Singapore's position as a hub for cutting-edge research will be raised with the setting up of a new research centre.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Illinois) announced that it has opened its first research centre outside the United States at Singapore's Fusionopolis, in a landmark collaboration with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).

Called the Advanced Digital Sciences Centre (ADSC), it is an extension of the University's top-ranked computer engineering, computer science and supercomputing application programmes' that have turned out innovations such as Mosaic, the web browser credited with popularising the World Wide Web, and many a famous alumnus in top technology companies.

These include Youtube co-founders Javed Karim and Steve Chen, Microsoft's Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie who also created Lotus Notes and Max Levchin, the co-founder and CTO for PayPal.

Said Illinois Chancellor, Richard Herman, "A world-class university should be open and engaged with the world. Our research centre at Singapore will allow us to deliver University of Illinois education and degrees to a whole new contingent of students."

A*STAR Chairman Mr Lim Chuan Poh, said: "The physical presence of a top university like Illinois will add to Singapore's attraction as a world class international research hub. It will create more opportunities for Singaporeans to pursue research.

"It will also attract more international talent, enrich the vibrancy and diversity of the local scientific community and increase the space for knowledge creation and innovation in Singapore."