Moving to Singapore in July for a Masters @ NUS

[sundaymorningstaple]

ewiz77, so you agree with the politics, favouritism and sex scandals, yeah?

As far as the NUS professor with a fake degree, it was one of your buddies that first posted it I believe on TRE....

http://www.tremeritus.com/2012/12/20/fo ... s-a-fraud/

I'm sure if I look hard enough I might even be able to support the IP theft here as well, considering I've never met a Singaporean who hasn't used counterfeit Software or downloaded/purchased counterfeit movies and/or songs. And forget about the booming business of photocopying of published works without permission.

Should I continue?????

[Hannieroo]

That's just dumb. Printer ink costs more than books.

[x9200]

As far as the NUS professor with a fake degree, it was one of your buddies that first posted it I believe on TRE....

http://www.tremeritus.com/2012/12/20/fo ... s-a-fraud/?

Not knowing any details I would say rather his Alma Mater is to be blamed, not NUS. NUS is probably guilty of keeping an average person as an academic and if their working culture follows many other places in Singapore, also blind adherence to all sorts of KPIs, among them No of published papers. But then doing research is not the only statutory role of such institutions and someone may be a good academic teacher but an average researcher. It is extremely difficult to prove scientific misconduct if the research is just on an average level so I believe it might have happened and happens practically everywhere (to lesser or larger extent).

(not arguing on the actual point, just saying this is perhaps not the best example)

[sundaymorningstaple]

That's just dumb. Printer ink costs more than books.

They photocopy them using the schools copiers. Doesn't cost 'em anything!

[Aragorn2000]

As far as the NUS professor with a fake degree, it was one of your buddies that first posted it I believe on TRE....

http://www.tremeritus.com/2012/12/20/fo ... s-a-fraud/?

Not knowing any details I would say rather his Alma Mater is to be blamed, not NUS. NUS is probably guilty of keeping an average person as an academic and if their working culture follows many other places in Singapore, also blind adherence to all sorts of KPIs, among them No of published papers. But then doing research is not the only statutory role of such institutions and someone may be a good academic teacher but an average researcher. It is extremely difficult to prove scientific misconduct if the research is just on an average level so I believe it might have happened and happens practically everywhere (to lesser or larger extent).

(not arguing on the actual point, just saying this is perhaps not the best example)

I agree. Academic fraud happens everywhere.
http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/scienc ... j7396-137a

Speaking from my own experience (I spent two semesters in ANU), in terms of academic rigor (in math and computing), NUS is not worse (if better) than ANU.

[Aragorn2000]

That's just dumb. Printer ink costs more than books.

They photocopy them using the schools copiers. Doesn't cost 'em anything!

If the so called NUS "scholarship" provides 4300 SGD a year, and you can only work for 16 hours per week at McDonalds for $4 per hour, I would be too hungry to think about buying "copyrighted books".

The books that really matter to the course are usually loaned for only 2 hours in the library. That 2 hours is better spent on photoocopying!

[nakatago]

And don't forget about professors requiring textbooks that just came out and only available in hardcover!

And ending up only needing 40% of the book.