新加坡·新加坡國立大學（Singapore, National University of Singapore）：天然具備開放心態的精英文化，仍為現代社會體系的核心

國大與南大是新加坡兩所全球知名的大學，其排名年年呈現你追我趕之勢，盡顯學校作為教育資源所具有的聚合功能。 然而，如果親自到這兩所大學游賞，便會明顯發現它們的氣質截然不同。雖然南大與南洋大學並不是一回事，但其佔據原南洋大學的校址，或多或少都浸潤著這個已併入國大，抱持振興中華文化的初衷的不復存在的大學身上的影子；而國大則是一所誕生於殖民時代、以西方文化為主要視角的大學。 即便已有一百二十年的悠久歷史，如今的國大校園卻十分現代化，可見其始終順應時代發展的步伐，不斷更新自身，而非持守維護傳統的立場。 而國大的國際化氛圍更是隨處可見。我探訪時，恰逢國大一百二十週年校慶。來自全球各個國家的學生，將校園構成了一個地球村。不同種族、不同民族以繽紛多元的姿態匯聚於此，彷彿不自覺地與外面那個紛亂且彼此區隔的世界形成鮮明對照，也使象牙塔的意味顯得更加明顯。 但這種包容與開放，絕非僅僅出於個體價值觀的選擇，而更像是精英主義自然而然形成的價值取向。精英的能量不僅體現在就業優勢上，更以一種隱匿而持續的方式進入社會各個重要的決策領域。無論民粹主義如何發展，依舊無法阻擋這種長期以來形成的慣性——人們在判斷一個人的智識水平時，仍會傾向於參考其是否屬於精英群體，或擁有優渥的出身條件，抑或具備強大的個人發展路徑。 一個毫不掩飾開放性的校園，自然令人趨之若鶩。尤其是在寒暑假的時節，來自全球各地的家庭常常攜子女前來探訪，希望為他們心中注入一種可以量化、可以描述的國際化視野。這也與南大那種質樸而沉靜的氣質形成了天然的反差。 說回國大的風景，除了現代化之外，最令人印象深刻的還有高度的便利性與精緻的色彩。尤其是二〇一一年打造的大學城，其將餐飲、辦公、活動與住宿融為一體，不禁令人感嘆其中所流露出的、與精英文化相契合的外溢自信。 整潔的樓宇、美好的草坪，以及周圍那些僅僅談天說地、卻已為自己的未來立下勇攀高峰之志的莘莘學子，都在藍天白雲映襯下的南洋風光中顯得格外奪目。以至於連我都有片刻的恍惚，彷彿忘記了外面的世界。 但由此又拋出了一個問題：每個人的人生都是獨一無二的，卻又頗為殘忍地在如此尚早的青春階段便開始分化。彼此之間，似乎總是少了一條能夠真正體會與理解對方的路徑。 The National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) are two globally renowned institutions whose rankings seem to overtake one another year after year, reflecting the remarkable ability of great universities to attract and concentrate educational resources. Yet a visit to their campuses quickly reveals that they possess entirely different temperaments. Although NTU is not the same institution as the former Nanyang University, it occupies the original campus of that university and inevitably retains traces of its legacy—a university founded with the aspiration of revitalizing Chinese culture before it was eventually merged into NUS. NUS, by contrast, emerged during the colonial era, shaped largely through a Western intellectual perspective. Despite its history of more than 120 years, today's NUS presents itself as strikingly modern. Its campus reflects a university that has consistently evolved alongside the times, continually renewing itself rather than preserving tradition for tradition's sake. Equally unmistakable is its international character. When I visited, the university was celebrating its 120th anniversary. Students from every corner of the world transformed the campus into a true global village. People of different races, cultures, and nationalities gathered here in vivid diversity, forming an almost unconscious contrast with the fragmented and divided world beyond the university's boundaries. In doing so, the campus embodied even more strongly the idealism often associated with the ivory tower. Yet this spirit of openness and inclusiveness is not merely the product of individual values. It seems instead to arise naturally from the logic of meritocratic elitism. The influence of elites extends far beyond employment prospects; it quietly and persistently permeates society's most important spheres of decision-making. No matter how populism may ebb and flow, it has yet to overturn this long-established inertia. When judging a person's intellectual standing, people still tend to look toward familiar markers: membership in an elite community, privileged social origins, or an exceptional trajectory of personal achievement. A campus that embraces openness without hesitation naturally draws countless visitors. During school holidays especially, families from around the world often bring their children here, hoping to instill in them a vision of internationalism that feels tangible, measurable, and attainable. In this respect, it stands in marked contrast to NTU, whose atmosphere feels quieter, more restrained, and more grounded. As for the campus itself, beyond its modern architecture, what impressed me most was its remarkable convenience and refined sense of design. University Town, completed in 2011, seamlessly integrates dining, workspaces, accommodation, and communal activities into a single environment. It quietly conveys a confidence that seems perfectly aligned with the culture of excellence it seeks to cultivate. Orderly buildings, immaculate lawns, and students chatting casually while already carrying aspirations of reaching great heights all stood out vividly beneath the blue skies and tropical landscape of Singapore. For a brief moment, even I found myself forgetting the world beyond the campus. Yet this, in turn, raises a deeper question. Every life is unique, and yet people begin to diverge at such an early stage of youth. Somewhere along the way, we seem to lose the path that would allow us to truly understand one another's journeys. 🌲 章節一覽 Chapter Overview 0:00 開場 Opening 0:16 校區 NUS Main Campus 2:21 大學城 University Town (UTown) 3:41 博物館 NUS Museum #photography #travel #vlog #life #art #singapore #生活 #攝影 #旅行 #藝術 #新加坡 ‪‪‪‪‪@cosy-cosy‬ ​