This is an awkward question.
NUS, which split from UM in 1962 as the University of Singapore, is the best university in SEA by far, with world class facilities, international faculty and quality students situated in a “Crazy Rich Asian” sexy city with global appeal.
But calling it the Harvard of SEA is inappropriate because the two institutions bat in different leagues.
Harvard, located north of Boston, Massachusetts, is probably the most famous institution globally, and certainly the most well-endowed at $36 billion. A Harvard degree is one of the most coveted because she accepts only 2,000 students a year out of a global catchment—America alone produces more than 3 million high school graduates every year. The Harvard name-card opens many doors worldwide, as it has been doing for centuries since its founding in 1636, before there was America.
How hard is it to gain admission? Harvard rejects many more students with perfect or near-perfect academic scores than she accepts. Every Harvard student is an exceptional individual that come highly recommended by their communities. Many have incredible experiences or life stories to tell.
The NUS attracts regional talent from ASEAN, India, China and elsewhere. A good proportion is reserved for locals, so there is a wider spectrum in quality. It is probably two to three orders of magnitude harder to get into Harvard than the NUS. Besides, Singapore sends her best students overseas, to more established institutions like Harvard, for example.
https://www.quora.com/Is-NUS-the-Harvard-of-Southeast-Asia
NUS, which split from UM in 1962 as the University of Singapore, is the best university in SEA by far, with world class facilities, international faculty and quality students situated in a “Crazy Rich Asian” sexy city with global appeal.
But calling it the Harvard of SEA is inappropriate because the two institutions bat in different leagues.
Harvard, located north of Boston, Massachusetts, is probably the most famous institution globally, and certainly the most well-endowed at $36 billion. A Harvard degree is one of the most coveted because she accepts only 2,000 students a year out of a global catchment—America alone produces more than 3 million high school graduates every year. The Harvard name-card opens many doors worldwide, as it has been doing for centuries since its founding in 1636, before there was America.
How hard is it to gain admission? Harvard rejects many more students with perfect or near-perfect academic scores than she accepts. Every Harvard student is an exceptional individual that come highly recommended by their communities. Many have incredible experiences or life stories to tell.
The NUS attracts regional talent from ASEAN, India, China and elsewhere. A good proportion is reserved for locals, so there is a wider spectrum in quality. It is probably two to three orders of magnitude harder to get into Harvard than the NUS. Besides, Singapore sends her best students overseas, to more established institutions like Harvard, for example.
https://www.quora.com/Is-NUS-the-Harvard-of-Southeast-Asia