It was announced that Yale-NUS will be closing down in 2025 and stop matriculating students next year. Speaking as a current student, most of us are left confused and distraught - we can only postulate their reasons behind this. However, none of the reasons that we can think of made any logical sense. 

We received quite a bit of negative publicity when Alfian Sa'at's module was cancelled, with the public repeatedly accusing us of promoting dissent and protests in the country. If we are being shut down because of this "possibility" of creating unrest in the society, perhaps NUS and the other decision makers should also consider the fact that many students, even if they are not from Yale-NUS, are able to harbor the same thoughts. It is a fact of the matter that the hegemony has shifted, it is no longer what it once was. Students now have access to a wide range of materials that will encourage them to form their own opinions. Yale-NUS does not change that. 

Some students postulate that we were just an experiment for Yale and NUS to see if a partnership would work, and whether or not a liberal arts college could exist in the society. If this is the case, and they are shutting us down, we can only assume that they believe this experiment has failed. However, where is the evidence to that? Yale-NUS students performed well, if not better, than local university graduates. Our alumni were able to find employment within 6 months and have, on average, higher starting salaries. Many of whom are also contributing to the greater good of the society, fighting for climate change, and for a better future for everyone. How is this a sign of failure? 

Perhaps the decision was financially motivated. We all knew that Yale just lent us their name, and gave us a little edge when it comes to acquiring spots at international conferences and events. It was mostly Singapore who financed our existence. In this case, we deserve an explanation from Yale University. Is there no way of getting one of America's top schools to finance us to salvage this situation, especially since their name is at stake?

We deserve to know why and how the college was made to shut down. We deserve a chance to prove ourselves worthy, a chance to convince all the decision makers to reverse this decision. Prof Lewis said that questions of academic freedom were not a factor in the college's closure. Then, what is?