Alumni Donations

With reference to the article from The Straits Times on 23 February, more alumni are donating to the National University of Singapore (NUS) bursary fund although they are aware its bursaries have been going to foreigners too.

NUS had confirmed that four in ten students who were awarded bursaries last year were foreigners. Some critics felt that foreign students were already subsidised by the Government to a large degree. Hence the bursary fund should benefit local students instead of the foreigners.

Personally, I feel that as long as they are needy students, whether or not they are local or foreign, it does not matter who receive the bursaries. Moreover, NUS took pains to stress that Singapore students were catered to first, before the funds went to the foreign students who are in need. However, as the saying goes, “Action speaks louder than words.” Thus I feel strongly that NUS should practise the principle of transparency by showing the public the process of selection of students for the bursaries, for an example. We have to look at the big picture. There is a higher probability that local students will contribute back to our society as compared to the foreign students. Therefore my stand would be NUS must "invest" in the right group of people and take care of all the local students first.