prof. Tan Eng Chye, Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost at National University of Singapore, and Prof. Menahem Ben-Sasson, President of the Hebrew University, signed the joint degree agreement at NUS, in the presence of Ambassador of Israel to Singapore Her Excellency Amira Arnon and 30 invited guests.

The new joint PhD program is a collaboration between the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and the Faculty of Science at NUS with the Hebrew University Faculties of Medicine and Science. Students enrolled in the program will divide their time between both campuses in Singapore and Jerusalem, spending a minimum of nine months at each institution. Two NUS students have already been selected for the inaugural intake and they will begin their program in the new academic year starting this August.

NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan said, “We are excited to further deepen our ties with HUJ through this new joint PhD programme. HUJ is highly respected internationally for its outstanding scientific research and its application. As the programme leverages on the complementary academic strengths of our two institutions, I am confident that it will offer a unique and world-class learning experience for our students and an excellent platform for our faculty to drive for even higher levels of excellence. This partnership also opens up more opportunities for researchers and students from both our universities to break new ground in biomedical science.”

Prof Menahem Ben-Sasson, President of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said, “We are proud of our relationship with the National University of Singapore, which is one of the leading academic research institutions in Asia, and a model for its huge investment in research, teaching and globalization. Through Singapore’s CREATE program, we already have two student exchange programs with NUS and a joint research venture. This new joint PhD program is yet another step in strengthening our ties at all academic levels. The joint program will enable students from each university to spend at least nine months in the other university, and to be exposed to their host country’s scientific advances and cultural experiences — a major asset in today’s interconnected global scientific community.” The joint PhD program will help to train a core group of biomedical scientists who will have international research experience with a solid footing in Asia. The strong tradition of research and educational excellence at both institutions allows them to complement each other in the scientific frontier and the collaboration will offer its students the best in academic training and ample opportunities for exposure to different cultures.

The joint PhD program aims to take in between two to three students from each institution each year for the next four years. Each institution will conduct its own selection, in accordance with respective standard requirements for acceptance into a PhD program. Student will pay tuition fees set by their home institution for the entire duration of the program. NUS-registered students can also apply for the NUS Research Scholarship.

The two universities have previously collaborated in establishing the NUS – HUJ Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Inflammation Research Programme in 2010, which is a part of the CREATE (Campus for Research Excellence And Technological Enterprise) program of Singapore’s National Research Foundation.

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About National University of Singapore (NUS)

A leading global university centred in Asia, the National University of Singapore (NUS) is Singapore’s flagship university which offers a global approach to education and research, with a focus on Asian perspectives and expertise. NUS has 16 faculties and schools across three campuses. Its transformative education includes a broad-based curriculum underscored by multi-disciplinary courses and cross-faculty enrichment. Over 37,000 students from 100 countries enrich the community with their diverse social and cultural perspectives. NUS has three Research Centres of Excellence (RCE) and 23 university-level research institutes and centres. It is also a partner in Singapore’s 5th RCE. NUS shares a close affiliation with 16 national-level research institutes and centres. Research activities are strategic and robust, and NUS is well-known for its research strengths in engineering, life sciences and biomedicine, social sciences and natural sciences. It also strives to create a supportive and innovative environment to promote creative enterprise within its community. For more information, please visit www.nus.edu.sg

About the Hebrew University of Jerusalem

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem was founded in 1918 by visionaries including Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, Martin Buber and Chaim Weizmann. Ranked among the top universities worldwide, the Hebrew University is Israel's premier academic and research institution. Serving 23,000 students from 70 countries, the Hebrew University produces a third of Israel’s civilian research and has been ranked 12th worldwide in biotechnology patent filings and commercial development. Faculty and alumni have won seven Nobel Prizes and a Fields Medal in the last decade.

The Hebrew University has the finest concentration of Judaic scholarship in the world, as well as centers of excellence in Arabic and Islamic studies, classics, linguistics, European history, South Asian and East Asian studies, cognitive neuroscience, political science and the comparative study of religion, among others. Its seven academic faculties, in the humanities, sciences, law, social sciences, agriculture, dental medicine and medicine, are located on three campuses in Jerusalem and a fourth in Rehovot.

For more information, please visit http://new.huji.ac.il.

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