Chairman’s Statement

Although we are still beset with COVID-19 and huge disruptions and uncertainties globally, the world of tomorrow is one awash in promising possibilities. Our horizons are expanding – the many groundbreaking missions to space, for instance, have gripped the collective imagination as governments and enterprises alike pursue inter-planetary exploration. Terrestrially, the quest for new ways of living, triggered by our planet in crisis, continues apace. From pressures for carbon neutrality and a greener world to human and social sustainability, we are witnessing a revolution of how we live, work and play.

What is the place of the university in this new world? On the back of these challenges emanate innumerable possibilities for exhilarating discoveries and innovation which will require, foremost, a shift in mindset and approach. We will need to have an insatiable curiosity, an inquiring mind, and audacity in seeking new frontiers.

Depth of expertise in a single domain can no longer suffice. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), while existing technology is able to address many of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, approaching these issues in silos will hold us back from fully realising technology’s potential and attaining the Goals comprehensively. The WEF advocates the embrace of interdisciplinarity to meet the needs and challenges of the future.

Interdisciplinarity entails drawing connections across traditional disciplines, and integrating techniques, perspectives and knowledge from different fields to solve the increasingly complex challenges ahead. It has become a central feature of our refreshed common curriculum. The diversity of disciplines offered by our new College of Humanities and Sciences promotes the cross-pollination of the arts and the sciences in our students. Our School of Design & Environment and Faculty of Engineering, too, have adopted a common curriculum to inculcate the inseparability of form and

function in design and engineering. Building on the deep domains of our comprehensive university, we are pushing forward to integrate learning in the sciences and technology together with the arts.

A substantial amount of NUS’ academic research and innovation is also founded on interdisciplinarity and seeking new frontiers. As digital technology ushered in the new millennium, we established capabilities to further beyond. Our Centre for Quantum Technologies has been bringing together physicists, computer scientists and engineers since 2007 to uncover new knowledge and push the limits for quantum applications. In 2018, we set up the Applied MaterialsNUS Advanced Materials Corporate Lab, which draws on interdisciplinarity in materials chemistry and process engineering to yield important advances to industry. We will continue to push the boundaries of materials innovation with the setting up of a new research institute.

This year, our Board is joined by three new members. We welcome Dr Sudha Nair, Mr Forrest Li and Mr Bahren Shaari, and look forward to their participation. At the same time, our deepest appreciation goes to Mr Abdullah Tarmugi and Mr Michael Lien, who have retired from the Board.

We would also like to thank our students, faculty, staff, alumni, benefactors and partners for journeying as oneNUS. Producing meaningful impact for the future requires nothing short of a whole-of-university effort. It underscores anew the value of every member of the NUS community.

“What is the place of the university in this new world? On the back of these challenges emanate innumerable possibilities for exhilarating discoveries and innovation which will require, foremost, a shift in mindset and approach.”

Mr Hsieh Fu Hua

NUS Chairman