Republic Polytechnic
Republic Polytechnic (RP) is a post-secondary education institution and statutory board under the purview of the Ministry of Education in Singapore. Established in 2002, it is the first and only polytechnic in Singapore to use the problem-based learning (PBL) pedagogy for all its diploma programmes. In contrast to polytechnics in the United States and the United Kingdom, polytechnics in Singapore admit majority of their students after secondary school, which is after at least 10 years of formal education. Diplomas in a specialised area of study, Biomedical Sciences for example, are generally awarded after completing 3 years  of studies. Republic Polytechnic's project team began operating in the premises of Data Storage Institute, National University of Singapore in January 2002. On 1 July that year, it moved into Tanglin Campus which was previously occupied by the Ministry of Education, Singapore. The polytechnic had its first intake of students in 2003 before moving to the current Woodlands campus at Woodlands Avenue 9 in 2007. History. Republic Polytechnic was established in July 2002. First located at the former Ministry of Education headquarters at Tanglin, the polytechnic was established as a statutory board a month later. The polytechnic admitted its  pioneer batch of students in July 2003 across three schools, Applied Science, Engineering and Information and Communications (now Infocomm). In 2005, the polytechnic opened two new schools, Technology for the Arts and Sports, Health and Leisure. Construction of the new campus in Woodlands was completed in stages. The Republic Polytechnic Centre was opened in November 2005 by the then Minister for Education Tharman Shanmugaratnam. In March 2006, the polytechnic officially moved to its Woodlands campus. The Woodlands Campus was declared officially open by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in July 2007. In March 2008, the polytechnic opened a fifth school , the School of Hospitality, to support the growing hospitality sector. In 2012, the polytechnic renamed the Centre for Professional Development as the Academy for Continuing Education @ RP and launched its first part-time diploma. That same year witnessed the launch of the Centre for Enterprise and Communication (later renamed as the School of Management and Communication in 2016) and an aerospace training facility, The Aerospace Hub. The Centre of Innovation for Supply Chain Management (COI-SCM) was launched in 2013 and this was followed by an Aquaculture Centre in 2014. In 2016, the Republic Polytechnic Industry Centre was launched to  deepen industry collaboration and support upskilling for individuals, housing a suite of laboratories and experiential learning facilities under one roof. The polytechnic opened the Republic Polytechnic Academy for Continuing Education @ Paya Lebar (RP ACE @ Paya Lebar) in November 2018 to bring its Continuing Education and Training (CET) courses closer to the public. and launched Singapore's first-ever SkillsFuture Work-Study Programme where students worked full-time with participating companies and took classes towards obtaining a part-time diploma. 2019 saw the polytechnic opening an agriculture technology laboratory that features urban farming facilities and the launch of a part-time  Diploma in Applied Science (Urban Agricultural Technology). Two experiential training facilities in transport and cybersecurity were opened in the same year in partnership with the Land Transport Authority, and RSA and Ensign InfoSecurity respectively. At the start of 2020, Republic Polytechnic partnered ST Logistics to launch the first healthcare supply chain lab in an institute of higher learning. At the beginning of 2021, Republic Polytechnic announced the launch of two new full-time diploma programmes, the Diploma in Sustainable Built Environment and the Diploma in Environmental & Marine Science. In August 2021, the polytechnic launched a new facility and initiative, the  Entrepreneurial Partnership & Innovation Community (epic), an ecosystem to foster a spirit of entrepreneurship among its students. Republic Polytechnic marked its 20th Anniversary in 2022 and also launched the Xperiential Learning Centre in Jan 2022, the largest inclusive outdoor adventure learning facility. The new facility is a first of its kind in Singapore featuring inclusive facilities catered to users of varying abilities, including the young, the elderly and persons with disabilities. Schools and centres. Each diploma awarded by Republic Polytechnic is recognized for articulation into a bachelor's degree at a university in Singapore or a top university across the world . As of 2021, RP has 7 schools and 1 academic centre which offers 36 full-time diplomas. RP's Industry Immersion Programme (IIP), or internship, is designed to give students a first-hand experience of the work environment and lets them apply the knowledge they have gained from the classroom. Each year, final-year students are placed on internship with over 1,200 industry partners. The duration ranges from 10 to 14 weeks and is an integral part of the diploma programme. Some students have also pursued their internships overseas during their 3rd year of study at RP. The countries include  the United States, Australia and New Zealand, to destinations closer to home such as Indonesia, China and Myanmar. The polytechnic also has a Continuing Education and Training (CET) learning arm for upskilling and lifelong learning. In line with Singapore's SkillsFuture movement, these part-time programmes - short courses and certificates offered by the Academy for Continuing Education known as ACE@RP – allow learners to stay relevant in the current knowledge-based global economy. They include: In January 2019, the polytechnic launched the Diploma in Applied Science in Urban Agricultural Technology, the first full-qualification diploma course in agricultural technology in Singapore . The aim of the programme is to train the next generation of high-tech farmers so that the country can produce more of its own food. Campus. On 31 July 2007, RP's Woodlands campus was officially opened by Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The campus was designed by Japanese architect, Fumihiko Maki and DP Architects. Completed in 2006, the new campus is able to cater 13,000 students. It is conceived as a campus with a central nucleus which contains 11 learning Pods (8–9 storeys high) which are unified by 2 elliptical decks of common facilities, namely "The  Lawn" and "The Agora". Also known as a "Paperless Campus", RP's Woodlands campus is backed by IT-supported network for both academic and administrative functions. Features such as fritted glasses, flooring made from recycled nylon and tyres, and sunshade louvres were integrated in the building design. Instead of the conventional air-conditioning system, the campus is equipped with tanks containing chilled water, which are recharged at night using low tariff electricity. This significantly reduces overall electric consumption. In 2008, RP earned the ASEAN Best Practices for Energy Efficient Buildings Competition under the New and Existing Buildings category. RP was  also honoured with the President*s Design Award in 2009. The campus was also the first to win the First-ever Singapore Green Mark Plantinum award for its eco friendly design. Industry collaborations. Republic Polytechnic collaborates with industry partners to establish and maintain close industrial linkages. Some examples include: