Raffles Design Institute is a for-profit, design-centric educational institution headquartered in Singapore. Its flagship campus was established in 1990 by the company Raffles Education Corporation Limited.
History
Founded in 1990, Raffles Design Institute is one of the first private institutions in Singapore to offer a Fashion Design course. Within five years, multiple design disciplines including Interactive Media Design, Visual Communication, Product Design, Jewellery Design, Interior Design, Games Design and Animation Design were introduced. In 2004, Raffles Design Institute received the Singapore Quality Class Award for Private Education Organizations, ensuring that all courses were registered and accredited with the appropriate bodies, including the Ministry of Education. In 2005, the CaseTrust for Education Award for Private Education Organizations was awarded, which is an indication of approval by The Consumer Association of Singapore Enterprise. In 2008/2009, Edupoll recognized Raffles Design Institute as one of the Top Ten Education Provider in Singapore and the Largest and Most Global Private Education Provider in Singapore. Since February 2010, Raffles Design Institute, Raffles Merchandising Institute and Raffles School of Business were re-organized as institutes of Raffles College of Higher Education.
Raffles International College Bangkok, originally known as Raffles Design Institute Bangkok, is a 2.25 hectare campus located in the Bangna district of Bangkok, Thailand. It was awarded the title of "Best Design School" for outstanding achievement in the advancement of Arts and Design by Her Royal Highness Princess of Thailand Soamsawali in March 2007. However, in 2010, the school was found to be operating without the permission of the Higher Education Commission of Thailand, and had action taken against it by the Thai authorities. As of November 2017, Raffles has still not acquired a valid international college license.
Campus Closures and Loss of Accreditation
The campuses in Chandigarh and Kolkata, plus Dhaka, all closed within 4 years of opening due to lack of students. During this period Raffles' partner in its Indian Joint Venture, Educomp Solutions Ltd., was reported to be struggling financially, and divesting from many subsidiaries. In 2012, the government of Vietnam ordered Raffles to cease operating the campuses in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh, and consequently 400 students had to be relocated to its other campuses. In 2013, Raffles Education Corp established a university in Negombo, and three colleges in Riyadh, Batam and Medan. However, the proposed university in Negombo Sri Lanka has yet to begin construction as of April 2016. In October 2016, Raffles Design Institute shut down its Indian campus in Koramangala, Bungalore without warning, leaving over 160 students stranded with their education. In March 2016, its Australian campus, Raffles College of Design and Commerce, lost TEQSA accreditation. On 26 November 2018, it applied to withdraw registration as an Australian higher education provider and began the process of closing down. Approval to withdraw was granted on 20 December 2018.
