Campus Priorities

Students interacting on campus, a la Social Network

"We're going to make NTU a tourist attraction," said president designate and provost Professor Bertil Andersson. Okay, that explains the recent fee hike despite huge surpluses nesting in the reserve account. And we thought they were building better libraries or bringing in qualified academics who are more passionate about teaching than spending money.

The interactive brains behind the 15-year masterplan for Nanyang Technological University have in mind a mini-Holland Village - replete with restaurants, pubs, shops and cinemas. Holland V is so notorious for rip off prices, even Ang Mohs head for the HDB heartlands for their essentials. For administrators like Swede Andersson who lives on campus, it must be quite a journey to lunch at Shangrila or hit the happy hour at Clarke Quay. If the Herman Miller Aeron chairs can be justified, why not these up market conveniences? Then there's this creative line that says "we must create meeting places where the humanities girl can meet the engineering boy." If the nation's goal for more babies can be furthered, who's to query the grandiose expenditure? Besides, all the public carparks are too brightly lit to play doctor - even for Jack Neo's curtain draped automobile.

Outgoing president Su Guanning apparently agrees to the "need to adapt to changing pedagogical requirements", though whether these entertainment facilities will sustain new forms of teaching and research, conducive for the gestation of a nobel prize laureate, is open for debate. Unless they are planning courses for movie making and alcoholic concoctions, and thesis themes pontificating on why this year's Oscar nominations have to include gratuitous sex scenes - think Black Swan, Blue Valentine and The Kids Are All Right.

Unlike the monied Winklevoss twins of Social Network fame, students like Sherlene can see the lavish plans will only benefit those who can afford the hefty dormitory fees to stay on campus. "Interaction's a good idea, but the question is if we have the time to use the facilities, especially since I live at home and most of my free time is spent working on projects."