Yale-NUS College... the irresistible force and the immovable object?

A lot of ink has been spilled on the Yale University-National University of Singapore (Yale-NUS) tie-up. In a first for Yale outside its New Haven campus, it will set up jointly with the NUS a liberal arts college here (billed as Asia's first). The Singapore side will bear all the costs while the board will be equally represented by both sides.

So, what's the big deal? It boils down to savvy marketing by both sides. Let the market decide if there are buyers. But "liberal" Yale faculty members and alumni have accused the Ivy League institution of selling out to an illiberal regime.

In fact, the faculty, by a majority vote earlier this month passed this three-point resolution:

* “We, the Yale College Faculty, express our concern regarding the history of lack of respect for civil and political rights in the state of Singapore, host of Yale-National University of Singapore College.”

* “We urge Yale-NUS to respect, protect and further principles of non-discrimination for all, including sexual minorities and migrant workers, and to uphold civil liberty and political freedom on campus and in the broader society."

* “These ideals lie at the heart of liberal arts education as well as our civic sense as citizens, and they ought not to be compromised.”

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Many Singaporeans have weighed in too, both before and after the April 6 resolution.

Professor Tommy Koh is one of these Singaporeans. He wrote a commentary piece in today's Sunday Times, "Yale-NUS a timely, visionary initiative". As rector of one of the NUS' residential colleges, he is of course an interested commentator. Here are excerpts of the four points he made:

* The resolution completely ignores the potential benefits of this visionary joint venture... the new college will enable the students to read, learn and discuss the great books of the West and the East, the great philosophical traditions of Asia and the West, and the great poets and writers of the two civilisations;

* Asia is on the rise. It is the home of the world's second (China) and third (Japan) largest economies. India will soon catch up. Asia is also the home of some of the world's most ancient and richest civilisations, such as the Chinese, Indian and Japanese. ASEAN is the world's second most successful regional organisations, after the European Union. Southeast Asia is a poster child of successful multiculturalism.

America's engagement with Asia must reflect this changing reality. It is not a relationship between patron and client, or a superior and an inferior. It is, with every passing day, becoming a relationship between equals. The Yale faculty should, therefore, be more humble...

* NUS and Yale share many common values and ambitions. They are both dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. They believe in academic freedom. They subscribe to the internationally recognised human rights...

In Singapore, unlike the US, racial and religious harmony are prized above the freedom of speech and freedom of the press. If there is a contradiction between them, the US would give primacy to the freedom of speech and freedom of the press, whereas Singapore would give primacy to racial and religious harmony...

It is not fair for the Yale faculty to criticise Singapore for its "lack of respect for civil and political rights" without acknowledging that it is only 47 years old and that, in that short time, it has transited [sic... I would use "transitioned"] from the Third World to the First...

* Singapore is seriously committed to upholding the principle of non-discrimination. Any form of discrimination based on race, colour, religion, gender is unacceptable to Singapore. We have one of the world's most diverse populations. The miracle is that we have learnt to live together in harmony.

There are no ethnic or religious conflicts in Singapore. Women have gained parity with men. We are not yet as tolerant as the West towards sexual minorities but we have to progress at a pace acceptable to Singaporeans. Yale should respect that.

...I am confident that [the Yale-NUS College] will be a success and that its success will have a strategic significance in the partnership between Asia and America in the 21st century.

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So, what are we to make of both sides' views?

First, is the Yale faculty resolution representative of the "DNA" of other liberal arts colleges? Yale is after all a tradition-rich Eastern seaboard, ie New England, body. So, I must ask the NUS, why choose Yale? And are there West Coast colleges -- even if they do not label themselves "liberal arts" but have robust arts programmes --that fit the bill?

Which brings me to the question, what is the "bill", the raison d'etre of this pact between two seemingly incompatible lovers?

So, secondly, we come to Prof Koh's rebuttals. He makes critical points which thinking Singaporeans will agree with ie that our vulnerability is existential, that we are a Humpty-Dumpty experiment in small nation-building, that we cannot take for granted our racial and religious co-existence [my preferred choice of word over harmony], and that in ensuring our survival, we keep coming up with innovations that seek to emmesh the big players of the West and the East into having a stake. But don't expect the bulk of Yale's faculty -- who must undergo a mindset upheaval like the police inspector in Les Miserables -- to empathise!

And what's this strange argument that only a Yale-NUS tie-up "will enable the students to read, learn and discuss the great books of the West and the East, the great philosophical traditions of Asia and the West, and the great poets and writers of the two civilisations"? Only Yale, from the other side, can facilitate all that?

Lastly but not least, I am intrigued by Prof Koh's assertion that the College's "success will have a strategic significance in the partnership between Asia and America in the 21st century". Strategic is not a word to use in a trifle manner, especially by someone known for his precision in choice of words. Is the College meant to play a bigger, strategic, role? Hmmm.