By Lee U-Wen

THE quality and relevance of higher education should not be compromised just to cater to the ever-greater numbers of people pursuing it, Education Minister Ng Eng Hen said yesterday.

Speaking at the opening of the sixth Australian Universities International Alumni Convention (AUIAC), Dr Ng said: 'More education does not necessarily mean more growth, as most politicians and economists unthinkingly suppose. Expanding education thoughtlessly may actually weaken the link with growth.'

There is also a danger that preoccupation with economic growth narrows and distorts education, he said in a speech to 370 delegates from 11 countries. Dr Ng also pointed out how economic emphasis has led some countries to become fixated with quantitative targets and urged countries to develop diverse strengths across the education spectrum and not aim for uniformity.

Singapore's system is closely attuned to the need to make education relevant and help people find a job and remain employable, he said.

Earlier at the opening, National Research Foundation chairman Tony Tan called on Australia and Asia to build on their strong relationship. He suggested that they move beyond merely building good political and economic links, as people-to-people ties are equally important.

Dr Tan, who is one of AUIAC's three patrons, said that some of the strongest links between the two regions are Asian students who have studied at Australian universities.

Three out of every four foreign students in Australia hail from Asia. About 4,000 Singaporeans head Down Under for their studies every year.

This article was first published in The Business Times on Jun 12, 2008