NIE Welcomes Distinguished Visitors

In March and May 2018, NIE played host to distinguished guests from South Africa, New Zealand and Spain who were in Singapore to explore collaboration and to learn more about its approaches to teacher preparation.

Delegation From The South African Education Labour Relations Council

A 17-member delegation from the South African Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC), South Africa, led by their chairperson, Advocate Luvuyo Livingstone Bono, visited NIE on 1 March 2018. The visit was part of a study trip to Singapore to gather information on human resource provisioning in government-funded schools. The delegates were co-hosted by Associate Professor Liu Woon Chia, Dean, Teacher Education, and Professor Christine Goh, Dean, Graduate Studies and Professional Learning; and other staff members who shared about NIE’s programmes in initial teacher preparation and professional development for in-service teachers.

Visit By New Zealand’s Education Minister

The Honourable Chris Hipkins, Minister of Education, led a six-member delegation from the New Zealand Ministry of Education and New Zealand High Commission to NIE on 16 March 2018. The delegateswere interested in Singapore’s approaches to teacher preparation and professional development, as well as exploring possible areas for collaboration. Hosting the visit were Professor Low Ee Ling, Chief Planning Officer, and Associate Professor Ng Pak Tee, Associate Dean (Leadership Learning), Office of Graduate Studies and Professional Learning.

Two other members of the delegation, Ms Iona Holsted, Secretary for Education, and Professor Stuart McNaughton, Chief Education Scientific Advisor, held a separate meeting with NIE faculty, Associate Professor Ng Pak Tee and Associate Professor Tan Seng Chee, and Dr Kenneth Ong, Senior Lecturer from NTU’s Language and Communication Centre. The discussion was focused on the faculty’s expertise in computer-supported collaborative learning and in Singapore’s education system.

Delegation From The Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports

Mr David Ferrán Priestley, Deputy Director General, International Cooperation and Education Promotion Abroad, Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, Spain, was in Singapore in early May to explore collaboration opportunities. During the visit, Mr Priestley and his colleagues called on Associate Professor Liu Woon Chia, Dean, Teacher Education, and other NIE colleagues on 8 May 2018 to gather more information about the teacher education programmes in Singapore.