Academic Programmes (Part 2)

Raffles Public Policy Programme (RPPP)

For those interested in public policy, the Raffles Public Policy Programme (RPPP) is a great opportunity to learn more! Over the year, we covered Singapore’s policies in the fields of education and manpower, among others. Also, through the RPPP, we interacted with various government figures, such as Mdm Halimah Yaacob and Mr Zaqy Mohd, learning about current issues and problems faced in politics. Besides the dialogues, the RPPP also gives you the opportunity to engage in internship programmes with the civil service.

For example, I interned full-time for two weeks with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in July 2008, to help out with the 41st ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) at the Shangri-La Hotel. At the end of the year, RPPP participants are also linked up with the ministries or statutory boards of their choice to do a 2 to 6 weeks long internship. This is a rare experience that will give you an in-depth and first-hand understanding of the civil service. Thus, if you’re interested in joining the civil service in the future, the RPPP is for you!

Science Programmes @ Raffles

Electives @ Raffles Research Labs Programme

These research electives are short courses on specialised topics in science offered by the research laboratories. There are about 30 electives offered per year, and they are developed and conducted either by teachers or with the help of external partners.

Examples of electives include: Introduction to Diffraction, Image Processing, Introduction to Computer Networking, and DNA Polymorphisms.

Material Science Elective Module: Research Lab Work

Polymers created by students

Raffles Research Attachment Programme

This programme is catered to students who are interested in being involved in a longer term science research programme, and in being mentored either by in-house teachers or research mentors/scientists at research institutes or universities.

The research institutes and universities include: A*STAR Research Institutes, Defence Science Technology Agency (DSTA), DSO National Laboratories, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), National University of Singapore (NUS), National Institute of Education, University of Southampton, Singapore Science Centre.

Above: Research Work by Koa Quan Wei "Perhaps the first thing you might realise about having an attachment at A*Star, is the fact that you have not only been introduced to research work, but also to a working life as a whole. Day in and out, my life for the 5 weeks at the Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences (ICES), begins with the routine of catching the bus at 8.00am; swiping my pass to report to work; reporting to my mentor for the assigning of my next task; chatting with friends at lunch while eating the same old food at the cafeteria; a hasty game of pool or table soccer before rushing off to complete work; and ends with the swiping of my pass to sign out. Nonetheless, whether you are at the computer busy with paperwork, or in the laboratory focusing on intricate processes, you would also realise that a life of research is always spent catching up with the novel and exciting developments that are never exhaustive." -Koa Quan Wei on his A*Star Attachment

Overseas Science Programme

This programme provide students with the opportunity to interact with participants from other countries, besides attending lectures conducted by academic staff at prestigious universities and carrying out experiments under their tutelage.

Examples of overseas programmes include: Science Summer School Programmes at the University of Cambridge (UK) and the University of Western Australia, MIT's (USA) Centre for Excellence in Education Summer Programme, Professor Harry Messel International Science School (Australia), London International Youth Science Forum (UK), International Summer School for Young Physicists (Canada), International Science and Engineering Camp (Korea), and International Science Fair (Korea).

Photos from the University of Western Australia (UWA) Trip

Other Academic Programmes offered in Raffles:

• Raffles Bicultural Programme (China)
• Raffles Bicultural Programme (India)
• Raffles Renaissance Programme
• Raffles Meet-The-People Session Attachment Programme
• Raffles Ecological Literacy Programme