The opportunity follows its tie-up with three world-renowned public policy institutions.

They are: Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (Sipa), London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE) and the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po).

The link was announced yesterday by Professor Kishore Mahbubani, dean of the LKY School.

It was sealed at a signing ceremony last week at LSE, concluding an almost two-year mutual courtship among all parties involved.

The tie-up marks the formal admission of the LKY School into the Global Public Policy Network.

The network was set up two years ago by Sipa, LSE and Sciences Po as a close-knit alliance of premiere educational institutions dedicated to the study of global public policy issues.

Said Prof Mahbubani yesterday: 'If the Guinness Book of Records had a section on school of public policies, the LKY School will find an entry.

'It is remarkable that for a school barely three years old, we have entered the first league of schools of public policy.'

Entering this league is not easy, he added. But the school succeeded owing to a variety of reasons.

He listed the strong global brand name of the National University of Singapore (NUS), which the school is part of, and the quality of the school's faculty, students and programmes.

There is also a global interest in Asia, and the school - one of the first public policy institutions in this region - can provide an Asian perspective on such issues, he added.

Another reason he cited was Singapore's good public policy experience.

'Singapore has one of the best public policy laboratories in the world,' he said.

The leaders of the three other institutes yesterday welcomed the LKY School into the network.

One of them, LSE's director Howard Davies, said: 'Through our link, our students and faculty will have access to a rich Asian perspective on public policy.'

The LKY School will host the network's second conference this October. The focus will be on Asia and globalisation.

With the tie-up, selected students from these institutions can spend their first year at their home institution, and the second year at one of the other institutions.

At the end of their two years, students will receive master's degrees in public policy or public affairs from two of the network's institutions.

The LKY School will be sending its first batch of nine students to the three institutions next month to start their double masters programme.

Among them is Singaporean Ms Ivy Ng, 27, who is excited about heading to LSE in England.

The former trade control officer at Singapore Customs said: 'I have gained an Asian perspective on public policy issues here and it is a good opportunity to get a first-hand account of public policy issues in Europe.'

sueann@sph.com.sg