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Guidelines for Cooperative Effort

MIT's collaboration with Singapore University of Technology and Design under the microscope in MacVicar Day discussion.

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Partnership Guidelines
Partnership Guidelines

Guidelines for Cooperative Effort

In the world of academia, collaborations often lead to groundbreaking advancements, and the partnership between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) is no exception. Established in 2010, this alliance has been instrumental in shaping the educational landscape, particularly at MIT and SUTD.

The MIT-SUTD collaboration has left a significant impact on MIT's curriculum, most notably in the Introduction to Design class. Professors from both institutions, including Prof. David C. M. Yip from MIT's School of Architecture and Planning, have contributed to the development of this course. Other faculty members from MIT have shared their expertise in engineering systems and technology management, aligning with SUTD's interdisciplinary education model.

SUTD's curriculum is designed to be highly interdisciplinary, hands-on, and project-based. This approach has the potential to be imported back to Cambridge, as developments in SUTD's life sciences curriculum, such as the creation of a class with a wet lab component and a simulator for statistical analysis, are being explored.

SUTD, with over 1,000 students, has four interdisciplinary "pillars": Architecture and Sustainable Design (ASD); Engineering Product Development (EPD); Engineering Systems and Design (ESD); and Information Systems Technology and Design (ISTD). These pillars foster a unique learning environment that encourages students to think beyond traditional boundaries.

The collaboration between MIT and SUTD has extended to reshaping the syllabus and materials of a world history course to reflect the context and culture of Singapore. This intercultural approach is also reflected in the new Independent Activities Period (IAP) class: Global Shakespeares in Performance, which is part of the innovations in the humanities, arts, and social sciences (HASS) curriculum.

More than 100 MIT faculty have participated in developing SUTD's education and research programs. One such collaboration, led by Prof. John Fernandez, resulted in the development of an Introduction to Design class for SUTD. This class, like many others, encourages students to design not just for aesthetics, but for global social issues.

The International Design Center (IDC), a research centre with locations at SUTD and MIT, focuses on designing devices, systems, and services for global challenges such as the developing world, sustainable built environment, and information and computer technology-enabled devices for better living.

The collaboration between MIT and SUTD has led to productive relationships and collaborations between faculty from both institutions. This partnership has been described as "wildly satisfying" by several speakers. The goal of this collaboration is to create "truly global" education and research programs, fostering a new generation of thinkers and innovators equipped to address the challenges of our interconnected world.

An intern at a company in Singapore through the MISTI program learned firsthand about the importance of cultural awareness in addressing global social issues. Meanwhile, a collaboration between MIT's Prof. Lawrence Sass and a SUTD professor led to the visualizing and prototyping of large objects.

In conclusion, the MIT-SUTD collaboration is a testament to the power of international partnerships in driving innovation and shaping the future of education. By fostering interdisciplinary learning and promoting global awareness, this collaboration is setting a new standard for education in the 21st century.

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