About Us
About Us
Welcome to UWCSEA
Here in Singapore, UWCSEA has a unique history: as we build on the impact of our work of over 50 years, and as our alumni go out into the world in increasing numbers, we have much to celebrate.
We are a united, welcoming community that embraces students and their families from around 100 different nations. The second member of the UWC Movement, the College was opened by Lee Kuan Yew as Singapore International School in 1971. SIS became the United World College of South East Asia in 1975 and has gradually expanded to become the K–12 international school of over 5,600 students across two campuses that it is today.
Our community, while large, celebrates and builds on the success of individuals, with an aim to create a wider impact through our Mission. UWCSEA embodies everything the UWC Movement stands for: concern and compassion for others, the willingness to accept responsibility, and tenacity in pursuit of the truth. What also distinguishes our students is how much they give service to others: their compassion and commitment are writ large in the many hundreds of hours of impactful service the College bears witness to every year, across a hugely diverse range of Activities, and which we celebrate as much as our Academic achievements.
What inspires us?
Our Mission. As both the starting point and the end goal of a UWCSEA education, the UWC Mission guides every decision we make as we strive to educate individuals to embrace challenge and take responsibility for shaping a better world.
The intentional diversity in our community created by our student admissions and staff recruitment policies adds so much to the learning environment and outcomes for our students: increasing the richness of ideas, creating an internationalist mindset and, most importantly, it building deep understanding and respect for others. Our students and staff are encouraged to investigate and value their own different histories and talents, as well as those of other people and cultures.
By the numbers
Explore our campuses
Learn more about the UWC Movement
UWCSEA story: 50 years in Singapore
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Profile Shruti-T
Our community strives to make the world a better, more peaceful place one day at a time
Profile Nisha-F
The relationships I have gained since joining UWCSEA have enhanced my life.
Profile Ellie-S
I am constantly struck by the energy, capacity, creativity and commitment of the people with whom I work.
Profile Anisha-S
I have been given both freedom and support to develop my teaching practice.
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My favourite subject is history, a passion that was sparked early on in Middle School.
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I'm very appreciative of the numerous opportunities I was given to pursue my interests.
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On a daily basis, I see individual and community action that directly addresses the disparities of health, wealth and opportunity in our world.
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Shruti Tewari, University Advisor and Assistant Houseparent, Dover Campus
From the 4 year olds in Kindergarten to the 18 year olds in Grade 12, our students live the UWC values every day, supported by our staff. We are united as a kind and caring community, concerned about the environment, who strive to make the world a better, more peaceful place one day at a time.
Nisha Farah, Service and Sustainable Development Officer, East Campus
The UWCSEA Mission aligns with my personal principles and values. It is an amazing supportive community, which values diversity and life-long learning. My experience since joining the East Campus Service team in 2012 has not only given me the opportunity to see students grow and contribute to the UWCSEA Mission but also enabled me to facilitate their contribuion to the Singapore community in which they live and learn.
Over the years, I have developed meaningful relationship with my peers, students as well as with our external service partners. These relationship has enhance my life.
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Ellie Alchin, Director of Teaching and Learning, Dover Campus
This is an incredible place to work. Having worked in a number of different (and excellent) international schools around the world I can say hand on heart, that the way in which the Mission informs what we do and how we do it here is pretty unique.
The Mission has both shaped my values and now reflects them. I am in education because I wanted to make a difference in the lives of students, and the difference I want to make is very much in line with the UWC Mission of uniting people to bring about more peaceful and sustainable futures. In fact, I firmly believe that education is the only way to do this.
I cherish working with thoughtful, committed colleagues at UWCSEA who approach their work in a spirit of curiosity and craftsmanship. Whether it is a highly collaborative relationship with my counterpart at our sister campus, supportive relationships with academic and administrative leaders here at Dover, or working closely alongside teams of teachers as they develop teaching practice, I am constantly struck by the energy, capacity, creativity and commitment of the people with whom I work.
Our students are of course central to our work. The opportunity to engage with students, and especially our national committee scholars, is an absolute highlight of working here.
This is a can-do place where we aspire to genuinely walk the walk and not just talk the talk. There are incredible opportunities for professional learning and leadership (both formally and informally). Yes, you will work very hard, and being surrounded by lots of people who are very good at what they do can be daunting, but you will be well supported and the opportunities for professional growth are amazing.
Anisha Wilmink, Teacher of High School English, Dover Campus
I came to the Dover Campus in 2016 as a relatively young teacher and joined a phenomenal and very experienced department. I still find myself reflecting with gratitude on the unusually supportive environment that I was welcomed into. From my very first year I have found my colleagues willing to listen to my ideas and contributions, I have been able to collaborate meaningfully with almost every member of my department, I have been given both freedom and support which I feel has allowed me to develop my teaching practice much faster than I expected. The curriculum leaders I have worked with have afforded me opportunities to collaborate on developing curriculum, to perform pedagogical research in my own classroom, and to share what I have learned with the teaching community. I feel both valued, supported and challenged by the teachers I work with and I know this has a direct positive impact on my classroom practice.
I first realised that the UWC Mission aligned with my values when I was 15 and applying for a National Committee Scholarship to study at a UWC. The value of service was instilled in me by my family and this, combined with my own international background, led me to seek a community built on similar values. My experience at UWC Atlantic was so formative that it led me right back to UWC as a teacher. I found it to be hugely productive to be part of a community where most were striving and pushing each other to think critically and live positively, both personally and as a global citizen. Despite now being at an entirely different school, in a different part of the world, with a completely different setup, I have found the community drive much the same. Every day I am challenged, encouraged, and supported to be of service to both my local and global communities.
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Susan Edwards, Head of Global Concerns and Teacher of Middle School Humanities/English, Dover Campus
I teach at UWCSEA because of its Mission, ethos and values.
UWC is a force for positive change; it is relevant, challenging, intimidating, humbling and an incredible privilege. On a daily basis, I see individual and community action that directly addresses the disparities of health, wealth and opportunity in our world. A heady mix of service, intellectual rigour, a culture of questioning and of open transparency, yet most of all, a community of positivity and possibility.