The AlumNUS Apr-Jun 2018

issue

“ T h e c h e mi s t r y and c l o s e n e s s y o u h av e w ith o th e r alumni i s uni qu e . ” —

#113

APR-JUN 2018

D R S H A R O N H E N G (N U S A L U M N I L O N D O N C H A PT E R)

Making the Kindest Cut: A Back-alley Barber’s Tale

WHERE’S OUR SENSE OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY?

BY PRO F KISH O RE MAH BU BAN I

A CAR-LITE SINGAPORE: WHAT IT TAKES TO GO DOWN THAT ROAD

STRONGER TOGETHER

W H Y A L U M N I N E T W O R K S M AT T E R IN AN EVER-CHANGING WORLD

A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E O F T H E N AT I O N A L U N I V E R S I T Y O F S I N G A P O R E

nus.edu.sg/alumnet . facebook.com/nusoar

APR – JUN 2018

16 FOCUS

Building on the Ties that Bind

22 FORUM

A Car-Lite Future: Yay or Nay?

26 PA N O R A M A

The Singapore Paradox Prof Kishore Mahbubani (Arts and Social Sciences ’71)

28 CHANGEMAKER

Making the Kindest Cut

Ms Danielle Hong (Arts and Social Sciences ’11)

30

16

ALUMNI

Alan Chan Study Award

32

CONTENTS

PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE

A Seriously Funny Guy Mr Edmund Khong (Arts and Social Sciences ’05)

34 FRONTIERS

C A M P U S U P D AT E S

Better than Bitcoin

02 Learners for Life 04 Thank You, Prof Tan Chorh Chuan!

06 Top in Asia for the Third Time

36

OAR HIGHLIGHTS

Asst Prof Prateek Saxena

36 ALUMNI TRAVEL PROGRAMME

07 Chinese New Year Appreciation Dinner 08 Indian Film Festival 09 Brain Training Workshops 10 NUS Campus Couples’ Valentine’s Dinner 11 My Love Sinema 12 Thirsty Thursdays/Alumni Concerts 13 Lifelong Learners Highlight Dr Luu The Loi (Computing ’17)

C O R R I G E N D U M: In the Jan-Mar 2018 issue on page 34 (‘Inaugural NUSS Professional Lecture’), we incorrectly mentioned that it was the inaugural lecture. It was Prof Lim Chwee Teck’s (Engineering ’90) appointment as NUSS Professor that was inaugural.

14

CALENDAR OF ALUM NI EVENTS

GIVING

Creating Opportunities and Championing Education

Sail to Krakatoa

38 ALUMNI HAPPENINGS

48 T H E PAT H LESS TRAVELLED

Enter the Dragon

Ms Wong Pei Hsin (Arts and Social Sciences ’15)

Fo r m o re i n fo r m at i o n o r t o re a d T h e A l u m N U S o n l i n e , p l e a s e v i s i t a l u m n e t . n u s . e d u . s g / a l u m n u s m a g a z i n e .

OFFICE OF ALU M N I R E LATION S 11 Kent Ridge Drive #05-01 Shaw Foundation Alumni House Singapore 119244 Tel: (65) 6516-5775 Fax: (65) 6777-2065

Advisor MR BERNARD TOH (Architecture ’84) Editor MS YEAP SU PHING (MBA ’17) Assistant Editor MS TAN LING ING Production Assistant MS 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.

Copyright 2018 by the National University of Singapore.

All rights reserved.

Printed in Singapore by KHL Printing Co Pte Ltd.

F I R S T

W O R D

Do you like what you see?

W

elcome to the revamped issue of The Alum NUS.

We would like to thank the participants of our focus groups, who reminded us that they enjoyed reading about exclusive alumni interviews and learning about upcoming events for alumni. Some participants were also critical and thoughtful about how our layout could be improved (we hope you enjoy the new pages as much as we do), and suggested adding content such as expert commentaries and insights from our academics and researchers whose work is at the forefront of many exciting trends and innovations, for example, in cryptocurrencies and blockchain (see Frontiers, pages 34-35).

As part of the revamp, and perhaps, even reminiscent of great campus publications such as the Malayan Undergrad, we wanted to include the alumni voice. We are so honoured that Prof Kishore Mahbubani (Arts and Social Sciences ’71) agreed to pen a commentary for our very first Panorama article (pages 26-27). He reminds us what it means to be a socially responsible alumnus. In another new section, Forum (pages 22-23), we hear alumni discuss everyday matters that affect us, such as the effectiveness of the car-lite policy.

Many other new elements await readers in the pages of our revamped magazine. The revamp process never really stops, as we strive to bring you content that keeps you informed about our University, as well as give you reasons to stay connected with NUS. Do our articles elicit a counterargument, evoke a memory or simply make you smile?

Do tell us at OARconnect@nus.edu.sg.

@

I n B ox We would love to hear your views on our articles, the issues and topics in discussion, the events you have attended, or even your own encounters with people we have interviewed.

Selected comments will be published here.

H O W D O E S TH I S W O R K? 1 Email OARconnect@nus.edu.sg.

2 Please keep comments to no more than 350 words.

3 Let us know your name, faculty and graduation year. We regret that we will not publish comments under a pseudonym.

Thank you for reading and for your support!

The Alum NUS Editorial Team PLEASE N OTE THAT TH E ALU M N US HAS TH E RI G HT TO SELECT AN D PU BLISH ANY CO M M ENTS RECEIVED, AN D TO ED IT ALL SU BM ISSI O NS FO R SPACE, CLARITY, TO N E AN D ACCU RACY.

APR—JUN 2018 . 1

C A M P U S U P D AT E S

NUS ALUMNI WILL find it easier to return to the University for classes under the new NUS Lifelong Learners (NUS L3) initiative announced by Minister of Education (Higher Education and Skills) Mr Ong Ye Kung in his speech at the Ministry of Education’s Committee of Supply Debate in Parliament on 5 March.

Blazing the trail in lifelong learning, the initiative, offered by NUS’ School of Continuing and Lifelong Education (SCALE), in collaboration with the University’s Faculties and Schools, will recognise every NUS student enrollment as valid for a period of 20 years from point of undergraduate admission, said Mr Ong.

Upon graduation, all current and future NUS students would therefore have ready access to a curated catalogue of publicly available skills-based, industry-relevant Continuing Education and Training (CET) courses for upskilling or reskilling, and remaining competitive in the future economy. Similarly, all 288,600 NUS alumni would be automatically eligible for these courses.

Professor Ho Teck Hua (Engineering ’85), NUS Senior Deputy President and Provost, said that lifelong learning is the key to ensuring that NUS students and alumni stay updated on the developments and disruptions that globalisation and digital technologies bring to the workplace.

LEARNERS FOR LIFE

I LL U ST R AT I O N S : G ET T Y I M AG E S

NUS unveils an initiative to ensure that its students and alumni will be equipped to ride the waves of disruption at the workplace.

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NUS L3 is a bold initiative, the first of its kind in Singapore.

It represents our strong commitment to our students and alumni, as well as our ambition to be their anchor for lifelong learning.

Professor Ho Teck Hua (Engineering ’85), NUS Senior Deputy President and Provost

“This is part of our new NUS L3 programme, which will enable our alumni to acquire new skills and knowledge to better prepare them for their current jobs, new responsibilities, or alternative careers.

NUS L3 is a bold initiative, the first of its kind in Singapore. It represents our strong commitment to our students and alumni, as well as our ambition to be their anchor for lifelong learning,” said Prof Ho, who is also Tan Chin Tuan Centennial Professor.

NUS L3 expands on the existing Lifelong Learning Initiative for NUS Alumni (LLINA) announced in May 2017, which saw an overwhelming response with more than 8,000 applications for 404 places in 79 courses during the pilot phase.

CET courses under NUS L3 will match the eight priority and emerging skills areas identified under the SkillsFuture Series — Data Analytics; Finance; Tech-Enabled Services; Digital Media; Cybersecurity; Entrepreneurship; Urban Solutions; and Advanced Manufacturing. Beyond the publicly-available courses, they will include courses currently offered to NUS students, as well as those designed specifically for adult learners.

A first edition catalogue of 500 courses will be launched in phases, with the initial suite of courses to begin this August. The University will offer virtual vouchers that offset the cost of one NUS CET course to alumni who are new to lifelong learning at NUS. Singaporeans and Permanent Residents who opt to stack up additional skills-based courses towards certification will receive a 70 per cent fee subsidy under the SkillsFuture framework, while others may choose to pursue a Graduate Diploma, Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree by reading additional selected courses.

THE CET COURSES HAVE SEEN AN OVERWHELMING RESPONSE, WITH MORE THAN

8,000 APPLICATIONS FOR

404

PLACES IN 79 COURSES RECEIVED DURING THE PILOT PHASE

Applications for Semester 1, AY2018/19 intake of the Lifelong Learning Initiative for NUS Alumni (LLINA) opens in May 2018.

For more information: w: scale.nus.edu.sg/AlumniLifeLongLearning/ LLI-for-NUS-Alumni.html Applications for NUS L3 courses through SCALE will open on 1 July.

For more information: w: scale.nus.edu.sg/AlumniLifeLongLearning t: 6601 8888 e: lifelonglearning@nus.edu.sg

This article was first published on 5 March in NUS News at news.nus.edu.sg/highlights/learners-life.

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C A M P U S U P D AT E S

Prof Tan Chorh Chuan (right) presented scroll paintings he did to Prof Tan Eng Chye and Mr Hsieh (left).

THANK YOU, PROF TAN CHORH CHUAN! Paying tribute to the immediate past NUS President who took the University to greater heights during his tenure.

IN TRIBUTE TO Professor Tan Chorh Chuan’s (Medicine ’83) nine-year tenure as NUS’ fourth President, and to welcome Professor Tan Eng Chye (Science ’85) as the University’s new President, a lunch reception was held on 5 January.

Special guests at the event included NUS Chancellor and State President Mdm Halimah Yacob (Law ’78), Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Emeritus Senior Minister Mr Goh Chok Tong (Arts ’64), Minister for Finance Mr Heng Swee Keat, and Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) Mr Ong Ye Kung. Also present

42 4. .TA HLEUA MLN UU MSN U S

were Pro-Chancellors Mr Po’ad Mattar (Accountancy ’71) and Mr Chan Sek Keong (Law ’61), NUS Board of Trustees Chairman Mr Hsieh Fu Hua (Business ’74), Trustees, distinguished guests, alumni, staff and student leaders.

Reflecting on his stint and the leadership transition, Prof Tan Chorh Chuan highlighted the need for agility against a backdrop of fast-moving realities, saying, “I am glad that with President Tan Eng Chye, Senior Deputy President and Provost Ho Teck Hua [Engineering ’85] and the renewed leadership team, NUS has leaders in place who have the deep global connections and proven skills to do this well.”

He serves as an inspiring model to our students and alumni, and a shining example of what it means to serve the University and country.

NUS President Prof Tan Eng Chye, referring to Prof Tan Chorh Chuan

In his speech, NUS Chairman Mr Hsieh thanked Prof Tan Chorh Chuan for his service as an outstanding University President, noting that Prof Tan’s “heart of the explorer” has seen him “constantly expanding frontiers for NUS and for the nation”.

Mr Hsieh also lauded Prof Tan Eng Chye as the Board’s unanimous choice as NUS President.

“As evident when you were Dean of Science and later as Provost, you have been a dedicated, grounded and modest leader ever ready to harness the talents within and beyond the University,” said Mr Hsieh.

Minister Ong highlighted some of Prof Tan Chorh Chuan’s accomplishments, such as overseeing the establishment of Yale-NUS College and initiatives like the University Town. Recalling his experiences working with Prof Tan in the past two years, Minister Ong said, “He speaks softly but thinks deeply, and he always goes for the higher goals in life.”

Mr Bernard Toh, Director of NUS Alumni Relations, presented a pair of trekking poles to Prof Tan on behalf of NUS alumni.

Dr Rosemary Khoo (Arts and Social Sciences ’65) Chairperson of NUS Senior Alumni, presenting a painting to Prof Tan.

In recognition of Prof Tan Chorh Chuan’s contributions to the University, he was conferred the title of University Professor, NUS’ highest academic appointment. Delivering the citation, Prof Tan Eng Chye described his colleague and predecessor as “a man of many talents, our very own ‘Renaissance Man’”.

“He serves as an inspiring model to our students and alumni, and a shining example of what it means to serve the University and country,” said Prof Tan Eng Chye.

Prof Tan Chorh Chuan has also been appointed Senior Advisor to NUS, concurrent to his new roles at the Ministry of Health as Singapore’s first Chief Health Scientist and founding Executive Director of the Office for Healthcare Transformation.

The University Professorship is bestowed on senior faculty members who have demonstrated deep and ongoing commitment to NUS, and have served NUS with distinction in at least one of the three areas of education, research and service.

NUS MILESTONES DURING PROF TAN CHORH CHUAN’S TERM AS PRESIDENT

2011 OPENING OF UNIVERSITY TOWN

2013 ESTABLISHMENT OF YALE-NUS COLLEGE

2015 OPENING OF THE LEE KONG CHIAN NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

This article was first published on 5 January in NUS News under the title of ‘Reimagining teaching and learning for the future’ at news.nus.edu.sg/highlights/ reimagining-teaching-and-learning-future, and has been edited for The AlumNUS.

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C A M P U S U P D AT E S

TOP IN ASIA FOR THE THIRD TIME NUS HAS EMERGED AS the top university in the Times Higher Education (THE) Asia University Rankings 2018, published by THE on 7 February, retaining its position for the third year running.

The University’s performance has improved across almost every area of the ranking, obtaining extra scores in teaching, research, citation impact and knowledge transfer.

Introduced in 2013, the THE Asia University Rankings uses the same 13 carefully-calibrated performance indicators as the THE World University Rankings, although the weightages of the Asia University Rankings have been adjusted to reflect the priorities of institutions in Asia.

NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye (Science ’85) said that the University was delighted that it continues to be Asia’s best in the latest THE rankings. “This is an affirmation of the University’s strong progress as a leading global centre of education and research. It is also a strong recognition of the high-quality work accomplished by our team of faculty, staff and students.

“As the higher education landscape continues to evolve rapidly, we aim to accelerate

SUBJE CT RANKING P LACES NUS T OP IN ASIA NUS is the only Asian university to gain a position in Quacquarelli Symonds’ (QS) list of 10 best universities worldwide, with 11 subjects attaining a top-10 ranking in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2018. The University is also ranked in the top 50 for 34 subjects out of the 48 disciplines analysed by QS. NUS is Asia’s best in 16 subjects, covering areas such as Anthropology; Architecture / Built Environment; Business & Management Studies; Chemistry; Computer Science & Information Systems; Nursing; and Pharmacy & Pharmacology.

62 4. .TA HLEUA MLN UU MSN U S

This is an affirmation of the University’s strong progress as a leading global centre of education and research. It is also a strong recognition of the high-quality work accomplished by our team of faculty, staff and students.

Professor Tan Eng Chye (Science ’85), NUS President

NUS’ transformation over the coming years.

We will intensify our efforts in nurturing future-ready graduates and expand lifelong education initiatives to benefit our alumni and Singaporeans. We will also deepen the translational impact of NUS’ research, and enhance our vibrant ecosystem to further foster innovation and entrepreneurship,” he said.

Mr Phil Baty, THE Editorial Director, Global Rankings said that NUS’ achievement in attaining the top position for the third concurrent year is particularly impressive as it faces increasingly stiff competition, especially from China.

“NUS stands as a beacon to institutions not just in Asia but across the world, demonstrating what can be achieved with the combination of powerful investment, strong leadership, a concentration of global talent, and an unceasing drive for improvement,” he added.

This article was first published on 7 February in NUS News at news.nus.edu. sg/highlights/top-asia-third-time.

OAR HIGHLIGHTS

CHINE SE NEW YEAR APPRE CIATION D INNE R A gathering of friends to usher in a shared commitment to the Dog-ged pursuit of excellence.

ON 27 FEBRUARY, NUS Alumni Relations hosted its annual appreciation dinner to thank alumni leaders, partners and colleagues for their support and contributions.

This year, close to 200 guests gathered at Shaw Foundation Alumni House, including NUS Pro-Chancellors Mr Chan Sek Keong (Law ’61) and Mr Po’ad Matter (Accountancy ’71), University Professors Lim Pin and Tan Chorh Chuan (Medicine ’83), and NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye (Science ’85). Guests were treated to a special lion dance performance by NUS Lion Dance, accompanied by the NUS Chinese Orchestra. NUS Senior Alumni Chairperson Dr Rosemary Khoo (Arts and Social Sciences ’65) took the opportunity to present Prof Tan with a painting to welcome him as the new president.

During his speech at the dinner held at National University of Singapore Society, Prof Tan expressed his gratitude to alumni for their support and dedication. “NUS is proud of our strong and growing alumni network. Our alumni are passionate, talented and resourceful, and have much to share. You play an important role in strengthening the NUS community and you are a great example to future alumni,” said Prof Tan. Guests were also entertained with performances by NUS Chinese Society Crosstalk, Tembusu tGuitar and NUS CAC Voices.

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OAR HIGHLIGHTS

Left: Mr Padmakumar Narasimhamurthy, Director of A Billion Colour Story with (from left) Ms Sreyashi Sen, Founder & Managing Director of Darpan Singapore Pte Ltd; NUS President Prof Tan Eng Chye; and H.E. Jawed Ashraf, High Commissioner of India to Singapore.

Indian Film Festival Celebrating the Films, Arts and Culture of the subcontinent.

FANS OF INDIAN FILMS were in for a special treat at this year’s Indian Film Festival, organised by NUS Alumni Relations and the High Commission of India in Singapore, and partnered by Darpan Singapore Pte Ltd. In addition to showcasing three acclaimed films – Running Shaadi, Trapped and Wazir – there was a special screening of award-winning film, A Billion Colour Story. The film won the top prize at the 2017 Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival in the United Kingdom.

UPCOMING EVENT Mexican Film Festival 11 to 13 June, 7.30pm Register at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/MFF18

82 4. .TA HLEUA MLN UU MSN U S

Guests at this special screening included the High Commissioner of India to Singapore, His Excellency Jawed Ashraf; NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye (Science ’85); and Founder and Managing Director of Darpan Singapore Pte Ltd, Ms Sreyashi Sen. Guests had the privilege to meet and hear from the film’s director, Mr Padmakumar Narasimhamurthy, during a sharing session hosted by Ms Sreyashi before enjoying the film.

Close to 900 alumni and guests attended the Festival held from 12 to 15 March at Shaw Foundation Alumni House. Each night, one lucky member of the audience went home with air tickets sponsored by Air India, IndiGO or Jet Airways.

Mr Padmakumar Narasimhamurthy, Director of A Billion Colour Story, at the sharing session before the screening of the film.

BRAIN TRAINING WORKSHOPS DO YOU KNOW? Cognitive deterioration starts from as early as

late 20s!

Alumni who attended the first session of the workshops on 17 January gained valuable insights on how technology-facilitated brain training can improve overall brain fitness, mental well-being and reduce cognitive decline. Certified brain training facilitator from Neeuro Pte Ltd, Mr Kelly Choo (Computing ’08), also shared on the latest brainwave technologies and solutions developed by neuroscientists and researchers.

This interactive workshop, specially organised for alumni above 50 years old, showed alumni how playing mobile games such as mahjong can help to keep brains active and alert.

UPCOMING EVENT Brain Training Workshops 14 June, Thu, 7.30pm Register at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/BWjun18

EMBAJADA J DE MÉXICO EN SINGAPUR

MEXICAN F I L M F E S T I VA L

IN SINGAPORE 2018 11 – 13 June, 7.30pm

Event Partner:

Shaw Foundation Alumni House alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/MFF18

OAR HIGHLIGHTS

NU S CAM P US C O UPLE S VAL E N T INE ’ S DINNE R Acts of giving inspired by love.

THE THIRD NUS Campus Couples Valentine’s Dinner was held on 13 February. Jointly MORE THAN organised by the NUS Campus Couples Alumni Group, NUS Alumni Relations and NUS HAS BEEN Development Office, the event brought more RAISED SINCE than100 NUS alumni couples back to campus THE BURSARY’S to celebrate their love and marriage.

INCEPTION IN 2015.

To make the celebration more meaningful, the event also raised funds in support of the NUS Campus Couples Bursary Fund, initiated FINANCIALLYby Mr Yeo Keng Joon (MBA ’85), member DISADVANTAGED of the NUS Alumni Students’ Advancement NUS STUDENTS Committee (ASAC). Since the Bursary’s HAVE BENEFITED inception in 2015, more than $750,000 has FROM IT. been raised and 34 financially-disadvantaged NUS students have benefited. The generosity of NUS couples has raised about $226,000 this year.

NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye (Science ’85) said he was heartened by the couples’ support for financially-needy students. “Initiatives such as the NUS Campus Couples Bursary Fund help to boost the University’s ongoing efforts at enabling more of our talented and deserving students to reach their fullest potential,” said Prof Tan. He hoped that such efforts would inspire more alumni to give back to their alma mater.

$750,000

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Above: Prof Tan (3rd from right) accepting a cheque from Mr Yeo (3rd from left), with (from left) Ms Sarah Ong, Chairperson, NUS Campus Couples Alumni Group; Mr Johnny Tan, ASAC Chairman; Mr Kevin Ong, Director, NUS Development Office; and Mr Bernard Toh, Director, NUS Alumni Relations.

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Prof Tan, one of the pioneer donors to the bursary fund, with his wife, Ms Ng Lo Mun (Science ‘85) at the dinner.

F E AT U R E F I L M S

My Love Sinema A Uniquely Singapore story.

From left: Mr Bernard Toh, Ms Tan Ai Leng and Ms Cheryl Wee.

A NEW SERIES, Feature Films, presents quality Singapore films infused with a familiar local flavour that tell a uniquely Singapore story. Organised by NUS Alumni Relations, each session features a sharing session with the talents who worked on the film to enhance the audience’s appreciation of the film.

The inaugural screening held on 22 February showcased My Love Sinema to more than 230 alumni, staff, students and guests. Lead actress Ms Cheryl Wee (Arts and Social Sciences ’10) and director Ms Tan Ai Leng (Arts and Social Sciences ’00) shared on their passion for performing and directing in the sharing session hosted

by Director of NUS Alumni Relations, Mr Bernard Toh (Architecture ’84).

Both alumni were glad to be back in campus and to share their film and stories with the NUS community. “It really warmed my heart to be able to share the film with alumni friends and residents of the school!” said Ms Tan.

“Dreams keep us alive, and make us grow from the challenges and mistakes we make.”

OAR HIGHLIGHTS

ALUMNI C ONCERTS

Bossa Celli LIVE!

Mr Kho (left) and Mr Sheperdson (centre) between NUS Alumni Relations’ Director Mr Bernard Toh (Architecture ‘84) and Deputy Director Ms Florence Neo (Arts and Social Sciences ’93).

THIRSTY T H U R S D AY S 100 YOUNG ALUMNI gathered at Barossa, Esplanade Mall on 1 March for the popular networking event, Thirsty Thursdays. Besides catching up with old friends and getting to know more fellow alumni, guests also got to hear from PDPA (Personal Data Protection Act) expert, Mr Kevin Shepherdson (Arts and Social Sciences ’93).

Mr Shepherdson, author of 88 Privacy Breaches to be Aware of, shared with alumni useful tips on how to implement privacy and data protection policies, and to stay compliant with the law.

Mr Alexander Kho (Business ’16), Management Associate from Ascendas-Singbridge, is actively spearheading an initiative to develop the entrepreneurial community within NUS. Further to his sharing at last April’s Thirsty Thursdays where he received encouraging responses from alumni, he was back to reach out to more aspiring young entrepreneurs to get in touch with him to access or contribute to the large pool of alumni talents.

UPCOMING EVENT Thirsty Thursdays @ Kuro Izakaya 7 June, Thu, 6.30pm to 9pm Register at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/TTjun18

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BOSSA CELLI, a cello quartet comprising Mr Ryan Sim (Music ’13), Mr James Ng (Music ’13), Ms Trinh Ha Linh (Music ’13) and Ms Shernise Khor held their debut concert at Shaw Foundation Alumni House on 3 February. More than 200 guests attended the concert, including Mr Leslie Tan of T’ang Quartet, and composers Mr Julian Wong and Mr Yeo Chow Shern.

Besides performing well-known pieces including ‘The Girl from Ipanema’, a medley of soundtracks from blockbuster La La Land and ‘All I Ask of You’ from the musical The Phantom of The Opera, the cellists also had the guests roaring in laughter with funny anecdotes accompanied by timely ‘sound effects’ made by their cellos.

The Alumni Concerts series is organised by NUS Alumni Relations, featuring talented alumni from the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music and NUS Centre For the Arts.

UPCOMING EVENT Touched: Appassionata Alumni Concerts 5 May, Sat, 7.30pm Register at: alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/ACmay18

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LIFELONG LEARNERS HIGHLIGHT

CHAIN REACTION Dr Luu The Loi (Computing ‘17), 27, Co-founder and CEO of blockchain startup Kyber Network, recounts his learning journey at NUS. Why did you choose to take up a PhD in Computer Science at NUS?

Right before my graduation from the University of Engineering and Technology at the Vietnam National University (with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science), I was looking for positions in academia from a reputable university in Asia. I had visited NUS previously as part of an exchange programme, and had always wanted to come back and spend more time here.

I went through the websites of faculty members 20171205 PG-AlumNUS Mag Advert 201802.pdf 1 12/5/2017 1:00:16 PM in the School of Computing and sent emails to

a few professors, including Assistant Professor Prateek Saxena, whose research interests aligned with mine. Asst Prof Saxena replied immediately and showed interest in my profile. We had a few follow-up interviews after that. He was really helpful and patient, and addressed every question that I had back then.

Three months later, I was working as a research assistant with Asst Prof Saxena. I enjoyed the research environment and work so much that after a year, I decided to sign up for the PhD programme.

How has the course benefited your work?

In 2016, Dr Luu was awarded the Microsoft Research Asia Fellowship, which supported him during a stint at a top international research institute.

Through the PhD programme, I built up my fundamental knowledge base and learnt how to tackle problems with patience and dedication. I received plenty of constructive cristicism from my fellow colleagues in the programme, and this helped me a lot in sharpening my thinking. I also learnt how to work with different people in a team, how to lead and move projects to meet the deadlines. The PhD programme was one of the main enabling factors that inspired me to start Kyber Network.

Want to be at the forefront of technology and shape the future? Take on a PhD programme in Computer Science or Information Systems at one of the best Computing schools in the world* and forge our future.

We’ll pay#. #Full PhD Scholarships available (tuition fees + monthly stipend of S$2,000 – S$3,500)

+65 6516 4707 :: phd-info@comp.nus.edu.sg | comp.nus.edu.sg/graduates

CALENDAR OF ALUMNI EVENTS

alumnet.nus.edu.sg/upcoming_events

A P R . M AY. J U N

A P R I L

SkillsFuture Advice Workshop

Gain insights from the SkillsFuture Engage Office at the workshop specially designed for NUS alumni on how to stay ahead in the workplace.

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APR

Shaw Foundation Alumni House, Thu, 7.30pm

Register: alumnet.nus.edu.sg/ event/SFapr18 Contact: Mr Ng Shan Jun oarnsj@nus.edu.sg

War for the Planet of the Apes Movies On The House Open to NUS alumni, students, faculty and staff. Friends and family are welcome.

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APR

Shaw Foundation Alumni House, Thu, 7.30pm

Register: alumnet.nus.edu.sg/ event/MMapr18 Contact: Mr Delon Lim delon.lim@nus.edu.sg

MEXICAN FILM F E S T I VA L This film festival is NUS Alumni Relations’ inaugural collaboration with the Embassy of Mexico to offer Singapore viewers speciallycurated movies featuring fresh Mexican cinematic voices, as well as its prominent figures and auteurs.

Everything You Need to Know About Life Can Be Learned in a Chocolate Cake Shop Breakfast Dialogues Awfully Chocolate founder, Ms Lyn Lee (Law ’96) shares her experience about how you can turn a passionate hobby into a successful business franchise.

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APR

NUSS Suntec City Guild House, Fri, 7.30am

Ticket Price: $10 Register: alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/BDapr18 Contact: Ms Cassandra Lua cassandraluaqy@nus.edu.sg

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11- 13 JUN

11-13 June 2018 Shaw Foundation Alumni House, 7.30pm Register: alumnet.nus.edu.sg/ event/MFF18 Contact: Mr Delon Lim delon.lim@nus.edu.sg

M AY

Touched: Appassionata Alumni Concerts Enjoy a piano ensemble performance featuring classical pieces from the Romantic Period.

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Shaw Foundation Alumni House, Sat, 7.30pm Ticket Price: $15 Register: alumnet.nus.edu.sg/ event/ACmay18 Contact: Ms Idy Lim idylim@nus.edu.sg All information is correct at time of print and is subject to change without prior notice.

M AY

UK Shakespearean Discovery

J U N E

Thirsty Thursdays @ Kuro Izakaya

Popular event for young alumni to catch up with friends and network with fellow alumni over drinks and snacks.

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Suntec City Tower 3, Thu, 6.30pm Ticket Price: $10 Register: alumnet.nus.edu.sg/ event/TTjun18 Contact: Ms Cassandra Lua cassandraluaqy@nus.edu.sg JUN

Thirsty Thursdays

M AY

JUN

Price: $3,800 – $5,600 Details: alumnet.nus.edu.sg/ event/ATPmay18 Contact: Ms Idy Lim idylim@nus.edu.sg

It’s a Great Great World Feature Films A dramatic and nostalgiafilled film about living in the Great World Amusement Park directed by alumnus, Mr Kelvin Tong (Law ‘97), with special guest appearance by Ms Paige Chua (Arts and Social Sciences ‘03).

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

31

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Shaw Foundation Alumni House, Thu, 7.30pm

Register: alumnet.nus.edu.sg/ event/MMmay18 Contact: Mr Delon Lim delon.lim@nus.edu.sg

Shaw Foundation Alumni House, Fri, 7.30pm

Register: alumnet.nus.edu.sg/ event/HWjun18 Contact: Mr Chua Sin Chew sinchew@nus.edu.sg

London, Oxford, Cambridge and Stratford-uponAvon, UK

Movies On The House Open to NUS alumni, students, faculty and staff. Friends and family are welcome.

In this new series, National University Hospital specialists explain common medical conditions, unravel jargon and debunk myths behind complicated diseases.

(Topic to be announced)

22

NUS Alumni Travel Programme A 12-day tour highlighting William Shakespeare’s masterpieces.

26

Health & Wellness

Brain Training Workshops

Explore the latest methods of cognitive training to improve overall brain fitness, mental well-being and reduce cognitive decline. The workshop is suitable for alumni ages 50 and above.

14

JUN

28

JUN

Shaw Foundation Alumni House, Thu, 7.30pm

Register: alumnet.nus.edu.sg/ event/FFjun18 Contact: Mr Ng Shan Jun oarnsj@nus.edu.sg

Shaw Foundation Alumni House, Thu, 7.30pm

Register: alumnet.nus.edu.sg/ event/BWjun18 Contact: Mr Ng Shan Jun oarnsj@nus.edu.sg

A P R — J U N 2 0 1 8 . 15

F O C U S

BUILDING ON THE

T I E S T H AT B I N D A n i n s t i t u t i o n i s o n l y a s s t ro n g a s i t s people. NUS, with its global diaspora o f i n t e rc o n n e c t e d a l u m n i a n d i m m e n s e p o t e n t i a l t h e re i n , i s a h e a d o f t h e g a m e .

TEXT BY WANDA TAN

ONE THING WE AS ADULTS ARE INVARIABLY ASKED IS, “What do you wish you could tell your younger self?”. Mr Goh Seng Wee (Engineering ’03) knows what he would say. It is the same piece of advice the 38 year-old gives to young NUS alumni whenever they ask him that question: “Sooner or later, you will need help for all sorts of scenarios — to change careers, to start a business, or to move to a new city.

Having trusted friends across industries, specialisations and countries is all the more important in today’s ultraconnected world. NUS is an excellent place to build such friendships.”

The global community of NUS alumni is, in some respects, similar to the concept of kongsi, which originally referred to an overseas Chinese clan organisation but now means “company” in the commercial sense. Like a clan, Mr Goh Seng Wee the alumni community shares a common (Engineering ’03) background — in this case, the same alma mater rather than surname. And in the same way many kongsi members partnered up to form commercial enterprises and transformed these into huge conglomerates, NUS alumni also embody a spirit of cooperation and togetherness in their relationships with one another.

Having trusted friends across industries, specialisations and countries is all the more important in today’s ultraconnected world.

16 . THE ALUM NUS

At the heart of this “NUS kongsi”, so to speak, is a keenness to achieve mutual benefits, whether in an individual’s professional, personal or charitable endeavours. The University’s alumni groups — old and new, formal and informal, online and offline, local and overseas — are as numerous as they are diverse; and the group members, bold and resourceful in leveraging on their alumni networks.

HELLO, WORKING WORLD A Public Service Commission Scholarship recipient, Mr Goh was initially “single-minded” in wanting to focus on his studies at NUS. Bit by bit, his involvement in campus life grew, from being a floor representative at Temasek Hall to joining the NUS Students’ Union (NUSSU) Business Committee, chairing the Freshmen Orientation Central Committee and serving as Rag & Flag Project Director. In his final year, Mr Goh was elected as President of the NUSSU Executive Committee

PHYSICAL AND VIRTUAL HUBS Singapore’s entrepreneurial scene is booming and, thanks to their alumni connections, NUS graduates are getting in on the action. For example, Mr Joel Ko (Business ’10), a batchmate of Mr Abhinav Charan (see next page), co-founded the VC firm Marvelstone Ventures and hired a few S3 Asia MBA graduates from later cohorts. NUS Enterprise has also established BLOCK71 startup hubs in San Francisco, Suzhou and Jakarta — modelled after the one in Singapore — making it easier for alumni to expand their startups into these markets.

APP-LICABLE TO ALL Formal groups like MBA Alumni – NUS are not the only avenue for matching employers with jobseekers, either.

Increasingly, alumni groups are forming spontaneously via messaging apps and social media platforms, where users keep in touch and discuss job opportunities.

(EXCO) — a distinctive experience that permanently bonds him with past and future Presidents.

Today, he is in a WhatsApp group with former NUSSU EXCO Presidents from as far back as 1999/2000, and the group grows every year with the addition of immediate past Presidents. He also enjoys meeting alumni across all batches at alumni events. “Over the years, I learnt to appreciate the much larger alumni community and the vast networks that can be tapped on,” says Mr Goh, who recently started a venture capital (VC) firm and sought advice from senior alumni on VC fund formation. “We are all at different stages in our lives, but whenever our paths cross, it can be very enriching.”

It could be argued that Master of Business Administration (MBA) graduates are, as professional networkers, particularly adept at utilising their alumni connections to build business relationships (guanxi). “A key strength of the NUS MBA is not only the courses offered, but the networks it grants

Mr Goh (2nd from left, back row) was a member of the inaugural NUS Alumni Advisory Board, pictured here in 2008.

A P R — J U N 2 0 1 8 . 17

F O C U S

you access to,” says Mr Abhinav Charan (Business ’10). He was part of the inaugural cohort of the S3 Asia MBA, a double degree programme comprising three semesters each in a different city: Shanghai, Seoul and Singapore.

While at NUS, Mr Charan actively promoted student– alumni interaction as part of the NUS MBA Alumni Mr Abhinav Charan Relations Team, and (Business ’10) continues to do so now as Co-opted Director of MBA Alumni – NUS. His role entails organising social events such as afterwork drinks and movie screenings to enhance engagement between alumni across different NUS MBA programmes and cohorts, as well as with existing students. He also acts as a liaison between NUS MBA alumni looking to fill job vacancies and suitable candidates from within the alumni association.

“Alumni often meet up to explore business opportunities or to exchange notes on what’s happening in the industry,” says Mr Charan, 35. Now covering the Asia-Pacific market for a global wealth and asset management firm headquartered in India, the financial services professional has himself benefited from his degree programme’s region-wide reach. “I help institutional investors mainly in Singapore and Korea access India investments. Through the S3 Asia MBA alumni community based in Seoul, I have developed a thriving network of contacts in Korean financial institutions.”

A key strength of the NUS MBA is not only the courses offered, but the networks it grants you access to.

MBA alumni catching up over drinks at Brotzeit, VivoCity.

18 . THE ALUM NUS

F I ND I N G A C O M M O N CAU SE Of course, the pursuit of career advancement is a big factor motivating people to stay connected to their alumni community, be it through faculty-, hall- or interest-based groups. Another is the desire to meet like-minded people and to do something fun and meaningful together. For Ms Airani Ramli (Science ’96), her passion for environmental conservation was what led her to join NUS Toddycats! in 2000.

NUS Toddycats! is made up of volunteers with the NUS Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM), and is open to NUS students and alumni as well as the general public. Members engage in an array of public education activities including guided tours of LKCNHM, guided walks on nature and heritage trails around Singapore, coastal cleanups and public seminars on Singapore’s biodiversity. “Through our shared love for nature and the environment, we have formed friendships that transcend age, race, religion and everything else,” says Ms Airani.

Sports is another area that brings together alumni from different batches and faculties. Mr Yeo Yunhan (Engineering ’15), an avid badminton player, is the founding Chairperson of NUS Alumni Badminton. He created the alumni group last August, upon learning that none had existed prior to that for badminton enthusiasts.

The group currently has over 200 members; to attract more, they rely on a combination of channels including their Meetup.com website, participation in alumni events and word of mouth.

Badminton sessions are organised once a month, usually on campus grounds, and the players often go out for a meal together after that. “Every time we go to NUS, it feels like going back home,” notes Mr Yeo, 27.

Ms Airani (right) volunteers for the International Coastal Cleanup Singapore every year, along with other Toddycats! members.

Mr Yeo founded the NUS Alumni Badminton group in 2017.

WHAT VS WHO How vital is guanxi for professional growth? “Who you know may get you an interview; what you know is still what gets you the job. Within an organisation, however, who you know is key to getting promoted,” says Ms Erin Wong, a regional HR lead for a multinational IT company.

Alumni networks, she adds, may yield unique advantages. “People in your alumni circle believe the most in what your university has to offer. If a hiring manager is part of the same alumni society, he or she is likely to be your biggest advocate.”

I L L U STRATI O N : G ETTY I MAG E S

MS WONG HAS THESE TIPS TO SHARE:

1

ATTEND THE EVENTS If you don’t put yourself out there, no one will see you or know who you are.

Besides satiating his love for badminton, the group also allows him to maintain the friendships forged as an undergraduate and make new friends.

“One of our oldest members graduated in 1985, before I was born! I like listening to his stories about how NUS has changed over the years,” says Mr Yeo. ”By hearing about how these ‘uncles’ and ‘aunties’ succeeded in their careers and family lives, we can take inspiration from their experiences.”

GLOBAL CAMARADERIE In reaching out to fellow alumni based in Korea for help in expanding his business contacts there, Mr Charan highlights a crucial facet of the NUS alumni community: it spans the globe, from neighbouring ASEAN countries to far-flung parts of Europe and North America. “No matter where you

are, the chemistry and closeness you have with other alumni is unique,” says Dr Sharon Heng (Medicine ’08), Chairperson of the NUS Alumni London Chapter, on the “instant” camaraderie felt among NUS graduates. “There is a level of trust there that may not be present in your other friendships.”

When Dr Heng, an ophthalmologist, moved to London eight years ago to pursue her PhD, she found support in long-time residents from the NUS Alumni London Chapter. “Moving to a new country is a life-changing experience. Having a support team you feel comfortable with is very heartwarming,” she says. To help newcomers in London settle down, the group members provide all sorts of useful information such as how the healthcare system works and suggestions to improve their public speaking skills.

2

MAKE AN IMPRESSION Always introduce yourself and speak up instead of waiting for others to speak to you.

3

DON’T TRY TOO HARD Don’t try to be overly funny, chatty, friendly, forward or quiet. The aim is to get people to like you.

4

FOLLOW UP Take everyone’s name card. Follow up every meeting with an email to stay in touch.

A P R — J U N 2 0 1 8 . 19

F O C U S

City also get to stay in touch, and some of us have flown to attend members’ weddings in either city,” says Mdm Bich, 59, who holds a Master in Public Management from LKYSPP. She is “excited” about getting to know compatriots from other NUS Schools and enlarging her alumni network in Vietnam.

A GIVING SPIRIT

Dr Heng was appointed Chairperson of the London Chapter in September 2017, which coincided with a change in direction for the 18 year-old group. Social gatherings are still held every few months, but with more high-level professionals now joining the group, there has been a push in recent years to cater programmes to them. Last March, the Professional Forum series was launched; these forums allow participants to hear from distinguished speakers on global issues, as well as engage in networking. “We hope to build on this series, organise more events and create a stronger networking platform,” explains Dr Heng, 33. She also hopes to link up with other overseas alumni chapters, whether simply to extend a warm welcome to those holidaying in London or to collaborate on events for professionals.

One alumni chapter that is in the process of being set up is in Hanoi, Vietnam. Mdm Nguyen Thi Bich (Public Policy ’03) is leading this cross-faculty effort, having headed the NUS Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) Vietnam Alumni Chapter from 2013 to 2016. Vietnam-based alumni of LKYSPP take part in a wide range of activities, including policy dialogues, weekly group bicycle rides and sharing sessions for incoming LKYSPP students from Vietnam.

“Singaporean diplomats are often invited to our policy dialogues, which double up as networking events. Through the Chapter, LKYSPP graduates in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh

Ms Bich (seated, 5th from left) with friends from the LKYSPP Vietnam Alumni Chapter.

2 0 . THE ALUM NUS

I L L U ST R AT I O N: G E T T Y I M AG E S

Dr Heng (far right) with invited panellists at the second Professional Forum in November 2017.

Giving back to society is a central tenet that the University seeks to convey to its students — and here again, the alumni community has a big part to play. Some are involved in ad hoc charity projects; for example, Mr An Li Shin (Business ’06), a local MBA graduate, tapped on his alumni network to raise money for poor communities in Vietnam and Cambodia. Then there are people like Mr Seah Cheng San (Engineering ’82), who spends much of his time in retirement raising funds to benefit needy students at NUS. Having come from a humble background, Mr Seah received a Singapore Armed Forces scholarship to study at NUS. His tertiary education — including a return to NUS in the late 1980s/early 1990s to obtain an MBA — laid the foundation for a successful career with the SAF and in the corporate sector. While staying at Dunearn Road Hostels/Sheares Hall (DRH/SH), he also met his wife, Ms Chong Siak Ching (Design and Environment ’81),

The bigger the alumni network we rely on, the more donations we are likely to get.

Email and social media platforms have made the task of soliciting donations much easier, he adds. “Through WhatsApp groups and Facebook crowdfunding campaigns, we can reach out to more people beyond our immediate contacts. And the bigger the alumni network we rely on, the more donations we are likely to get.”

PUNCHING ABOVE OUR WEIGHT

On this evidence, the community spirit among NUS alumni is alive and well. Individuals tap on Mr Seah Cheng San their alumni networks for various motives, and (Engineering ’82) via different platforms. But can more be done to create a bigger, closer community?

Ms Airani reasons, “Not everyone has the Mr Seah (far left) at an anniversary-cum-bursary presentation dinner for the Engineering Class of ‘82 Bursary Endowed Fund. luxury of time or circumstance to be actively involved. The important thing is that alumni know and made firm friendships. As such, they belong, and that they can participate or The DRH/SH Alumni giving back is a cause very dear to contribute at any time.” Once they experience Endowment Fund has raised Mr Seah’s heart. the benefits of such networks, they will hopefully In 2009, Mr Seah initiated the remain part of the “NUS kongsi” for the long haul.

As Mr Charan points out, “We need to let go of DRH/SH Alumni Endowment Fund MILLION networking for the short-term goal of landing that first job. and the Engineering Class of ’82 Bursary Endowed and awarded To progress in our careers, we will need a second or third Fund. These benefit needy students who are 293 BURSARIES job. The alumni network can be a priceless starting point.” either Sheares Hall hostelites or NUS Engineering to date Sharing what — and who — one knows with fellow undergraduates. As one of four volunteer members alumni may also lead to powerful synergies across of the NUS Alumni Students’ Advancement The Engineering Class of ’82 Bursary functions and locations, thus raising the already-high Committee (ASAC), set up by the NUS Alumni Endowed Fund calibre of NUS graduates and further elevating the Advisory Board in 2013, he assists alumni across has raised University’s global reputation. So if anyone is wondering all halls and faculties with their own fundraising how best to show pride for their alma mater, here’s your initiatives, under the NUS Alumni Bursary Fund answer: build ties and leverage on each other’s talent.

(ABF) Campaign umbrella.

MILLION You can do far more together than you can do alone.

“Some volunteers may be reluctant to champion and awarded the establishment of a bursary fund because raising 166 BURSARIES to date the requisite amount of contributions can be difficult.

There is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes The NUS ABF before potential donors are approached, like tracking Check out the NUS Alumni Relations Campaign has raised the market to find out which graduates have done well,” website for a full list of alumni groups: says Mr Seah, 61. “At ASAC, the four of us have the alumnet.nus.edu.sg/alumni_groups experience and contacts to guide others in structuring If you’d like to start a new group, we’re all ears!

MILLION which funds, getting seed money, and organising fundraising Call 6516 5775 or email oarconnect@nus.edu.sg will support up to for help in getting your plans off the ground. dinners and golf events.”

540 students per year

$2.9

$2.6

GET RECONNECTED!

$14.2

OPEN ARMS Mdm Joyce Chao, 80, did not graduate from NUS, but that does not matter one bit to her friends in the NUS Senior Alumni group. Their support has been a godsend to Mdm Chao, who lost her husband Prof Chao Tzee Cheng, former Clinical Professor of Forensic Pathology at NUS, in 2000, as well as her son Dr Alexandre Chao (Medicine ’89), a vascular surgeon who died during the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak.

Mdm Chao is a familiar face at NUS Senior Alumni events.

“I was introduced to the NUS Senior Alumni, shortly after it was formed in 2010, by a friend and soon started spending more and more time with the group. I now volunteer with their EXCO informally and help organise activities such as monthly Tea & Chat educational sessions and recreational outings.

The group members are like family to me. We’ve built strong bonds, and being involved in their activities keeps me busy. Most of all, I am inspired by their kindness and selflessness — values that my late husband and son also had. Recently, we raised $3,000 and donated hampers containing medical appliances and nutritious food to the Home Nursing Foundation, for distribution to the needy. It’s a blessing to be able to give happiness to those who are vulnerable, depressed or lonely. Seeing their smiles gives me a positive attitude to life, too.”

A P R — J U N 2 0 1 8 . 21

forum

THE TOPIC: CAR-LITE Going car-lite is part of the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint unveiled in 2015. The Blueprint detailed a 15-year plan for the Republic to reduce its reliance on cars and move towards public transport, cycling, walking and carsharing services, by expanding the rail transport network and infrastructure to promote safe cycling, as well as piloting an electric car-sharing scheme.

A CAR-LITE FUTURE – YAY OR NAY? Last year, the Land Transport Authority announced that the annual allowable car growth in Singapore will be reduced to zero from February 2018, as part of the push towards a car-lite society. NUS alumni weigh in on this national move and discuss its viability.

22 . THE ALUM NUS

What do you make of the term “car-lite”?

What does it entail to you?

J O S E P H: I had been away most of 2017 for work in Hong Kong, so I wasn’t aware of this push to go carlite. So I do ask, does the term “car-lite” mean reducing the use of solely private cars or does it also refer to taxis, Uber and Grab?

A JAY: To me it means minimising private ownership of cars as much as possible. The word “lite” implies that we need not get rid of cars entirely, but instead have a shared pool of vehicles that anyone can use as they need.

C H E E KI A N: “Car-lite” in my opinion doesn’t just refer to ownership but also usage. It means using less of private transport and using more high-capacity public transport like trains and buses. Bicycle-sharing, too, forms an integral part of using less of private transport.

TEXT BY FAIROZA MANSOR . PHOTOS KELVIN CHIA

O U R PA N E L

MR MAIYAZ ISLAM 37, LAWYER (LAW ’10)

If everyone aspires to have a car and the government cannot deliver, there will be resentment. Hence, we are all urged to use less and own less. On top of that, Singapore has also signed the Paris Agreement, pledging to reduce carbon emissions. Going car-lite is one way to commit to that agreement.

A JAY: For the sake of the environment, we have to be pro-car-lite. We have to keep evolving as a society and move away from the time period in which everyone aims to have a car. Given the advances in technology and infrastructure, it’s time we shift this mental paradigm.

Do you personally support this movement?

MR NG CHEE KIAN 30, TEACHER (ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ’13)

M A IYA Z: The simplest of definition for car-lite to me is less cars on the road.

MR AJAY PATHANIA 40, DIRECTOR OF AN EDUCATION CONSULTANCY (MBA ‘05 AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT (MSC) ’14)

Should there be exceptions to the rule then?

A JAY: In Singapore today, car ownership is based largely on economic means — if you can afford the COE (Certificate of Entitlement) and cost of cars — not whether there is a pressing need. Families with many children and ageing parents as well as those with

Do you think it’s important for us to transition towards a car-lite future?

J O S E P H: We have to be careful with this initiative because it’s bound to upset those who are aiming to get a car because they see it as a symbol of success.

We also have to remind ourselves on why we want such a future. What is the objective here? Is it to reduce traffic congestion? Is it for the environment? If it is the latter, then do we penalise car-owners who don’t use their cars as much because they are technically not causing much harm to the environment?

C H E E KI A N: The main consideration, as published in the media, is that there are no plans for our roads to be further expanded to ensure comfortable driving.

M A IYA Z: I do agree with the concept for environmental reasons. But there are other factors to consider.

I’m sure we all have friends who just love cars. In Singapore, cars are one of the big-ticket items to have, as with houses. Taking that privilege away, takes away from people’s well-being. Perhaps as Chee Kian mentioned, it’s best to look at usage.

Therefore, if you rely on the car more, then you pay more.

C H E E KI A N: Though I am a driver, I think we should move towards this, to curb the effects of climate change. However, this can be difficult. Having a car essentially “provides” people with more time. Given our pace of life, expected performance at work and family commitments, having a car is certainly convenient. There needs to be a societal shift where employers are accommodating to public-transporttaking staff’s punctuality when it is raining in the morning, for example.

MR JOSEPH SORONGON 32, MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT (SCIENCE ‘08 AND FINANCE (MSC) ’12)

Singapore has also signed the Paris Agreement, pledging to reduce carbon emissions.

Going car-lite is one way to commit to that agreement.

- MR NG CHEE KIAN

A P R — J U N 2 0 1 8 . 23

forum

Research has shown that a typical car is idle for a significant portion of the time.

Driverless cars that the public can use as they need, without having to own one, in that regard, is a move in the right direction.

- M R A J A Y P AT H A N I A

mobility issues can’t depend much on public transport to get them around. For these groups of people, a car is a necessity surely.

C H E E KI A N: So you’re saying we should consider the distribution mechanism — how ownership is given to people? Should car ownership be based on needs, or should it be based on affluence, as with our society today?

A JAY: Exactly! There is now a single parameter to determine car ownership, and that is money.

J O S E P H: Maybe then we need to identify those who need a car, and those who use it for fun. And protect the group that actually has a need for it.

M A IYA Z: I agree that car ownership should ideally be needs-based. That being said, people aren’t going to be too happy when more and more restrictions are implemented.

How do you think Singapore is doing so far in managing the issue?

J O S E P H: Coming from the Philippines, and

24 . THE ALUM NUS

having lived in Hong Kong — where traffic in both cases is atrocious — the number of cars on the road here, to me, is acceptable. Something must be working.

C H E E KI A N: That’s partly because we have Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) in place and high barriers to entry to owning a car largely due to the cost!

A JAY: Singapore is charging ahead in its efforts to design and construct driverless vehicles. These vehicles are especially designed to solve “the first and last mile problem” — a term used to describe the challenges of moving people between transportation hubs and their final destinations. Research has shown that a typical car is idle for a significant portion of the time. Driverless cars that the public can use as they need, without having to own one, in that regard, is a move in the right direction.

Chee Kian, what would it take for you to give up your car or reduce your car usage?

C H E E KI A N: As a teacher, I have to be at work by 6.30am. Before getting a car two years ago, I’d call for an Uber both ways, which would cost me about $20 a day. I had to, as there isn’t a direct mode of transport from my home to the school. By car, the journey takes about 10 to 15 minutes, but if I take public transport, 50 minutes to an hour. After doing the maths, I realised getting a car wouldn’t cost me significantly more.

Therefore, I consider the car a necessity for the convenience it provides and the time it enables me to save, to get to work on time.

I suppose as the cost to own a car keeps rising, and the difficulty in getting a parking spot worsens, I might be forced to give up my car down the line.

A JAY: There’s certainly a need for flexibility in the workplace to support this initiative. Sometimes our society can be too

rigid — if we are late, we get penalised even if it’s due to an MRT breakdown or wet weather. I think we have to be more tolerant and understanding towards people who travel by public transport if we want to support a car-lite future.

M A IYA Z: It comes back to our culture and mindset. We should not be too robotic.

C H E E KI A N: Yes, employers should try to be more accommodating.

M A IYA Z: Or just human.

Do you think our transportation system is reliable and efficient enough to present a compelling reason for motorists to give up their cars?

GETTING O N T R AC K The number of cars in Singapore has dropped 3 years in a row. Still, there were

552,000 cars on the road in 2016 — almost 90,000 more than the 465,000 in 2006.

By 2030, the rail network will be

S O U R C E: LA N D TR AN S P O R T AU TH O R I TY

360km long, and more than 90 per cent of developments in the Central Business District (CBD) will be within a 5-minute walk to an MRT station.

A JAY: Taking public transport is definitely tedious. The first and last mile problem is real – there are plenty of inefficient pockets along the way such as waiting or transition times, especially if you need to take a bus to get on the train. Perhaps there should be more MRT stations in one housing estate. That being said, our MRT network has become more comprehensive over the years. The pooling services provided by Grab and Uber have also helped with connectivity as we travel with passengers whose destinations are along the same route.

C H E E KI A N: But isn’t the delay when you “pool” very substantial? I’ve heard it can take an hour more than taking the usual Grab/Uber!

A JAY: Sometimes, yes, but I think those incidences are few and far between!

M A IYA Z: I think our transportation system is good, but not without problems. Train delays and breakdowns have certainly affected reliability of public transport. And even when it does come on time, sometimes I can’t get on board because the train cars are just too full. During peak hours, it can take up to 30 minutes of waiting time before I can get on.

That makes the experience quite frustrating.

J O S E P H: Having lived in Hong Kong and Manila, I think that Singapore’s public transport system is far superior. There are even apps to tell you when precisely the buses will arrive. So we can certainly depend on public transport — we just have to plan the journey and time accordingly to cut down the wait. It works fine for me.

What more can be done to make people aware that cars are not the be-all and endall mode of transport?

J O S E P H: When I returned to Singapore earlier this year, I discovered that the bike-sharing initiative has really taken off. For me, it’s a game-changer.

I love cycling, so I’m absolutely on-board, and have been cycling to MRT stations. It has simplified my commuting experience. But of course, doing this might require you to have a shower before you start your work day!

C H E E KI A N: The laws have made it possible for a shared path, allowing people to use personal mobility devices (PMDs) or bikes on the pavement.

Therefore, these alternative modes of connection are now more viable. However, you have to content yourself with the weather. As Joseph mentioned — your workplace needs to have shower facilities, or even an area to park your PMD securely, in order to accommodate this move towards a car-lite society.

A JAY: Social problems are always complex; there’s no one solution that can resolve them. To me, leadership has to play a role for this mindset shift to happen more swiftly. The people we look up to or respect at work, and leaders in government and business should set the standard and be role models for using public transport. Change sometimes should start from the top.

A P R — J U N 2 0 1 8 . 25

panorama

THE S I NG AP ORE PARAD O X:

Going forward and standing still – all at once The nation has seen five decades of progress, but we are not where we ought to be when it comes to social responsibility, says Professor Kishore Mahbubani (Arts and Social Sciences ‘71).

INGAPORE HAS THE BEST-EDUCATED population in Southeast Asia. There is no question about it. We are the only ASEAN country with recognised world-class universities. Our school students regularly top global educational rankings, as demonstrated by our performance in PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) rankings. This has gone on for several decades. The natural consequence of having the best-educated population in Southeast Asia is that we should have also developed the most enlightened population in the region. Conventional education theory tells us that education produces enlightenment. Yet, this has clearly not happened with the population of Singapore. The main goal of this article is to encourage thoughtful Singaporeans, especially the thoughtful graduates of the best university of Singapore, NUS, to engage in deep reflection over this key Singapore paradox.

Evidence of this lack of enlightenment can be seen in the behaviour and attitudes of Singaporeans at the national, regional and global levels. At all these three levels, we demonstrate a certain lack of enlightenment. At the national level, enlightenment would mean that we show a deep level of concern for

S

If the Singapore government can inspire other ASEAN countries with its behaviour, why can’t the Singapore population do the same?

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our fellow citizens. At minimum, it would reveal itself in Singaporeans becoming socially responsible (for instance, by not littering). Yet, the embarrassing fact about Singapore is that we have become one of the cleanest cities in the world because we are one of the most cleaned cities. Foreign workers keep our city clean. By contrast, Taipei City, whose educational standards cannot match ours, is clean because its citizens are socially responsible.

At the regional level, there is no doubt that Singapore is the biggest beneficiary of the wonderful ecosystem of peace and prosperity that ASEAN has created in the region. Our total trade is 3.5 times the size of our GNP. Such massive trade would not have been possible if Southeast Asia had fulfilled its natural political and cultural destiny and emerged as ‘the Balkans of Asia’. As Mr Jeffery Sng (Arts and Social Sciences ’73) and I document in our book The ASEAN Miracle, our

The drastic cost of plastics

PLASTI C BAG S were used in Singapore in 2011. This number is likely to have risen as the population increased.

To manufacture the three billion plastic bags:

37 million kg OF CR U DE OI L AN D

12 million kg OF NATU RAL GAS W E R E R EQU I R E D

Singapore is the world’s

2nd

-LAR G E ST S HAR K’S FI N TRAD E R BY VALU E

region should have been mired in strife and conflict. Instead, Southeast Asia has become the most peaceful region in the developing world. This is why ASEAN is a true miracle.

As the biggest beneficiary of the ASEAN ecosystem, Singapore’s population should be the most appreciative of ASEAN among the 10 member states. Instead, quite shockingly, we have the least appreciative population. Ambassador Tommy Koh (Law ’61) provided evidence of this in his excellent article on Singapore and ASEAN in The Straits Times on 9 January 2018. As he said, “Only 77 per cent of the Singaporeans surveyed had a favourable or very favourable view of ASEAN, compared with 85 per cent for all ASEAN countries.” This figure does not make sense. We have the best-educated population in ASEAN. We are the biggest beneficiaries of ASEAN. Logically, we should rank first among the ASEAN populations in appreciating the ASEAN miracle. Instead, as Ambassador Tommy Koh says,

S O U R C E : S I N GA P O R E E N VI R O N M E N T C O U N C I L & W W W.W W F.S G / / I L L U STRATI O N : G E TTY I MAG E S

3 BILLION

it is “disappointing to read that in a survey carried out by research agency Blackbox recently, the Singapore public ranks last in its favourable attitude towards ASEAN.” This simple fact alone should lead Singaporeans to engage in deep reflection on why education has not led to enlightened public attitudes in Singapore.

To reinforce this point, let me also cite the evidence of our lack of social responsibility at the global level.

As a regular participant in many global conferences, I know that there is now a clear consensus among the best-educated and most thoughtful elites in the world that climate change is real. All over the world, people are trying to change their behaviour, making small individual contributions to mitigating the effects of climate change.

They are also demonstrating their commitment to various environmental causes to make the world a better place.

Amazingly, despite our well-educated population, we do not lead the pack when it comes to global citizenship in the environmental realm. Rwanda is much poorer than Singapore. Indeed, its dream is to become the Singapore of Africa. Yet the population of Rwanda has accepted a ban on plastic bags while the Singaporean population has made no effort to even reduce usage.

China has a long way to go before its level of public education reaches that of Singapore. Yet, President Xi Jinping stole a march on Singapore by banning shark’s fin from all official banquets of the Chinese Communist Party. As a society, we have not followed suit in discouraging the consumption of shark’s fin.

Do these small symbolic steps matter? Will they lead to a better world? Sceptics could argue that even if the 3.2 million Singapore citizens become enlightened model citizens of the world, we will not make an ounce of difference if larger nations don’t improve their behaviour. This fact is undeniable. Yet, it is also undeniable that what Singapore does can inspire others.

As we document in The ASEAN Miracle, one reason why ASEAN has been so successful is that Singapore has provided quiet leadership behind the scenes. Equally importantly, our excellent public policies have been quietly replicated in many ASEAN countries. Clearly, the deeds of the Singapore government have inspired many ASEAN countries. The simple question that Singapore citizens should ask themselves is this: if the Singapore government can inspire other ASEAN countries with its behaviour, why can’t the Singapore population do the same? Let us become the most enlightened citizens of Southeast Asia.

Professor Kishore Mahbubani is Senior Advisor (University & Global Relations) and Professor in the Practice of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.

He previously served for 33 years in Singapore’s diplomatic service and is recognised as an expert on Asian and world affairs.

A P R — J U N 2 0 1 8 . 27

changemaker

WHO IS SHE? Ms Danielle Hong, 30, writer-researcher at the National Volunteer and Philanthrophy Centre and community activist.

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HEN MS DANIELLE HONG graduated from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences with a Honours degree in Sociology, she first interned as a copywriter for a small advertising firm. Opportunities to progress in advertising were scarce, so when a position for a research assistant opened up at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), Ms Hong decided to enter academia.

That job under IPS’ Society and Identity Cluster started her off on research writing: she co-wrote research papers on integration and multiculturalism. After a year off in 2013 pursuing her Masters in Law, Development and Globalisation of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London on a Tun Dato Sir Cheng Lock Tan Scholarship, Ms Hong became a research associate at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. There, she wrote a working paper on informal youth activism which was published in December 2017. Today, Ms Hong works as a researcher at the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC). She also volunteers with Back-alley Barbers, cutting hair for elderly in homes, and has opened up her research and writing talents to non-profits who need help.

Ms Danielle Hong’s 5 Tips On How To Start Changing Society

1

FIND OUT WHAT YOU’RE INTERESTED IN, and if there’s a community of like-minded individuals.

The cross-pollination of ideas will spark off more inspiration.

2

START SMALL. Even if you’ve never had experience writing or researching, you can attempt pro-bono projects. It’s a good way of building your portfolio, while understanding what your “client” needs.

Tell us about your work as a researcher with the NVPC.

NVPC aims to nurture a giving culture in Singapore, and this involves working with multiple stakeholders such as nonprofits and corporates. My research has to be angled for advocacy, and every component of our events has to tee up

Making The Kindest Cut Ms Danielle Hong (Arts and Social Sciences ’11) takes her passion of social activism to the streets — literally — as a Back-alley Barber and community activist.

3

KEEP CREATING. The best way to find out what fulfils you is to create your own original works, in whatever form or medium.

4

USE YOUR TALENTS TO BETTER OTHERS. If you use your skills to advocate for the needs of others, you’re also changing mindsets, and empowering your chosen community.

5

ALWAYS REMEMBER TO EMPATHISE. Not everyone wants to change the world, but sincerity and empathy can take you a long way in building friendships and networks.

with our values and mission, and it also involved a lot of stakeholder management as the social sector is really about the “social”, after all!

You’re one of the first volunteers in a programme called Back-alley Barbers (BAB). What’s it about?

BAB was founded by Cai Yinzhou, the person behind Geylang Adventures and his friends in 2014 (Geylang Adventures is a non-profit that organises social initiatives in the district). They were motivated by migrant workers they spoke to who were forgoing haircuts in order to send more money back home. There were three of them initially, but two left. Yinzhou then recruited more volunteers, and that was when I joined in 2016. We were trained by a professional hairstylist over five weeks, and then thrown into the deep end to start cutting hair!

Who was your first client?

Ms Hong, the Back-alley Barber in action

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He was a senior living at the Thian Leng Old Folks Home in Telok Kurau. To be honest, it was a stressful blur, as

TEXT BY THERESA TAN . MAIN PHOTO BY HONG CHEE YAN

marginalised populations such as the elderly, streetwalkers and migrant workers, and locals like us. These connections enable us to foster empathy, and to understand their needs as fellow human beings.

You have a great passion for and commitment to bettering the community. What sparked this?

Sociology at NUS has shaped me to think of myself not as an individual, but as someone living within societal structures, rules and networks. I see the community as others who share more similarities than differences with me. Learning about social inequalities, social movements and human rights has taught me that social justice is necessary. It’s my raison d’etre.

What memories do you have of your years at NUS?

I had superb professors at the Sociology department.

Associate Professor Narayanan Ganapathy, who taught me Jurisprudence, opened up a whole new world to me, which led to my interest in the legal aspects of Sociology, and thereafter, my Masters in Law. Associate Professor Daniel Goh also led a class on Race and Society, it was mind-blowing for us who previously took racial stereotypes and policies for granted.

What other community projects have you worked on?

hairdressing involves a lot of multi-tasking. Technically, you have to know what you’re doing, because this is an actual human being, and not a mannequin’s head. Then there’s the speed; some of the better BAB barbers are fast and can serve eight clients per session. I’m not as fast — I had to keep track of my time management. Lastly, it’s social as well: you have to talk to whoever you’re cutting hair for, be it an older person or a migrant worker. To make that personal connection is important.

How many volunteers does BAB have and who are the clients?

Right now, there are more than 20 volunteers. BAB strives to serve anyone in need of a haircut, so it doesn’t matter who you are or what social-economic class you’re in. So far BAB has served mostly eldercare homes as the nurses there tend to have to do it, and these nurses are overstretched as it is. Also, BAB works with TWC2 (Transient Workers Count Too) and other non-profits, so we give haircuts to migrant workers who seek help from TWC2 and elsewhere.

What’s your personal motivation for volunteering AT BAB?

BAB isn’t really about free haircuts. The haircut is a means to an end — to humanise urban life again, and to allow social connections between

A few years ago, I worked with friends on an community art initiative with the youth staying in rental flats in Lengkok Bahru. We wanted to understand their lives, and wanted them to tell their stories so that they could be empowered to advocate for their needs. We provided nine youths, aged 13 to 18, with film cameras, and gave them themes like “Everyday life”, “My spaces”, “Important stuff”. Working with Beyond Social Services, this project culminated in photo exhibitions at *SCAPE and a sharing session. Our project “Kopitiam Lengkok Bahru” was featured on Channel News Asia, and in The New Paper and Berita Harian. This project was presented at the 2017 IPS-SAM Spotlight on Cultural Policy Series: Roundtable on the Development of Community Arts in Singapore.

You are the epitome of “Be the change you want to see”. What are the changes you want to see and how do you influence others to support your vision?

The biggest change I’d want to see is a really small one.

The other day, my neighbour shut the lift door in my face.

I wish for a day when it becomes intuitive to be gracious towards each other as fellow human beings. It seems silly, but I think empathy leads to greater ripple effects that can positively influence your own personal life. That’s the change I want to see: my neighbours holding the lift door for me. As for influencing others, if they see that it isn’t all that hard, they could try it themselves? Whatever “it” is, be it a passion or hobby that can enable others as well.

A P R — J U N 2 0 1 8 . 29

Alumni Giving

A L A N

C H A N

S T U D Y

A W A R D

C R E AT I N G OPPORTUNITIE S AND CHAMPIONING E D U C AT I O N ROWING UP IN THE RURAL OUTSKIRTS OF SIEM REAP, Cambodia, Ms So Kuon (Class of 2021), the seventh child in a family of eight children, saw sheer hard work as the only way out of poverty.

“When I was young, my family was so poor,” she recalled. The family did not even have tables or chairs for school officials visiting her house to interview her siblings for scholarships.

Despite these challenges, Ms So Kuon was determined to secure scholarships to both elementary and high school. Even after securing financial aid to the best schools in Siem Reap, many challenges awaited Ms So Kuon, one of which was the difficulty of learning English from scratch at age nine when no one spoke English at home. She and her siblings also had to walk great distances from home to school each day.

Getting accepted to study at Yale-NUS College and receiving financial aid to do so through the Alan Chan Study Award was yet another milestone in Ms So Kuon’s journey towards overcoming hardship through sheer grit, fortitude and determination.

Ms So Kuon’s desire to better herself and others come across in her hopes and dreams. “I come from a poor region of Cambodia and I want to give back to my community after studying at Yale-NUS College and contribute by developing it.”

This desire has spurred Ms So Kuon on in her freshman year at Yale-NUS, where she intends to major in Mathematical,

G

Computational and Statistical Sciences (MCS). Yale-NUS’ interdisciplinary curriculum also appealed to Ms So Kuon because of her interest in exploring Environmental Science and Economics, two seemingly disparate fields of study that she views as relevant and complementary to community development.

In these first two years of college, she will take classes from the Common Curriculum, which span the fields of Humanities, Social Sciences and Science.

During Week 7, Ms So Kuon had the opportunity to go on a Learning Across Boundaries (LAB) trip to India organised by the Centre for International & Professional Experience (CIPE), where she was able to witness the important role that local non-government organisations and schools played in both environmental conservation and community development, as well as the power of education first-hand.

The experience was an indelible one that resonated with her life goals, and galvanised her excitement for more international opportunities, especially those relevant to her academic interests. “I’m looking forward to more international opportunities with CIPE and being able to work on research!” Ms So Kuon shared excitedly.

The ability to experience such a unique educational curriculum and gain international exposure, would not have been possible without the generous financial aid that was made available to her. She is the first Cambodian to enrol at YaleNUS and a proud recipient of the Alan Chan Study Award. She recalled her excitement and disbelief on the night she opened her acceptance letter and study award package, “I was crying so hard! If not for this, I won’t be able to study here.”

I come from a poor region of Cambodia and I want to give back to my community after studying at Yale-NUS College and contribute by developing it.

Through it all, her family has remained a powerful source of inspiration and strength.

As teenagers, both her parents lived through the horrors of the Khmer Rouge regime. Amid the violence, her maternal grandfather was killed and her uncle, then a young boy, starved to death. She recounted, “They went through all of that.

Four years of no education. Four years of physical labour and hunger. It made an impact on how they fight to live even after the Khmer Rouge.”

“I feel that strength,” she said.

Most importantly to her, Ms So Kuon said, “My parents are happy. I didn’t have to suffer the same pains that they did.”

Receiving the Alan Chan Study Award together with the opportunity to study at Yale-NUS College has changed Ms So Kuon’s life and empowered her to actualise her dreams as she looks forward to her next few years ahead at the College.

This story was first published on yale-nus.edu.sg/ newsroom/28-november-2017-alan-chan-study-awardcreating-opportunities-and-championing-education.

3 0 . THE ALUM NUS

pursuit of excellence

WHO IS HE? Owner of events and kids entertainment firm Star Dazzle Concepts, Mr Edmund Khong is a professional clown and magician. Winner of the World Clown Association’s All Around Clown Award in 2017 and 2018, he is also the director of the Association’s Southeast Asia branch and hopes to develop the region’s clowning scene. In particular, he wants to grow the number of ‘caring clowns’ who visit children in hospitals.

A Seriously Funny Guy Having triumphed over addiction and adversity, professional award-winning clown Mr Edmund Khong (Arts and Social Sciences ’05) is now having the last laugh.

32 . THE ALUM NUS

TEXT BY JIMMY YAP . PHOTO BY EALBERT HO

HIS IS NOT A JOKE: Mr Edmund Khong is a clown, and an ambitious one at that.

Last year, the self-taught entertainer practised for months ahead of a competition organised by the World Clown Association and ultimately won the All Around Clown Award. He was the first Singaporean and only the second Asian to bag this honour. Not satisfied with that win, Mr Khong, 37, worked hard to win the All Around Clown Award again in 2018. In doing so he was named a Master Clown — and became the first non-American to hold this title. His story is an intriguing one, with more than its share of laughter and tears.

Yet despite his busy schedule, he made it a point not to cut class. “I didn’t come from a well-to-do background.

My parents were paying for my studies so I wanted to honour them,” he says. Indeed, Mr Khong said he loved the discipline of History and even flirted with the idea of being a teacher. However, after graduation, he decided to try his hand at being a full-time entertainer, which proved to be a good move. A year after leaving University, he had earned enough to be able to marry his girlfriend. She now handles the administration and finance for Star Dazzle Concepts, the company Mr Khong runs.

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BACK FROM THE BRINK

A TOUCH OF MAGIC Even though Mr Khong is now best known as a clown, it was magic that first captivated him. “I loved watching David Copperfield TV specials,” he recalls. His father was a technician and his mother a housewife. “My parents couldn’t afford magic props so I constructed my own. I only got to buy magic props for my birthday or Christmas.” As a student at Catholic High, and then Anderson Junior College, he continued to hone his skills.

“Every Chinese New Year, I’d go visiting and perform.”

He would also volunteer to do magic tricks during school visits to homes for the aged.

It was only in NUS that he decided to go in another direction. He wanted to work as an entertainer but it was a crowded field and he needed a way to stand apart from the competition. That was when he decided to pick up clowning. In his first year, he met his “professor”, Singapore’s Ronald McDonald. This was the man who worked as the fast-food chain’s mascot here.

“I accompanied him on his jobs and got to see him in action. He was very willing to share everything he knew.”

In University, his official major was History but his unofficial one was Clowning, even though his self-created ‘course curriculum’ was, shall we say, not well-fleshed out.

“At the time, there was no YouTube, just books and video tapes. I bought them all and I attended performances by foreign clowns.” He also ‘minored’ in juggling, joining the University’s Juggling Club, where he met his future wife.

A DOUBLE LIFE Between studying and his clowning career, university life was pretty hectic for Mr Khong. A resident of Eusoff Hall, his friends there nicknamed him ‘ninja’ because he was barely seen. He started doing paid gigs in his third year, and there were occasions when he had to get into costume and makeup right after lessons to get to a show.

Every time I put on makeup or do a job, I ask myself, ‘How can I make this better?’

2005 Set up Star Dazzle Concepts

2005 1st National Day Entrepreneur Competition Champion

2007 Led the the official balloon-sculpting team that broke the Guinness World Record of the Most Balloon Hat Wearers

2015 Audition winner at Clown Camp Japan, appeared on stage with famous Japanese clown duo Rone and Gigi

2018 Named winner of All Around Clown Award by the World Clown Association for the second time; conferred the title of Master Clown

While he is at the top of his game today, Mr Khong has had his share of lows as well. Four years ago, he became addicted to online gaming. “I was on a downward spiral. I was spending 16 hours a day doing it.” He did not get enough sleep and his relationship with his wife suffered. In addition, he was not eating healthily.

The combination of stress, a poor diet and an unhealthy lifestyle took its toll. He put on weight, tipping the scales at 95kg. ”Clowning is a very physical thing,” he explains.

“I developed back problems and a pain in the left knee.

The wake-up call was when I went to the doctor: At 33, I had all the three highs — blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol. This is stuff you should only see in your late 40s.”

He decided to clean up his act. He reduced his sugar intake and turned to natural food, “fish rather than fish cake, chicken rather than chicken nuggets”. It took him eight months to lose the flab and today, he is a trim 68kg. Kicking the gaming habit was a lot harder.

He tried going cold turkey but that failed. “It was a huge mistake,” he recalls, as it created a void which he filled by taking up another game instead. He realised that he was the sort who would get obsessive when he latched on to something, so he latched on to getting fit. He started power-lifting and loved it so much that he went on to get certified as a personal trainer. While he does not work as a trainer, one thing he has learned from it is the principle of progressive overload. The idea is that if you want to get stronger, you have to keep pushing your body. “I’ve taken this principle into clowning — it guarantees that anyone in any profession will get better over time.”

One challenge he faces is anti-clown prejudice.

Thanks to movies like Stephen King’s It, clowns are seen as scary as well. “I have customers who tell me, ‘Don’t come in makeup’. They even try to avoid using the word ‘clown’. 80 per cent of the time I do my show in Singapore, it’s without makeup.” As such, he works around such notions. “From a business point of view, I don’t call my show a clown show, I call it a comedy, juggling and magic show.” The ability to overcome adversity, the zeal for improvement, and the desire to serve others all demonstrate that for Mr Khong, being funny is indeed a serious venture.

A P R — J U N 2 0 1 8 . 33

frontiers

BLOCKCHAIN IN A NUTSHELL A Blockchain is a type of distributed ledger for maintaining a permanent and tamper-proof record of transactional data. It functions as a decentralised database managed by computers belonging to a peer-topeer network. Each of these computers maintains a copy of the ledger to prevent a single point of failure and all copies are updated and validated simultaneously.

BETTER THAN BITCOIN

HE IDEA OF GETTING lots of money for not working very hard is an attractive notion. That is why the thought of mining Bitcoins, a cryptocurrency, seems to be particularly tantalising. At the time of writing, a single Bitcoin is worth about $12,700 so the idea of running some software on your laptop to earn Bitcoins has a certain appeal.

According to Assistant Professor Prateek Saxena of the NUS School of Computing however, you should not bother. He is not some old fuddy-duddy, risk-averse academic though. The 35 year-old computer scientist, with a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, is the co-author of major papers on blockchain, the technology at the heart of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. And his objections to mining Bitcoin are simply practical ones. “An ordinary laptop running 24-seven will take 10 years to mine one Bitcoin on average,” he says. And in fact, he does not have a single Bitcoin himself. “I have turned away all Bitcoins offered to me. I have never felt the need to own Bitcoin.”

That does not mean he is not a believer in cryptocurrencies though.

On the contrary, Asst Prof Saxena and his research lab members have co-founded a company that is planning to launch a new cryptocurrency

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I L L U ST R AT I O N: G E T T Y I M AG E S // P H OTO O F AS ST P R O F S A X E NA & TEA M: MA R K L E E

Assistant Professor Prateek Saxena is developing a new cryptocurrency that promises to fix the many weaknesses of Bitcoin. If he succeeds, he might become a zillionaire.

34 . THE ALUM NUS

TEXT BY JIMMY YAP

number of different problems: it is slow, not scalable and uses a lot of power. That is where Zilliqa comes in. Built around a 2015 paper that Asst Prof Saxena co-authored, Zilliqa promises to allow much faster transactions than Bitcoin or Ethereum. The Bitcoin network handles between four and seven transactions per second while Ethereum handles between 10 to 12 transactions per second. In October 2017, Zilliqa ran an internal test that was able to handle 2,488 transactions per second. And while Bitcoin slows down when the network gets bigger, Zilliqa gets faster when its network increases.

For cryptocurrency miners, the promise is that using the same hardware, they will earn more by mining Zilliqa

called Zilliqa which promises to be much faster, more scalable and use less power than Bitcoin. If Zilliqa does everything it promises, it will give Bitcoin a run for its money — and may even usurp its crown.

Asst Prof Saxena (in white shirt) with his team.

C RY P T I C S P E AK To understand how and why, it is first vital to understand cryptocurrencies and blockchains. Most of the world’s currencies have a centralised party that keeps track of transactions. Among other things, the centralised party ensures that people do not double spend, which is where a digital token is spent more than once.

While solving the problem of double spending is important, the downside is that the centralised party has a monopoly over the infrastructure and there is no competition to bring charges down.

Cryptocurrencies, on the other hand, do not have a centralised record of transactions. It is a currency that uses cryptography for security. The technology underlying cryptocurrencies is something called blockchain. A blockchain stores the record of the transactions. “You can record a set of facts as blocks, you chain them up in time, and you cryptographically secure them,” says Asst Prof Saxena.

It is an “immutable ledger”, which means you cannot make changes to it. It is public, you do not need to ask permission to use it, and is gives transparency and security. As these blocks are heavily encrypted, they are akin to complicated math puzzles that only powerful hardware can solve. Mining refers to the process of solving the puzzles and adding them to the public blockchain. Miners verify the transactions and keep the infrastructure going. Instead of having one record held by a central body, every node on the network has the same record. The costs of transactions go down because thousands of computers (miners) compete to participate in the transaction.

Bitcoin is the best-known example of a cryptocurrency but others include Ethereum and Litecoin. However, existing cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin are not perfect. Bitcoin, for example, has a

We are driving people’s minds towards deep computer science ideas and this transformation is very healthy. than they will for Ethereum because Zilliqa can handle more transactions. And unlike with Bitcoin where the cost of mining goes up with each year as more miners join in, with Zilliqa, the mining rate will remain the same. Zilliqa is currently still building its platform, so it is not possible to become a Zilliqa miner at the moment but the company promises that within a year, anyone with a laptop can join in.

IT’S NOT ABOUT THE MONEY

SUPER-FAST!

2,488

In October 2017, Zilliqa ran an internal test that was able to handle 2,488 transactions per second.

When he is not developing world-changing technologies, Asst Prof Saxena teaches computer security at NUS. Given his background, it is not surprising that he also has to field enquiries from undergraduates with dollar signs in their eyes. His advice to them is to hit the books. His lab members at NUS have spun-off five companies whose total net assets are worth over US$400 million. He himself is involved either as a co-founder or a advisor in all of them. “I encourage students to focus on mastering computer science first before getting rich. So when they come to me, I ask them half-joking, ‘Do you want to get rich now or do you want to do your PhD and get rich then?’”

Indeed, what excites him most is not the idea of being a zillionaire but that all this talk about blockchains and cryptocurrencies is creating tremendous interest in deep tech research. “We are driving people’s minds towards deep computer science ideas and this transformation is very healthy.” In fact, he believes that “cryptocurrency Valley” of the world is in Singapore. Why? Any place with such ambitions has to be a financial hub (like Singapore), where the regulator is respected, where there are world-class universities and good immigration policies. “The government’s funding support is good.

The NUS School of Computing is 20 years old so this is the 20th year of deep fundamental computer science research. You are seeing early fruits of a long-term vision and continued investment into computing research.”

A P R — J U N 2 0 1 8 . 35

ALUMNI TRAVEL PROGRAMME

SAIL TO KRAKATOA An NUS team embarked on an exhilarating journey of discovery last December.

TWO ALUMNI, TEN STUDENTS AND THREE PROFESSORS from NUS embarked on a Sail to Krakatoa voyage on 21 December 2017, organised by NUS Seafarers and supported by NUS Alumni Relations. The group spent an exciting and enriching 13 days exploring and learning about places with rich history and culture, including: Rakata and Anak Krakatua, two of the four islands formed after the cataclysmic eruption in 1883; Kuala Penat, a fishing village along coast of Sumatra; and Thousand Islands where they snorkelled among beautiful corals and marine life.

“Every sunset and sunrise, and experience during the trip was intensified with these amazing people whom I am so privileged to count as trusty new friends. Our journey continues from here in ways that we probably will never imagine possible – CARPE DIEM!” Ms Xu Simin (Business ’07)

32 46 . A TH LU EM AN LU UM S NUS

“The trip deeply reminded me of my days in University. I was able to learn a lot from the trip, from the professors, Captain Blake, and new friends made on the ship discussing geography, ecology, astronomy, sailing and navigation among many other things! Without access to the Internet and other distractions from our phones, I learnt to enjoy the little things around me and truly appreciate nature and my company aboard the ship.”

Mr Shaun Tan (Engineering ’15)

UPCOMING EVENTS NUS Alumni Travel Programme: UK Shakespearean Discovery

26 May to 6 June A 12-day tour highlighting William Shakespeare’s masterpieces.

For more information: alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/ATPmay18 idylim@nus.edu.sg (Ms Idy Lim) Java to Borneo by Sail

19 May to 1 June A 14-day journey to understand how the ocean works.

For more information: henz@comp.nus.edu.sg with subject “Java 2 Borneo” From Borneo Due West

2 to 16 June A 15-day voyage on a classic sailing ship.

For more information: seajm@nus.edu.sg

A P R — J U N 2 0 1 8 . 37

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS

EVENTS

NUSS Lo Hei Dinner

From left: Mr Eddie Lee, Mr Hsieh Fu Hua, Prof Tan Eng Chye and Mr Johnny Tan (Chairman of the NUS Alumni Students’ Advancement Committee and NUSS Management Committee Member).

A GIFT OF

$250,000

By NUSS towards the ABF this year brings its total donation to the bursary fund since 2013 to

$1.25 million 38 . THE ALUM NUS

The National University of Singapore Society (NUSS) celebrated another year of warm friendship with NUS over a Lo Hei dinner held on 21 February at NUSS Kent Ridge Guild House. The event was attended by Mr Hsieh Fu Hua (Business ’74), Chairman of NUS Board of Trustees; Professor Tan Eng Chye (Science ’85), NUS President; and members of NUS Senior Management, as well as NUSS Management Committee.

Guests enjoyed a sumptuous dinner amid a performance by the Ocarina House, who presented Chinese New Year tunes with the ocarina and guzheng. To mark the close working relationship with NUS, as well as to support underprivileged students pursuing an education with the University, NUSS President Mr Eddie Lee (Law ’81) presented a cheque of $250,000 to NUS President Prof Tan at the event – a donation towards the NUS Alumni Bursary Fund (ABF). Since the launch of the Fund in 2013, NUSS has raised $1.25 million towards the ABF through their annual pledge.

HOME & LIVING FLOWERADVISOR

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EDUCATION AND SELF-ENRICHMENT

BEAUTY AND WELLNESS

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

For new customers – 1st trial Oriental Plant based Scalp Therapy + 1 Regular Size Shampoo @ $18 (Usual Price: $298).

1 year National Geographic Magazine (12 issues) at $48, Free World Map 30% discount on any Herbal Scalp or Hair [newsstand: $110.40] second installmentLoss on 20 January,Programme Ms Boey along Therapy purchased.

1 year National Geographic Kids with IPRS Horticulturist Mr Frederick Koh and orientalhairsolutions.com (10 issues) at $44 [newsstand: $75] experienced guides from the National Parks Board 1 year National Geographic Little Kids guided 92 attendees through the many Gardens at (6 issues) at $32 [newsstand: $45] HortPark. It was an engaging and informative event 1 year National Geographic Traveller where attendees learned more about the various (6 issues) at $40 [newsstand: $55.20] plants, vegetables and fruits, as well as Vertical The Nature Appreciation Series is 1 year National Geographic History Green Walls — the types of plants being planted an initiative by the National University (6 issues) at $95 [newsstand: $119.40] and how the walls are constructed. of Singapore Society (NUSS)’s Alumni 1 year National Geographic Special Issues Development and University Relations (6 issues) at $95 [newsstand: $119.40] (ADUR) Sub-Committee, which aims natgeosubscriptions.com/nuspromo to provide attendees with an enriching experience through the exploration of the flora and fauna in Singapore. The series TRUE YOGA is led by Ms Maria Boey (Architecture Enjoy 2 complimentary yoga sessions ’74), President of the Institute of Parks & worth $76.

Sign up for ‘Select’ Membership and Recreation, Singapore (IPRS). She is also receive a complimentary True Fitness an NUSS member, volunteering her time 14-day pass. as an ADUR Sub-Committee member. trueyoga.com.sg The first of the series was held in 2016 at the Healing Garden at Singapore Botanical Gardens. For this

NATURE APPRECIATION SERIES MRPHY

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LA VIDA

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ALUMNI HAPPENINGS

EVENTS

Temasek Hall 30th Anniversary Celebration Gala Dinner

TH Hall Master Assoc Prof Victor Tan (middle), with (from left) Mr Najib Indra (Engineering ‘17), TH Alumni Board President; Assoc Prof Tay Eng Hock Francis; Prof Chou Loke Ming; Mr Desmond Lee; Prof Tan Eng Chye; and Mr Trevor He Wei (TH 30 th JCRC President).

2018 marks the 30th anniversary of the founding of Temasek Hall (TH). To commemorate the special occasion, an Anniversary Celebration Dinner was held at the National University of Singapore Society Kent Ridge Guild House on 10 March, the proceeds of which went towards supporting the Temasek Hall Bursary Endowment Fund.

The dinner was attended by nearly 200 Temasekians and distinguished guests, including NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye (Science ’85) and all the three past and present Hall Masters – Professor Chou Loke Ming (Science ’69) (1988 - 2004), Associate Professor Tay Eng Hock Francis (Engineering ’86) (2004 – 2014) and Associate Professor Victor Tan (Science ’87) (2015 - present).

The Guest-of-Honour was TH alumnus, Minister for Social and Family Development and Second

6516 7131 tehsec@nus.edu.sg temasek.nus.edu.sg/alumni.html

42 40 . A TH LU EM AN LUM S NUS

TH alumni with Hall Master in front of the Tiger Sculpture.

Minister for National Development Mr Desmond Lee (Law ’01). Mr Lee shared fondly with the guests his experience of making the first movie (Stamford Hall) ever produced by a Hall of Residence in NUS. Highlights of the programme included a slide show on the 30 years history of TH, a video montage of the TH Homecoming event, performances by the award-winning TH alumni band Imprompt-3, and a three-metre-tall sculpture of TH’s mascot, a white tiger.

The dinner ended with the Hall Master and Junior Common Room Committee leading the alumni and guests singing the TH anthem.

NUS Alumni Sing-Along 2017 was an exciting year for the NUS Alumni Sing-Along (ASA) members, which ended with interesting events and joyous celebrations. On 2 December 2017, ASA members opened the National University of Singapore Society (NUSS) Christmas Light Up event with Christmas carols, engaging the audience in the singing. This was closely followed by a sing-along session on 4 December at All Saints’ Home, Tampines, coorganised by NUS ASA and ‘I’m Soul Inc’ where ASA Committee Advisor, Mrs Carmee Lim (Science ’68) is the Chairperson. 15 members sang at the Home and brought Christmas cheer to the residents as well as day care clients.

The group closed the year with a joyous Christmas celebration on 11 December with special items performed by members, games and of course, a sumptuous buffet comprising Christmas fare. sing-along@alummail.nus.edu.sg

UNIVERSITY SCHOLARS PROGRAMME

SHAPING THINKERS AND DOERS WHO WILL MAKE AN IMPACT IN THE WORLD

Pillar in USP with photos of alumni and their quotes taken and shared at the get-together.

A brand-new logo was unveiled at the annual Scholars Programme Alumni Network (SPAN) Get-Together organised by the University Scholars Programme (USP) held on 9 February at the Balmoral Hall at Royal Plaza on Scotts, and attended by about 70 USP alumni, students, faculty and staff.

Alumni received the new USP information booklet that carries the new USP logo and catchy call-toaction, which is to shape independent, adaptable thinkers and doers who will make an impact in the world. The new logo features an icon that symbolises the “inter”-weaving of ideas, perspectives and disciplines, among other qualities.

What is USP to alumni? “USP is like a kampung where ideas, actions and stories get interwoven with the joy of learning.” said Mr Ibnur Rashad (Engineering + USP ’11). Ms Afiqah Suhaiemi (Arts and

Social Sciences + USP ’16) thought that “USP is like the sea and you’re the sailor.

You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.”

In his welcome address, USP Director Associate Professor Kang Hway Chuan said that it has been wonderful to see how our alumni have been staying connected with the programme and contributing towards its growth over the years, making the USP community such a uniquely close-knit one within the wider NUS. Assoc Prof Kang said he hoped to see more alumni contributing to the recruitment of new USP students through sharing sessions, admission interviews as well as participating in panel dialogues about the value of an USP education at various outreach events.

USP staff also shared about some projects involving alumni and students, including the newly-founded student-led USP Consulting Club.

Navigating the Career Jungle, Together The annual Career Talk organised by NUS Chemical Engineering Alumni Group is a popular event among freshly-graduated alumni and soon-to-begraduating students from NUS. The event aims to share available career paths for a chemical engineer.

The talk on 20 October 2017 featured speakers including: Mr Oh Hong Jia (Engineering ’06), Ministry of Manpower; Mr Oh Han Tinn (Arts and Social Sciences ’95), Professional Engineers Board; Ms Levenza Toh (Engineering ’03), Clariant Singapore; Ms Sum Kun Shan (Engineering ’07), IE Singapore; and Mr Pattathil Madhav Menon (Engineering ’99), Ozone Tech Pte Ltd.

BY MR VINCE NT CHAN YU E N M U N (EN GI N EERI N G ’09 )

Mr Oh shared on the process to be a Professional Engineer in Chemical Engineering, a relatively new certification introduced in Singapore.

NUSChemEngAlumni.com facebook.com/nus.chem.eng.alumni

A P R — J U N 2 0 1 8 . 41

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS

EVENTS

Raffles Hall organised a series of events recently, and here are some highlights.

RAFFLES HALL M AS T E R C O N V E R S AT I O N S

Remaking the Singapore Economy Raffles Hall was honoured to have Singapore Economic Development Board Chairman and Raffles Hall alumnus Dr Beh Swan Gin (Medicine ’91) accept the invitation of the Hall Master Associate Professor Ho Chee Kong to speak at the inaugural Raffles Hall Master Conversations at the University Hall on 7 November 2017. His highly-informative and enlightening talk on ‘Remaking the Singapore Economy’ touched on how the Singapore economy could be transformed into one that can be resilient despite challenges of artificial intelligence and global trends. Raffles Hall residents participated enthusiastically in the Q & A session, posing interesting questions not only on the topic but also about Dr Beh’s time in Raffles Hall.

UPCOMING EVENTS There will also be two Raffles Hall Musical Performances in 2018, a Charity Golf on 17 May at the Singapore Island Country Club, a gala dinner and the 60th Anniversary commemorative book launch, produced by Raffles Hall and alumni, in 2019.

For more information, please contact Mr Leong Siew Teng at rfhlst@nus.edu.sg.

24 42 . A TH LU EM AN LU UM S NUS

RAFFLES HALL 60TH ANNIVERSARY Raffles Hall celebrates its 60th Anniversary this year, and activities to celebrate this milestone event already started last year. The first of which was the Alumni Picnic on 7 October 2017. A group of 80 gathered back in the Hall to enjoy performances of oldies and modern hits performed by current cultural groups, as well as alumni of Raffles Hall, followed by a time of fellowship over dinner.

On 28 October 2017, the Raffles Hall alumni Malaysian contingent organised a celebratory dinner in Ipoh, Malaysia at the The Havan resort, which was developed by a fellow alumnus. Attended by over 60 Raffles Hall alumni across the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s batches, the dinner kicked off with reminiscences of the old Raffles Hall @ Nassim and reflections on the Hall’s spirit. Guests were also entertained by dance and singing performances, which culminated with everyone singing ‘Auld Lang Syne’.

The diamond jubilee celebration included the Bursary Award Dinner on 19 January 2018 where various Raffles Hall alumni and donors for the Charity Golf in 2015 joined the first batch of bursary recipients for a dinner and award presentation ceremony.

RAFFLES HALL M AS T E R ’ S C H AT S E R I E S

The Mess We Create

by Donating and Volunteering Raffles Hall was honoured to have Mr Robin Low (Engineering ’00), co-founder of Relief 2.0 and Civil Innovation Lab to be the first speaker for the inaugural Raffles Hall Master’s Chat Series on 11 October 2017.

Mr Low is a TEDx Talk Speaker and the author of Good Intentions Are Not Enough. He is currently working with the United Nations (UN) and UNHCR (the UN Refugee Agency) on Refugees Innovation Lab and Impact Immigrant, a rebranding and training programme to get refugees to create more value for society. Mr Low shared how good intentions without critical thinking often create secondary disasters.

While it may be trendy to like and share posts to appear concerned about a recent disaster, one should think about the kind of impact such an act creates, especially to those affected in the disaster area. Mr Low emphasised that volunteers ought to empower refugees to take charge of their lives. His talk at Raffles Hall Conference Room intrigued Raffles Hall residents and provided valuable insights to the Raffles Volunteer Corp members present.

Mr Robin Low (back row, 6th from right, with Raffles Hall’s residents.

Thursday, 7.30pm

Shaw Foundation Alumni House S Register at: alumnet.nus.edu.sg/upcoming_events

26 April

(PG13)

© 2017 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved.

31 May

(PG13)

© 2017 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Sights Seserved.

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ALUMNI HAPPENINGS

OVERSEAS CHAPTERS

NUS Alumni Vancouver Chapter Committee and Volunteer Appreciation Dinner

nus.alumni.in.yvr@alummail.nus.edu.sg facebook.com/nus.alumni.in.yvr linkedin.com/groups/13582538

VA N C O U V E R

The NUS Alumni Vancouver Chapter held an appreciation dinner for its committee members (both former and new) as well as volunteers on 3 March. The gathering was also a good opportunity for newly-appointed Chapter Chairperson, Ms Tiffany Chia (Business ’97) and her Committee to get to know their predecessors.

Ms Chia, on behalf of her new Committee, including Vice Chairperson Mr Adrian Png (MTech ’03), and Secretary Mr Richard Kang (Engineering ’03), would like to thank former Chairpersons Mr Arthur Yap (Business ’63), Dr Jon Quah (Computing ’88) and their committee members for their significant contributions and efforts in creating a warm and welcoming NUS alumni community in Vancouver. “Arthur and his team of volunteers helped paved the way and set up what is now the NUS Alumni Vancouver Chapter. After 15 years of tireless service, Arthur stepped down and passed the baton to Jon. The highest compliment that we can pay them is our commitment to build on the foundation they have established and continue to foster a closely-knit and vibrant NUS Alumni community in Vancouver,” said Ms Chia.

M E L B O U R N E

NUS Alumni Melbourne Chapter Chinese New Year Celebrations 24 4 . A TH LU EM AN LUM S NUS

The NUS Alumni Melbourne Chapter ushered in the year of the Earth Dog on 2 March with a gathering of 90 alumni and friends. The Chapter also welcomed five members from the 32nd Graduate Students’ Society (GSS) led by GSS President Mr Vanchinathan Venkataramani, who were on an Overseas Study Trip to Australia visiting universities in Canberra, Sydney, and Melbourne.

NUS Alumni Toronto Chapter

Dr Toh (left) with Ms Lian and Mr Aivalli.

facebook.com/groups/NUSAlumToronto linkedin.com/in/nusalumni-toronto-4b833915b

T O R O N T O

The NUS Alumni Toronto Chapter gathered for dinner on 9 December 2017 to thank out-going Chairperson Dr Toh See Kiat (Law ’82) for serving a wonderful five-year term, and to welcome new Chairperson Mr Tejas Aivalli (LKYSPP ’11).

During his tenure, Dr Toh had demonstrated strong leadership skills and, with the support of his wife Dorothy, brought alumni in Toronto together by organising numerous events and networking platforms. Dr Toh is well known for his humorous speeches, and his sincerity. “Dr Toh has a knack for remembering the names of people, even those whom he meets infrequently.

When my husband and I attended the first few Chapter’s events, Dr Toh never failed to surprise me by remembering

my name and my profession, even though there were many people at those events.

It gives me the sense that he takes a genuine interest in the people he meets,” said Ms Jean Lian (Arts and Social Sciences ’97), the Chapter’s new Vice Chairperson.

New Chairperson Mr Aivalli had been the Chapter’s Vice Chairperson since its inception, and had worked alongside Dr Toh to build up the Chapter. Mr Aivalli has plans to attract more and younger members by increasing the Chapter’s Visiting or social media presence. The relocating to Chapter held its first event Toronto? Mr Aivalli in 2018 with the Honorary invites you to Consul-General of Singapore email your name, faculty and year to Canada. Activities in the of graduation, and pipeline include a summer contact number to picnic, a fall event and the nusalumnitoronto@ traditional year-end dinner. gmail.com.

Ms Lyn (Law ’96) Lyn LeeLee (Law ’96)

Founder of Awfully Chocolate

Everything you need to know about life can be learned in a chocolate cake shop!

27 April (Friday), 7.30am, NUSS Suntec City Guild House, 3 Temasek Boulevard (Tower 5), #02- 401/402 Suntec City Mall, Singapore 038983

Registration fee: $10

PROGRAMME 7.30am

Breakfast & Networking

8.00am

Sharing by Ms Lyn Lee

8.30am

Q&A Session

9.00am

End

Ms Lyn Lee, graduated from NUS Faculty of of Law Law in in 1996 1996 and decided to “go-with-the-flow afterafter that”.that”.

She started Awfully and decided to “go-with-the-flow She started Chocolate as a hobby has now been it for 20 years.

Awfully Chocolate asand a hobby and hasrunning now been running it for 20 years.

Come and be inspired by Ms Lee who is passionate about what she and hasby many valuable experiences to share.

Come anddoes be inspired Lyn who is passionate about what She does now owns 17 Awfully Chocolate stores in Singapore and she and has many valuable experiences to share. She has more than doubleChocolate the number of franchises overseas. now owns 17 Awfully stores in Singapore and has more than double the number of franchises overseas.

PRIVILEGES ON CAMPUS SHAW FOUNDATION ALUMNI HOUSE

20% discount on rates for venue bookings.

LEE KONG CHIAN NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM (LKCNHM)

10% discount on single entry tickets as well as for both Individual and Family membership.

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nus.edu.sg/alumnet

NUS LIBRARIES

Complimentary entry to all NUS Libraries upon presenting the AlumNUS card.

Annual subscription fee at $139.10 (Usual Price: $353.10) or a 5-year membership package at $460.10.

Membership forms can be obtained from NUS Central Library.

Visit lib.nus.edu.sg for more information on ‘Membership and Rules’ and application form, or call Loans and Membership Services at 6872 1595.

PRIVILEGES & NUS MUSEUM

20% discount on all NUS Museum’s publications and catalogues. $20 for NUS Museum guided tour of 20 pax maximum per group (Usual Price: $50).

nus.edu.sg/museum

OFFERS

Your complimentary AlumNUS Card entitles you to a host of benefits and privileges!

Get your complimentary AlumNUS Card at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/alumnuscard Terms & Conditions apply. The NUS Office of Alumni Relations and the AlumNUS Card merchants reserve the right to amend the terms and conditions governing the offers without prior notice.

All information is correct at press time. Visit alumnet.nus.edu.sg/ alumnuscard for the latest privileges and promotions.

FASHION AND RETAIL VIIMART

15% off storewide.

Full-sized freebie with any purchase.

viimart.com We welcome alumni business owners to come on board as our AlumNUS Card merchant partners.

Drop us a note at oarconnect@nus.edu.sg and make an exceptional offer to fellow alumni.

FOOD AND BEVERAGE BLUE WILLOW BISTRO & BAR 10% off all à la carte items.

Enjoy ‘Happy Hours’ all day.

LIFESTYLE

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10% off total bill.

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CHERE

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HOME & LIVING FLOWERADVISOR

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20% off during special festive periods.

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EDUCATION AND SELF-ENRICHMENT

BEAUTY AND WELLNESS

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

For new customers – 1st trial Oriental Plant based Scalp Therapy + 1 Regular-sized Shampoo @ $18 (Usual Price: $298).

1 year National Geographic Magazine (12 issues) at $48, Free World Map [newsstand: $110.40] 1 year National Geographic Kids (10 issues) at $44 [newsstand: $75]

ORIENTAL HAIR SOLUTIONS

30% discount on any Herbal Scalp or Hair Loss Therapy Programme purchased.

orientalhairsolutions.com

1 year National Geographic Little Kids (6 issues) at $32 [newsstand: $45] 1 year National Geographic Traveller (6 issues) at $40 [newsstand: $55.20]

MRPHY

10% off regular-priced items.

mrphy.sg

1 year National Geographic History (6 issues) at $95 [newsstand: $119.40] 1 year National Geographic Special Issues (6 issues) at $95 [newsstand: $119.40]

natgeosubscriptions.com/nuspromo TRUE YOGA

Enjoy 2 complimentary yoga sessions worth $76.

Sign up for ‘Select’ Membership and receive a complimentary True Fitness 14-day pass.

trueyoga.com.sg

TRAVEL AND ACCOMMODATION FAR EAST HOSPITALITY

Exclusive rates for weekends stay at Singapore and Malaysia: • The Quincy Hotel, Singapore • Oasia Hotel Downtown, Singapore • Oasia Hotel Novena, Singapore • Rendezvous Hotel Singapore • AMOY, Singapore • Village Hotel Katong, Singapore • Village Hotel Albert Court, Singapore • Village Hotel Bugis, Singapore • Village Hotel Changi, Singapore • Orchard Parade Hotel, Singapore • The Elizabeth Hotel, Singapore • Oasia Suites Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

StayFarEast.com/NUS

LA VIDA

Deluxe Creative Eyebrow at $388 (Usual Price: $1,369.60) + free gift worth $98.

Korean Eyeliner Embroidery at $392 (Usual Price: $1,048.60)

lavida.com.sg

TRUE FITNESS

Enjoy a complimentary 10-day access worth $110.

Sign up for ‘Select’ Membership and receive a complimentary Personal Training session.

truefitness.com.sg

the path less travelled

ENTER THE DRAGON Tattoo artist Ms Wong Pei Hsin (Arts and Social Sciences ‘15) aka Pei The Dragon on the joys of creating art on skin despite the hard work and at times, disapproval.

BY FAIROZA MANSOR

“At NUS, we’re urged to be unafraid to speak out.

This has really helped me in terms of meeting new people and potential clients.

Picking up the skills to network is something I’ve learnt in NUS, which has helped me progress as an artist.”

Pei The Dragon, was commissioned by NUS Alumni Relations to do a Chinese New Year greeting card earlier this year.

48 . THE ALUM NUS

It’s hard to tell that Ms Wong Pei Hsin, a full-time tattoo artist, was — for a long time — never really good at drawing.

After all, a scroll through her social media account would showcase a collection of anime artworks, detailed primarily with black ink and watercolours.

“I only picked up drawing in Year 4 of University to cope through a difficult phase,” the Psychology major lets in.

That first step ignited a passion, which the now 27 year-old has since worked on. A growing request to have her artworks as tattoos eventually led to her current career path. Known professionally as Pei The Dragon, she is now an apprentice at local tattoo boutique Vagabond Ink Studios.

Life as a tattoo artist is a tough draw — in more ways than one. “Being an apprentice can be one of the toughest jobs out there, especially if you are someone who values stability and a cushy income,” Ms Wong explains to The AlumNUS. While she acknowledges that the stigma attached to having tattoos, especially among the older generation, still lingers, she feels that more people are becoming accepting of body art. “Growing up in a traditional family, I was brought up to think that anyone who inks their skin is a criminal. But over time, I started to see that this isn’t the case, and some of the nicest people I’ve met are covered in tattoos,” says Ms Wong, who has several tattoos herself, some of which have

FEMMES FATALE, IMMORTALISED

Most of Ms Wong’s anime-style artworks are of fantastical female characters. Here are some of her recent pieces:

Check out more of her art at instagram.com/peithedragon.

been “collected” from her favourite artists from around the world when she travels.

Having satisfied customers and excited clients also spurs Ms Wong to push forward.

“I’ve met many interesting people from all walks of life, which makes the experience enjoyable and meaningful,” she says.

Ms Wong also does commissioned artworks such as murals, and recently collaborated with local DJ group “eatmepoptart” to design T-shirts sold at their events.

ADVERTORIAL

ALUMNA LEAVES A

LIFE-CHANGING LEGACY

Ms Helen Choo (Arts ‘75) is an only child with no dependants. She has planned a legacy that has the potential to improve the livelihoods of thousands, if not millions, of people, both in Singapore and around the world. Ms Choo is bequeathing her family home to the NUS Yong Loo Ling School of Medicine. The proceeds from the sale will support a professorship in dementia prevention studies and a dementia research fund. The gift will be named in honour of Ms Choo’s mother, Mdm Catherine Wong Ah Mui, who suffers from dementia.

“I have been thinking, for the past several years, about making a will – but was uncertain who to bequeath it to – after all, I am single and have no siblings. I would like to bequeath to a noble cause, a charitable organisation, including organisations caring for people with dementia. Dementia is a devastating condition that affects not only the patient, but the entire family and the caregivers. It is a tsunami that has hit Singapore as we face a rapidlyageing population. Research requires ample resources of time and funding. When my father suggested bequeathing to NUS research into dementia, I agreed immediately.”

“ I WOULD LIKE TO BEQUEATH TO A NOBLE CAUSE, A CHARITABLE ORGANISATION, INCLUDING ORGANISATIONS CARING FOR PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA.” If you would like to know more about making NUS a beneficiary of your CPF, or if you would like enquire about making a legacy gift to the University, please email legacygift@nus.edu.sg, call +65 6516-6529 or visit www.giving.nus.edu.sg

Organised by: Office of Alumni Relations  Co-hosted by: Faculty of Law Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy

Kaleidoscope of Southeast Asia

7 July Saturday

5.30pm to 9.00pm

Upper Quadrangle Bukit Timah Campus

Join us for the homecoming dinner and a unique cultural experience.

Register: alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/BT18