Yale defends ban on demonstrations, political parties from S’pore campus

SINGAPORE: Yale University, has defended a ban on demonstrations and political parties at its new campus in Singapore.

In a statement issued on Friday, Yale University leaders said they entered the partnership with National University of Singapore (NUS) fully aware that national laws on freedom of expression would constrain the civic and political behaviour of students and faculty.

Yale University president Richard C Levin said the university undertook this partnership with NUS to advance the development of liberal arts curriculum and pedagogy encouraging critical inquiry in Asia.

Yale—NUS College President Pericles Lewis had in a letter to faculty colleagues on Friday, clarified the policies of the College regarding freedom of expression, which had been incompletely or incorrectly represented in some media accounts.

Mr Lewis said: "Any college or university must obey the laws of the countries where it operates."

He added that Yale is aware that there are restrictions on speech and public demonstrations in Singapore.

Mr Lewis said Yale—NUS College is committed to academic freedom and open inquiry.

He said in terms of political engagement, students at Yale—NUS, like students at NUS, are free to join any political party and their youth organisations but stressed that these organisation are based off—campus.

Yale—NUS College, a collaboration with the National University of Singapore (NUS), is scheduled to start its first classes in 2013 before the new campus officially opens in 2015.

— CNA/wm