R Theyvendran, the general secretary of MDISThe Management Development Institute of Singapore (MDIS) claims to be Singapore’s oldest not-for-profit professional institute for lifelong learning. MDIS offers courses ranging for business, to engineering to technology and more. The institute is a top choice for international students, including those from India. R Theyvendran, the general secretary of MDIS, speaks of its strengths and why the institute continues to be a top choice for students from India.
Please share with us MDIS’s regional developments and initiatives.
MDIS celebrated 60 years of education and training excellence last year. Today, we are Singapore’s oldest not-for-profit professional institute for lifelong learning offering quality, industry-relevant transnational education, in partnership with top global universities.
The institute recently introduced 22 new pre-degree and degree programmes across its academic disciplines, and launched a new School of Nursing. The new programmes, with heavy emphasis on vocational skills development, coupled with an expanded academic progression pathway, will nurture future-ready graduates and enhance their employability.
MDIS will be the first Private Education Institution (PEI) to have its own dedicated School of Nursing, for which it will further develop the curriculum and infrastructure by early 2018.
MDIS’s Vision 2020, three-year strategic plan will see the institute delivering skill-based programmes covering nine key academic areas.
MDIS Malaysia’s new campus is slated to open last quarter of 2017. MDIS Malaysia is the Institute’s largest overseas campus, located in premium education hub, EduCity@Iskandar. It will provide expansive living facilities and learning experiences for students.
Is there a special focus on skill-based courses.
MDIS believes that lifelong learning consists of mastering ever-changing skills. Hence, we are focused on offering more skill-based, industry-relevant courses, while maintaining the quality of our current academic programmes. We aim to provide globally recognised and competency-based programmes, in partnership with internationally accredited global universities, to maximise the future readiness of individuals and organisations.
How has MDIS’s student intake been in the past few years? How is the student pool being expanded?
Student numbers are holding steady, with more than 13,000 students across MDIS’s four campuses – Singapore, Uzbekistan (Tashkent), India (Chennai) and Malaysia (Johor). Our students come from more than 80 countries. With the official opening of MDIS Malaysia in the last quarter of 2017 and the upgraded campus facilities in MDIS Tashkent, we can expect to see an increase in student numbers. At present, MDIS’s student population from India stands at 500 and it is growing.
How does MDIS attract students from India? What are its unique programmes and initiatives?
India is on track to becoming a global economic force and that opens up many opportunities for MBA-holders. Indeed, MDIS has seen a growing interest among Indian students for courses in business. Management studies remain an area where Singapore has always been one of the most-preferred destination of students around the world. The MDIS Business School (MBS) is one of the most established private business schools in Singapore, with partnerships with top global universities. The Singapore Business Review has ranked it among the top 5 MBA providers this year.
MDIS also recognizes individuals who show great potential by awarding merit scholarships of up to S$4,000 for deserving and outstanding international students to pursue their education. Last year, the institute presented three young women from India with merit scholarships to pursue their Masters in Banking and Finance.
What are the most popular courses among students from India?
Business programmes remain a top choice of study among students from India. Engineering and Health and Life Sciences programmes also have many takers. Two of our engineering programmes have seen a significant increase, of more than 3 times, in student numbers from 2015 to 2016. These programmes are the Master of Science Project Management and Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) Mechanical Engineering, both awarded by Northumbria University, UK. Additionally, the Master of Science Health Sciences (Management, awarded by Northumbria University, UK, has seen increasing popularity with students from India too.
What competitive advantages do MDIS offer students from India vs other private education institutions?
What sets MDIS apart and allows our students to benefit from studying with us, include:
We are a trusted name in education and we offer quality transnational education. We have a truly global student community. The institute offers expansive learning and living facilities.
The success of MDIS' graduates is attributed to the Institute's strong commitment to high standards of education. This encompasses providing students with extensive industry-standard learning facilities and equipment, guided by experienced lecturers and industry practitioners, as well as a conducive learning environment with on-campus accommodation. The institute’s full facility hostel boasts 782 air-conditioned rooms, 14 suites, dance studio, gymnasium, badminton courts, lecture theatre and cafeteria.
