Public policy course at undergraduate level

A leading academic was inspired to set up a new course on public policy after witnessing a surge in interest among young Singaporeans in the run-up to last year's General Election. Professor James Tang noticed the growing debate online, and decided it was time to set up a programme that builds on this interest. He said: ?Young Singaporeans need to develop a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by policymakers and the tradeoffs they have to manage in formulating policy responses.? The course will be offered from August by SMU's School of Social Sciences, where Professor Tang is the dean. This is the first time this major is being offered at the undergraduate level and is available to SMU undergraduates from the various schools. Second-year political science undergraduate Matthew Chan, 23, said: ?The negative sentiments that come with policy changes, such as in transport, make me want to look at public policy planning from the other side of the fence, so I can relate to the challenges policymakers face.? Another new second major will also start this August, in international and Asian studies. This course will examine the emerging role of Asia in the world, and integrate disciplines such as sociology, political science, economics and law. A third offering - arts and cultural management - will kick off next January. Associate Professor Kirpal Singh, who oversees the course, said that it has been created against the backdrop of the report of the Singapore Arts and Culture Strategic Review Committee, which estimates that at least 500 jobs in this sector will be created annually over the next five years. Guest lecturers include former Singapore Arts Festival head Goh Ching Lee, theatre director Ong Keng Sen, and the chief executive of Britain's Royal Opera House, Lord Tony Hall.