News

NUS To Launch Concurrent Degree In Law And Public Policy 
Posted on Monday, October 02, 2006 - 03:00 PM

The NUS Faculty of Law, which is celebrating 50 years of legal education in Singapore, and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy will launch in 2007 a new concurrent degree programme in Law (Bachelor of Laws) and Public Policy (Master in Public Policy).

Combining the strengths of both the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and the Faculty of Law, this new concurrent degree programme will be highly attractive for law students interested in a career in the legal, civil or foreign service. Law students on this programme will have the opportunity to complete both degrees in 4½ to 5 years instead of the normal 5½ to 6 years if the degrees were pursued separately.

Both the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and the Faculty of Law have long been preparing their students for the complex world of policy-making and public service. The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy offers its students a curricula that is a blend of theory and practice in a distinct environment that is at once both Asian and global. The School provides insight into complex issues that challenge policy-makers daily; policy-related issues that are further complicated by the religious, ethnic, historical and political variables unique to Asia.

The Faculty of Law, which offers rigorous training in public law, international law, and governance, has a long history of placing its graduates in leading positions in government and public service. Its graduates include Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Law Professor S Jayakumar, the current Chief Justices of Singapore and Malaysia, and the Secretary General of ASEAN.

“Good public policy rests on strong and effective rule of law. This explains why many schools of public policy integrate law courses into their curriculum," observed Professor Kishore Mahbubani, Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. "The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy is therefore happy to join in the launching of this concurrent degree programme. We look forward to developing other faculty and student exchanges and even closer relations with the Law Faculty when we move to the Bukit Timah Campus in December 2006.”

Professor Tan Cheng Han, Senior Counsel and Dean of the Faculty of Law said, “The discipline of law is linked inextricably with public policy. The exact nature of laws often reflects a policy choice that has been made. Accordingly, this programme is an exciting addition to the broad range of double degree programmes offered by the Faculty of Law and will produce graduates with formidable qualifications that will prepare them for the increasingly complex world of law and policy-making in Singapore and internationally. We look forward to an even closer working relationship with our colleagues from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy when they join us at the Bukit Timah campus at the end of the year.”

The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy will join the Faculty of Law at NUS’ historic and newly renovated Bukit Timah Campus by end 2006.