The National University of Singapore (NUS) has its roots in Singapore's first centre of higher education - The Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School, which was founded in 1905. It was given its present name in 1980 through a merger between the University of Singapore and Nanyang University. NUS has 11 faculties offering undergraduate and graduate programmes. The highest degree conferred by NUS is Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). NUS also provides special programmes with leading international tertiary institutions like MIT, Harvard, Stanford and Johns Hopkins. NUS supports Singapore's development as a knowledge-based, high-technology economy through research and development activities. There are 11 NUS-affiliated national-level and 11 University-level research centres. As at 30 September 2003, here were 23,000 undergraduate students and 9,000 graduate students studying at NUS.