JCU Singapore, a private education institution (PEI) that was set up by James Cook University (JCU), is the first PEI to be awarded the highest quality accolade by Singapore’s Council for Private Education - the EduTrust Star Award.

The award signals that the institution has fulfilled stringent management and quality requirements, including the quality of their partnerships, the qualifications of their lecturers and the institution’s finances.

JCU Singapore’s lecturers each have a PhD as a minimum, and they must also conduct research, the same as faculty at JCU’s home campus. JCU Singapore’s degrees also follow the curriculum of JCU Queensland and their students take the same exams as JCU students in Australia.

With the EduTrust Award, JCU Singapore is now looking to be recognised as a branch campus of JCU, and therefore a university, rather than being classified as a private education institution.

The news comes soon after JCU Singapore moved into a new campus in the centre of Singapore. JCU Singapore was first set up in 2003, and now has 3,700 students.

Over 50 UK universities are in partnership with more than 100 local private education institutions in Singapore. Many of these local institutions have the four-year EduTrust Award, such as SIM Global Education whose partnerships include the University of London. Many other local institutions have the one-year EduTrust Award, which needs to be renewed annually. A number of these institutions may now be looking to follow in JCU Singapore’s footsteps by obtaining the EduTrust Star Award in the coming years.

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