Following a debate on Yale-NUS at a Yale College faculty meeting last week, National University of Singapore Vice President for University and Global Relations Lily Kong said NUS administrators remain committed to working closely with professors in New Haven.

Several Yale faculty members aired concerns about the college jointly operated by Yale and NUS at the March 1 meeting, and professors introduced a resolution for debate demanding that the Singaporean liberal arts college protect civil liberties. Kong, who serves as acting vice president for academic affairs at Yale-NUS, said in an email to Bloomberg that she thinks the “diversity of views” expressed by Yale faculty can be beneficial for the college.

“We believe that this discussion should lead to an even higher level of mutual understanding and respect, ultimately making the college even more robust,” Kong said.

Some Yale professors at the meeting objected to the limited role they have had in approving and planning Yale-NUS. But in an email to the News, Kong said preparation for Yale-NUS has been a collaborative process since launching the college first became a possibility. She said Yale faculty members have visited Singapore multiple times and have been involved in recruiting faculty and planning curriculum for Yale-NUS. She added that NUS officials “look forward to continuing to work together on this groundbreaking project.”

Faculty members present at last week’s meeting voted to postpone a decision on the resolution until their next meeting in April.

GAVAN GIDEON