Singapore's Economic Development Board (SEDB) has struck a deal with the University of New South Wales (UNSW) that allows the Australian university to become the first private overseas university-level institution to establish a campus in Singapore.

UNSW Singapore is the first of two overseas universities the country is expected to allow over the next 10 years as part of a plan to become a "global schoolhouse," with 150,000 foreign students learning there at any one time.

The university-level segment will be the anchor of this education hub, which is designed to take advantage of a growing need for international education, said Cindy Koh, assistant head of education services at SEDB. She told The Scientist that by 2025, global demand for international higher education is expected to increase fourfold.

"The international higher education market is estimated to be worth about USD $30 billion," Koh said. "Singapore only has an estimated 1%...

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