Cover Story
Remembering Our Roots
as We Soar
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Writers: Jocelyn Huang and Lim Qiu Ping
For those of you who have not caught up with the news – our alma mater is restructuring to become
Singapore’s sixth autonomous university (AU)!
Among the alumni in the know, questions have been asked about the significance of the shift in status with
concerns raised regarding the certificate and change of name from SIM University (UniSIM) to Singapore
University of Social Sciences (SUSS). Professor Cheong Hee Kiat, President of SUSS, enlightens us, as well as
shares SUSS’s plans for the future.
How is the transition from UniSIM to SUSS progressing?
There are still major steps to take before the
autonomous status of SUSS is a done deal. We
remain a private university because while the SUSS
Bill has been passed in Parliament on May 8, it has
yet to be gazetted to become a law. Hence, SUSS is
still subjected to the Private Education Act. The Bill
must be assented to by Dr Tony Tan, President of
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Singapore, before being gazetted. This final step is
likely to take place in Q2 or Q3 of this year.
Notwithstanding, the constitution of the university
has been changed; so from 1 January 2017, the
University was no longer under the oversight of SIM,
but is under the ambit of the Ministry of Education.