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SINGAPORE – The top management of Singapore’s six autonomous universities (AUs) have recently suffered a pay cut in response to the adverse impact Covid-19 has had on the economy.
Institutions have also stepped up financial aid in recent months by encouraging donations and establishing funds for students affected by the crisis.
Responding to questions from The Straits Times, a spokesman for the Ministry of Education (MOE) said: “The UA decided to lower the salary of its senior staff in leadership positions, in consultation with the MOE.”
The ministry and the universities did not give any details on the scope of the salary reduction, if it was a single exercise and when it was carried out, saying they are confidential.
The spokesperson said: “As publicly funded national institutions, AUs play an important national role in the education of Singaporeans.
“The AUs stand together in solidarity with the rest of the nation during this difficult period.”
The universities’ move follows the National Salary Council’s recommendation that employers negatively impacted by Covid-19 may consider cutting wages, and having their administration lead by example, to cut costs and save jobs.
Along the same lines, the Public Service has been exercising salary moderation, said the spokesman for the Ministry of Education.
The Public Service Division had announced in June that civil servants in higher grades will receive a one-time salary cut of 0.5 months or one month according to their seniority.
Universities have also made sure that students get the financial support they need in this recession.
The National University of Singapore (NUS) Student Solidarity Fund has raised around $ 1.6 million and the university has disbursed grants ranging from Singapore $ 200 to $ 700 to some 3,100 students.
Similarly, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has distributed more than $ 1.6 million to more than 1,100 students. They received sums ranging from $ 500 to $ 3,000, depending on their individual needs.
A spokesperson said NTU had also launched a fund seeded by a personal donation of $ 100,000 from its president Subra Suresh and his wife Mary. The NTU Priorities Fund has since grown to $ 1.7 million in size, thanks to the generosity of more than 1,600 donors, he said.
A spokesperson for the Singapore Management University (SMU) said the institution had established an SMU Resilience Fund in May to help students facing financial difficulties due to Covid-19.
The fund, which started with $ 2.5 million, has since grown by another $ 1.14 million, which includes contributions from faculty and staff.
The spokesperson added that the university’s management team has also pledged to contribute a portion of their annual compensation to support students in need.
About 200 SMU students have received financial support so far and about 600 more students are expected to receive support over the next month.
The Singapore University of Technology and Design has established an emergency fund, which has raised around $ 260,000 for students affected by the pandemic. This is in addition to existing government scholarships.
A spokesperson said about $ 149,000 has been disbursed so far to 54 students, who received sums ranging from $ 1,500 to $ 15,000, with the largest amount going to cover tuition fees in the current academic year.
NTU bioengineering student Wong Siaw Wen, 23, received $ 1,500 from her Priorities Fund earlier this year after her father was forced to stop working as a construction subcontractor in March. . She resumed work in August.
Ms. Wong, a Malaysian whose mother is a homemaker, said that her parents had to borrow money from their relatives for their living expenses. “The help from NTU reduced the burden on my family to support myself and I also have my own savings,” he said.
NUS communications and new media junior Jillian Chang, 21, received a $ 700 grant from the NUS Student Solidarity Fund, in addition to other scholarships.
His mother had stopped teaching last year due to health problems and is currently not working full time, while his father, who works in the engineering sector, took a pay cut.
“Covid-19 has made us a little more cautious about spending. We eat less and try to plan ahead. I try not to worry,” Ms Chang said.
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