The Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) has been formally accorded the status of an autonomous university (AU) by the Singapore Government, with effect from 11 July 2017. The President of Singapore, Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam, has given assent to the Bill which was passed by Parliament in May 2017 – the Bill has become an Act.
The SUSS Act will see SUSS have the same status and flexibility as that accorded to the other five Singapore AUs, viz., National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Management University, Singapore University of Technology and Design, and Singapore Institute of Technology. The SUSS Act will also ensure that SUSS is governed by an Act of Parliament to safeguard public interests and the use of public funds.
SUSS will have two distinctive features in its provision of higher education: (i) the social sciences, and (ii) continuing and lifelong education.
(i) Social Sciences
SUSS will provide an applied education that targets both fresh school leavers and adult learners, in the domain of the social sciences, as well as in disciplines that have a strong impact on human and community development.
(ii) Lifelong Learning
SUSS will also focus on lifelong and continuing learning. The University will strengthen its provision of inclusive educational opportunities to many more students and adult learners, and participate strongly in SkillsFuture – Singapore's national movement for fostering continuing education and skills development.