Programme ALTITUDE
“Breakthrough innovation occurs when we bring
down boundaries and encourage disciplines to learn
from each other.”
Gyan Nagpal
Programme ALTITUDE aims to develop in EJC students the capacity to consider the perspectives of the Arts and Humanities while gaining exposure to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields, with a specific focus on the future impact on Singapore’s society.
The need to centre STEM around the Arts, and pivot towards comprehensive STEAM competencies recognises that the Arts will necessarily and increasingly be intertwined with technological progress.
Nurturing future leaders with a deep appreciation of the seemingly dichotomous Arts and Science fields will be crucial to Singapore’s journey towards becoming a Smart Nation. Therefore, the programme will serve to stretch Science-stream participants in the Arts, as much as stretching the Arts-stream participants in the Sciences.
STRUCTURE
Programme ALTITUDE was soft-launched in 2019 with the pilot of the “Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity” module.
In 2020, ALTITUDE will offer four modules, each of which aim to broaden the traditional scientific viewpoint and segue into relevant areas such as ethics, history, politics, economics and defence, particularly in Singapore’s context.
The exploration and examination of these fields extend beyond the confines of the classroom. It necessitates meaningful exchanges with various partners that would embolden the students in charting Singapore’s future. This is with hopes of nurturing a deep sense of moral responsibility and commitment to our society in the participants.
The four modules will be conducted across 3 phases: Explore, Experience and Express.
SELECTION AND PLACEMENT
The target audience is JC 1 Eunoians. Interested JC2 GLIDERS are welcome to sit-in into “Explore” modules.
To express their interest, JC1 students can either
1) write a short paragraph (approx. 300 words)
2) create an infographic (A4 size or for mobile screen)
3) cut a short video clip (approx. 3 mins)
4) produce a podcast (approx. 3 mins)
Applicants then attend a group interview where they are selected based on intellect, disposition and maturity when engaging diverse perspectives. The emphasis is on disposition and maturity rather than prior knowledge.