Students can create ideology groups not linked to political parties here
By Kezia Toh, The Straits Times, 12 Oct 2012
STUDENTS at Yale-NUS College will be allowed to create or join groups that represent different political ideologies, as long as these groups are not linked to current political parties in Singapore.
Some of the groups that will be allowed on campus include those that study democracy and liberalism from different perspectives, Yale-NUS president Pericles Lewis told The Straits Times yesterday.
But all student groups must not promote racial or religious strife, he said.
This, and other rules on student activities on campus, will be spelt out in a handbook given to the first batch of students when the college opens next August.
The move follows criticism that the college is curbing protests and political parties.
The college - a joint partnership between Yale University in the United States and the National University of Singapore - is finalising a set of principles to guide student activities, said Professor Lewis.
"These principles have been approved by the Yale-NUS governing board.
"We look forward to working with our students to develop a lively and robust extra-curricular life on campus, where students gather freely to debate and exchange opinions on various issues.
"This is in line with the college's commitment to academic freedom and open inquiry."
Students, however, can join any political parties or their affiliated youth wings, as long as they are off-campus, he said.
Guest speakers, invited by faculty or student groups, will not be turned away "on the basis of their political opinions", he said, as long as they do not stir racial or religious sentiments.
On-campus political campaigning and fund-raising will not be permitted.
In a separate interview with Yale Daily News published on Wednesday, Prof Lewis was quoted as saying that all Yale-NUS members will have the option to gather for discussion in campus facilities, including a hall that can hold 300 people, a gym and several dining halls.
The clarification on what is allowed on campus came after the college drew flak following a Wall Street Journal report in July which quoted Prof Lewis as saying that it would not allow political protests or permit students to form partisan political societies.
Political groups can be formed on campus at Yale. Examples are the Yale College Democrats and the Yale College Republicans.
Students interviewed by The Straits Times pointed out that some guiding boundaries are still needed, as recent events have shown how unbridled free speech can cause misunderstanding.
Singaporean Ijechi Nwaozuzu, 19, said: "It is fine when someone has an opinion, but we've seen many cases where people push their opinions and cause a lot of division and misunderstanding instead."
Rules that are "overly spelt out" are not needed, she said, as long as they "set the tone for freedom of speech in a respectful setting".
Next August, the college will take in its first cohort of 150 students, who can choose between 14 majors such as anthropology, urban studies and life sciences.
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