Two-thirds of STEM PhD students are non-residents; locals receive highest funding

In a written reply to parliamentary questions on 3 February 2026, Education Minister Desmond Lee revealed that only around one-third of PhD students enrolled in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses at Singapore’s autonomous universities (AUs) are Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents. The remaining two-thirds are international students.

The figure was given in response to questions filed by Workers’ Party MP Associate Professor Jamus Lim (Sengkang GRC), who asked for a breakdown of PhD scholarship recipients and bond compliance rates over the past five years, including data on Singaporeans, PRs, and international students.

However, the reply did not disaggregate the one-third figure to show how many were citizens versus PRs, nor did it specify how the proportion has changed over the past 20 years, which had also been part of the MP’s question.

Funding levels by citizenship

Minister Lee stated that about 90% of STEM PhD students are government-funded, through a combination of tuition fee subsidies and monthly stipends. Citizens receive the highest stipend level, with funding amounts scaled according to residency status:

• Singapore Citizens: $4,300 per month

• Permanent Residents: $3,900 per month

• International Students: $3,500 per month

These students are also required to carry out teaching and research supervision duties as a form of “service obligation”, which is fulfilled during the course of their PhD studies.

No data on scholarship bond defaults or recovery mechanisms

In his question, Assoc Prof Lim also asked for the proportion of students who failed to complete their bond obligations and what recovery mechanisms are triggered in cases of default.

However, Minister Lee did not provide any information on bond default rates or enforcement actions, nor did he indicate whether such data is tracked or published by the Ministry of Education.

It remains unclear how many international or PR students, who are heavily subsidised, remain in Singapore post-graduation or contribute to the local research and innovation landscape in the longer term.

No historical trends shared

Minister Lee also did not address how the current mix of citizens, PRs, and international students compares to the situation 20 years ago, despite this being part of Assoc Prof Lim’s second question.

The lack of historical data makes it difficult to assess whether the proportion of local PhD students in STEM fields has declined over time.

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Actual questions and replies from Assoc Prof Jamus Lim and response from Minister Desmond Lee

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Education (a) how many government-funded PhD scholarships in science disciplines were awarded to (i) Singapore Citizens (ii) Permanent Residents and (iii) international students, respectively, over the past five years; (b) what is the average scholarship value per student by group; (c) what is the proportion in each group that failed to complete their bond obligations; and (d) what recovery mechanisms are triggered in default cases.

Mr Desmond Lee: Over the past decade, an average of about 6,000 PhD students have been enrolled in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) courses in the Autonomous Universities (AUs) annually. The proportion of Singapore Citizens (SCs) and Permanent Residents (PRs) has been stable at around one-third of the PhD student population.
About 90% of the STEM PhD students in the AUs are Government-funded through tuition fee subsidies and stipends. SCs receive the highest level of funding to reflect the privileges of citizenship. For example, SCs receive $4,300 per month in stipends, compared to $3,900 for PRs and $3,500 for International Students (IS).
PhD students carry out teaching and research supervision duties at the AUs as a service obligation. These students serve out their service obligation during their PhD candidature.

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Education (a) for each of the past five years, what proportion of PhD students in science disciplines at each autonomous university are (i) Singapore Citizens, (ii) Permanent Residents and (iii) international students, respectively; and (b) how have these proportions evolved compared to 20 years ago.

Mr Desmond Lee: Over the past decade, an average of about 6,000 PhD students have been enrolled in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) courses in the Autonomous Universities (AUs) annually. The proportion of Singapore Citizens (SCs) and Permanent Residents (PRs) has been stable at around one-third of the PhD student population.
About 90% of the STEM PhD students in the AUs are Government-funded through tuition fee subsidies and stipends. SCs receive the highest level of funding to reflect the privileges of citizenship. For example, SCs receive $4,300 per month in stipends, compared to $3,900 for PRs and $3,500 for International Students (IS).