Singapore's government aimed to increase the percentage of students entering government-funded universities (cohort participation rate) to 30% by 2015. To achieve this, they expanded the Poly-FSI scheme where polytechnics partner with overseas universities to offer wider degree options to diploma graduates, while maintaining high standards through careful planning and selection of reputable universities.

Incorporated in September 2009, the Singapore Institute of Applied Technology (SIAT) aimed to provide more education pathways for Singaporeans to obtain university education. It was later renamed the ‘Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT)’ to offer reputable foreign university degrees locally, expanding on the Polytechnic-Foreign Specialised Institute (Poly-FSI) initiative.

By March 2010, SIT was ready to start admitting students — a year ahead of schedule.

We would offer 8 degree programmes from 5 overseas universities. They were the Culinary Institute of America (CIA); Washington's DigiPen Institute of Technology; University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV); the Technical University of Munich in Germany; and the Newcastle University in the United Kingdom.

Soon, word about SIT's intense admissions process — rigorous interview sessions, portfolio review and assessment of candidates' aptitude and prior work experience — got around. This piqued the interest of A-level graduates too.

In 2011, in response to growing demand, SIT expanded our admissions criteria to include A-level holders.

In 2013, Professor Tan Thiam Soon became President of SIT, taking over the reins from founding President, Professor Tan Chin Tiong. He emphasised that university education is a journey of lifelong learning that builds skills rather than pursuing paper qualifications. The saying "Once a SITizen, Always a SITizen" describes SIT's students' lifelong learning journey.

The Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) was set up in 2009, operating out of the 5 polytechnics in Singapore — providing high-quality degree programmes offered by our Overseas University partners.

On March 28, 2014, we became Singapore's fifth Autonomous University and established our headquarters at 10 Dover Drive. We then began offering degree programmes in our own name. SIT pioneered a unique education model in Singapore, combining strong theoretical foundations with real-world applications.

A core component of SIT's applied learning pedagogy, the IWSP allowed students to augment their theoretical knowledge with practical industry experience. The pioneer batch of IWSP students included 63 from the Accountancy programme, who kicked off their stint in January after going through a competitive recruitment process held by industry partners.

7 new applied degree programmes were introduced that year, including the Bachelor of Science with Honours in Nursing. Offered jointly by SIT and the University of Glasgow, the two-year programme's curriculum was co-created and designed with input from health practitioners across the care continuum and the Ministry of Health. All 7 degree programmes also featured SIT's signature IWSP, which was launched in 2015 so our students could apply classroom knowledge in a real work environment.

SIT's pioneer cohorts graduated in 2017 and 2018 from various degree programmes, with over 90% employed within six months of graduation. Over the years, the Graduate Employment Survey (GES) has shown positive results, confirming the success of SIT's model of applied learning.

In the age of disruption to industry, upskilling is more important than ever for working professionals who wish to stay relevant. To help more working adults access higher education, SIT launched our lifelong learning division, SITLEARN Professional Development, in April 2017.

SIT's groundbreaking ceremony for our Punggol Campus on September 10, 2019 marked the beginning of an exciting chapter for our University.

The Punggol Campus is nearly twice the combined capacity of SIT's current campuses, and sits on 2 plots of land about the size of 17 football fields. Green technologies will be integrated with the buildings in the new campus to improve energy efficiency and reduce the University's carbon footprint. The MEMG will draw from multiple energy sources, including solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. Up to 10,000 sqm of PV panels will be arranged on building rooftops. Once fully operational, it could generate enough energy to power 40 Housing Development Board flats.

SIT became Singapore's third-largest Autonomous University by full-time undergraduate intake, after NUS and NTU. As Singapore's only university of applied learning, we are constantly expanding our degree offerings to meet evolving industry needs. Some 8,000 students are enrolled in our 38 undergraduate courses, which range from accountancy to speech and language therapy. The robust enrolment signals growing confidence in SIT's unique pedagogy of applied learning.

From becoming an Autonomous University to getting the green light for a new permanent campus, SIT hit many milestones under the watch of its second President, Professor Tan Thiam Soon. After 9 years, it was time to pass the baton. On 1 January 2022, Professor Chua Kee Chaing stepped into the role. As SIT's third President, he would steer the University towards the next phase of growth, deepening applied learning and applied research initiatives to produce work-ready graduates and postgraduates.

The University also welcomed a new Chairman to our Board of Trustees in March — Mr Bill Chang, who took over the reins from Dr Ng Yat Chung. Dr Ng was conferred an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Lettersin recognition of his leadership in developing SIT's applied learning focus.

The SIT Teaching and Learning Academy (STLA), launched at SIT's fourth Applied Learning Conference, aims to bolster the University's efforts in competency-based education. This recognises mastery of skills rather than just paper qualifications.

STLA will adopt a novel approach called Recognition of Prior Learning, which acknowledges past credentials, industry certifications or work experience so learners can attain degrees in a shorter time.

Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing described STLA as ‘a significant step towards building new capabilities in our adult learning and education landscape’.

The Topping Out Ceremony marked a major construction milestone for SIT's Punggol Campus. The campus, which is expected to be operational by the second half of 2024, is designed to augment teaching and learning with spaces that allow stronger industry collaborations, featuring facilities for exchanges of ideas and hands-on experiential learning.