S'pore Islamic college to open in 2028 with 1st intake of up to 60 students at Bencoolen campus

The new Singapore College of Islamic Studies (SCIS) is set to open in 2028 at the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS)'s campus near the Bencoolen Mosque.

SCIS is looking to see an initial intake of up to 60 students.

First announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the National Day Rally, Singapore's Mufti Nazirudin Mohd Nasir shared further details on the establishment of the college on Nov. 11.

An interdisciplinary education

Nazirudin, who is chairing the college's steering committee, spoke to the media about the plans for the college, CNA reported.

The college will offer a full-time undergraduate degree programme with dual tracks, allowing students to specialise in either Islamic Studies or in Social Sciences, after a foundational year in Islamic Studies.

These classes are aimed at providing them with the foundational knowledge to qualify as a asatizah, or religious teacher.

This also means that graduates of the SCIS will also not need to undertake the one-year long Postgraduate Certificate in Islam in Contemporary Societies (PCICS) — currently a mandatory step towards becoming a religious teacher.

The PCICS programme aims to help students contextualise Islamic teachings learnt overseas.

SCIS will partner the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) for the Social Sciences pathway and with the Dar al-Ifta in Egypt, the University of Jordan, and Al-Qarawiyyin in Morocco, for the Islamic Studies pathway. 

These partnerships help to "provide a well-rounded academic curriculum that best meets the aspirations of our madrasah graduates, future asatizah and the community," shared MUIS in a Facebook post on Nov. 11.

"The establishment of SCIS will reinvent the legacy of Singapore as an Islamic education hub," said MUIS, pointing to the importance of community support in the endeavour.

Engaging with the wider community

Nazirudin also noted that religious teachers could contribute in fields such as social work and counseling, and not only to religious institutions.

"The asatizah of the future must be very familiar with an interdisciplinary perspective," he added, emphasising the importance of understanding society beyond the religious realm.

Melding social sciences with Islamic studies allow students to "calibrate very comfortably" between Islamic traditions and society today, he said.

"An important and meaningful project"

Lauding the establishment of the college, PM Wong shared on Nov. 10 that SCIS graduates could pursue careers in both religious and adjacent sectors, such as social work.

PM Wong wrote in a Facebook post on Nov. 11:

"The SCIS is an important and meaningful project for our Malay/Muslim community, and we will support the community fully in helping to bring it to fruition!"

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Top image from Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis)/Facebook