The AlumNUS Oct-Dec 2015 by NUS Alumni Office

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NUS ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE OCT–DEC 2015 / ISSUE 103

Because

We Care NUS ALUMNI GIVE BACK IN MYRIAD WAYS

The AlumNUS clinched this award in the category of Magazines, Journals & Tabloids — Custom-Published

Contents OCT-DEC 2015 ISSUE 103

2 IN THE NEWS 8 COVER STORY A UNIVERSITY WITH HEART 18 CHANGEMAKER REWRITING THE RULES OF SOCIAL SERVICE 22 ALUMNI SCENE HE GIVES ANIMALS A VOICE 24 MY WORD WITH LOVE AND GRATITUDE 26 ONCE UPON A MEMORY 40 YEARS IN THE MAKING 28 PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE OFF THE DRAWING BOARD 30 NATIONAL CONVERSATIONS MR LAWRENCE WONG 32 U@LIVE MR ZAINUL ABIDIN RASHEED 34 ALUMNI LEADERS FORUM 2015 36 ALUMNI HAPPENINGS 48 LAST WORD

SO WHEN YOU’VE BEEN PRIVILEGED YOU THINK, DO I DESERVE AS MUCH AS THIS? WHAT CAN I DO TO REPAY, AND HONOUR, THAT PRIVILEGE? I WOULD SAY, THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF UNIVERSITY IS TO MAKE YOU THINK, SO, THINK! THERE’S A WHOLE RANGE OF POSSIBILITIES. MR HSIEH FU HUA (BUSINESS HONS ’74)

First Word DEAR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS,

015 has been a meaningful year for us as we enjoyed numerous University anniversary celebrations and joined Singaporeans in a time of national reflection. This has been an auspicious year with the celebration of NUS’ 110th anniversary and Singapore’s Golden Jubilee. In the midst of these celebrations, we paused in poignant moments when we lost Singapore’s founding father and our eminent alumnus, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, in March 2015. Like Singapore, our University has been a beneficiary of Mr Lee’s percipient, pragmatic and persevering leadership. Our faculty, students and alumni have all contributed to NUS’ global standing and high ranking in Asia. Despite its academic accolades both locally and internationally, NUS has remained true to its institutional roots in which its community continually demonstrates deep concern for the welfare of its societal members. We celebrated our anniversary with the motto, ‘Because We Care’. Initiatives from student-led Rag and Flag Day to NUSS’ Groceries on Wheels; from Hall-led fundraising golf games to the Campus Couples’ donation drive for student bursaries; from our lawyers who do pro bono legal work for the disadvantaged to our social workers who take care of the elderly and physically disabled; as well as the many alumni volunteers who support numerous social causes nationally and internationally – all point to the NUS spirit of service to community. We thank all of you for doing NUS proud. We are grateful to all of you for supporting and participating in the many alumni activities organised by Departments, Faculties, Halls, Schools and our very own NUS Office of Alumni Relations in 2015. Please remember that the University’s repute is underscored by what its alumni represents, achieves, aspires and contributes to society. I wish all our Hindu and Sikh alumni a Happy and Spiritual Diwali and our Christian alumni a Blessed and Merry Christmas. And for all alumni, may 2016 bring Peace, spread Happiness, enhance Love, and shower Good Health upon you and your loved ones.

8 The

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NUS ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE

ADVISOR Assoc Prof Victor R Savage (Arts and Social Sciences ’72) EDITOR Karin Yeo (Arts and Social Sciences ’97) CONTRIBUTOR Amanda Ng (Business ’12) PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Noreen Kwan PUBLISHING CONSULTANT MediaCorp Pte Ltd

The AlumNUS is published quarterly by the NUS Ofﬁce of Alumni Relations. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the NUS Ofﬁce of Alumni Relations or the National University of Singapore. For more information or to read The AlumNUS online, please visit www.nus.edu.sg/alumnet. Copyright 2015 by the National University of Singapore. All rights reserved. Printed in Singapore by KHL Printing Co Pte Ltd.

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NUS ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE OCT–DEC 2015 / ISSUE 103

ASSOC PROF VICTOR R SAVAGE Arts and Social Sciences ’72 DIRECTOR, NUS OFFICE OF ALUMNI RELATIONS

"DB@SQD

We Care NUS ALUMNI GIVE BACK IN MYRIAD WAYS

CONTACT US Ofﬁce of Alumni Relations – National University of Singapore 11 Kent Ridge Drive, Singapore 119244 Tel: (65) 6516-5775 Fax: (65) 6777-2065 Email: oarconnect@nus.edu.sg Website: www.nus.edu.sg/alumnet Facebook: www.facebook.com/nusoar

COVER CONCEPT: Samuel Ng IMAGE: Shutterstock

OCT–DEC JUL–SEP 2015 2014

IN THE NEWS

NUS confers honorary degrees on

12th place in the world, according to latest QS World University Rankings PLACED 9TH WORLDWIDE AND TOP IN ASIA FOR ACADEMIC AND EMPLOYER REPUTATION; GLOBAL TOP 10 FOR THREE SUBJECT AREAS According to the 2015/2016 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings, the National University of Singapore (NUS) is now ranked 12th, up from its 22nd position last year. The University also continues to be Asia’s top university. The 76,798 academics and 44,226 employers surveyed around the world by QS also placed the University at 9th globally for both academic as well as employer reputation. The ranking also places NUS among the world’s top 10 universities for Engineering and Technology, Social Sciences and Management, and Natural Sciences; and in the global top 20 for Arts and Humanities, and Life Sciences and Medicine. The University also improved in the number of research papers published, and citations per faculty. The 2015 QS World University Rankings ranked 891 universities around the world on academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per faculty, faculty student ratio, and proportions of international students and international faculty. NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan (Medicine ’83) said, “Our consistent performance in international rankings is a reﬂection of Singapore’s strong support for higher education, as well as NUS’ strong focus on talent and excellence. We are also pleased to note that NUS continues to be highly regarded

“OUR CONSISTENT PERFORMANCE IN INTERNATIONAL RANKINGS IS A REFLECTION OF SINGAPORE’S STRONG SUPPORT FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, AS WELL AS NUS’ STRONG FOCUS ON TALENT AND EXCELLENCE. WE ARE ALSO PLEASED TO NOTE THAT NUS CONTINUES TO BE HIGHLY REGARDED AND VALUED BY ACADEMICS AND EMPLOYERS WORLDWIDE.”

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NUS Chancellor Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam (Science ’62) conferred the honorary degrees on: Mr Goh Chok Tong, Emeritus Senior Minister, Republic of Singapore (Honorary Doctor of Laws); Professor Saw Swee Hock, President’s Honorary Professor of Statistics at NUS (Honorary Doctor of Letters); Sir Richard Brook Sykes, Chairman, International Advisory Board, Biomedical Research Council, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (Honorary Doctor of Science). NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chan (Medicine ’83) said, “This year, as we celebrate NUS’ 110th year of founding, we are deeply honoured to confer the University’s highest recognition on three outstanding individuals…who have made many distinguished accomplishments in service of Singapore as well as the local and international community. Their leadership and dedication will inspire the NUS Class of 2015, and all of us in the NUS community.”

PROFESSOR TAN CHORH CHUAN (MEDICINE ’83) NUS PRESIDENT

and valued by academics and employers worldwide. As QS has made significant changes to its methodology this year, we would need to review these to understand how they have resulted in the changes in the rankings this year.” “We thank our faculty, researchers, students and friends who work tirelessly to make NUS a leading global university, centred in Asia,” he added. Mr Ben Sowter, QS Head of Research, said, “What Singapore, as a nation, has achieved in its first 50 years of independence is nothing short of staggering. The engine room for that development has been and remains the cultural, political and financial emphasis placed on education. Education at all levels. The development of its own people, particularly in a country with limited natural resources, has to be the single most vital, and far-sighted, economic priority.” He also said, ”The jewel in the crown is the National University of Singapore. NUS has been steadily climbing various league tables inexorably for years, but has been able to do so whilst developing excellence across the academic spectrum in both teaching and research. It is that balanced approach that has led to a research profile that is not disproportionately geared towards medicine which has been revealed with dramatic clarity in this year’s QS World University Rankings.”

The full results of the 2015/2016 QS World University Rankings is available at: http://www.topuniversities.com/qs-world-university-rankings

for their outstanding contributions to Singapore and wider community

BUKIT TIMAH HOMECOMING 2015

IT’S VARSITY SHOWTIME! It was a splendid evening of fun, food and friendship

ILLUSTRATION ISTOCK

NUS emerges

ESM Goh Chok Tong, Prof Saw Swee Hock and Sir Richard Sykes

10,219 graduates from the Class of 2015 celebrated their commencement this July, over a period of nine days and 23 ceremonies. During the Main Commencement Ceremony, NUS also conferred honorary degrees on three outstanding individuals — Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, Professor Saw Swee Hock and Sir Richard Brook Sykes — for their contributions to Singapore and the community. The honorary degree is the University’s highest form of recognition for outstanding individuals, including those who have rendered distinguished service and had a great impact on the community and beyond, as well as made signiﬁcant contributions to the University.

as more than 1,150 alumni gathered at the annual Bukit Timah Homecoming to reminisce and mingle while savouring a delectable buffet spread. Organised by the NUS Ofﬁce of Alumni Relations (OAR) and co-hosted by the Faculty of Law and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, this year’s Homecoming was held on 4 July at the NUS Bukit Timah Campus. True to the theme of ‘Varsity Showtime’, the event saw six contestants representing six different faculties vying for the title of ‘NUS Alumni Idol’ : Ms Zaibun Siraj (Arts and Social Sciences ’68), Mr Nelson Lo (MEM ’05), Ms Carmee Lim (Science ’63), Mr Dominic Leung (Dentistry ’75), Mr William Jansen (Law ’71) and Ms Noor Quek (Business ’72). Ms Noor Quek won over the judges with her soulful rendition of Besame Mucho.

Continued on page 4 OCT–DEC 2015

IN THE NEWS Continued from page 3 There were also performances by guest artistes such as Folk Jazz, led by Joe Peters; the Raffles Hall Alumni Band; and Peter Diaz who serenaded the crowd with golden tunes from the 60s. Guests were asked to come in 60s psychedelic attire which added to the lively atmosphere. Ms Kathy Lim Suan Sim (Arts and Social Sciences ’82) won the prize for ‘Best Dressed Alumni’ in her purple psychedelic outfit and fishnet stockings. 86-year-old Mr Tan See Png (Arts ’55) won the award for ‘Oldest Alumni’, while Mrs Ann Staveley-Taylor (Arts and Social Sciences ’78) who came all the way from the United Kingdom clinched the ‘Farthest Travelled Alumni’ award. VIPs at the event included Chairman of the NUS Board of Trustees Mr Wong Ngit Liong (Engineering ’65), NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan (Medicine ’83), NUS Provost Professor Tan Eng Chye (Science ’85), former NUS President Professor Shih Choon Fong, and Justice Tan Lee Meng (Law ’72). Prof Tan Chorh Chuan set the jubilant tone for the event when he said in his opening speech: “I want to tell you that NUS is doing well, and this is because we have very strong support from our Faculty, students, staff and of course, our alumni.” And what a great celebration it was, with a special cake-cutting ceremony and celebratory toast to commemorate several milestones in the University’s history: NUS 110th anniversary, the 50th anniversary of the Class of 1965, the 50th anniversary of NUS Business School, the 40th anniversary of the School of Computing, and the 10th anniversary of the Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies.

“I WANT TO TELL YOU THAT NUS IS DOING WELL, AND THIS IS BECAUSE WE HAVE VERY STRONG SUPPORT FROM OUR FACULTY, STUDENTS, STAFF AND OF COURSE, OUR ALUMNI.” PROF TAN CHORH CHUAN (MEDICINE ’83) NUS PRESIDENT

NUS KENT RIDGE ALUMNI FAMILY DAY 2015 More than 5,800 alumni, students and staff, together with their families, gathered at NUS University Town (UTown) for the Kent Ridge Alumni Family Day 2015 on Saturday, 15 August. The annual homecoming event, organised by the NUS Office of Alumni Relations (OAR) in partnership with the NUS Office of Campus Amenities (OCA) and the NUS Office of Human Resources (OHR), was one of 12 signature University events to celebrate NUS 110. This year, the event coincided with Student Life Fair 2015 organised by the NUS Students’ Union. That same afternoon, more than 150 veteran staff gathered at UTown’s Spice Table for the NUS Pioneer Generation Staff Hi-Tea, organised by OHR. Continued on page 6

ALUMNUS

OCT–DEC 2015

IN THE NEWS

Continued from page 5 Guest-of-Honour NUS Board of Trustees Chairman, Mr Wong Ngit Liong (Engineering ’65), graced the event, together with NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan (Medicine ’83), NUS Deputy President (Administration) Mr Joseph Mullinix, and NUS Deputy President (Administration) Designate, Mr Don Yeo. A bouncy castle, face-painting, balloon-sculpting, roving stilt-walkers and mime artistes, as well as carnival games and educational workshops kept children entertained throughout. There was plenty of action for sports buffs with bubble soccer organised by the NUS Graduate Students’ Society, rock climbing organised by the NUS Students’ Sports Club, and netball and volleyball tournaments organised by the NUS Volleyball and Netball Alumni Groups. Five campus eateries participated in the ‘Best Food on Campus Contest’ organised by OCA. The Frontier’s ‘Ayam Penyet’ was the winning dish at the cookout competition. Guests were also treated to performances by celebrity NUS alumni, Mediacorp artistes Mr Tay Ping Hui (Arts and Social Sciences ’96) and Ms Cheryl Wee (Arts and Social Sciences ’10), as well as bands from Eusoff and Temasek Hall. As the sun went down, the stage at UTown Green was transformed into a runway for the catwalk featuring NUS student models. The fashion show was produced by fashion curator Mr Daniel Boey (Arts and Social Sciences ’89), in collaboration with Uniqlo, Jean Yip Group and shu uemura. After that, there was the outdoor screening of Disney’s Big Hero 6 with complimentary popcorn, light sticks and picnic mats given out. It was a truly memorable event with many tired but happy faces seen making their way home at the end of the day.

ALUMNUS

OCT–DEC 2015

BECAUSE WE CARE

A UNIVERSITY WITH HEART AS THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE CELEBRATES ITS 110TH YEAR, ALONG WITH SINGAPORE’S 50TH YEAR, THE ALUMNUS LOOKS AT A TRADITION OF THE UNIVERSITY THAT CONTINUES TO GROW AND DEVELOP: GIVING. BY THERESA TAN

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IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK

hen Professor Tan Chorh Chuan (Medicine ’83), President of the National University of Singapore (NUS), launched the University’s 110th year celebrations this year, it was not on university grounds, but rather at the Taman Jurong housing estate. The estate is where since 2008, students of the School of Medicine – through the NUS Medical Society – have been providing regular free health screenings to residents in rental flats there. “This initiative has since grown to become the largest, student-run community service programme in the School, involving some 300 medical students as well as nursing and social work students,” Prof Tan said at the launch. “Last year (2014), they screened close to 800 residents, and by following up with those with chronic diseases, have helped to significantly increase the proportion with good blood pressure control from 42 per cent to nearly 80 per cent.” The significance of this is that the very first School – which eventually became NUS – was the Straits and Federated Malay States Government Medical School. It was

established in 1905 upon petitioning by the community, led by philanthropist Tan Jiak Kim. Prof Tan said, “So, members of the community came together in 1905 to found the medical school and it’s wonderful to see that 110 years later, medical students from that school have come together to set up the largest community service programme in this constituency.” According to Professor Yeoh Khay Guan (Medicine ’87), Dean of the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (YLLSoM), it is not just the elderly who beneﬁt but the trainee doctors too, as they receive useful hands-on training. “It is all part of the School’s efforts to nurture doctors who are responsive to the community’s needs,” says Prof Yeoh. What was just as, if not more important a reason for this symbolic launch, was that in its 110-year history NUS may have transformed dramatically into a leading global university, but its tradition of contributing to the country and society has not waned – it has grown stronger. “Beyond the pursuit of excellence and academic achievement, giving back to the community has remained an integral part of our education philosophy,” said Prof Tan. Giving to the community is something practised not only by YLLSoM undergraduates, but by many NUS alumni and in myriad ways – through service, fundraising, mentorship and more, both locally and overseas. For example, the NUS Business School has been active in community involvement and mentoring future business leaders for many years. The Shanghai Alumni Chapter recently presented its ongoing community project, the Inspiring Sunshine Foundation, founded by two Business School alumni with a friend, which builds schools in China to educate children in extremely poor areas. Mentorship is also a timehonored tradition at the School: Ms Deborah Chew (Arts and Social Sciences ’97) exempliﬁes this when she tells The AlumNUS, “Now that I have just graduated from the

TRANSFORMING LIVES IN CHINA MR JAMES ZHANG (MBA ’08) and DR JAMES CHEN (EMBA ’08) Seven years ago, Dr James Chen, together with some friends, paid a visit to Hunan Province in China. “Upon discovering that the education facilities there were unbelievably poor, three people — two of whom are NUS Business School alumni — decided to donate towards the building of primary schools in Hunan. And that’s how ISSF (Inspiring Sunshine Foundation) was founded,” says Mr James Zhang, the council supervisor of ISSF. Mr Zhang is also the General Secretary of the NUS Business School Alumni Network (East China). Dr Chen is the President of ISSF, the Chairman of TZ Luxury Co, Executive Chairman of Jiangsu Youth Chamber of Commerce, and guest Professor at RenMin University of China. Since ISSF’s inception in 2009, it has helped to build 54 schools. Its plan is to build 10 every year, reaching 101 within 10 years. “The governments in Central and West China are not able to build enough schools,” Mr Zhang explains. “So ISSF’s employees and donors went to the sites, chose the school project, signed the contracts, and provided donations to the government bodies who actually

built the school.” Each school costs about RMB 300,000 (about S$66,000) to RMB 400,000 to build. “Roughly around 80 per cent of the donations come from council members,” says Mr Zhang. “Seven of the more than 30 council members are NUS Business School alumni and they play key roles. Other NUS alumni also give some help. Quite often, monetary donations, as well as books, are collected through alumni activities.” The ISSF school building projects involve an extensive network of NUS alumni, who are encouraged to join the ISSF council by donating between RMB 100,000 and RMB 1,000,000 a year. Mr Zhang also emphasises ISSF’s commitment to long-term support for these schools and children. To date, ISSF’s members have sponsored 57 children, donated 50,000 books and trained 57 volunteer teachers. The motivation behind all this great work, from Mr Zhang’s perspective, is this: “I was educated by NUS to become knowledgeable and capable. I desire to do something in return for society and my country. Education changed my life, so I wish to change those kids’ lives via better education.”

Continued on page 11

OCT–DEC 2015

BECAUSE WE CARE

SERVING THE COMMUNITY

Continued from page 9

PROFESSOR YEOH KHAY GUAN (MEDICINE ’87)

Professor Yeoh is the Dean of the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (YLLSoM). ). He is concurrently the Deputy Chief Executive (Academic Enterprise) of thee National University Health System and is also Senior Consultant at the National onal University Hospital’s Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. He talkss about how the School of Medicine has been giving back, particularly with itss Neighbourhood Health Service set up nine years ago. “The Neighbourhood Health Service (NHS) is a local community service project initiated by medical and nursing students of YLLSoM. It aims to integrate the elderly who have fallen out of the healthcare system back into it, through health screenings and detailed follow-ups,” Prof Yeoh Khay Guan explains. Since 2008, the NHS team has been conducting door-to-door basic health screenings for residents living in rental flats to identify those who are at risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and cancer. It is hoped that residents benefit from the screenings through early detection and intervention. “The team also conducts a threemonthly medical, financial and social review with the residents and works with grassroots and social partners to ensure residents seek early medical attention, and that social and financial issues are addressed,” says Prof Yeoh, noting that the NHS has grown substantially in its social efforts since its inception. In 2014, 395 NUS student volunteers were involved in NHS, with the screenings benefitting 739 residents of Taman Jurong, Eunos Crescent and Marine Terrace.

Prof Yeoh says that The NHS local service community through the partnership project was started in 2008. with NUS Faculties of Dentistry and Social Work, oral health and social components were also incorporated into the screenings. Mammogram services and eye screenings have also been improved on. “There was also a greater emphasis on volunteer training to empower the student volunteers,” he adds. the importance of teamwork in As Dean of YLLSoM, what values caring for patients,” says the Dean. regarding giving does Prof Yeoh “Clinical skills alone do not make impart to his faculty staff, students a good doctor. Compassion is the and alumni? “NUS Medicine is a truly most important quality for a medical Singaporean institution that was practitioner and this is what patients established to serve the community,” expect to experience when they he says. “Our educational ethos consult their doctors. That is the emphasises both the heart and reason we look for students with the mind, imparting a strong qualities that will make them good foundation of clinical skills as well as doctors. These include intrinsic nurturing values of public service. motivation and a genuine desire in We constantly remind our students wanting to help others in need and to that we look after Singaporeans. make a difference.” We also emphasise awareness of Prof Yeoh underscores that global health issues as the world is throughout the School’s history, more inter-connected than before, its alumni and staff have always and the majority of our students given generously to society and enjoy overseas elective attachments to their alma mater. “Professor and volunteer Benjamin Henry Sheares (Medicine in community The NHS team conducts door-to-door basic health screenings for Residents. ’29) served as Singapore’s President improvement in the 1980s, while Dr Yeoh Ghim Seng projects in was Speaker of Parliament from the region.” 1970 to 1989. Three NUS Medicine The School’s graduates are serving ministers,” curriculum is he says, referring to Dr Ng Eng Hen planned such that (Medicine ’82), Dr Vivian Balakrishnan students learn to (Medicine ’85) and Dr Fatimah Lateef work in teams, as (Medicine ’90). “Many of our alumni they would later are serving in various capacities on in their careers. in all sorts of endeavours, such “This means they as looking after the healthcare understand needs of African villagers — as and appreciate

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Dr Andrew Ng Kang Chin (Medicine ’71) did — or rural Chinese such as Dr Tan Lai Yong (Medicine ’85).” The School’s Giving to the Next Generation programme encourages alumni to help invest in the education of needy medical students and alumni have been very supportive in this respect. For example, they have established several bursaries championed by class representatives such as the MBBS Classes of 1981, 1987 and 1995 bursaries. Other bursaries that have been established by alumni include those in honour of late classmates, such as the Eugene Goh Yu-Yuen Medical Bursary (Class of ’97), or family and friends such as the Loh Fook Chin Medical Bursary. “We also have alumni who mobilise corporate resources to launch professorships such as the Parkway Pantai Professorship in Medicine and Healthy Ageing, that was mooted by an alumnus, Dr Tan See Leng (Medicine ’89). There are also alumni who want to pay it forward, because they were once helped, such as Dr Tay Miah Hiang (Medicine ’92), who established the Oncocare Medical Bursary,” says Prof Yeoh. Giving back to society is something that is part of the School’s institutional DNA and it is a consciousness that is instilled into our students. As Prof Yeoh puts it, “The School owes its existence to the efforts of early Singaporeans... One hundred and ten years later, the School remains cognisant of its origins and that is why we emphasise the importance of service and giving to the community. We were started by Singaporeans and we will always be here for Singaporeans.”

UCLA-NUS U Global Executive MBA programme, p I look forward to giving back b through mentoring undergrads i the Business School.” in At NUS Law, which has a long history h of voluntary pro bono service by b its students, all pro bono projects h have now been aggregated at Start Now N Law, an online portal. The p portal exists to encourage students’ involvement i in legal pro bono activities. Launched in March 2014 by Ms Indranee Rajah (Law ’86), Senior Minister of State, Ministry for Law and Ministry for Education, this site acts as a springboard for the upcoming Mandatory Pro Bono Scheme, which requires Law students to fulﬁl 20 mandatory hours of pro bono work prior to graduation. For many years, Law alumni like Mr Sreenivasan Narayan (Law ’85) (Pro Bono Ambassador 2010/2011) and Ms Malathi Das (Law ’92) (Pro Bono Ambassador 2013/2014) have been engaged in legal work for those who cannot afford representation in court. Of course, giving in the form of ﬁnances and in organisaing fundraisers is one major way to

pay it forward. ‘The Power Of Four’ is a nickname given to four individuals who have been extraordinarily active in raising funds to meet needs of lowerincome students: Mr David Ho (Arts and Social Sciences ’72), President of NUS Society (NUSS); Mr Yeo Keng Joon (MBA ’85); Mr Seah Cheng San (Engineering ’82); and Mr Johnny Tan (Science ’82). NUSS’ contributions to the NUS bursary fund exceed a quarter million dollars yearly. Mr Ho was the first to launch a Class Gift for his cohort of 1972. This sparked Mr Seah and Mr Yeo into setting up Class Gifts for their own cohorts. Mr Tan chairs the NUS Alumni Students Advancement Committee which supports efforts to benefit students across faculties, schools, halls, interest groups and more. Since its inception in 2013, the Committee has helped raise S$4.8m towards student advancement. The quartet are on the forefront of inspiring generations of alumni to give financial support to various needs: student advancement, Professorships, Schools, research and more. The Lee Kong Chian Museum of Natural History is a great example

AT NUS LAW, WHICH HAS A LONG HISTORY OF VOLUNTARY PRO BONO SERVICE BY ITS STUDENTS, ALL PRO BONO PROJECTS HAVE NOW BEEN AGGREGATED AT START NOW LAW, AN ONLINE PORTAL.

OCT–DEC 2015

BECAUSE WE CARE

Continued on page 14

IF ALL OF US CAN HOLD SOMETHING NEAR TO OUR HEARTS, WE’LL BE MOVED TO ACTION.

MR HSIEH FU HUA (BUSINESS HONS ’74)

ALUMNUS

A LIVELIHOOD FOR BALINESE VILLAGERS

DEBORAH CHEW

(ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ’97, EMBA ’16)

NAVTEJ SINGH (ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ’72)

Ms Deborah Chew is the director and co-founder of Project Happy Feet, which empowers the lives of youth in Third World countries through education. Ms Chew is also the Chief Operating Officer of Emergenetics International — Asia Pacific. Project Happy Feet was started in 2009 to give footwear to children in Cambodia. It has since developed to provide education to its beneficiaries.

Mr Navtej Singh is an entrepreneur who founded Tagit, a mobile transaction platform that enables banks, merchants, telcos and government bodies to extend their e-services to the mobile space securely and at low cost. Mr Singh is involved in Muntigunung Social Enterprise which creates income sources for villagers in Bali, Indonesia. Bali’s image is one of a tropical paradise. But Mr Navtej Singh says unknown to many, there is poverty too. In the mountainous north-east region of Bali, in an area known as Muntigunung, there are some 6,000 villagers who face a daily struggle for survival. The region does not get sufficient rainfall so there is lack of water and crop cultivation is difficult. Eleven years ago, a Swiss banker Mr Daniel Elber, was on holiday in Bali and chanced upon the plight of these villagers. The women and children from the villages of Muntigunung had resorted to begging. It was a “moment of truth” for Mr Elber, says Mr Singh. He decided to give up his job and made it his life’s mission to help the villagers. Mr Elber started the Foundation for The Future of Children in Switzerland, and raised funds to introduce programmes to help the villagers to become self-sustaining (www.zukunft-fuer-kinder.ch). “I got involved after a chance meeting with Daniel in Bali about two years ago. I was very moved by his story and offered my help. Daniel asked me to join him on a trek to Munitgunung first to see for myself the situation there,” recounts Mr Singh. After an arduous climb over Mount Batur to reach the settlements, what Mr Singh saw had a cathartic effect on him. “Daniel and his team of dedicated staff had created a miracle in the remote area. They were working hands-on, organising the villagers into working groups, doing activities such as cashew nut processing, weaving of lontar (straw) baskets, knitting of textiles etc.” The villagers get fair wages for the work they do. The products made by them are then sold by the Muntigunung Social Enterprise to leading hotels and shops in Bali. The profits are then used for

improving the conditions of the people in Muntigunung. Mr Singh is a volunteer helping with the sale of Muntigunung products in Singapore. “We have seen volumes double since we started pushing this last year. The corporates have been very supportive, and so has been NUS, which has become a big customer. All this would not have been possible without the help of a great friend, Ambassador K Kesavapany, who came on board after a meeting with Daniel last year.” The improvement to the villagers’ lives, both in ﬁnancial terms and in other ways, has been dramatic. More than half the villagers already have running water, and

WHAT ARE YOU HAPPIEST WITH WHEN IT COMES TO PROJECT HAPPY FEET (PHF)?

I think it is how we’ve stuck with our mission of empowering lives through education and training and seeing the impact of our work multiplied to beyond Cambodia. Since 2009, we have grown too, always relooking at how we can better ourselves, and how we can improve the way we support our beneﬁciaries. HOW MANY COUNTRIES HAS PHF BENEFITTED THROUGH ITS CONTRIBUTIONS?

The countries that have beneﬁtted from our work include Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines, India, Nepal and Singapore. HOW MANY PAIRS OF SHOES/SLIPPERS HAS PHF GIVEN AWAY TO DATE?

Muntigunung villagers are involved in activities such as weaving straw basket.

the aim is for every adult in Muntigunung to earn a minimum of USD 120 (about S$168) per month, which is sufﬁcient for sustenance in Bali. Since University days, Mr Singh has been involved in various fundraising activities, but the Muntigunung project is the ﬁrst time he has made a commitment to be involved on continuing basis over a longer term. He says, “Giving back to one’s alma mater in a meaningful way should be a natural part of an alumnus’ social values. This sense of concern for others’ well-being should be an integral part of our value system.”

PHOTO OF MR HSIEH FU HUA BY EALBERT HO; PHOTO OF MS DEBORAH CHEW BY STEVE CHU

of what giving achieves, not just for the University but Singapore itself. Giving extends beyond the wallet. There are many NUS alumni who serve the country in government, whether in the Cabinet or as leaders in the civil service and other afﬁliated bodies. Mr Hsieh Fu Hua (Business Hons ’74) is the President of the National Council of Social Service. His vision is for a social sector that does not simply meet the needs of the poor, but one that meets all needs across the social strata. He believes that every individual has the responsibility to meet needs in society: “If all of us can hold something near to our hearts, we’ll be moved to action,” he tells The AlumNUS. Besides working to change public perception of the social sector, Mr Hsieh also gives in more traditional ways by raising funds for student bursaries and Professorships for his alma mater. Then there are individuals who have taken the road less-travelled and made a difference to the world at large. NUS Fellow Dr Tan Lai Yong (Medicine ’85), who earned the moniker ‘The Wandering Saint’ for his medical missions to remote villages in China, is one shining example. A year after his graduation, he moved to Yunnan – where he stayed for 15 years – with his wife and then one-year-old daughter and joined a community development team. There, on top of caring for

FROM HAPPY FEET T TO HAPPY STUDENTS EN ENTS

More than a thousand. We started giving out slippers a lot more when we started, but soon realised that by doing so, we were encouraging a culture of dependency. We were not teaching the underprivileged communities how to ﬁsh; we were merely giving them ﬁsh. We knew that such a practice would not be sustainable, and so we have since focussed on programmes that encourage school enrollments and support education. Through education, we hope that these communities will step out of the poverty cycle. HOW ELSE HAVE COMMUNITIES BEEN CHANGED FOR GOOD BY PHF?

By carrying out sustainable programmes through our partners. One example is the Lower Secondary School Development Programme by This Life Cambodia, which aims to increase school enrollment by engaging stakeholders in the community. Training for these stakeholders include problem identiﬁcation, communication, problem-solving and fund-raising. The impact for such a programme has been positive so far. It is particularly heartening to see how the community has since taken ownership of their problems and found ways to solve them within their means. PHF, through its volunteers, is also currently supporting a community in Taom, Cambodia through Build Your Future Today Centre. Together, we are looking at developing that commune through a threeyear developmental plan. Besides building a school

library, our volunteers (who call themselves Project Taom) also most recently conducted health checks and health talks there. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO CONTRIBUTE BACK TO YOUR ALMA MATER?

NUS is a special place for me. It is the place where I expanded my worldview. I learnt to question and not take things for granted. I learnt that I could look at things from different perspectives and that it was important to do so. I have clearly benefitted from the education that NUS provided me, not just academically, but also through character development. Similarly, I find it important to give back so that the generations of future students will benefit in the same way and more. If every alumnus gives back in one way or another, imagine the impact we can create for the University and its students! I give my time to NUS. There were a few occasions where I was approached to share my perspectives on leadership, and on being an entrepreneur and being in a non-profit organisation. By sharing with students about the work I do, juggling my time with my full-time work at Emergenetics International – Asia Pacific and PHF, and pursuing my EMBA programme at the same time, I hope to inspire them that we can never be too busy to give back in whatever ways we can. ARE THERE ANY OTHER PLACES THAT YOU CONTRIBUTE TO?

I also serve as an Advisory Board Committee member at South View Primary School in Singapore to lend my views on how the school can improve their Values in Action programme, so as to create better social impact in the communities and charities they serve.

OCT–DEC 2015

BECAUSE WE CARE Continued from page 12

Mr and Mrs Yeo Keng Joon

BLESSED AND INSPIRED YEO KENG JOON (MBA ‘85)

Mr Yeo Keng Joon, the Founding President of NUS Business School Alumni Association (NUSBSA) and Past President of MBA Alumni-NUS is also the initiator of the Campus Couples Bursary Fund. It was launched in early 2015, concurrently with the Campus Couples Alumni Group. The idea of the Campus Couples Bursary Fund and the Alumni Group came about when Mr Yeo Keng Joon looked back on his time at NUS. “I have many good memories of my time at University. I will always be grateful for how my life has been shaped by the university education I received, the friends I made and the experiences I had,” he told his audience at the launch dinner. “I met my wife, Yuet Peng (MBA ’86), while at University. We were both very active in sports, JCRC (junior common room committee) and Freshman Orientation Committees.” Mr Yeo said that he and his wife were motivated to launch the Fund because “since we met on campus, we should be eternally grateful to the University. And as we felt tremendously blessed for our marriage and family we wanted to share this blessing and raise funds to help NUS students in ﬁnancial need.” The couple has sub-named the bursary award after their children. Mr Yeo’s daughter Suan Wei has also followed in her father’s footsteps — she is a co-founder of the highly-successful CampVision, which empowers at-risk and low-income youths. Mr Yeo helped to raise S$325,313 for the NUS Campus Couples Bursary Fund with most of the donations coming from friends. “There were quite a number from couples who contacted us after

ALUMNUS

reading about the campaign through the media,” he notes. The Bursary Fund will aid needy and financially-challenged students in NUS. Mr Yeo says they can use the money as they see fit such as for tuition fees, hostel fees, transportation costs, meals and books. As the Campus Couples Bursary Fund was just launched this year and has yet to be matched with government grants or earn returns from the endowment, the first recipients will be in the 2016/2017 academic year. As for the Alumni Group, events are being organised, and the anchor event for the group will be a yearly Valentine’s Day dinner. Mr and Mrs Yeo have a special place in their hearts for students in need because of their own backgrounds. “A university education is an important factor in social mobility,” said Mr Yeo in his speech. “Like many of my cohort, Yuet Peng and I come from humble beginnings. The financial support that we received enabled us to participate in university and hall activities and gave us a good all-rounded education. Our bursary recipients can thus cut down the extra work (giving tuition or part-time work) and can focus on their studies and faculty and hall activities. When they graduate, they will be in a much better position to help their families. Many of the past recipients of

orphans, the disabled and leprous, he trained some 500 doctors in villages to carry out vaccinations, dress wounds and diagnose common ailments. In 1999, Dr Tan then taught at Kunming Medical College’s School of Public Health and set up a Kunming-based non-governmental medical organisation and brought Singapore doctors in to do free surgery in the villages. He has received many awards for his work including a 2004 Friendship Award for Foreign Experts at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, and a 2005 Singapore International Foundation Award presented by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and the 2005 Singapore MILK Fund (Mainly I Love Kids) Award for Outstanding Youth and Children’s Worker by then President S R Nathan. He returned to Singapore in 2010 and is today director of outreach and community engagement at the College of Alice and Peter Tan, where he regularly hosts meals and Continued on page 17

other NUS bursaries have pledged to pay it forward and we intend to inculcate this in our future recipients.” Apart from the Campus Couples Bursary Fund, Mr Yeo also helped to launch the NUS Business School Alumni Bursary Fund, as well as the Lim Meng Kin Memorial Fund in 2013, “to remember a respected Professor, Director, friend who passed away much too early.” The late Prof Lim (Medicine ’74) was the former Director of the NUS Ofﬁce of Alumni Relations. NUSBSA, of which Mr Yeo was the Founding President, is now in its 15th year. His efforts to get NUS Business School graduates to reactivate their links to NUS and be active alumni have paid off. Today, NUSBSA has a membership of 3,422 and the Business School alumni are active in community work across the region. Mr Yeo’s view of giving back is two-pronged: “Make a difference in the lives of our needy students. Build up our alumni network for building relationships, making social impact and sharing our blessings. Our alma mater made us what we are today,” he says. “We should share our blessings when we are able.”

AN ACE FOR FUNDRAISING NG

SEAH CHENG SAN (ENGINEERING ’82, MBA ‘92) Mr Seah Cheng San was the recipient of a Singapore Armed Forces Scholarship to study Engineering at NUS. He decided to help students in need enjoy the same opportunity he had, to earn a good education. In the last three years, Mr Seah has become something of a guru of fundraising through golf events. Among the many efforts he has been involved in, including the Engineering Class of ’82 Bursary Endowed Fund, a signiﬁcant one for him is the establishment of the Dunearn Road Hostels/Sheares Hall (DRH/SH) Alumni Endowment Fund in 2009. This was launched with an impressive S$250,000 raised within 24 days.

In a 2012 interview, Mr Seah ah Cheng San said that “In those days, about three per cent of the cohort made it to university. Most of us came from poor families. We were the lucky ones and I want to give back and help students in need.” To create a bursary fund, one needs to raise S$250,000. “That’s 10 lots of S$25,000 which, after the government matching grant, will total S$62,500 per lot which is invested. At four per cent returns, you generate an income of about S$2,000 to S$2,500 which is enough for a bursary,” Mr Seah explains. “It’s an endowed fund, so it’s perpetual, as long as the investment keeps going.” Mr Seah discovered, in 2012, that charity golf was a great way to rope in givers. “We held the first charity golf event at Raffles Country Club to commemorate 60 years of Dunearn Road Hostels and 30 years of Sheares Hall,” he recalls. “We had a target of S$200,000 and we reached S$306,000 in the end.” He stayed in Dunear Dunearn Road Hostels (DRH) from 1978 to 1981, and Sheares Hall (SH) from 1981 to 1982. In May Ma 2014, Mr Seah organised another ffundraising, this time for the Faculty o of Engineering. This charity golf tournament tour more than doubled its target of S$200,000 — it raised a total of S$425,0 S$425,000. Mr Seah has now progressed to teachi teaching others how to organise tourname tournaments, and has helped events like the Raffle Raffles Hall Charity Golf event in March this year – in aid of the Raffles Hall Bursary Fund – raise ra S$470,000, and the Business School’s Biz50 Golf Tournament in July raise S$4 S$440,000. Mr Seah’s Se wife, Ms Chong Siak Ching, CEO of the th National Gallery, was also deeply involved in in setting up the Philip Yeo Initiative (PYI) in 2013. Established with gifts by tthose who have worked with Mr Yeo (E (Engineering ’74) and who have witnessed witnesse the impact of his dynamic personality, the Initiative identifies personal and deve develops the next generation of Singapore’s Singapor leaders. Funds raised go to the Philip Ye Yeo Entrepreneurial Awards which enables e entrepreneurial students to attend NUS Ove Overseas Colleges, and the Philip Yeo Innovation Innovatio Fellows to support projects that

require requir req uire e S$20,000 S$20 S$20 0,00 ,000 000 to S$30,000. This year, Mr Seah was co-chair for the PYI Fundraising Golf 2015 event held in June. “It was the biggest NUS event — we raised S$539,000,” he says. Why golf? As Mr Seah explains: “It appeals to companies which don’t mind giving S$5,000 or S$2,000. They get to play and they can get their clients to play — they get their clients to themselves for four hours! And it’s good to have some time off from the office.” Mr Seah approaches companies that he knows and some that are owned by former Sheares Hall residents. Of all the charity golf tournaments he has organised, the first one — for DRH/SH — has been the best for Mr Seah. “We started with zero base. But there was someone in the committee who had done it before so he taught us some things. We weren’t sure people would give us money — I had to write to Tote Board. But it was good to evolve our strategy,” he says. Mr Seah “stumbled” upon a piece of pricing strategy that has worked. “I found that it appealed to some people to give S$25,000 and for that you get a golf flight and a bursary named after you. Sometimes you give S$25,000 to another cause and that’s it. So this has come out quite well for us,” he shares. Right now, his passion is for students who have never stayed in a hall of residence because they cannot afford to. “We decided we want to do more for the other halls (apart from Raffles Hall). We want to encourage [students] to stay in the hall because it is an enriching experience.” “There’s a whole spectrum of smart student scholarships,” says Mr Seah. “But we want to concentrate on the marginalised students, those who have to work part time. With these bursaries, they can concentrate on their studies. We also want them to have the chance to stay in the halls for one or two years.” Mr Seah hopes that the tradition of doing more for those who need help will be continued by more alumni. “Everyone has a hope for the future to do better. By helping students, we hope they can help others. We need more people in various places doing this.”

OCT–DEC 2015

BECAUSE WE CARE

BRINGING ALUMNI TOGETHER

I’M A BELIEVER OF ALUMNI BONDING, OF SUPPORTING OUR ALMA MATER. FUNDRAISING BUILDS BONDS AND A SENSE OF PURPOSE. TO ME, THAT’S ABOVE ALL – IT’S BEYOND MONEY.

JOHNNY TAN (SCIENCE ’82) Mr Johnny Tan got involved in serving his alma mater 15 years ago. When he decided to “slow down”, friends suggested he serve in the NUS Society Committee.

ALUMNUS

MR JOHNNY TAN (SCIENCE ’82)

Continued from page 14

to stay away from fundraising. But fundraising for a cause is rewarding; you connect people with the right cause, and it bonds the community. It helps create a common reference point, and develop a sense of purpose and pride among the alumni.” The Committee takes three approaches to developing the culture of giving back. First, there are alumni events which include class reunions, faculty anniversaries, hall dinners, charity runs, concerts and golf tournaments. “The question is: how do we reposition these events and inject a cause?” asks Mr Tan. Next there are the special interest groups. “We use a themebased approach, for example, the Campus Couples Bursary Fund for couples who met on campus to make gifts to the Fund and share their blessings with the less fortunate. There are also Memorial Funds, for late professors etc — these are usually endowed funds. For these, we usually go after the more established alumni who have financial means, but there is also a need to engage the younger ones,” he notes. For younger alumni, Mr Tan says there is a need to be more specific in the focus to encourage them to pay it forward. One such example is the creation of a mentorship platform to bring back young alumni, including ABF recipients, to be mentors to undergraduates. He notes that a number of students come from households that have a monthly income of below S$1,000. “Yes, they can get loans, but that’s not the only challenge,” Mr Tan says. “The real challenge is when they graduate, and have to work and look after their family and pay back their study loans.” What the Committee wants to do is “help improve the social mobility of these students — the bursary allows them to take up less of a loan, to owe less, and that’s key.” Mr Tan has two goals for the Alumni Students Advancement Committee. “Quantitatively, I’d like to see an increase in the percentage of alumni giving from the current less than five per cent to 10 per cent or more. Qualitatively, I hope that through such initiatives, we’ll be known as a great University with a warm heart.”

visits for disabled or disadvantaged kids on weekends. He volunteers at HealthServe which runs subsidised clinics for needy Singaporeans and foreign workers. These are but a handful of many alumni that give back to future generations of undergraduates and to society. However, when it comes to giving back to NUS, the numbers are still small – in Mr Johnny Tan’s (Science ‘82) estimate, only ﬁve per cent of all alumni give back to their alma mater.

A MORAL RESPONSIBILITY

PHOTO BY WILSON PANG

Mr Johnny Tan joined the NUS Society (NUSS) committee in 2003, and became President of NUSS in 2008 serving until 2012. Mr Tan’s term as NUSS President was lauded by Professor Tan Chorh Chuan (Medicine ’83), President of NUS, in his speech during the 2012 Commencement Dinner. Prof Tan named Mr Tan as a good example of “someone who uses his talents not just to innovate but to benefit his alma mater in creative ways.” “Together with his NUSS colleagues, Johnny led a transformative expansion of the Society’s physical facilities and substantially expanded its membership,” said Prof Tan. “More importantly, under his able leadership, the Society successfully reached out to the NUS community, to the wider NUS alumni body, and crucially, to the less-advantaged in Singapore. A good example of this is the NUSS Groceries on Wheels programme started in 2010.” The programme garnered strong support and in 2011, secured and delivered some 2,500 bags of groceries to needy households all across Singapore. Today, that initiative by Mr Archie Ong (Arts ‘72) has been renamed Groceries With Love On Wheels and has reached nearly 9,000 elderly, mostly living in one-room flats. Since stepping down as NUSS President, Mr Tan has been active as Chairman of the NUS Alumni Students Advancement Committee, a committee appointed by Prof Tan in August 2013 to spearhead the NUS Alumni Bursary Fund (ABF) Campaign. The Committee aims to nurture alumni-for-student initiatives, which would be led by alumni and supported by the NUS Development Office (DVO) and NUS Office of Alumni Relations (OAR). It serves as a platform for alumni to gift, either as an individual or as a group. The Committee’s mission is to serve the “needy students who fall through the cracks,” and to cultivate a spirit of collective giving and broaden alumni support for the University. As a by-product, Mr Tan says, “I hope we can communicate the challenges and achievements of NUS to our alumni. I hope it touches their hearts and inspires them to give.” Working with OAR, DVO, halls and faculties, Mr Tan, who also sits on the NUS Development Committee under the Board of Trustees, has been actively championing fundraising efforts spearheaded by alumni. The ABF Campaign has raised over S$5 million since it started two years ago. “I am encouraged by the support given by alumni so far and would like to give credit to my hardworking and passionate committee members,” he says. Mr Tan is alive to the fact that fundraising remains an activity that many shun. “Many people tended

Performance at the Rag & Flag Day 2015

Why should alumni give back? Mr Hsieh does not mince words: “I don’t think I need to tell them why. If they’ve gone to university they can reason that for themselves. In my time, only three per cent of my cohort made it to University. Today we are talking about 30 to 40 per cent. I say, today, even though there are more opportunities, you’re still very privileged to have a chance to go to University, because you’re subsidised. It’s the community that’s given you the opportunity and the funding.” “So when you’ve been privileged you think, do I deserve as much as this? What can I do to repay, and honour, that privilege? I would say, the whole purpose of University is to make you think, so, think! There’s a whole range of possibilities,” encourages Mr Hsieh. For Mr Johnny Tan, the intrinsic rewards of giving back are not ﬁnancial: “I’m a believer of alumni bonding, of supporting our alma mater. Fundraising builds bonds and a sense of purpose. To me, that’s above all – it’s beyond money.”

NEXT GENERATION GIVING KARTHIK S/O TAMIL MARAN FACULTY OF ARTS & SOCIAL SCIENCES, COMMUNICATIONS & NEW MEDIA MAJOR, YEAR 3

Mr Karthik s/o Tamil Maran was the NUSSU Rag & Flag Events Director for 2015. Rag Day on 7 August held at The Float @ Marina Bay was a resounding success, with guest performers that included The Sam Willows, Gentle Bones, Chronos and NUS Centre for the Arts, and NUS Alpha Verve. Through flag-selling activities before Rag Day, the halls of residence and faculties of NUS raised funds for 19 charities under Community Chest. Mr Karthik recalls the history of the first Rag & Flag . “It started in 1959 as a part of a student initiative called the Welfare Week. Its purpose then was to instill the idea of ‘To be with the people’ into the students by reminding them that the purpose of education was to help others, rather than for their own personal gain. When it first started, there were a total of 10 floats and S$5,000 was raised. There were two beneficiary organisations that year.” This year, NUSSU (the National University of Singapore Students’ Union) raised nearly half a million dollars. “It was extraordinary because for every dollar we raised, the Singapore government matched it 1.5 times. This made it the highestever amount raised at Rag & Flag . We managed it by using various channels, such as tin can flagging by our freshmen, online portal

donations, and our birthday cake ez-link card device donation portal,” says Mr Karthik. “There were also student initiatives for fundraising and we had more students involved this year. All that effort added up.” Through participation of Rag & Flag , undergraduates are reminded that the purpose of education is to help others. “It is easy to be misled into thinking that educated persons have become socially-stratiﬁed into a separate entity, when at the end of the day, we are part of a larger whole that cannot survive without the other,” he says. “Morally speaking, it is also right to help others who are not as lucky as we are.” Being part of the NUS culture of giving is a great way to cultivate a sense of giving back to the society, which has given us so much, says Mr Karthik. “I have learnt that social service, donating and any form of contribution brings people together, and we should deﬁnitely continue this tradition beyond graduating to show that we are truly NUS alumni.”

OCT–DEC 2015

CHANGEMAKER

REWRITING THE RULES OF

SOCIAL SERVICE

he common perception of the social service sector is someone in need of receiving aid from a social worker or a volunteer. While there certainly are low-income families and individuals that need support in terms of groceries or health services in Singapore, the needs of society span much wider than that. This is what Mr Hsieh Fu Hua, President of the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) seeks to transform. He notes that when he took over the helm at NCSS in 2012, “the membership criteria was more limited. It could only have, as member organisations, those who provided direct service.” This has since changed with NCSS broadening its range of partners to

ALUMNUS

include social enterprises, outfits that provide services to charities, and more. Mr Hsieh also came on board NCSS at a time when a much bigger focus on giving back had come about following the 2009 global financial crisis. “The social sector was at a crossroads, and there was a much bigger interest in it from a public policy point of view; meaning that more resources were being devoted to it,” he says. “Businesses in general, following the global financial crisis of 2009, were much more alive to not just making money but to serve better, whether it was their customers or the community at large.” Mr Hsieh, who is also the Chairman of United Overseas Bank (UOB), brought his four decades of

business experience to his role at NCSS. “In everything I do, I look at what I can bring and where the organisation is at. I obviously bring my ﬁnancial background and an open mind – open, because I’ve never been deep into the social sector. I thought it was timely to take stock and look for new directions. Every chairman always brings something new, so I started asking management to rethink, to open up their minds to what possibilities there are.” One of the changes Mr Hsieh affected was to bring new blood onto the Board of NCSS. “We have a few more business people than we had before,” he says, explaining that “business is much stronger in terms of rigour and discipline. I think it can enrich the social

PHOTO BY EALBERT HO

PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE, MR HSIEH FU HUA (BUSINESS HONS ’74) TALKS ABOUT THE NEED TO TRANSFORM THINKING IN THE SOCIAL SECTOR. BY THERESA TAN

sector when you’re able to entwine it with a business mind – which is always inventing, creating out of necessity, to adapt to changing circumstances.” This kind of thinking is required in present society as Singaporeans face increasingly complex social problems. Community-based selfhelp is weaker today than in previous decades – and this is something Mr Hsieh seeks to reverse, to return to a true “kampong spirit”. Among the new ideas birthed out of this thinking are NCSS’ Buddy’IN programme, which matches students with special needs from Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS) with mainstream students for peer-learning opportunities, and the Bishan-Ang Mo Kio inclusive playground that opened in August this year. The latter is a collaboration between NCSS and NParks which lets wheel-chair using children play, and is the first of 11 to be built by 2017. Another change in the view previously held is how not-for-profit and for-profit organisations co-exist. “It is essential to look at the sector as an ecosystem”, says Mr Hsieh. “Social enterprises are very important when we look into the future.” There are 28 NCSS members who are operating as social enterprises, have a social enterprise arm or operate business enterprise(s), ranging from those that sell corporate gifts crafted by the disadvantaged to those that provide employment for individuals with special needs. “In the social sector, just like any other industry, there are different parts of the value chain. You shouldn’t just focus on one part – the whole idea is to see the extended value chain. That’s when you can make the sector much more vibrant and much more productive.” Mr Hsieh also highlights the role of caregivers. “They are so essential to beneficiaries that helping caregivers is eventually providing services to the beneficiary. Ask yourself: are only charities able to provide services to beneficiaries? Can there not be other organisations, even those in pursuit of profit?” He gives the example of aged care homes – there can be forprofit outfits for those who are better off co-existing with not-for-profit

I THINK IT CAN ENRICH THE SOCIAL SECTOR WHEN YOU’RE ABLE TO ENTWINE IT WITH A BUSINESS MIND – WHICH IS ALWAYS INVENTING, CREATING OUT OF NECESSITY, TO ADAPT TO CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES. MR HSIEH FU HUA (BUSINESS HONS ’74)

organisations that cater to the low-income. Each serves a different market. Today you can see the two at play, serving more segments of the market. Having a public and a private sector ensures that you have a vibrant social sector, to serve the needs of all people.” MENTAL HEALTH: A MAJOR GAP While Mr Hsieh will say there are service gaps in the sector, those in the area of mental healthcare are probably the closest to his heart. During his early days as CEO of the Singapore Exchange (SGX), he hired three full-time counsellors to service the entire organisation. “After one year, their schedules were full. People can see when their colleague is going through a tough time.” Further, through his own charity Binjai Tree, he helped to start up and support mental health organisations like Caregivers Alliance Ltd, which offers support for caregivers of persons with mental illnesses. “There are many gaps in mental health care,” he says. “Mental health should be managed by the community, not in hospitals, which should only be used for crisis. If your ﬁrst recourse is to go to a hospital – or if nobody is treating a mental health condition until it becomes acute and requires hospitalisation – then we have a serious problem.” Mr Hsieh would like for mental health issues to be better understood, recognised and supported. NCSS supports a host of mental health organisations from Sunlove Home to the Alzheimer’s Disease Association, which provide a range of support for those with mental health issues, including care

and training. According to the World Health Organization, one in four persons will suffer from a mental health episode in their lives. “According to the Singapore Mental Health Study spearheaded by the Institute of Mental Health in 2011, it is at least one in 10. And out of those, only one-third seeks help,” he notes. The cost of not dealing with mental health is also far higher than just the person it affects, Mr Hsieh points out. The toll it takes on family members’ happiness and peace of mind is substantial. “In economic terms, we are talking about the loss of productivity, and the wastefulness of not dealing with it. One unwell person means three or four unhappy persons.” PEOPLE POWER Apart from mental health support, the sector has many challenges, including a shortage of human capital. “With good people you can solve many things. That’s the story of Singapore. It’s not about the different resources we have, it’s about the people we have; as well as leadership and capability development,” says Mr Hsieh who has sought to involve more corporations and attract quality people to the sector. Then there is a need to build up a much more diverse sector with many different types of organisations that meet a wide range of needs. Take elderly care, for instance – it is replete with tired and sometimes inaccurate notions. The Lien Foundation found out from research that vigorous exercise beneﬁts the elderly, as opposed to OCT–DEC 2015

CHANGEMAKER

the notion that the elderly do not need that much exercise. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The elderly have very few things to look forward to, and one of them is quality food,â&#x20AC;? Mr Hsieh points out. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But the food at the homes for the aged is so bland and tasteless.â&#x20AC;? That thought sparked off a collaboration between NCSS and Pan PaciďŹ c Hotels Group called â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Eat Well With Usâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, where chefs from Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant rework the menus at these homes to help them provide delicious and nutritious food on the same budget. This programme beneďŹ ts 600 elderly people. CHOOSING NEARNESS, THINKING BIGGER Mr Hsieh is conďŹ dent that more people will step up if they adopt the idea of â&#x20AC;&#x153;nearnessâ&#x20AC;?. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When you are touched by a personal encounter, you must keep it close to your heart. Because that will start you thinking, and start you on a journey of caring

Chair a talk!

more,â&#x20AC;? he explains, giving two examples of â&#x20AC;&#x153;nearnessâ&#x20AC;? that were practised by his former staff. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My colleagues at SGX selected a student for a scholarship. This student had, because of his age, escaped a death sentence for drug pushing. After serving ďŹ ve years in prison, he reformed, started studying and entered university. So we gave him a scholarship. To help someone who has been through so much in life and come out of it wanting to do better, is very rewarding and touching.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Then there was an NUS boy who had a child out of wedlock, and got kicked out of his house because he and his girlfriend refused to have an abortion. This boy needed the support, and SGX gave him a scholarship. We said, this guy really has conviction to uphold the family, the sanctity of life. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rewarding to see people who have on the surface failed

societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expectations, fallen short, and they are given a chance to make a comeback.â&#x20AC;? Thus the application of nearness and lateral thinking can be the solution to a social problem. This is what true corporate social responsibility is, and it is what Mr Hsieh wants to promote. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We must not approach social service with a poverty mindset,â&#x20AC;? he emphasises. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The need for human capital in the social sector requires us to think like we do in business: how do you bring good people in, sustain them, make sure they see it as a good career, not just as a huge sacriďŹ ce? Certainly, you want people with heart. It must be seen as a sector where needs that can be served professionally â&#x20AC;&#x201C; served well â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and not just the bare needs. And thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where the business mindset is very useful. Business is going beyond to see â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;How can I serve better?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; .â&#x20AC;?

Enjoy networking opportunities!

Reconnect with fellow alumni!

Sharpen your leadership skills!

Lead an interest group!

Be the master of ceremonies at OAR events!

KEEN TO FORM YOUR OWN NUS ALUMNI GROUP (AG)? We are here to help.

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The NUS Alumni Group (AG) Network is a collective of 65 groups from faculties/schools, halls and varied interests. Each group caters to NUS alumni and aims to enrich their lives and strengthen ties among them through social and professional activities. Join us today. If you would like to start an NUS Alumni Group or join existing groups, do call us at 6516 5775 or email oarconnect@nus.edu.sg. We would love to hear from you.

in A rescued green iguana, smuggled from South America.

ALUMNI SCENE

HE GIVES

FAILURE IS VERY MUCH A PART OF SUCCESS, AND NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE AS LONG AS YOU KEEP TRYING.

ANIMALS A VOICE

LOUIS NG (SCIENCE ’02)

A PERFECT WORLD FOR LOUIS NG (SCIENCE ’02), ACRES’ FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, IS ONE IN WHICH HUMANS AND ANIMALS LIVE IN HARMONY. BY WANDA TAN

YOU WERE STILL PURSUING A BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN BIOLOGY AT NUS WHEN YOU FOUNDED THE ANIMAL CONCERNS RESEARCH & EDUCATION SOCIETY (ACRES) IN 2001. WERE THERE ANY LECTURERS AT NUS WHO HELPED YOU OUT? I owe a lot to Associate Professor Benito Tan [retired], a fern expert. He nominated me for the 2002 HSBC/ NYAA [Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation/National Youth Achievement Award] Youth Environmental Award, which I won, and has supported ACRES’ educational roadshows. Professors Chou Loke Ming [retired] and Navjot Sodhi [deceased] – who 22

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lectured on vertebrate biology and animal behaviour, respectively – encouraged critical thinking through for example, the use of open-book exams. I also went on to obtain a Master of Science in Primate Conservation from Oxford Brookes University, UK staying in Singapore to study part-time while running ACRES. Fortunately, the reading materials I needed were available at the NUS Science Library which has an extensive collection of books on primates. HOW MUCH HAS ACRES CHANGED SINCE ITS EARLY DAYS? Initially, I worked alone out of my bedroom in my parents’ house. After several moves, we settled into our current location at Jalan Lekar in 2009. We now have 23 full-time staff and volunteers who log a total of 13,000 volunteer hours each year. In addition to rescuing exotic animals from the illegal wildlife trade and injured native wild animals, we conduct educational talks and programmes on-site and also visit schools and ofﬁces. In March 2015, we launched the Animal Crime Investigation Unit to gather evidence and work undercover in animal-abuse cases.

ACRES IS A CHARITY THAT RELIES ON PUBLIC DONATIONS. IS IT DIFFICULT TO ATTRACT FUNDS? It’s a bit of a ‘chicken-and-egg’ problem – people have to be aware of the cause before we can raise money, but we need to spend money to make them aware. The Lee Foundation has generously supported us from the outset, but most donations are from the man in the street. The good news is that today’s ‘Generation Y’ is very cause-driven and social media has made it easier to get the word out, so awareness for animal protection has grown. In 2013/2014, we hit S$1.2 million in revenue, the bulk of which came from donations. HAVE YOU EVER FELT LIKE GIVING UP? The lowest point was in 2009, when many new animal enclosures for our ACRES Wildlife Rescue Centre had to

reptiles and amphibians, and eventually we hope to expand the Centre to take in mammals too.

ABOVE: Mr Ng with Indian star tortoises rescued from the exotic pet trade. RIGHT: Visitors can learn about animal welfare issues at the on-site Lee Foundation Education Centre.

PHOTOS BY WILSON PANG

WHEN DID YOUR LOVE FOR ANIMALS BEGIN? I had two pet hamsters in primary school. But I took my ﬁrst step towards animal advocacy at the age of 14 when I gave up eating turtle soup – then my favourite dish – after watching a documentary on saving turtles in the wild. By the time I was 21, I had cut out all seafood and meat from my diet. Also at 14, I watched Gorillas in the Mist – a true story about the late Dian Fossey who was murdered trying to protect endangered mountain gorillas in Rwanda – and the movie just clicked with me.

be demolished due to improper construction practices by the contractor. It broke our hearts, but the experience taught me two valuable lessons – failure is very much a part of success, and nothing is impossible as long as you keep trying. Look at what we’ve done. Our volunteers built makeshift enclosures for rescued

CAN YOU ELABORATE ON ACRES’ WILDLIFE RESCUE WORK? Through calls made to our 24/7 ACRES Wildlife Rescue Hotline, we have rescued and treated 4,000 animals to date. We try our best to release them into the wild; failing that, they are permanently housed at our Centre. Our ﬁrst repatriation success story is of Blue, a vervet monkey who was smuggled into Singapore from South Africa – hence, the dancing blue monkey in our logo. When we rescued him in 2003, he had been caged up for six months in a factory in Tuas; one year later, we raised enough money to send him back to a sanctuary in Zambia where he now leads a much happier life.

LOOKING BACK ON YOUR WORK IN ANIMAL ACTIVISM, WHAT FILLS YOU WITH THE MOST PRIDE? Our aim at ACRES is not only to rescue animals but also to change people’s mindsets – and there is now a stronger sense of compassion for animals. We receive calls every day on our Hotline and our rescue van clocks 10,000 km each month. We’ve also mobilised a team of youths who are willing to forgo betterpaying jobs and instead dedicate their lives to the cause. On the legal front, I was involved in drafting a bill – which was passed in November 2014 – to impose higher penalties for animalcruelty offences. IS YOUR FAMILY AS PASSIONATE AS YOU ARE ABOUT IMPROVING ANIMAL WELFARE? Yes! My wife, Amy and I met while we were both based at a rescue centre in Thailand. She now works part-time at ACRES, and we have a daughter whom we are bringing up to be an animal lover. At one-and-a-half years old, she already walks our pet dog – whom we rescued from a puppy farm – around the ﬂoor of our ﬂat. WHAT RILES YOU UP THE MOST? Honestly, nothing. I’ve developed a ‘thick skin’, which you need to persist in advocacy work. I am stubborn and do not take ‘no’ for an answer; I am naïve to believe anything is possible; and I am optimistic to believe I can achieve my goals in my lifetime. OCT–DEC 2015

MY WORD

WITH LOVE AND GRATITUDE

Fu Siang Jeen, 42, is a thirdgeneration member from one of four founding families of the Wen Ken Group. Famous for its flagship Three Legs Cooling Water, the company develops, manufactures and markets a range of TCM and health products across Southeast Asia. At The Entrepreneur of the Year Award (EYA) 2011, co-organised by the Rotary Club of Singapore and the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, Mr Fu was presented the EYA for Social Contribution for his active involvement in CSR.

WEN KEN GROUP’S ULTIMATE GOAL, SAYS ITS MANAGING DIRECTOR FU SIANG JEEN (ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ’97), IS TO ADD VALUE TO SOCIETY. BY WANDA TAN

INHERITED MORE THAN THE FAMILY BUSINESS from

my father, and his father before him. They also passed down the importance of giving back to society, and of treating others the way you yourself want to be treated. Indeed, Wen Ken’s core values of ‘Love and Gratitude’ have been a guiding principle for the company since my grandfather and his friends founded it in 1937. As a child, I used to visit my dad at his office and spent time there during the school holidays. Seeing how he treated his business partners like friends and how he conducted business affairs with integrity left a deep and lasting impression on me. He even lent money to acquaintances so they could pay for their children’s studies. My father wasn’t the only generous person in the family, either. My grandmother once helped to organise a food drive for earthquake victims in China even though she had already migrated to Singapore and was not very well-off at the time. Over the years, my family has also financially supported a school in our ancestral hometown in Fujian Province, China and we go back every year to visit it. My first formal experience of community service was during my National Service when I gave tuition for free to children from poor families. The experience was humbling and enlightening. It made me realise what less-fortunate kids have to go through and how blessed and privileged I was. It was also very rewarding to contribute to another person’s life. On my way home after each session, I always 24

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felt a great sense of fulﬁlment and satisfaction that surpassed my other accomplishments. In my mid-20s, not long after joining Wen Ken in 1997 as a Business Development Executive, I served as a volunteer at a weekend camp for underprivileged kids. As much as I enjoyed my job, I felt that something was missing – that there had to be more to life than work. This is a belief I have continued to uphold since becoming Managing Director in 2010, following my dad’s passing. On the business side, my current priority is to leverage our Three Legs Brand and branch out from our core Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) products into new health-related products such as our latest line of over-thecounter health supplements. This will enable us to better look after consumers’ general well-being. I am also deeply passionate about

interested in Asian philosophers like Confucius. His emphasis on self-cultivation – that you have to improve yourself ﬁrst before you can take care of your family and the community – particularly resonated with me.

Mr Fu (right) presenting hongbaos at the Home Nursing Foundation's 'Seniors Night' in 2009.

AS MUCH AS I ENJOYED MY JOB, I FELT THAT SOMETHING WAS MISSING – THAT THERE HAD TO BE MORE TO LIFE THAN WORK. FU SIANG JEEN (ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ’97)

inculcating ‘Love and Gratitude’ – remembering and appreciating the help and support that has been given to you, and giving back in whatever way you can – into our corporate culture. TRUST AND STRONG BONDS While at NUS, I pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in Philosophy and Psychology. I was

For corporate social responsibility (CSR) to be sustainable in the long run, ‘Love and Gratitude’ must be practised within the company ﬁrst – and that means being kind to our staff. Otherwise, any initiative to help the community would be hollow or hypocritical. At Wen Ken, we make sure all 200 staff members across Singapore and Malaysia (where our

MAIN PHOTO BY AIK CHEN; OTHER PHOTOS COURTESY OF WEN KEN GROUP

“

Mr Fu (middle) with Wen Ken managers at the 2009 'Hair for Hope' event.

factory is located) are well taken care of. This has resulted in relationships built on trust and strong bonds, which in turn have helped us to weather various crises. I also took a module on Industrial and Organisational Psychology during my undergraduate years. It gave me better insight into how interpersonal relationships at the workplace can greatly impact the success or failure of a business. To best motivate employees, it is also

critical to know what matters most to them. More often than not, the issue goes much deeper than money – namely, to fulﬁl the basic human need for appreciation, trust and respect, whatever one’s station in life, by giving back to society. In 2007, after years of sponsoring medical seminars and educational activities in schools, a HR manager and I decided to ramp up our CSR efforts. These included visits to old folks’ homes, cash donations to the Home Nursing Foundation and a collaboration with a local radio station in which our staff engaged members of the public to pledge volunteer hours for a number of charities. We – myself included – also shaved our heads at the annual Hair for Hope event to raise funds for the Children’s Cancer Foundation. To further encourage employee volunteerism, we now have a bottom-up rather than top-down approach to CSR. A few years ago, we selected several staff members

to organise our CSR initiatives based on causes close to their heart, with management providing the necessary moral, ﬁnancial and logistical support. For example, a company-wide fundraising campaign was held for victims of the April 2015 Nepal earthquake. ‘Love and Gratitude’ is, I believe, fundamental to Wen Ken’s survival. CSR activities unite staff members across different departments, promoting a sense of belonging and renewing their commitment to the company. Indeed, I’ve noticed a positive correlation between employees’ passion for giving and their work attitude. It would be very sad (if not fatal) if we were to lose sight of our core values. Wen Ken would lose its ‘soul’ as it were, and it would only be a matter of time before its decline. Hence, when grooming professionals to join our management ranks, it is not just their entrepreneurial aptitude that counts – their values must also align with ours.” OCT–DEC 2015

ONCE UPON A MEMORY

40 YEARS

IN THE MAKING CHARLES KEEL (ARTS ’58) AND LYDIA AROOZOO (ARTS ’60) FIRST MET ON CAMPUS IN 1957, LITTLE KNOWING THEY WOULD GET MARRIED MORE THAN FOUR DECADES LATER.

hen Singaporeborn Lydia Aroozoo joined NUS – then the University of Malaya – in 1957, Charles Keel was entering the fourth and final year of his BA (Honours) for a Geography degree. “I was a ‘freshie’ and Charles was my ‘ragger’,” says Ms Aroozoo on how they first met. She was a resident of the newlyopened Eusoff College for women and he, Raffles Hall for men at the Bukit Timah main campus. The two became fast friends and, at the end of the academic year, she was Mr Keel’s partner at his graduation ball in Kuala Lumpur. Thereafter their lives went in separate directions, but they kept in touch with 26

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each other over the ensuing decades, and would eventually reconnect in 1998. Married since 2000, Mr Keel, 79, and Ms Aroozoo, 77, are now based in London. FROM SINGAPORE TO LONDON In 1961, one year after obtaining her BA in English, Ms Aroozoo migrated to London with her ﬁrst husband, an Englishman, and took up British citizenship. That is where she has lived for most of her life, apart from intervals in Trinidad and Tobago, Ghana and Italy. She also came back to Singapore for a few years in the late 1960s, working as a book editor, and for the then Ministry of Culture. Mr Keel, on the other hand, was born in England and moved to Singapore in 1950 at the age of 14. “My father, a British Army ofﬁcer, had

Mr Keel (kneeling) at the site of the Kedah archaeological dig.

lived in Singapore before I was born and liked it so much that he wanted to return,” he explains. From St Andrew’s School, Mr Keel went on to study at NUS; the aspiring teacher then stayed at the University after completing his BA to pursue a Diploma in Education. He registered for Singapore citizenship as soon as the Singapore Citizenship

MAIN PHOTO BY WILSON PANG; OTHER PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHARLES KEEL

BY WANDA TAN

Ordinance was passed in 1957, and still holds it today. For two years, Mr Keel taughtt geography at his alma mater, St Andrew’s School. He then joined Southeast Asian trading house Harper Gilfillan and, save for a three-year term as a commissioned officer of the Singapore Armed Forces, remained with the company in various managerial positions until he moved back to the United Kingdom (UK) in 1975. After some time as a sheep farmer, he returned to his first love – teaching – and spent the rest of his career as a school administrator and geography teacher. Ms Aroozoo and Mr Keel got married – not to each other – and started their own families. But they maintained contact with one another, meeting up every three or four years together with a group of university mates, either in Singapore or in London. After one such reunion in 1998, when both were single again and living in London, they began seeing each other more frequently. “Our friends and families said to us, ‘You two get along so well and spend so much time together. Why don’t you get married?’” recalls Ms Aroozoo. “So we thought, ‘Why not?’” Now retired, the couple – who have four children and six grandchildren between them – count going to the cinema as one of their favourite hobbies. Ms Aroozoo also attends life-drawing classes, while Mr Keel has taken up stamp-collecting. They also look forward to

Mr Keel (extreme left) with the cast and director of The Bear and The Proposal.

gatherings with contemporaries at NUS, among them Mrs Ranu Dally (née Bhattacharya) (Arts ’57). “There are ﬁve or six of us who live in or near London, and every few months we will catch up over lunch in Chinatown,” says Ms Aroozoo. Naturally, chats about the ‘good old days’ often spring up then. ACTIVE CAMPUS LIFE “Back then,” she says, “[the campus] was much smaller and we mixed freely with students from different faculties.” Mr Keel agrees, adding that it was common for students to join a number of university societies. One of the ﬁrst clubs he joined was the Dramatic Society. “I enjoyed acting and taking backstage roles in plays such as Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew and Chekhov’s The Bear and The Proposal [double bill]... What I loved most was that I was part of a multi-racial cast – something you wouldn’t have found in the UK.” Mr Keel was also a founding member of the Archaeological Society, established in 1955. “[The members] went to the Perak Museum in Taiping [then part of the

Federation of Malaya] for training on how to conduct digs,” he says. They dug up some interesting discoveries at excavation sites around the Federation during those early days, including ceramic artefacts in Santubong (Sarawak) and remnants of the Majapahit Hindu empire in Kedah. In his final year, Mr Keel was the President of the Geographical Society. The group organised field trips to various parts of Singapore and the Federation of Malaya, and sometimes ventured further afield. One that sticks out in his mind was a month-long study trip to different villages in Thailand’s Chiang Mai Province, with the highlight being a visit to the Meo (Hmong) hill tribe in the mountainous Thai/ Burmese border. As for Ms Aroozoo, she was an active member of the Socialist Club and the Historical Society. It was with the latter that she embarked on an eightweek ‘Goodwill Tour’ of India and Pakistan in 1959. “We met many university students and government officials [on our trip], and even interviewed the then-Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru!” The couple were recently back in town for the first time in seven years, and squeezed in a visit to their old stomping ground for the Bukit Timah Campus Homecoming 2015. “Even though London is our home now, we still have a great deal of affection for NUS and for Singapore,” says Mr Keel.

I ENJOYED ACTING AND TAKING BACKSTAGE ROLES IN PLAYS. WHAT I LOVED MOST WAS THAT I WAS PART OF A MULTI-RACIAL CAST – SOMETHING YOU WOULDN’T HAVE FOUND IN THE UK. CHARLES KEEL (ARTS ’58) Ms Aroozoo (sitting, 2nd from left) at a social function on campus. OCT–DEC 2015

PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE In hindsight, that was his ﬁrst experience of co-creation – the latest being his current work with the Band of Doodlers (BOD), a group he founded in 2013. BOD is made up of artists as well as people without an art background who share a passion for doodling, and acts as an inclusive platform to promote collaboration and co-creation.

A MERRY BAND

OFF THE DRAWING BOARD

FREELANCE ILLUSTRATOR MAS SHAFREEN (BUSINESS ’97) IS AN ADVOCATE OF ‘DOODLE-OLOGY’.

ome people might think doodling is nothing more than idle drawing, but for Mas Shafreen, 43, it is “one of the most accessible and least intimidating art forms”. Since making a splash with his illustrations at the Singapore Toy, Game and Comic Convention in 2009, Mr Shafreen – who goes by the pseudonym ‘Wanton Doodle’ – has become a household name in the local arts scene.

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With a focus on digital illustrations and character designs, his intricate artworks have been printed on unconventional canvases ranging from skateboard decks to sailboat sails. High-proﬁle projects include the National Day Parade 2011 Funpack bag tag; SingPost’s Enveloopy series of limited-edition merchandise items; and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore’s mascots, ‘Pozzie’ and ‘Keesh’. He also conducts live drawing sessions and has often been featured

in magazines and exhibitions, both at home and abroad. Mr Shafreen has had a compulsive drawing habit for as long as he can remember. “I was two years old when I picked up not a pencil but my mum’s lipstick, and my ﬁrst canvas was not a piece of paper but my parents’ bedroom wall!” he recalls. “My younger sister and I even created a ﬁctional family for whom we came up with soap opera storylines, and turned these into drawings. ”

MAIN PHOTO BY WILSON PANG; OTHER PHOTOS COURTESY OF MAS SHAFREEN

BY WANDA TAN

The idea for BOD came to Mr Shafreen after he had mentored two batches of aspiring artists in 2012 and 2013 under The Apprenticeship Programme (TAP). Part of the National Arts Council’s Noise Singapore initiative, TAP pairs young talents with experienced professionals for three to four months. “Rather than let mentees go their separate ways after four months, I set up BOD to serve as an extension of TAP,” he explains. What began as a group of 10 people comprising those ﬁrst two batches is now a 400-strong collective. In addition to new TAP mentees he continues to help, BOD’s members include non-art students and working adults as well as renowned international illustrators. To become a member, one need only make a request on its Facebook page. BOD has completed about 150 gigs to date, from customising Starbucks tumblercards to doodling on a 17-metre-long hoarding wall at Hotel Jen Tanglin. BOD members may look up to Mr Shafreen, but he emphasises that the admiration goes both ways. “The beauty of co-creative work is that you can just glance to your left or your right for inspiration,” he says. “My role models are the people I draw with. Some have in fact become close friends of mine.” But BOD does more than allow budding and accomplished artists to interact at live drawing events. It is also an avenue for them to exchange best practices in how to brand or

market themselves – practices which Mr Shafreen learned in theory while pursuing his Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours) at NUS. “I was originally keen on going to the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, but my father advised me to go to NUS so that I could develop both the left [logical] and right [creative] sides of my brain,” he says. “Doing group work helped me understand the importance of collaboration. The presentations were also useful because, as artists, we

PUB as Senior Assistant Director for Community Relations in 2009, after 10 years or so with the Prime Minister’s Ofﬁce. It was also around this time that he started taking solo art commissions, thanks to his supportive employer. “My boss at PUB encouraged me to pursue my artistic passion, for she said it would ‘feed my soul’,” says Mr Shafreen. “PUB also brokered the deal for one of BOD’s ﬁrst gigs.” Over two days in March and April 2014, they nd energy-conservationdrew water- and

WHAT IS ON HIS DOODLE WISH LIST?

THE OBJECT I DRAW ON DOES S HE NOT MATTER AS MUCH AS THE SIZE OF THE OBJECT. MY DREAM AM IS TO DOODLE ON THE GREAT T WALL OF CHINA! MAS SHAFREEN (BUSINESS ’97)

constantly have to deliver ‘elevator pitches’ to win clients. Nothing beats a handshake, no matter how good your portfolio is.”

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS Throughout his four years at NUS, Mr Shafreen found time for artistic endeavours while keeping his grades up. A Eusoff Hall resident, he was the graphic designer for its newsletter and created publicity materials for productions put on by fellow residents. He also became friends with an artinclined Architecture student, and together they ran a little outﬁt that designed ‘Family Day’ illustrations for Singapore-based multinational corporations. Today he balances his work as a freelance illustrator with his fulltime job at the Public Utilities Board (PUB), the national water agency. The self-confessed “corporate cog by day, illustrator by night” joined

themed wall murals at *SCAPE mall to mark World Water Day and Earth Day. “I enjoy being in the Civil Service,” says Mr Shafreen on why he has not given up his day job. “It’s my way of giving back to the community and doing something meaningful.” Likewise, some of BOD’s gigs beneﬁt charities like the Children’s Cancer Foundation. “What’s better than doing something you love? Doing two things you love!” he exclaims. One could argue that, by separating his solo commissioned projects from his BOD commitments, he is now juggling three things at once. Mr Shafreen hopes BOD – which has seen little ‘pockets’ emerge in countries like the Philippines and Indonesia – will one day “achieve world domination”. Ultimately, however, he wants everyone to “never procrastinate fun. Find out what your source of fun is. As long as it doesn’t hurt or marginalise anyone, go for it.”

Mr Shafreen (middle) with his Band of Doodlers at their Hotel Jen Tanglin gig on 15 August 2015.

OCT–DEC 2015

NATIONAL CONVERSATIONS

A SENSE OF UNITY Mr Lawrence Wong, Singapore’s Minister for Culture, Community and Youth as well as Second Minister for Communications and Information, is upbeat on the prospects of youths and their collective future. BY WANDA TAN

ATION-WIDE EXCITEMENT SURROUNDING SINGAPORE’S SG50 CELEBRATIONS was

at an all-time peak on 28 July 2015 when, less than two weeks before the ‘Golden Jubilee’, the NUS Ofﬁce of Alumni Relations launched a new series of dinner dialogues called National Conversations. Supported by Singapore’s Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) and the National Youth Council, this series aims to ignite the passion and involvement of youths in shaping the country’s future. Approximately 120 young alumni attended the inaugural session, held at the NUS Society’s Suntec City Guild House. Mr Lawrence Wong, 30

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MCCY Minister as well as Second Minister for Communications and Information, was the featured guest speaker. As the nation geared up for its milestone 50th anniversary, both speaker and audience traded views on the topic ‘Our Aspirations, Our Home’ in a casual and candid forum. Mr Wong kicked things off with a brief account of his family history, noting that there have been “dramatic changes in just one generation”. His mother grew up in a poor ﬁshing village (kampong) in Marine Parade as one of seven children, yet all of them had a chance at a good education; indeed, she became a teacher. In the 1970s, his parents got married and moved into a nearby ﬂat, saving money to

pay off the home mortgage over the ensuing years. Because of his humble background, Mr Wong had no early aspirations of entering politics. Exposure to the arts was also considered a luxury; it was only after he entered university that he ﬁrst visited a museum, and some time after that he saw a performance by a symphony orchestra. In stark contrast, today’s youths have more material comforts and a better quality of life. The most signiﬁcant change, he argued, is that there is now “a heightened sense of who we are as Singaporeans”, which is all the more remarkable given how diverse the population is. Partly through government policies such as ensuring a balanced mix of ethnic groups in public housing estates, people of different races and religions have learned to co-exist with each other. This has resulted in generations of shared experiences and memories, and hence a stronger national identity. Such unity was clearly on show, for example, in the outpouring of grief following the death of

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MINISTRY OF CULTURE, COMMUNITY AND YOUTH

Mr Wong (left) with NUS Students’ Union Alumni President Soh Yi Da.

Singapore’s first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew in March 2015. It was evident again in June 2015 when the country hosted the South East Asian (SEA) Games. Mr Wong said his favourite moment of the Games occurred during one medal ceremony in particular, after Singapore’s swim team had collected their gold medals – midway through the national anthem, the loudspeakers broke down but the crowd spontaneously took over and sang the rest of ‘Majulah Singapura’ with gusto. “Looking forward into the future,” Mr Wong said, “if we can continue with this sense of unity, we will be able to forge ahead in the next 50 years with a much brighter future for ourselves and for our children.” The session – moderated by NUS Students’ Union Alumni President Mr Soh Yi Da (Arts and Social Sciences ‘14) – gave audience members an opportunity to raise hard-hitting questions about current and potential challenges facing Singapore. Most questions had to do with problems carving out a successful career in less conventional fields such as the arts and sports. Participants asked Mr Wong how various parties including the government, the private sector and schools can better assist young people who wish to pursue artistic or athletic passions. Due to Singapore’s small market size, turning such pursuits into lucrative or viable careers is inherently difficult. “But we are trying to make these options more accessible,” said Mr Wong. The government, for its part, gives high-performing athletes funds to train overseas and has also built up a “corporate network of support”. These companies pay employeeathletes full salaries even when they take time off for training, and readily hire those who have retired from the sporting realm. Conveying the message that sports matters, however, is only half the battle. To get the private sector fully on board, there needs to be a “win-win” situation for all. “Companies will give more support if they see athletes as

IF WE CAN CONTINUE WITH THIS SENSE OF UNITY, WE WILL BE ABLE TO FORGE AHEAD IN THE NEXT 50 YEARS WITH A MUCH BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR OURSELVES AND FOR OUR CHILDREN. MR LAWRENCE WONG, MINISTER FOR CULTURE, COMMUNITY AND YOUTH, AND SECOND MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION

marketable,” Mr Wong reasoned, as companies themselves would beneﬁt both ﬁnancially and through positive branding. That is why the government has reallocated resources to produce brochures and posters of local athletes, like those prominently displayed during the SEA Games. Such promotion will hopefully build their following, thus attracting corporate sponsors. Over time, as more public- and private-sector encouragement is given, parents’ and educators’ perceptions will change accordingly. “Old mindsets take time to change,” said Mr Wong on the still-prevailing notion that sporting and artistic endeavours should take a backseat to academics. “There is no magic bullet.” Rather, “continuous guidance and nudging” are needed for this change to eventually happen.

Slowly-rising enrolment numbers at the Singapore Sports School and the School of the Arts suggest that this shift is already underway. “Things are much different now than when I was growing up 20 years ago,” said Mr Wong, who is optimistic that such change will continue. Before the event ended, Mr Soh posed one last question to him: “As a fourth-generation member of Singapore’s leadership, how would you articulate your vision for Singapore’s future?” The Minister responded that he hopes Singapore will remain a fair and just society, grounded in the values of meritocracy, egalitarianism and inclusiveness; and that regardless of differences in views, national unity will be preserved. This outcome is by no means guaranteed, but he said, “I am conﬁdent we will have a bright SG100.”

About 120 young alumni attended the inaugural session.

OCT–DEC 2015

U @LIVE

ONE SPEAKER. 10 MINUTES. BOUNDLESS INSPIRATION. U@live is our monthly guest speaker series that showcases NUS alumni who have a passion for making a difference. Hosted by Alumni Advisory Board member and veteran TV presenter Mr Viswa Sadasivan (Arts and Social Sciences ‘83) at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House, the one-hour session is also streamed live on the U@live website. To register for future U@live events, visit www.nus.edu.sg/ualive.

Audience entertained by Mr Zainul’s stories.

MR ZAINUL ABIDIN RASHEED (ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ’71)

MASTER STORYTELLER Champion of multiculturalism, Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed captured the attention of his audience with one riveting story after another. elax, urged Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed, former Senior Minister of State (Foreign Affairs), of his U@live audience, assuring that he was only on stage to entertain them with “a lot of stories”. With such a precursor coming from a former Editor of the Malaylanguage daily Berita Harian and an Associate Editor of The Straits Times, expectations for his session

were inevitably running high. And Mr Zainul, with the ease of a seasoned politician, did not disappoint. After all, as he disclosed, his Primary Three teacher did point out what a good storyteller the then nine yearold was. Now Singapore’s non-resident Ambassador to Kuwait and the Foreign Minister’s Special Envoy to the Middle East, Mr Zainul began by saying, “I was almost killed”. It was 1964, the year of racial clashes

between the Malays and Chinese. Mr Zainul was at that time a student at Rafﬂes Institution (RI), then located at Bras Basah. He and his friends – also Malays – were walking to a bus stop when a stranger called out to them that the buses were not running because a riot had broken out nearby. At that moment, a lorry pulled over and its driver asked if the schoolboys needed a ride. But mid-journey at Kallang, the lorry’s engine gave out and Mr Zainul

MULTICULTURALISM CANNOT BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED. THINGS ARE ALWAYS EVOLVING AND CHANGING... SINGAPOREANS NEED TO HAVE MORE CONVERSATIONS AMONG THEMSELVES SO AS TO GAIN DEEPER UNDERSTANDING.

ALUMNUS

and his friends, along with other Malays onboard, had to alight. As Mr Zainul related, “Emotions were running high during that period, so when the group of Chinese youths on the streets of Kallang saw a bunch of Malays coming down from a truck, they immediately assumed that we were there to create trouble. Off they went to their respective houses and came back with bicycle chains, iron bars and other weapons, ready to fight back. We scrambled for our lives.” He added: “You know the term ‘Kallang Roar’? This was the Kallang Gore.” The quip brought on some chuckles from the audience. The young Zainul saved his own life by grabbing onto the door of a moving taxi and was dragged a sufficient distance away from the clash. Around that same period, Chinese gangsters tried to burn down Mr Zainul’s family home at Langsat Road in Joo Chiat. What could have been a tragedy was prevented thanks to his nextdoor Chinese neighbours who stopped the act. That experience, along with others later in his life – including an incident in India in which he was almost booted out of a first-class train cabin for not being Hindu – made Mr Zainul vow to promote multiculturalism and harmonious living in Singapore.

Today, Singapore has in place policies to ensure that people of various races and religions integrate as one society, he said, citing the Group Representation Constituency (GRC) system for Members of Parliament – introduced in 1988 – as an example. Under the system, there must be at least one member from a minority race in a team of between three and six members to ensure that the concerns of minority groups are addressed in Parliament. Mr Zainul also mentioned the Ethnic Integration Policy part of Singapore’s public housing scheme, as an example. Multiculturalism cannot be taken for granted, he cautioned. Things are always evolving and changing and Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong’s concerns about the growing Islamic State (ISIS) militant group is an example. Immigration policies and the increasing number of foreigners in Singapore are “bringing in tension”. In tackling these tensions, said Mr Zainul, Singaporeans need to have more conversations among themselves so as to gain deeper understanding. When Chairman of the U@live Organising Committee and moderator Mr Viswa Sadasivan joined Mr Zainul on stage for what is usually the liveliest segment of the event, the audience was treated

to bantering between the two old friends. Mr Sadasivan also hinted that it was Mr Zainul who coined the term ‘U@live’ when the latter was on the NUS Alumni Advisory Board. But bantering aside, “When do you think that Singapore will be ready for a non-Chinese PM?” was one of the hard-hitting questions Mr Sadasivan directed at his friend. Mr Zainul said that most people ultimately want a PM they can relate to, and one who can understand their concerns and issues. Singaporeans of various races are receptive to PM Lee because he can speak other languages apart from English. “Singaporeans want a PM who can resonate with the ground,” he said. But Mr Zainul is confident of a time when race and language will become less important than the Singapore culture and value system of goodness and integrity. On that note, an audience member observed that it is difficult to identify a Singaporean culture especially with such a high ratio of foreigners to Singaporeans in Singapore. He asked, “Do you think we need to do a U-turn [on immigration] to preserve our identity?” “You know in Singapore we cannot anyhow do a U-turn right?” Mr Zainul quipped in reply. On a serious note, he conceded that the presence of foreigners has an impact on the Singapore identity. However it is ultimately Singaporeans who decide what defines the Singapore identity. He encouraged audience members to start engaging others on the subject of multiculturalism. “The conversation must continue,” Mr Zainul said. BY FAIROZA MANSOR MR ZAINUL SPOKE ON 26 AUGUST 2015

OCT–DEC 2015

NUS ALUMNI LEADERS FORUM 2015

LEADING FROM THE FRONT

Dr Noeleen Heyzer spoke about her leadership journey at the UN.

NUS’ tradition of giving back to society — as well as alumni’s ties to their alma mater — was reafﬁrmed at the NUS Alumni Leaders Forum 2015. BY WANDA TAN f the NUS Alumni Leaders Forum (ALF) proves one thing, it is that community service comes in all shapes and sizes. Launched in 2011, this annual event is organised by the NUS Ofﬁce of Alumni Relations – and spearheaded by the NUS Alumni Advisory Board – to celebrate and share best practices in alumni volunteerism. This year’s ALF was held on 5 September 2015 at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House, drawing local and overseas-based alumni leaders as well as student leaders. NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan (Medicine ’83) graced the event which coincided with Singapore’s 50th birthday and NUS’ 110th anniversary. Fittingly then, the theme for ALF 2015 was the same as the NUS110 motto: ‘Because We Care’.

LEADING CHANGE THROUGH THE UN ALF 2015 began with an inspiring keynote address by Dr Noeleen Heyzer (Arts and Social Sciences ’71), former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) (2007–2014) and Member of the NUS Board of Trustees. She recounted her experiences in creating “transformational change” during her almost-30-year tenure at the UN – particularly in advancing gender equality, women’s empowerment and sustainable development. Thanks to her tireless lobbying, the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security was adopted in 2000. It seeks to protect women and girls in conﬂict-affected countries from sexual abuse, and calls for their participation in peacebuilding efforts. Under Afghanistan’s 2004 Constitution for example, women – who were excluded from public life by the oppressive Taliban regime – are now granted equal rights with men. 34

ALUMNUS

When Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar in 2008, Dr Heyzer was instrumental in persuading the military junta to remove its blockade on international humanitarian aid and allow access for relief workers. She also initiated a development partnership between the UN and the Myanmar government in 2009, paving the way for economic reforms to boost sustainable agriculture and reduce poverty. As the UN turns 70 this year, Dr Heyzer stressed a need for the institution to remain “relevant and ﬁt for purpose”. Due to ongoing “humanitarian emergencies” such as growing extremism and the increase in refugees ﬂeeing collapsed states, “the need for collective responsibility at the global level is as urgent as ever,” she said. “Together, we can make the promise of the UN Charter to establish a just and peaceful world for all a reality.”

DUTY, PURPOSE AND GRATITUDE Mr Lim Soon Hock (Engineering ’73), Founder and Managing Director of consultancy ﬁrm PLAN-B ICAG as well as Board Member of the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre, also gave a lunch talk at the NUS Society’s Kent Ridge Guild House. He spoke about alumni’s duty to maintain ties with their university, their purpose to uplift human capital, and how they can show gratitude to their alma mater by “paying it forward”. “My campus days were fun-ﬁlled and enriched with intensely fond memories,” recalled Mr Lim. “It was at University that I was inducted into the spirit of volunteerism.” It was by helping to clean and spruce up a Geylang Serai kampong that he learned “simple acts can go a long way to touch people’s hearts”. Since entering the workforce, Mr Lim has been active in public and

Mr Lim Soon Hock closed the ALF with a lunch talk.

The ALF brought together alumni and student leaders.

The presentations were followed by breakout sessions, in which participants split up into ﬁve groups to discuss the feasibility of a proposed NUS Day of Service. Slated to begin next year, it will bring together the NUS community – including alumni, students, staff and their families – for one day as they volunteer for a wide range of causes.

A loyal alumnus, Mr Lim is also a former President of Engineering Alumni Singapore and sits on the Management Board of NUS’ Institute for Engineering Leadership, among other contributions. He urged NUS to “continue to invest in alumni relationships”, citing ALF as a good way to galvanise alumni to do good for society. “Everyone can give back according to his or her capabilities and capacity,” he said. “No effort is too small.”

Dr Chen JianGuang (right) and Mr Zhang Jin gave a presentation on their volunteer work in China.

Participants split into small groups during breakout sessions.

A SOCIALLY-RESPONSIBLE UNIVERSITY

EVERYONE CAN GIVE BACK ACCORDING TO HIS OR HER CAPABILITIES AND CAPACITY. NO EFFORT IS TOO SMALL. MR LIM SOON HOCK (ENGINEERING ’73)

community service. He previously chaired both the Centre for Fathering and the National Family Council, during which he championed paternity leave and was involved in formulating the Marriage and Parenthood Package for young couples. Now Chairman of the non-proﬁt Halogen Foundation Singapore, which trains disadvantaged youths to become leaders and entrepreneurs, he hopes to “enhance social mobility and eradicate elitism”.

A series of activities were pencilled in between the two speeches which bookended ALF. Moderated by Associate Professor Albert Teo (Arts and Social Sciences ’86), Director of NUS’ Chua Thian Poh Community Leadership Programme, ﬁve alumni and one student leader delivered presentations showcasing their community projects.

SPEAKER

ALUMNI/STUDENT GROUP

WHAT THEY SPOKE ABOUT

Dr Chen JianGuang (EMBA ’08)

President of Jianghuai Chapter, NUS Business School Alumni Network (East China)

Through the Inspiring Sunshine Foundation set up by Dr Chen in 2009, they aim to build 101 primary schools in China in 10 years

Mr Zhang Jin (MBA ’08)

Secretary General, NUS Business School Alumni Network (East China)

Mr Yeo Keng Joon (MBA ’85) and Mr Seah Cheng San (Engineering ’82, MBA ’92)

Members, NUS Alumni Student Advancement Committee

Mr Sonny Yuen (Business ’85)

Founding President, Rafﬂes Hall Association; President, NUS Business School Alumni Association

They have raised more than S$2.5 million to date for various alumni bursary funds to help needy students

Mr Karthik s/o Tamil Maran Events Director, NUS Students’ Union He helmed this year’s Rag & Flag, which (Arts and Social Sciences, Year 3) Rag & Flag 2015 raised S$450,000 in donations for 19 beneﬁciaries OCT–DEC 2015

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS GIVING

LARGEST ALUMNI FAMILY INSPIRED TO MAKE A GIFT BACK TO NUS

ack in 1994, in celebration of the National University of Singapore (NUS) Alumni Day, a search was on to ﬁnd the largest alumni family. With 12 alumni across three generations – from patriarch Lim Chin Hin (Arts and Social Sciences ’38) to grandsonin-law, Mervyn Lim Sing Hok

“We are happy to learn that the gift will help those who have a desire to achieve a university education but do not have adequate ﬁnancial means to do so. We hope that the Bursary recipients will continue to pursue their dreams and not let ﬁnancial constraints stand in their way. In future, we hope that they will do the same and help others to realise their aspirations,”

CONSTRUCTION COMPANY BUILDS HOPE WITH BURSARY

are expensive. But with the Bursary, I could afford necessities for school and ease my family’s ﬁnancial burdens. I am really glad I didn’t have to compromise on my studies because of my family’s ﬁnancial situation,” Cheryl shares. Currently, Cheryl is serving as the Publicity Secretary in NUS’ Outdoors Activities Club (ODAC) and is also a member

WE HOPE THAT THE BURSARY RECIPIENTS WILL CONTINUE TO PURSUE THEIR DREAMS AND NOT LET FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS STAND IN THEIR WAY. Chin Hin

(Business ’82), the Lim family got the honours. Nearly two decades on, the Lim family was inspired to make a gift to establish the Lim Chin Hin Bursary in commemoration of what would have been the late Mr Lim’s 100th birthday this year. The late Mr Lim was one of the early graduates in 1937 from the Economics Department of Rafﬂes College. His strong passion in education has been a main source of inspiration for all six of his daughters, who trained to become teachers. In addition, Mr Lim instilled in his children the values of being generous and to show great compassion to the needy. He was a frugal and prudent man and a great believer in reducing wastage. He also took great pride and delight in having a harmonious family. In memory and honour of Mr Lim’s values, the Lim family made a collective gift to NUS. 36

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MRS TANG POH KIM (ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ’64), DAUGHTER OF THE LATE MR LIM

of the organising committee of shares Mrs Tang Poh Kim (Arts FASS Camp 2015. The Bursary and Social Sciences ’64), one of not only gives her the time to Mr Lim’s daughters. experience various activities but Economics major Cheryl also opportunities to build up Lim Pei Jin is very grateful to be awarded the Lim Hin Chin Bursary. skills in organising, planning, and executing events. “NUS is It has helped to lessen her family’s an amazing university to be in. ﬁnancial burdens and allowed Campus life is very vibrant! her to fully enjoy her university experience. “My dad, the Some of the children of the late Mr Lim Chin Hin sole breadwinner of the family, passed away when I was 12. In time, my grandmother aged. My mother had to take up part-time jobs which were barely sufﬁcient to pay for household and utility bills. Before receiving the Bursary, I avoided purchasing textbooks as these

ILLUSTRATION GETTY IMAGES

Mr and Mrs Lim

I strongly encourage everyone to step out of their comfort zone and explore the myriad activities available in NUS,” she says. Cheryl, a Year 2 student, will be embarking on her Student Exchange Programme (SEP) to Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada in January 2016. She is motivated to give back to the less-fortunate when she becomes ﬁnancially independent in the future. “While bursaries may just be part of a working adult’s monthly income, they may mean so much more to a ﬁnanciallydisadvantaged student,” she says. The Lim family also strongly encourages alumni to give back to their alma mater. “Alumni giving is certainly a constructive way to express gratitude for what we have received and to invest in future generations. It is also a meaningful way to remember a person or to commemorate a special occasion.”

he gift of a good education empowers an individual, raises aspirations, fulfils ambitions and transforms lives,” says Mr Tan Bian Tiong (Engineering ’83), CEO of precast construction solution provider, Excel Precast Pte Ltd. The company recently made a gift to establish the Excel Precast Bursary for financially-needy students studying at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Mr Tan hopes that the Bursary at NUS will help students to propel forward, encourage them to hold on to their dreams, and be filled with hope. “I hope that the recipients will make good use of the Bursary to achieve their goals, discover their potential and passions, and ultimately to choose their own path in life, and give back to society when possible,” he says. Behind the company’s decision to give to NUS, Mr Tan shares, “Philanthropy is important to the advancement of education. Contributing to high-quality education will provide a world of opportunities to those whose families do not have the means to afford it. We believe that higher education should be open to all with ability and not be restricted to only those who can afford it.” Committed to giving back to society and helping the community, Excel Precast is a longstanding supporter of the Children’s Society and the Institute of Engineers Singapore. It has previously contributed to the NUS Business School Undergraduate Bursary Fund and Engineering Bursary Fund. Excel Precast also hopes the Bursary will inspire students to consider a career in the construction industry, including a job at Excel Precast. What should a prospective candidate offer to Excel Precast? “Personality, as it is something that cannot be trained. We are looking for someone with enthusiasm; who possesses a willingness to learn and is imbued with passion, ambition and responsiveness. Academic results are secondary,” says Mr Tan.

THE GIFT OF A GOOD EDUCATION EMPOWERS AN INDIVIDUAL, RAISES ASPIRATIONS, FULFILS AMBITIONS AND TRANSFORMS LIVES. Mr Tan Bian Tiong

OCT–DEC 2015

NUS Alumnae Lifestyle Workshop

Your

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS EVENTS

Beauty,

Style Your

GOLF FOR A GOOD CAUSE Cheryl Wee

Date : 21 October 2015, Wednesday Time : 6.30pm – 9pm Venue : Shaw Foundation Alumni House, Auditorium

PROGRAMME: 6.30pm

Registration and Dinner Reception Express Nail Art and Skin Analysis

7.30pm

Makeup and Hairdo Demonstrations Beauty and Wellness Tips by Celebrity Alumna, Cheryl Wee, Arts and Social Sciences ’10

8.45pm

BEMA’s annual golf tournament raises S$50,000 for Building and Real Estate scholarships.

Hosted by President of the Building and Estate Management Alumni (BEMA), Dr Teo Ho Pin (Building ’85), 128 golfers from BEMA teed-off at the Rafﬂes Country Club on 24 June. Through its annual fundraising golf tournaments, BEMA has been supporting various causes for NUS and the community such as establishing the BEMA Bursary, setting up book prizes, giving to University Town and making donations to the North West Student Support Fund for needy students. The annual BEMA Golf Tournament enables leading members of the real estate and construction industry to re-establish contacts with old school friends and network with other members of the real estate and construction industry while doing good and contributing back to society. This year, the BEMA Golf Tournament raised S$50,000 to support the setting up of scholarships for both the Department of Real Estate and the Department of Building to further their mission to advance knowledge, foster innovation and nurture leaders of the future. BEMA also donated S$10,000 to the NUS Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, in support of its efforts in educating both students and the public on the importance of protecting and conserving our biodiversity and environment.

By Ms Ong Yen Peng (Design and Environment ’02)

Fashion Catwalk Lucky Draw

alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/LWoct15 Calling all NUS Alumnae!

NUS BUSINESS SCHOOL 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS OVERSEAS

Join the gurus from shu uemura and Jean Yip Group as they share insights on the art of makeup, hairstyling, skin care and wellness. Be there at our fashion show featuring signature pieces from Klarra!

Jean Yip Group Beauty Skin Deep and Beyond

Learn how hairdos and eyebrow shaping can help you achieve the feminine look you always wanted.

shu uemura

The Business School’s Jubilee with Alumni getting together in New Delhi.

Explore the Art of Beauty with shu uemura Get makeup tips from the pros! Discover how you can create a quick and easy but longer-lasting look for your day-to-day functions.

Klarra

For Modern Women Who Value Aesthetics as much as Functionality Classic silhouettes for the modern woman; reinvent your wardrobe with sophisticated and utilitarian designs by Klarra.

Organised by:

Prof Willie Tan (right), Head of Department of Building, receiving the donation from Dr Teo Ho Pin (Design and Environment ’85).

Supported by:

Prof Bernard Yeung (5th from left), Dean of NUS Business School leading the Toast to Celebrate NUS Biz50 in Hong Kong.

The NUS Business School turns 50 this year and the Global Alumni Network Ofﬁce (GANO) has been commemorating this landmark event with alumni at home and overseas. To that end, GANO organised alumni sessions in three major cities in India – New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. It was a great opportunity for the Business School’s overseas alumni to reconnect and to come together as a community to celebrate the School’s milestone birthday. GANO kicked off the festivities in New Delhi on 24 February 2015 before going on to Mumbai on 27 February. Both events saw a collective turnout of over 50 alumni across different MBA and EMBA programmes. The Bangalore celebratory dinner on 25 February proved to be an extra special occasion, complete with a poolside buffet dinner and a seminar presented by Mr T V Mohandas Pai, co-founder of Aarin Capital and Chairman of Manipal Education. Close to 100 participants comprising alumni, MBA students, corporate guests and participants from the UCLA-NUS Executive MBA programme led by Professor Kulwant Singh (Business ’81) turned up to take part in the celebration. In Jakarta, over 90 alumni and corporate guests turned up at Hotel Borobudur in Jakarta on 28 March 2015, eager to catch up with old friends, connect with new ones, and celebrate the School’s birthday. Professor Hum Sin Hoon, Deputy Dean of NUS Business School, gave an engaging talk in the afternoon on Zheng He’s Art of Collaboration, followed by a networking dinner in the evening. In Hong Kong, more than 80 alumni turned up at the scenic Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club to commemorate the anniversary as a community. The highlight of the event for many was the forum, which featured insightful presentations on the future of Asia’s economy in relation to China, a timely topic given China’s inﬂuence in the region.

OCT–DEC 2015

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS EVENTS

NUS Biz50 Charity Golf 2015 Some 144 business leaders and alumni of the NUS Business School got together at the NUS Biz50 Charity Golf 2015 tournament to raise some S$450,000 for ﬁnancially-needy students at the School, achieving an amount that far surpassed the original target of S$300,000. Organised as part of celebrations to mark the School’s 50th anniversary, the event was graced by Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Health. He joined business leaders and alumni from around the world who returned to Singapore from countries including China, India and Japan, to take part in the tournament and dinner at the Jurong Country Club. NUS Biz50 Charity Golf 2015 marks the ﬁrst time the School has held a charity golf tournament in place of its annual Golf Reunion, which its alumni have been organising since 2007. This year’s event aimed to commemorate the School’s and Singapore’s Jubilee year. It was spearheaded by the School’s alumni bodies: NUS Business School Alumni Association, NUS Business School Mandarin Alumni, and MBA Alumni-NUS.

GOH Gan Kim Yong (front row, 3rd from left), Minister for Health presenting the cheque to NUS Business School, with the Charity Golf Organising Committee.

EXPLORE SINGAPORE TOUR, FORUM AND ALUMNI NETWORKING 2015

NURTURING NATURE WITH COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT On 16 May 2015, the Master of Science in Environmental Management (MEM) Alumni organised a seminar on various aspects of community-nature interaction at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House. The half-day event was held in collaboration with the Nature Society Singapore. Titled ‘Nurturing Nature with Community Involvement’, the seminar saw expert speakers present topics on the historical, governmental and social media inﬂuences on the preservation and protection of natural habitats in Singapore over the last 200 years. Speakers included Tony O’Dempsey of the Nature Society, Dr Shawn Lum from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Dr Liew Kai Khiun from NTU, and Mallika Naguran from Gaia Discovery. The speakers were preceded by a keynote from Tan Chong Lee, Assistant CEO of the National Parks Board. Mr Tan spoke of the upsurge in interest in community gardens and how this reﬂects increasing community interest in nature. The other speakers highlighted two key issues in environmental activity today to over 100 members of the audience comprising environmentalists, academics and students — namely the role of social media in driving awareness and the changing approach of authorities to community consultation. Mr O’Dempsey used historical data and maps to show that Singapore’s threatened habitats did not suffer from overurbanisation, but from aggressive land clearing and planting as

Q&A session (From Left, Dr Liew Kai Khiun from NTU, Ms Mallika Naguran (MEM ’13) from Gaia Discovery, Mr Tony O’Dempsey from the Nature Society, Mr Ajay as Moderator (MEM ’12).

far back as the late 1800s. Nonetheless, working together with planning authorities today can produce significantly positive results, as Ms Naguran discovered in her research. Dr Liew explained that such a co-ordinated and consultative approach is facilitated and enhanced by the use of Facebook and social media, giving the example of a walker taking and posting a ‘selfie’ at Bukit Brown, with instant results. All speakers agreed however that there is still much to do to educate Singaporeans (especially schoolchildren) about the benefits of interacting with nature. “We all need to develop a sustainable approach, to make sure we have the right deep-seated values, not just obey laws that tell us what to do,” said Dr Lum.

Let's

MEM WELCOME EVENT On 4 August 2015, as part of the Master of Science in Environmental Management (MEM) Alumni tradition, a group of MEM alumni welcomed a new cohort of students to the NUS School of Design and Environment. In the morning session the new students attended a series of seminar presentations from the industry, and the new alumni (graduates) shared their best dissertations. They also witnessed the launching of the new MEM book entitled Sustainability Matters: Environmental and Climate Changes in the Asia-Paciﬁc, by Professor Tommy Koh (Law ’61), Chairman, MEM Advisory Committee. The session ended on a high note where MEM alumnus Nelson Lo (MEM ’05) and his band performed some entertaining songs about the environment. The alumni also presented token gifts — courtesy of the NUS Ofﬁce of Alumni Relations — to the audience. In the afternoon session, alumni continued to engage with new students by playing an Environmental Management Simulation game in which students addressed various environmental scenarios. 40

ALUMNUS

Dinner, drinks and networking — this was what the 2015 cohort of the MBA programme could look forward to after an exciting day exploring Singapore. And what a ﬁtting end it was to the Explore Singapore tour which took the students on a journey around the NUS Campus, and to some of Singapore’s most iconic landmarks. Current MBA student Liz Naglestead set the tone for the evening as she performed her emcee duties to loud cheers and applause from her peers. Adding to the excitement of the night was special guest Mr Joel M Stern, Chairman and Chief Executive Ofﬁcer of Stern Value Management, who gave a lively talk titled ‘Application of Modern Finance: Corporate Governance and Value Maximisation’. For many of the students, the highlight of the event was the networking opportunities. It was a fantastic start for the new cohort.

Chill Out! Admission is FREE Venue: Shaw Foundation Alumni House Auditorium Time: 7.30pm Register at: www.nus.edu.sg/alumnet

29 october 2015

(PG-13)

26 november 2015

(PG)

For enquiries, please contact Mr Kyaw Win Shwe at kyawwinshwe@nus.edu.sg or 6516 5769.

OCT–DEC 2015

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS EVENTS

FASS ALUMNI CELEBRATE 10 YEARS OF GIVING BACK THROUGH MENTORSHIP

NUS BUSINESS SCHOOL CELEBRATES GOLDEN JUBILEE MILESTONE AT HOMECOMING EVENT

USP ALUMNI SOCIETY— CHATTERBOXPRO: REDISCOVERING REAL CONVERSATIONS Several hundred NUS Business School alumni, students, faculty and staff came together on 4 September 2015 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the NUS Business School. Held at the School’s Mochtar Riady Building, six Masterclasses helmed by the School’s distinguished professors were organised exclusively for the Homecoming, to provide participants with insights into various global developments. Topics included the impact of high cost of car ownership, retirement planning, philanthropy, corporate governance, energy conservation with children and conducting business in China. Prominent industry leaders and eminent alumni such as Mr Peter Seah (Business ’68), Chairman of DBS Group Holdings, Mr Hsieh Fu Hua (Business Hons ’74); UOB Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the School’s Management Advisory Board; and Ms Janet Ang (Business ’81), Vice President of IBM Asia Paciﬁc joined in the celebrations. “The School’s goal today is the same as it was some 50 years ago: to groom successful business leaders who are well-rounded and adaptable men and women from different walks of life,” said Mr Seah in his speech. He was part of the pioneer batch of Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) students that graduated in 1968. NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan (Medicine ’83), paid tribute to the Business School and its success in cultivating business leaders over the decades. “The Business School itself has been very forward thinking in curriculum redesign and at the same time, very mindful to inculcate in our students the core values of excellence, integrity, innovation, teamwork and a caring heart,” he said. “As we celebrate 50 years of developing business leaders and contributing to Asia’s economic growth, we look forward to leading from Asia in the coming decades with deep business insights and creating valuable networks for the business community. We will continue to spearhead the development of future-ready talent for this region,” said Professor Bernard Yeung, Dean and Stephen Riady Distinguished Professor of the NUS Business School.

The NUS University Scholars Programme (USP) alumni reminisce about Chatterbox — the student lounge at the old Block ADM – where many student conversations took place and experiences were shared. To rekindle some of those experiences, the USP Alumni Society organised the inaugural ChatterboxPro — an attempt to recreate the conversations that happened during those student years. The event was held at the Loft on 28 May 2015. To kickstart the conversations, the event featured three alumni who shared what they do in their jobs and the experiences they have had. Mr Ervin Lim (Business and USP ’11), talked about working life in a big company, and Ms Lynnette Kang (Arts and Social Sciences and USP ’09), gave a glimpse of what goes on in the work of a librarian at the National Library Board. Mr Ibnur Rashad (Engineering and USP ’11), gave a talk introducing social innovation, even from unconventional sources, and the need to develop an alternative model of leadership based on the values of the “thinker, warrior and farmer”. Attendees were given food for thought about how Singapore is still a conservative society, the need to combine passion and purpose in handling projects, and how some form of drama is needed for people to support change. It seemed as if for a few hours that the working adults had become students once again; back in USP, sitting on couches, listening to advice.

DUKE-NUS PAEDIATRICS ALUMNI GROUP’S FIRST ANNUAL DINNER

School of Computing 40th Anniversary Fundraising Dinner Calling all School of Computing (SoC) Alumni: Come celebrate SoC history and success by joining fellow alumni at its 40th anniversary fundraising dinner. Pay it forward by raising funds for needy students.

Date: 27 November 2015, Friday Time: 6.30pm Venue: NUSS Kent Ridge Guild House All proceeds from the ticket sales of SoC 40th Anniversary Fundraising Dinner will go toward the SoC Pay-ItForward Bursary Fund.

For enquiries, please email Computing40@comp.nus.edu.sg

ALUMNUS

On 22 June 2015, 11 Duke-NUS paediatric residents enjoyed good company and socialising at their ﬁrst annual dinner which was fully sponsored by the Duke-NUS Alumni Relations Ofﬁce. The new paediatric residents, who started work on 1 July, were welcomed and introduced to one another. Senior alumni provided useful information about the Paediatric Residency Programme and shared their experiences with the junior alumni, making it an interesting and engaging evening for all.

Longest serving Mentor and Host Mr Yap Boh Tiong (Arts and Social Sciences ’69) and his wife Mrs Patsy Yap (3rd from left), with guest students and mentee.

The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) celebrated its 10th and 7th anniversaries of the FASS Mentorship and ‘My FASS Family’ Host Programmes respectively this year at the Asian Market Café, Fairmont Singapore on 19 August 2015. ‘My FASS Family’ Host Programme is a befrienders programme that matches international students studying at FASS with alumni. The event brought together over 200 FASS Alumni (Mentors and Hosts) with their mentees, as well as international students who are new to Singapore. The Mentorship Programme matches alumni in particular career ﬁelds with ﬁnal year FASS students, providing opportunities to the latter to learn more about career planning and other aspects of work. It was most heartening to see so many former mentees from previous batches returning to catch up with their mentors, with some becoming mentors themselves. This year, there are a total of 77 mentors providing guidance to 139 students, and 42 hosts befriending 70 international students from 33 countries. Among the new hosts was Nicole Phua (Arts and Social Sciences ’12), who said, “It’s a pleasure to serve the Faculty after graduation.”

For more information about becoming an FASS Mentor or Host, please email reunion@nus.edu.sg.

Dean Professor Brenda Yeoh giving her welcome address.

U@live is a monthly speaker series that showcases outstanding members of the NUS community. Apart from having a live audience, U@live will also be webcasted live through a dedicated website where users can send in real time comments and questions directly to the speakers. U@live Speaker Series are moderated by Mr Viswa Sadasivan, Chairman of the U@live Organising Committee and Member of the NUS Alumni Advisory Board.

Reserve Your Seats Now!

one speaker 10 minutes

BOUNDLESS INSPIRATION 19 OCTOBER 2015

MONDAY 7.30PM

Ms Rani Singam Law ’94 Vocalist, Recording Artist, Lyricist, Founding Member and Director of the Musicians’ Guild of Singapore

11 NOVEMBER 2015

WEDNESDAY 7.30PM

Ms Elim Chew Advisory Board Member of the NUS Business School, Asia Centre for Social Entrepreneurship & Philanthropy Former Member of the NUS Board of Trustees Founder & President, 77th Street (S) Pte Ltd

Attend the forum live at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House www.nus.edu.sg/alumnet

Join Us Online! www.nus.edu.sg/ualive

OCT–DEC 2015

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS EVENTS

NUS Economics Alumni – Singapore Children’s Society Day Outing

It was a great day of fun as the NUS Economics Alumni organised an outing for 20 children from the Singapore Children’s Society (SCS) with their families on 13 June 2015, in line with the SG50-NUS110 celebrations in giving back to the society. The SCS children were treated to a two-hour ice-skating experience at JCube. For many of the beneﬁciaries, this was their ﬁrst time at an ice-skating rink. By the end of the day, everyone had enjoyed themselves thoroughly. For those who needed help, staff from the NUS Department of Economics were on hand to assist. After lunch, the NUS Economics Alumni conducted an SG50 Drawing Activity for the SCS children. They were divided into groups and asked to draw how they envisioned Singapore in the next 50 years. Staff from the Department of Economics, along with alumni volunteers, were there to lend their support. At the end of the activity, the SCS children presented their creative drawings to judges Professor Basant K Kapur (Arts and Social Sciences ’70), and Mr Tan Tai Kiat (Arts and Social Sciences ’01) who represented the NUS Department of Economics and the NUS Economics Alumni respectively. Every drawing was backed by an interesting story of how Singapore could be in 50 years, and each SCS child received a gift pack to wrap up an interesting day. It was a successful SG50-NUS110 celebration event as friendships were forged among the SCS children and their families, staff of the NUS Department of Economics and their families, as well as the NUS Economics Alumni.

TEMASEK HALL ALUMNI STAYCATION & CHILLOUT

June was a busy and memorable month for Temasek Hall as two successful alumni events were held over two weekends. The first event was a first-ever 2D1N staycation held on 13 and 14 June 2015. A total of 25 alumni who had graduated in the last five years were invited back for an overnight stay in the Hall. A series of exciting activities was planned and both alumni and current residents participated in friendly sport matches, a barbecue dinner, a screening of hall videos, and

board games. They were joined by the current Hall Master Associate Professor Victor Tan, former Hall Master Associate Professor Francis Tay, Resident Fellows, Hall Manager and Hall Ofﬁce members. It was a meaningful and nostalgic event for all as the staycation provided a golden opportunity for these alumni to interact and relive the memorable hall life again. Feedback was encouraging as most alumni expressed interest in coming back to Temasek Hall again. They also showed

appreciation through a pooled donation to the Temasek Hall Bursary. The second alumni event was a Chill-Out Evening held on 19 June 2015. This evening event was specially planned for senior alumni who graduated in the 1990s. A total of 20 alumni came with their families. Many of the couples met during their stay in Temasek Hall, thus making this event even more meaningful. The alumni and their families received a warm welcome from Hall Master Associate Professor Victor Tan, and the event kickstarted with a buffet dinner. Alumni, current residents, the Hall Master, Resident Fellows, Hall Manager Mr Low Cheng Hong and staff members spent quality time with one another. After dinner, they were given a guided tour of the facilities around Temasek Hall. The children were well entertained with a terrarium workshop conducted by current residents and they thoroughly enjoyed the hands-on activity. It was extremely heartwarming to see the gathering of past, present and possibly future Temasekians. The evening ended with a movie screening for the children while the adults chatted nostalgically over the Hall Annuals of their years.

Ms Leong Mei Yin (Business ’92)

By Ms Valerie Chow (Arts and Social Sciences ’97), Social Secretary of NUS Economics Alumni, 2015

NUS SENIOR ALUMNI GALA DINNER AND BOOK LAUNCH

To celebrate its five years of existence as well as SG50, the NUS Senior Alumni Group organised a Gala Dinner at the Shangri-la Hotel on 27 June 2015 with Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong (Arts ’64) as Guest-of-Honour. Dr Rosemary Khoo (Arts and Social Sciences ‘65), President of the NUS Senior Alumni, said the prime motive for organising this event was to “celebrate the joy of life and our ability to contribute to our University and to our society in retirement”, and the dinner tagline was ‘SA5 celebrates SG50 with AWE (Age, Wisdom and Experience)’. Attended by approximately 400 alumni and friends, the dinner also commemorated NUS110 as it provided the occasion for old friends from campus days to meet again in a congenial setting. In his message, ESM Goh Chok Tong affirmed that, “The Senior Alumni exemplifies the spirit of enterprise, weaving together a rich tapestry of diverse life experiences …Tonight is a celebration of your pioneering spirit, of a lifetime of memories, achievements and fulfilment”. Professor Tan Eng Chye (Science ’85), the Deputy President and Provost of NUS, commended Dr Khoo and her team “for initiating the NUS Senior Alumni, for their pioneering and productive work in the past five years. The Senior Alumni is today, an integral, precious and growing part of the NUS community”. To mark its 5th Anniversary, the Senior Alumni launched its commemorative book I M AGE, which reflects in words and pictures its work over the past five years, including its well-attended monthly Tea and Chat with distinguished alumni speakers, overseas tours, cruises, excursions, courses, workshops, discussions, a Chinese Opera performed in English, and special participation in Our Singapore Conversation.

Dr Oliver Seet Beng Hean (Arts ’59) 46

ALUMNUS

OCT–DEC 2015

LAST WORD

ALUMNI EVENTS

Familiar Faces

Dates to REMEMBER OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER 2015

‘NUS110 EVERYDAY ICONS’, MADE UP OF LONG-SERVING PRESENT AND FORMER STAFF, ARE NAMED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE UNIVERSITY'S 110TH ANNIVERSARY.

OCTOBER

29 SEP - 1 OCT TUE-THU China Film Festival 2015 8pm, Shaw Foundation Alumni House Enquiries: Mr Samuel Tan at samuel.tan@nus.edu.sg

WONG NIAP LENG, A.K.A. “AH LENG”

8 OCT THU 24th Alumni & Friends Golf Tournament

Mr Wong operated Ah Leng’s Canteen, near the former King Edward VII Hall at Sepoy Lines, from 1947 until it closed in 1983. But he did more than provide food and drinks to generations of medical, dental and pharmacy students — he also gave cash-strapped students meals on credit and lent them money for their school fees.

GURVINDAR KAUR

After earning her Bachelor of Science (Hons) in 1963, Mrs Wong joined the then-University of Singapore’s Registrar’s Ofﬁce as an Administrative Assistant. She would retire as Registrar 38 years later, in 2001, having served seven Vice-Chancellors and a student body which grew from 2,400 to more than 26,000.

July is a busy month for Mr Jasmani, Management Assistant Ofﬁcer at the NUS Registrar’s Ofﬁce. Since 1974, he has robed University Chancellors and Vice-Chancellors — among other prominent dignitaries — in their processional gowns for NUS graduation ceremonies.

Nothing makes Ms Kaur, Programme Specialist at the NUS Centre for Futureready Graduates, happier than seeing NUS students go on to enjoy bright and rewarding careers. After all, she has spent the last 24 years preparing them for the working world.

ALUMNUS

MANIKAM NEELAKANDAN Some might think tasks like shelving and cataloguing new books are dull — but not Mr Neelakandan. The Library Support Ofﬁcer at NUS Libraries has served over 600 students daily at the Medical Library for the last 45 years — and counting.

All information is correct at time of print and is subject to change without prior notice.

JASMANI BIN SANI

11 NOV WED U@live featuring Ms Elim Chew

1pm Shotgun, Rafﬂes Country Club Enquiries: Mr Chua Sin Chew at sinchew@nus.edu.sg

7.30pm, Shaw Foundation Alumni House Register at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/UALIVEnov15 Enquiries: Mr Samuel Tan at samuel.tan@nus.edu.sg

19 OCT MON U@live featuring Ms Rani Singam

12 NOV THU Thirsty Thursdays

7.30pm, Shaw Foundation Alumni House Register at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/UALIVEoct15 Enquiries: Mr Samuel Tan at samuel.tan@nus.edu.sg

JOANNA WONG

NOVEMBER

21 OCT WED NUS Alumnae Lifestyle Workshop – Your Beauty, Your Style 6.30pm, Shaw Foundation Alumni House Register at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/LWoct15 Enquiries: Ms Idy Lim at idylim@nus.edu.sg

29 OCT THU Movies On The House Transformers: Age of Extinction (PG-13) 7.30pm, Shaw Foundation Alumni House Register at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/MMoct15 Enquiries: Mr Kyaw Win Shwe at kyawwinshwe@nus.edu.sg

6.30pm, SWITCH at Timbre Register at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/TTnov15 Enquiries: Mr Kyaw Win Shwe at kyawwinshwe@nus.edu.sg

26 NOV THU Movies On The House How To Train Your Dragon 2 (PG) 7.30pm, Shaw Foundation Alumni House Register at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/MMnov15/ Enquiries: Mr Kyaw Win Shwe at kyawwinshwe@nus.edu.sg

NUS PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION ACT (PDPA) As of 2 January 2014, in line with Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) Do Not Call (DNC) Registry, you may indicate your preference for receiving marketing messages from NUS on your Singapore telephone number via the various methods. If you wish to make changes to your preference, you can update at https://myaces.nus.edu.sg/DNC/index.do. As of 2 July 2014, in view of Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), the NUS Ofﬁce of Alumni Relations would like to inform you that NUS will continue to engage you as an alumnus through the following ways: • Providing you information about the University and alumni-related initiatives and activities. • Sending you invitations to NUS- and alumni-related events. • Requesting you to update alumni information. • Sending you invitations to participate in alumni surveys. • Sending you alumni-related communication collaterals. If you wish to withdraw your consent to be contacted, please visit https://myaces.nus.edu.sg/PSR/index.do.

OCT–DEC 2015

E sy W ys to be n ctive ALUM NUS! As an NUS alumnus, there are many ways to stay connected to your alma mater. Here are 7 ways to get you started!

A L U M N U S

ttend an Office of Alumni Relations (OAR) event. OAR organises over 80 events per year. Chill out over drinks at the coolest bars, join us at enriching lifestyle workshops, catch monthly blockbusters or attend U@live sessions. NUS has 65 Alumni Groups (representing faculties, schools, halls of residences, colleges and interest groups) and 18 Overseas Chapters. Join a group and discover ways to stay in touch, network and build closer ties with fellow alumni and the University.

ead or join an alumni group. se your AlumNUS Card.

The AlumNUS Card identifies you as part of the prestigious NUS alumni family and entitles you to exclusive deals at participating merchants. You also gain complimentary access to our NUS libraries and facilities at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House. Check out these exclusive offers and benefits at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/alumnuscard.

aake your way to the Shaw Foundation Alumni House! Your Home on Campus - the Shaw Foundation Alumni House! An alumni centre equipped with state-ofthe-art facilities including a 298-seat auditorium, seminar rooms, restaurants and an Alumni Service Centre to serve your needs. An ideal meeting place for alumni events, seminars, reunions and gatherings.

urture the giving spirit in you. Step up to the role of a class ambassador, build class connections or come home to volunteer as an alumni mentor to the undergraduates. There are many ways that you can give back to your alma mater as alumni of NUS. Find out how at www.nus.edu.sg/alumnet.

pdate your contact details with us! Stay connected to NUS by updating your contact information with us at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/updatemyparticulars. As an alumnus of NUS, you will get to enjoy many social benefits and professional services offered by OAR. Get updates on all OAR events, many of which are complimentary for NUS alumni!

tay connected through our numerous communication platforms! Read The AlumNUS magazine. Our alumniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deďŹ nitive source to staying connected to the latest on NUS and our alumni community. To ensure you receive your copy of the quarterly-published magazine, update your mailing address with us at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/updatemyparticulars or read us at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/ alumnusmagazine. Check out AlumNET, your one-stop alumni web resource! To learn more, visit www.nus.edu.sg/alumnet. The AlumNET phone app for iPhone, iPad and Android is available at the App Store and at Google Play. Download it to view upcoming alumni events and connect with OAR! Like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/nusoar Use your NUS Lifelong Email Account. Enjoy the reliability and convenience of your student email (userid@u.nus.edu) for life! You will continue to enjoy the 50GB mailbox space and the sending of attachments up to 25MB.