The man who founded Singapore's first film school offering a bachelor's degree is leaving in December to teach in Australia.

Mr Herman van Eyken, 52, founded the Puttnam School of Film at Lasalle College of the Arts in 2005 and is its current head. He will be taking up a post as head of the Griffith Film School at Griffith University in Brisbane in January.

He cited disagreements with Lasalle over cuts to Puttnam's operating budget and the budget for students making thesis films. The grant has been slashed from $10,000 to $5,000 a film.

More than 25 students and alumni members have penned a letter to Lasalle's president, Professor Alastair Pearce, to say that they are 'extremely saddened and disappointed' with Mr van Eyken's resignation.

One of those who signed the note is award winning film-maker Boo Junfeng, 25, who graduated last year.

'It's a pity. Herman was a great mentor. He is the reason I went to Lasalle,' Boo says.

Mr van Eyken says he is proud of having assembled a good team of teachers and helping to grow the size of the intake from 15 in 2005 to nearly 30 today.

He says: 'I have a duty to make sure this baby can walk. And now this baby can walk. I would not say it can run, but the baby can walk.'

A spokesman for the college says that a search is now on for a replacement for Mr van Eyken.