The AlumNUS Oct-Dec 2018 by NUS Alumni Office

issue

#115

O C T- D E C 2 0 1 8

“The VMV serves as a common language for the NUS community to talk about what we want to achieve and how we intend to get there.” PROFES S OR HO TE CK HUA (ENGINEERING ’85), SENIOR DEPUTY PRESIDENT AND PROVO ST, NUS

BLUEPRINT

THE UNIVERSITY’S NEW VISION, M I S S I O N A N D VA L U E S I S A C L E A R ROADMAP FOR UNITING THE NUS COMMUNITY AND STEERING IT INTO THE FUTURE.

F O R T H E G R E AT

BEYOND

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

@NUS_Alumni NUS Alumni @NUSOAR Get the latest campus and alumni news, exclusive invites & more!

OCT – DEC 2018

14 FOCUS

A Blueprint for the Great Beyond

20 FORUM

Caught up in a (Social) Media Frenzy?

24 PA N O R A M A

Slaying the Black Swan, SG Style

At Your Service

Dr Brian Chan (MD, Duke-NUS ’17)

Our singular focus on talent will be the cornerstone of a truly great university that is dedicated to quality education, influential research and visionary enterprise, in service of country and society.

SPOTLIGHT

Taking on Tinseltown Ms Janice Koh (Arts and Social Sciences ’95)

CONTENTS

PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE

Going Against the Grain Ms Jamie Lim (UCLA-NUS EMBA ’15)

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

FRONTIERS

Saying “Aye” to AI

02 A New Home for Innovation 03 Bukit Timah Homecoming 04 NUS Day of Service 2018

Professor Chen Tsuhan Professor Ng See Kiong

OAR HIGHLIGHTS

06 Health & Wellness/ Mexican Film Festival 07 Alumni Concerts 08 Feature Films 09 SkillsFuture Advice Workshop 10 Tech Talk/Thirsty Thursdays/ Breakfast Dialogues 11 Lifelong Learners Highlight Mr Muhammad Muzaffar

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 , please visit alumnet.nus.e du.sg/alumnusmagazine.

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

26 CHANGEMAKER

The National University of Singapore aspires to be a vital community of academics, researchers, staff, students and alumni working together in a spirit of innovation and enterprise for a better world.

Mr Raj Joshua Thomas (Arts and Social Sciences ’04, Law ’12)

ALUMNI

SCENE

A Family Reunion at Kent Ridge

36 ALUMNI HAPPENINGS

48 T H E PAT H LESS TRAVELLED

CALENDAR OF ALUM NI EVENTS

A Bug’s Life

Mr Tan Ming Kai (Science ’15)

S TAY IN T OUCH:

@NUS_Alumni

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

NUS Alumni

@NUSOAR

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.

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

A NEW HOME FOR INNOVATION NUS’ state-of-the-art base for Smart Nation research was officially opened in September. THE NUS SMART NATION RESEARCH CLUSTER has a new home. Officially launched on 4 September by Guest-of-Honour Minister for Finance and Chairman of the National Research Foundation Singapore Mr Heng Swee Keat, the new building — innovation 4.0 (i4.0) — is the University’s latest contribution to Singapore’s Smart Nation Initiative. The launch of the building marks the consolidation and further expansion of NUS’ digital innovation activities, said NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye (Science ’85). “We envisage that i4.0 will become a thriving ecosystem that encourages collaboration and synergy. The highly-motivated community of digital innovators at i4.0 will further promote the creation of new ideas and generate spin-offs from our digital research and development efforts,” he added. The six-storey state-of-the-art building currently houses 12 interdisciplinary research entities focusing on three key areas — Big Data, Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI); Security, Privacy and Risk; as well as Modelling, Simulation and Visualisation. By the end of 2019, eight more research entities are expected to join them, and in two years’ time — when all the entities are fully operational — i4.0 will be home to more than 1,000 researchers, innovators and supporting staff. The building also features a dedicated Makerspace where up to 100 entrepreneurs from digital-related start-ups and spin-offs can work together and develop ideas.

“The dream is that this will be the preferred location in Southeast Asia for the digital technology of the future,” said Senior Deputy President and Provost Professor Ho Teck Hua (Engineering ’85), who leads the NUS Smart Nation Research Cluster. “By co-locating complementary programmes in i4.0, the entire value chain to unlock innovation and create value from our digital assets can now be found at a single location… I am confident that the building, which is purpose-built and strategically located, will provide a unique environment for like-minded partners to interact and discover ways to make an impact that might not have been possible otherwise,” said Mr Heng.

Prof Tan shared the diversity of expertise of the various entities located in i4.0 during his speech.

Attend talks listed on smartnation.nus.edu.sg/#events. For collaborations with i4.0 researchers and to offer mentorship, please write to research@nus.edu.sg.

This article was first published on 5 September in NUS News at http://news.nus.edu.sg/highlights/new-home-innovation, and has been edited for The Alum NUS.

2 4. .TA HLEUA MLN UU MSN U S

B UK IT TIMAH H O M E C OMING

Alumni from across the years came together for a rousing reunion boasting a touch of regional flavour. MORE THAN 1,100 NUS ALUMNI, including President of the Republic of Singapore and NUS Chancellor Madam Halimah Yacob (Law ’78), returned to Bukit Timah Campus, their former stomping ground, on 7 July for an evening of traditional performances and delectable cuisine from around the region as part of the cultural smorgasbord that was this year’s Bukit Timah Homecoming. Themed “Kaleidoscope of Southeast Asia”, the programme featured musical performances by staff, students and alumni who led the audience in a sing-along to Southeast Asian folk songs as well as traditional Balinese dances, all of which had guests, decked out in traditional national dress such as the Peranakan kebaya and Cambodian sampot, enthusiastically swaying along. The sing-along session was led by alumni group NUS Alumni Sing-Along. “The audience was awesome and our Sing-Along members were exhilarated by their overwhelming participation. We felt privileged to be able to contribute to the spirit of the Southeast Asian culture that evening,” said Chairperson of NUS Alumni Sing-Along, Ms Joanna Loo (Science ’81).

“It was a delight to be back at the Bukit Timah Campus for homecoming celebrations with fellow alumni. I had a good time catching up with seniors and classmates, and am glad that many are still maintaining strong ties with NUS,” said President Halimah. In keeping with the theme of the evening, NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye (Science ’85) raised a toast to the alumni in various languages, thanking them for their selfless sharing of time, talents and treasures and adding that he hoped they would continue to stay connected with NUS. He also congratulated Eusoff Hall and Raffles Hall alumni, who had an extra reason to celebrate, with 2018 being the 60th anniversary of both halls, as well as the Class of 1968 who celebrated their golden jubilee. Mr Ho Chee Yon (Engineering ’76), enjoyed his catch-up with friends at the Homecoming. Despite graduating over

40 years ago, he has made efforts to stay connected to his alma mater, serving as a Non-Resident Fellow at Sheares Hall for over a decade and having weekly outings with former classmates in addition to annual class reunions. “We learned interesting facts about the region through games aligned with the theme; this year’s programme was very interesting,” said Mr Ho. The annual event is organised by NUS Alumni Relations, and co-hosted by NUS Law and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

Mdm Halimah (centre in pink) together with Prof Tan (9th from left), NUS Law Dean Prof Simon Chesterman (10th from left), NUS Senior Deputy President and Provost Prof Ho Teck Hua (12th from left) and other guests celebrating the 60th anniversary of Eusoff Hall and Raffles Hall and the 50th anniversary of the Class of 1968. This article was first published on 12 July in NUS News under the title of ‘Alumni return for a cultural fiesta’ at news.nus.edu.sg/highlights/alumni-return-cultural-fiesta, and has been edited for The AlumNUS.

OCT—DEC 2018 . 3

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

1 GIVING VOICE TO THE WILDLIFE WITH ACRES

NUS DAY OF SERVICE 2018 2,050

VOLUNTEERS Including alumni, students, and their families and friends

6,130

BENEFICIARIES In Singapore and overseas

ACTIVITIES Organised by alumni, students and staff across 10 categories including Animal Welfare, Elderly, Environment, Children and Youth

4 . THE ALUM NUS

THE ANNUAL NUS DAY OF SERVICE (DOS), now in its third year, has gone from strength to strength since its inception. DOS is an initiative of the NUS Alumni Advisory Board and managed by NUS Alumni Relations. There is a DOS Committee supporting this effort, comprising alumni, students from NUS Students’ Union as well as staff from the Offices of University Communications, Human Resources and Student Affairs. Here is a snapshot of some of the DOS activities.

Champion: NUS Forensic Science Alumni NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye (left) carried out maintenance work at the ACRES Wildlife Rescue Centre with volunteers.

2 EAST COAST PARK CLEANUP Champion: NUS Alumni Relations NUS Provost Professor Ho Teck Hua, together with volunteers at East Coast Park, picked up a 88kg of trash.

3 MAKEFEST 2018 ACTIVE AGEING FOR ELDERLY Champion: NUS Students’ Union Students taught the elderly how to use their smartphones.

4 DIGNITY KITCHEN: ONE DAY AS A HAWKER Champion: Raffles Hall At Dignity Kitchen, volunteers learned baking and cooking from the disabled and underprivileged, and served what they cooked to the elderly.

5 DAY OF SERVICE AT SWAMI HOME

Champion: NUS Alumni Sing-Along Members provided entertainment with sing-along for nursing home residents.

6 FASS DAY WITH CLUB RAINBOW Champion: Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and NUS Economics Alumni Children from Club Rainbow and their families enjoyed an excursion to Gardens by the Bay with volunteers.

“More than just sustained volunteerism, many [in the NUS community] are change agents leading service efforts despite their day-to-day jobs. They put their knowledge and skills to use, through conducting free health talks, operating coding classes, and even helping in marine life conservation. I am inspired by their sacrifices and the impact of their activities.”

Mr Jeremy Ee (Engineering ’05) Chairman of the DOS Organising Committee and Member of the NUS Alumni Advisory Board

7 BREAKFAST FOR MIGRANT WORKERS

Champion: College of Alice & Peter Tan Students visited a workers’ dormitory and brought breakfast for the migrant workers.

8 CLEANUP AT SEE SAR YEIK OLD AGE CARE CENTER

11 KAYAK RIVER CLEANUP

Champion: NUS Students’ Union Volunteers went on kayaks to pick up trash from parts of Marina Reservoir that are otherwise inaccessible, and learned about the effects of littering on the environment and sea animals.

Champion: NUS alumni in Yangon Alumni in Yangon were at the See Sar Yeik Old Age Care Center to spend time with the elderly and helped to clean the premises.

12 UCI CARING INITIATIVE

Champion: University Campus Infrastructure (UCI) Volunteers packed and distributed groceries to residents living in rental blocks at Taman Jurong.

Visit instagram.com/nus_alumni for more photos.

9 SPRING CLEANING OF HOMES OF OUR VULNERABLE ELDERLY

Champion: King Edward VII Hall Volunteers visited and cleaned the homes of elderly to improve their home safety and sanitation.

N US DAY OF SE RVICE

10 EV BIG MANGROVE CLEANUP

Champion: Life Sciences Society, Environmental Biology Interest Group 180kg of trash was collected and documented from the Sungei Pandan Mangroves cleanup activity.

is an annual event. Please save the date for next year’s event. 11

7 September 2019

OCT—DEC 2018 . 5

OAR HIGHLIGHTS

H E A LT H AN D W E L L N E S S

A L L Y O U N EED TO K N O W ABO UT E X E R CI S I NG YOUR HEART ABOUT 100 ALUMNI attended the Health and Wellness talk on 22 June. The talk titled “All You Need To Know About Exercising Your Heart” was conducted by Dr Yeo Tee Joo (Medicine ’04). It highlighted to alumni the importance of exercise in preventing cardiac diseases and educated attendees on how much exercise is considered safe. The risks of sudden cardiac death and more were also discussed in the talk. DO YOU Dr Yeo introduced KNOW? easy exercises to lead a healthy lifestyle, Adults need as well as useful 150 online resources minutes such as healthhub.sg. of physical Throughout the talk, activity per attendees were actively week to stay asking questions and fit apart from clarifying their doubts. eating healthy.

6 . THE ALUM NUS

From left: Mr Roberto Sneider; Ms Patricia Martinez de Velazquez, Director of Between Us; His Excellency Nathan Wolf; and Ms Florence Neo (Arts and Social Sciences ’93), Deputy Director of NUS Alumni Relations.

Inaugural Mexican Film Festival MEXICAN FILM enthusiasts flocked to the Shaw Foundation Alumni House for this year’s Mexican Film Festival, organised for the first time by NUS Alumni Relations in partnership with the Embassy of Mexico in Singapore and The Projector. Apart from the screening of three acclaimed films – The Kids Are Back, Finders Keepers and Verónica – there was a special screening of award-winning film, You’re Killing Me Susana, on the opening night. More than 950 alumni, students, staff and guests attended the Festival, which was held from 11 to 13 June. The Festival was graced by the Ambassador of

Mexico in Singapore, His Excellency Nathan Wolf, and director of You’re Killing Me Susana, Mr Roberto Sneider. Guests enjoyed the sharing session moderated by Mr Jeremy Sim, Managing Partner of Aurora Media. At the session, Mr Sneider shared his insights and interesting encounters in the making of the film. Each night of the Festival presented guests with chances to win attractive prizes for lucky draws. These prizes included bottles of tequila, sponsored by La Maison du Whiskey; and exquisite Artist Books of prominent Mexican painter Diego Rivera, sponsored by the Embassy of Mexico in Singapore.

DO YOU KNOW? Director Roberto Sneider used You’re Killing Me Susana, a comedy, to tackle Mexican machismo. He said while “we have become much more modern, [mindsets] have not really changed much — at least not for the better!”

ALUMNI CONCERTS

SINGAPORE IN TUNES

Thirsty Thursdays_6 Dec_Submission Final.pdf 1 7/9/2018 1:16:29 PM

NUS ALUMNI RELATIONS celebrated our nation’s 53rd birthday with a concert themed Singapore In Tunes as part of the Alumni Concerts series. Along with alumnus Mr Aaron Lim (Arts and Social Sciences ’02), many well-known Singapore composers, producers and singers Mr George Leong, Ms Tay Sia Yuen and Mr Peng Chi Sheng participated in the concert on 4 August. Nation-loved pieces like ‘Chan Mali Chan’, ‘Munnaeru Vaalibaa’, ‘Semoga Bahagia’ and many more were performed. The audience sang along and had a great time celebrating our nation’s big day.

World-renowned musician, producer and composer Mr George Leong has arranged for numerous international stars including Leslie Cheung, Sandy Lam and Jolin Tsai. He was also presented the “Artistic Excellence” Award in 2016 and the “Top Local Soundtrack” in 2013 by the Composers and Authors Society of Singapore (COMPASS).

Supported by:

Singles Night NUS YOUNG ALUMNI MEETUP

6 DECEMBER 6.30PM - 9.00PM

Registration fee: $10 Venue: Rocku Yakiniku Bugis+, 201 Victoria Street, #04-06 Singapore 188067 Register at: alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/TTdec18

OAR HIGHLIGHTS

F E AT U R E F I L M S

It’s A Great, Great World THE SECOND EDITION OF Feature Films on 28 June showcased It’s A Great, Great World to more than 230 alumni, staff, students and guests at Shaw Foundation Alumni House. Actress Ms Paige Chua (Arts and Social Sciences ’03) and Director Mr Kelvin Tong (Law ’97) shared on their inspiration and journey behind the production of the film in

the forum hosted by Director of NUS Alumni Relations, Mr Bernard Toh (Architecture ’84). Both alumni expressed their joy to be back on campus and to share their achievement with the NUS community. “It was a pleasure and honour to present one of my films at NUS,” said Mr Tong, and Ms Chua thanked NUS Alumni Relations for organising the event.

Organised by NUS Alumni Relations,

Feature Films will continue to showcase alumni talents and present quality Singapore films infused with a familiar

Sharing session before the screening of the film by Mr Kelvin Tong (middle) and Ms Paige Chua (right), moderated by Mr Bernard Toh (left).

local flavour that tell a uniquely Singapore story.

“Thank you #nusoar for inviting me to share my journey in It’s A Great, Great World (大世界) with your audience. It’s a joy catching up with Kelvin too!” Ms Chua wrote on her Facebook post.

SKILLSFUT URE ADVICE WORKSHOP

D ATA A N A LY T I C S MORE THAN 280 ALUMNI attended the introductory workshop on Data Analytics, where they also learnt about the types of lifelong learning courses that the NUS School of Continuing and Lifelong Learning (SCALE) and SkillsFuture have to offer. The interactive workshop involved using the app Kahoot, through which attendees answered questions shown on the screen. Participants also showed great interest in the NUS Lifelong Learner (L3) Programme. Many of them stayed back to ask questions even

after the session ended. Due to the overwhelming response for the session held on 12 July, an additional session was held on 2 August. Speakers included Dr Julian Lin (Computing ’07), Senior Lecturer in Cybersecurity and Data Analytics, NUS SCALE; and Dr Guo Lei, Lecturer and Consultant, Analytics and Intelligent, NUS SCALE, who presented on Basic Introduction to Data Analytics. Representatives from the Skills Future Engage Office and NUS SCALE presented updates on NUS Lifelong Learners (L3) Programme.

SkillsFuture Series ABOUT 800 COURSES 8 EMERGING AREAS OF SKILLS 3 TIERS OF PROFICENCY LEVELS

Global Trends in Supply Chain and Logistics Traditional supply chains are being reshaped by macroeconomic trends and emerging technologies such as mobile computing, automation and 3D printing. Global trends in new markets, supply chain optimisation, looming trade tariffs and trade barriers are changing the way which manufacturers allocate resources, produce and distribute their goods. What will the global and digital supply chains of the future look like? At this workshop, you can learn more about the future of manufacturing, retail and logistics, as well as how you can reskill and upskill through the NUS Lifelong Learners (L³) programme and SkillsFuture initiatives.

Date: 11 October (Thursday) Time: 7.30pm Venue: Coriander, Shaw Foundation Alumni House Register at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/SFoct18

Office of Alumni Relations School of Continuing and Lifelong Education

OAR HIGHLIGHTS

T ECH TALK

BREAKFAST DIALO GUES

Cryptocurrencies Demystified

CAREERS IN A JUNGLE  GYM

DO YOU KNOW?

BLOCKCHAIN RESEARCH EXPERT Assistant Professor Prateek Saxena from NUS Computing shed light on cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and the underlying blockchain technology during the Tech Talk session held on 20 August. In the talk, he explained how to make informed judgements on the acceptability and disruptive power of cryptocurrencies. More than 200 alumni, students and staff attended the informative session, and participated enthusiastically in the Q&A segment at the end of the session.

Assistant Professor Saxena’s research team has created several start-ups including Zilliqa, a public blockchain network that was one of the first Singapore-based blockchain startups to achieve immense success.

T H I R S T Y T H U R S D AY S

ABOUT 100 ALUMNI gathered at TongKang Riverboat Dining, Clarke Quay, on 6 September for the highly-subscribed networking event, Thirsty Thursdays. This event provides a great platform for young alumni to catch up with fellow alumni and hear from successful alumni who share on their professional journeys and experiences. At this session, alumnus Mr Lim Teng Leng, (Arts and Social Sciences ’96) graced the event as the guest speaker. He has spent a total of 18 years with the Singapore Public Service

1204 .. TAHLEU M AL NUUM S NUS

serving across three different government agencies. He shared with the audience his personal and professional experiences of being a Public Servant and shed light on the importance of perseverance and believing in what you can do. He cited the Singapore River clean-up operation undertaken by Singapore Environment Council (SEC), how the severely polluted river was transformed to what is seen and enjoyed today, where all can appreciate the skyline on a boat by the river. The sharing was most significant especially since the event took place at TongKang, a riverboat dining concept at Clarke Quay.

UPCOMING EVENT Thirsty Thursdays @ Rocku Yakiniku For singles only 6 Dec, Thu, 6.30pm Register at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/ event/TTdec18

Mr Koo gave tips on how to power through the ‘quarter-life crisis’ and valuable career advice to alumni who attended the event.

CAREER NETWORKING EXPERT and head of LinkedIn, Southeast Asia, Korea, & Japan, Mr Frank Koo (Business ’90) shared with alumni and guests on the mind-set and skills needed to excel and thrive in one’s career. Moderated by Dr Yeo Wee Loon, Senior Manager, NUS Centre for Future-ready Graduates, the dialogue saw a turnout of around 50 alumni on 27 July at the NUSS Suntec City Guild House. NUS Alumni Relations works towards hosting more Breakfast Dialogues featuring different guests from the various sectors. The interactive session saw alumni and guests answering questions through an app, Sli.do.

Keep yourself updated on future Breakfast Dialogues by following us on Facebook @NUSOAR or Instagram @nus_alumni.

How will this course benefit your work?

LIFELONG LEARNERS HIGHLIGHT

Scaling Greater Heights Mr Muhammad Muzaffar, 31, a Staff Sergeant with the Singapore Prison Service (SPS), may be taking longer than most to get a degree, but that has not stopped him in his journey towards skills mastery. You’ve been with SPS for six years. Why did you decide to take up a four-year part-time degree course at this juncture of your career?

I want to upgrade and challenge myself to achieve the impossible. I also want to be a role model for my children and for those thinking of pursuing higher education but need to start from the ground up — like me. I took the National Institute of Technical Education Certificate (NITEC), then Higher NITEC, before moving on to a polytechnic diploma and now a university degree.

What I learn does not quite relate to my current work but I’m looking ahead in my career. Upon graduation, I plan to apply for a role within SPS that requires a background in Mechanical Engineering, such as corporate services or infrastructure development building (IDB). How do you juggle between study, work and family?

Year 2 student with the Bachelor of Technology (Mechanical Engineering) programme at NUS School of Continuing and Lifelong Education (SCALE)

It is not easy to get back to studying especially if you had left school for a number of years and need to kick-start the momentum again. I am fortunate to have supportive supervisors, classmates and family. Sometimes, due to work and family commitments, I have had to miss lectures. But I make sure to watch the webcast (selected modules are recorded for online viewing) and squeeze in time at home for study. There will be setbacks along the way but do not be disheartened. Your effort will be worth it.

Those interested in part-time degree programmes designed for working polytechnic graduates, find out more at scale.nus.edu.sg.

Ms Melissa Kwee (EMBA ’09) CEO, National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC)

Building a City of Good 26 October (Friday), 7.30am, NUSS Suntec City Guild House, 3 Temasek Boulevard (Tower 5), #02- 401, Suntec City Mall, Singapore 038983

Registration fee: $10 (Alumni) $15 (Guest)

PROGRAMME

7.30am

Light Breakfast & Networking

8.00am

Sharing by Ms Melissa Kwee

8.30am

Q&A Session

9.00am

End

What if Singapore was known to be a giving nation, a city of good where people voluntarily gave of their time, talent and treasure generously? Building a city of good is not something that can be achieved by one individual or organisation. It takes collective vision and people who are committed to changing the narrative by galvanising givers and changing mindsets of what giving can look like. A City of Good can only be achieved when many come alongside to use their power in and influence over the public arena for the purpose of doing good. Ms Melissa Kwee is the CEO of the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC). As a spokesperson for a wide range of cases, Ms Kwee has been involved in mobilising resources to aid in community development. Spanning the public, private and community sectors, she has assumed a wide range of roles including Chairman of Halogen Foundation, President of UN Women Singapore, Founder of Beautiful People, Chairman of the investment firm for Capella Singapore and Vice President, Human Capital at Pontiac Land Group.

CALENDAR OF ALUMNI EVENTS

Ah Boys to Men 3: Frogmen (PG13) Feature Films The original cast of Ah Boys to Men are back as recruits of the Naval Diving Unit. Do they have what it takes to become one of Singapore’s most fearsome military units – the Frogmen?

O C T. N O V. D E C

O C T O B E R

27th NUS Alumni & Friends Golf Tournament An annual golf tournament where NUS alumni, students, staff and faculty vie for the NUS Chancellor’s Challenge Trophy.

OCT

Warren Golf & Country Club, Thu, 11.30am

Note: Registration has closed Contact: Ms Josephine Chng jochng@nus.edu.sg

Backstage

A modern drama about what happens backstage at a Cantonese opera troupe, led by renowned maestro Yuen Siu-Fai.

OCT

University Cultural Centre, Theatre, Tue, 7.30pm

OCT

Shaw Foundation Alumni House, Thu, 7.15pm

Global Trends in Supply Chain and Logistics

event/FFoct18 Contact: Mr Ng Shan Jun ngshanjun@nus.edu.sg

SkillsFuture Advice Workshop Associate Professor Goh Puay Guan from the NUS School of Continuing and Lifelong Education and NUS Business School’s Department of Analytics and Operations on what the global trends and digital supply chains of the future will look like.

OCT

Shaw Foundation Alumni House, Thu, 7.30pm

Building a City of Good Breakfast Dialogues Ms Melissa Kwee (EMBA ’09), CEO of the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre, will share how a City of Good can be achieved when many people come alongside to use their power in, and influence over, the public arena for the purpose of doing good.

26 OCT

NUSS Suntec City Guild House, Fri, 7.30am

Ticket Price: $10 (Alumnus/Student), $15 (Guest) Register: alumnet.nus.edu.sg/ event/BDoct18 Contact: Ms Cassandra Lua cassandraluaqy@nus.edu.sg

12 . THE ALUM NUS

alumnet.nus.edu.sg/upcoming_events

22-25 NOV

K U C H I N G D I S C O V E RY 2 0 1 8

22 to 25 November, Thursday to Sunday

NUS Alumni Travel Programme

Kuching, Sarawak

Kuching, the capital of East Malaysia’s Sarawak state is small enough to walk around and discover hidden gems while big enough for day trips. The foodie, nature lover or culture vulture will certainly be occupied for an entire weekend. Bring your family and join fellow alumni for a fun-filled 4 days, 3 nights trip to Kuching. Highlights include visits to the Semenggoh Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre and Sarawak Cultural Village, a dinner hosted by NUS Alumni Kuching Chapter.

Fees: $528++ (Twin sharing), $730++ (Single occupancy) Prices exclude airfare and taxes.

N O V E M B E R

D E C E M B E R

Hotel Salvation (PG13)

Singles Night

Movies On The House Set against the backdrop of Benares, Hotel Salvation is the story of a son reluctantly accompanying his father on his final journey in life. In Hindi with English subtitles.

Thirsty Thursdays Alumni who are young and single will network with one another over drinks, snacks and an open mic. This event is supported by Spark Connections, a signature initiative under the Social Development Network (SDN).

NOV

Shaw Foundation Alumni House, Thu, 7.30pm

DEC

Rocku Yakiniku 201 Victoria Street #04-06 Bugis+ Singapore 188067, Thu, 6.30pm

Ticket Price: $10 Register: alumnet.nus.edu.sg/ event/TTdec18 Contact: Ms Cassandra Lua cassandraluaqy@nus.edu.sg

O C T — D E C 2 0 1 8 . 13

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

is required.

F O C U S

A BLUEPRINT F O R T H E G R E AT

BEYOND The Academic Year 2018/2019 got off to a bold start with the launch of NUS’ new Vision, Mission and Values, which aim to take the University to even greater heights. TEXT BY WANDA TAN

NOTHER SCHOOL YEAR, AND ANOTHER NEW BATCH OF UNDERGRADUATES WALKS THROUGH THE DOORS OF NUS. This year’s freshmen kicked off their university experience in much the same way as did those before them — save for one big difference: they were the first cohort to join the University under the presidency of Professor Tan Eng Chye (Science ’85). In conjunction with this milestone, a special event was held at the NUS University Cultural Centre on 15 August, during the first week of the semester, to launch NUS’ new Vision, Mission and Values (VMV). “Our vision was last laid out in 2009 [by then-newly-appointed NUS President, Professor Tan Chorh Chuan (Medicine ’83)],” Prof Tan tells The AlumNUS. “Since then, NUS has progressed to a level where we are now recognised as one of the top universities in Asia. So it is timely to review where we are now — and where we want to go.”

NUS has progressed to a level where we are now recognised as one of the top universities in Asia. So it is timely to review where we are now — and where we want to go. Prof Tan Eng Chye, NUS President

14 . T H E A L U M N U S

FROM THE GROUND UP The process of crafting the VMV began before Prof Tan formally assumed office as NUS President on 1 January 2018. In late 2017, he went on a listening tour around campus to engage with a wide cross-section of the NUS community — comprising faculty and senior management,

INTRODUCING THE VMV A great deal of careful deliberation went into wordsmithing the VMV: The Vision reflects how NUS is embracing its role as a leading global university; it has reached a position to be able to shape the future. The Mission highlights three objectives: to Educate students, which is and always will be at the core of what NUS does; to Inspire a community of talents to create positive societal impact; and to Transform the world and make a difference beyond incremental change. The Values encapsulate the “NUS DNA”, as Prof Tan puts it, and should guide one’s personal conduct: Placing Innovation first signifies the importance of thinking about change, taking risks and being willing to accept failures. Resilience is about getting back up from failures and refusing to give up. Excellence, or reaching one’s full potential, is at the centre of everything NUS does and hence is in the middle of the list. Respect means treating everyone, regardless of their background, with kindness, and being open to diverse viewpoints. Integrity refers to having strong moral and ethical convictions. researchers, staff, students and alumni — and to exchange views about NUS’ future direction. Online surveys and focus group discussions were subsequently conducted to garner more feedback. With the support of the NUS Trustees, the VMV was then crystallised and fine-tuned prior to its 15 August launch. In all, more than 1,000 people participated in the process, making for a deeply collaborative experience. “Whereas past versions of our vision had been largely shaped by an external consultant, this time it was much more of a groundup initiative,” says NUS Chief Communications Officer, Mrs Ovidia Lim-Rajaram (Arts and Social Sciences ’89). “It was heartening to see that so many people in our community are eager to contribute their thoughts. It showed how much they care about the University.” The outcome is a new VMV that boldly and succinctly states the University’s goals, and that matches its stature as a 113-year-old institution which has produced many eminent leaders across government, industry and civil society. Professor Ho Teck Hua (Engineering ’85), Senior Deputy President and Provost of NUS, notes, “The VMV serves as a common language for the entire NUS community, in all its diversity, to talk about what we want to achieve and how we intend to get there.”

The VMV serves as a common language for the entire NUS community, in all its diversity, to talk about what we want to achieve and how we intend to get there. Prof Ho Teck Hua, NUS Senior Deputy President and Provost

O C T — D E C 2 0 1 8 . 15

F O C U S

Participating in the VMV launch were (from left) Mr Jeffrey Lee, President, NUS Students’ Union; Assoc Prof Marie-Veronique Clement, NUS Medicine; Prof Ho; Mr Hsieh Fu Hua (Business ‘74), NUS Chairman; Prof Tan; Mr Lim; Ms Nur Amalina Mohamed, University Scholars Programme; and Ms Drashtiben Mukeshbhai Patel, NUS Computing and NUS Overseas College Silicon Valley.

Making our values explicit allows people both from within and outside the NUS community to better understand what we stand for. Mrs Ovidia Lim-Rajaram, NUS Chief Communications Officer

This marks the first time NUS has launched its value system, alongside its vision and mission. “Making our values explicit allows people both from within and outside the NUS community to better understand what we stand for,” says Mrs Lim-Rajaram. She also draws attention to the use of blue and orange — NUS’ colours — as well as the inclusion of its coat of arms on the VMV poster. “Our coat of arms appears on the degree scrolls of graduates, so having this emblem on the poster connects the VMV to the University’s legacy and to all NUS students, past, present and future.”

A P P LY I N G T H E V M V Communicating the VMV is obviously important. But as Prof Tan says, “Articulating our VMV is one thing; implementing and assimilating them into our behaviour

is another. The next challenge for us is to ensure that the VMV trickles down throughout the NUS community and is embedded into everything we do, both on an individual and institutional level.” To some extent, this challenge is made easier by the fact that the NUS values — though never explicitly stated until now — have long been ingrained in the fabric of the University. Indeed, this article names several individuals who embody the five values through their exemplary behaviour (see the following sidebars). Monthly “teh tarik sessions” will also be held around campus in the coming year, during which NUS colleagues can gather for informal chats about the VMV and sensitise themselves to it. As for the University itself, Prof Tan delineates four broad strategies used to frame the VMV:

INNOVATION AND IMPACT

Mr Lim (left) welcoming NUS President Prof Tan (middle) and former NUS Vice-Chancellor Prof Lim Pin to WateROAM’s booth at the exhibition.

16 . THE ALUM NUS

As part of the VMV launch on 15 August, a special showcase of innovative and impactful NUS projects was held at the event venue. On display were over 20 projects by corporate laboratories, start-ups, schools and student initiatives — all of which are, in their own ways, effecting change for the better. Among the featured start-ups was WateROAM, founded in 2014 by three then-undergraduates at NUS with a mission to end rural thirst and unsafe water consumption worldwide through its award-winning, patented water filtration systems. Mr Lim Chong Tee (Engineering ’16), co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of WateROAM, was present that day and participated in the on-stage launch of the VMV.

“As a start-up borne out of NUS, the values that WateROAM abides by — such as innovation and integrity — are intrinsically linked to our education at NUS. I feel that the new VMV is key in uniting students and other stakeholders to take on the challenges of the world.” Mr Lim Chong Tee

INNOVATION IN PRACTICE There is no shortage of innovative work being performed by the NUS researchers. For example, Dr Jiashi Feng (Computing ’14), Assistant Professor at NUS Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has led the development of a largescale, AI-based facial recognition model. To be adopted by Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs, it will

enhance homeland security and contribute to the Smart Nation vision. Another team helmed by Professor Barbaros Özyilmaz, Deputy Director (Translation) of NUS Centre for Advanced 2D Materials, has invented new manufacturing procedures and applications for graphene, a novel material comprising an atomicallythin sheet of carbon.

1. Enhance the current higher education framework. “We want to create a more deliberately-designed framework that integrates lifelong learning.” 2. Improve research translation. “We want to build a strong pipeline of researchers who can take their ideas to market, especially in deep tech [disruptive technologies based on radical scientific or engineering breakthroughs].” 3. Focus on Southeast Asia. “We want to partner with regional top universities to co-create an innovative and enterprising ecosystem in Southeast Asia, so as to facilitate the movement of talent and ideas for the benefit of the region.” 4. Drive organisational excellence. “We hope to make the University administration more responsive to changes in the external environment.”

P H OTO S O F P R O F  H O, P R O F B O EY A N D M R S L I M -RA J AR AM BY EAL B E R T H O

N U R T U R I N G A D U LT L E A R N E R S NUS, being a leading global university, is widely regarded as a pioneer in the development of new educational initiatives to equip students with the necessary competencies and strengths to succeed in the workforce. The University is currently making headlines with its orientation towards continuing education and training (CET), as manifested by the recently-launched NUS Lifelong Learners (NUS L3) and CET500 programmes. Open to alumni as well as the general public, NUS L3 provides skills-based and industry-relevant courses to enable professional upgrading in the digital age. On the corporate side, CET500 offers customised course catalogues and training opportunities for individual companies. “The objective of these lifelong learning programmes is to help individuals be more competitive or resilient in the job market, so that they are ready to adapt to the fast-changing workplace environment,” says Prof Ho. Besides investing in new programmes, another way of concretising the VMV is by tweaking the University’s existing practices and policies. Prof Ho explains, “We will use the new VMV to guide our Application for the January recruitment and appraisal of faculty and 2019 intake (modular courses) researchers, as well as our selection of is now open till 7 November. students for scholarships and discretionary Check out the new course admissions. That means retooling the catalogue and how you may interview process and posing questions to redeem one free module ascertain how well-aligned an individual’s at scale.nus.edu.sg/ values are with NUS’.” AlumniLifeLongLearning

“Innovation means thinking about a problem from a totally different angle, and coming up with a completely new solution to create transformative change for society at large.” Dr Jiashi Feng “The possible applications of graphene, ranging from making supercapacitors to cultivating synthetic bone tissue, are limited only by the imagination.” Prof Barbaros Özyilmaz

Because universities harbour such a big pool of technical and scientific talent, we can act as a sustainable conduit to make [innovation] happen. Prof Freddy Boey, NUS Senior Vice President (Graduate Education & Research Translation)

C R E AT I N G I M PA C T F U L R E S E A R C H In the research arena, the University hopes to accelerate the translation of its research projects into societal and economic benefits. Notwithstanding the Government’s efforts to raise the innovation ecosystem in Singapore by improving connectivity, offering research grants and setting up business incubators, Professor Freddy Boey (Engineering ’87), Senior Vice President (Graduate Education & Research Translation) of NUS, believes more can be done to boost the number of researchers. “It is unreasonable to expect that all innovators will succeed in commercialising their research; in fact, most of them will fail. Thus, a sizeable number of people is required to ensure that, out of them, some will go on to achieve success,” says Prof Boey. “Because universities harbour such a big pool of highly technical and scientific talent, we can act as a sustainable conduit to make this happen.” To this end, a new initiative called the NUS Graduate Research Innovation Programme (GRIP) was unveiled on 4 September. Under NUS GRIP, the University will commit $25 million over the next five years to help its graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and researchers establish up to 250 deep-tech start-ups in critical areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) and biomedicine. The programme is managed by the NUS Industry Liaison Office (ILO), which Prof Boey heads. “I see ILO as being akin to a hatchery that produces as many small fry as it can, in the hopes that some of them will grow into big fish, or successful companies,” says Prof Boey. His aspiration for NUS? “To become one of the world’s foremost universitybased incubators.” O C T — D E C 2 0 1 8 . 17

F O C U S

RESILIENCE IN PRACTICE Mr M. Thirukkumaran (Computing ’18), 26, recently graduated from NUS as class valedictorian, capping a journey that saw him rise above one obstacle after another. As a child, he had performed poorly academically and came close to dropping out of school. It was his Secondary 3 Mathematics teacher’s patient coaching and belief in him that gave Thiru the confidence and desire to turn things around. Through hard work and a refusal to give in to labels like “stupid”, he eventually aced his A-Levels and was awarded a scholarship by the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources to study at NUS.

“Resilience is a skill — and like any skill, you improve the more you use it. The struggle of making it to junior college sowed the seeds of a never-say-die attitude, which I have continued to develop since then.” Mr M. Thirukkumaran

PROMOTING ENTREPRENEURSHIP REGION-WIDE Even before the rollout of the new VMV, a well-functioning enterprise ecosystem was already in effect at the University through its entrepreneurial arm, NUS Enterprise. Two of its most acclaimed initiatives are the NUS Overseas Colleges (NOC) programme and the BLOCK71 start-up incubator, which have birthed notable homegrown ventures like Carousell, ShopBack and honestbee. At present, there are 11 NOC locations and four BLOCK71 hubs in major cities worldwide. “The VMV dovetails nicely with the work we have been doing up to now, and it validates the fact that entrepreneurship is an important dimension of NUS’ teaching and research,” says Dr Lily Chan, CEO of NUS Enterprise. “We have built a vibrant, one-stop-shop

We have built a vibrant, onestop-shop entrepreneurial community and infrastructure to cultivate our growing start-ups. Dr Lily Chan, CEO, NUS Enterprise

entrepreneurial community and infrastructure to cultivate our growing start-ups. Even if our students don’t succeed, by participating in our programmes and community, they can acquire skills such as resilience and innovation — traits which are beneficial to any job or industry, and embraced by the VMV.” Moving forward, NUS Enterprise plans to strengthen its regional university network in line with the VMV’s pivot to Southeast Asia. Local and international students with an interest in entrepreneurship will have more opportunities to mingle, either in Singapore via the NUS Enterprise Summer Programme or through summer internships abroad. New collaborations have also been forged with public- and private-sector agencies to advance industries of strategic value to

Photo: N US Medicine

EXCELLENCE IN PRACTICE

Assoc Prof Nga (seated) with her team of staff, junior doctors and students who have helped build Pathweb.

18 . THE ALUM NUS

One quality that has helped Associate Professor Nga Min En (Medicine ’98) from NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine throughout her nearly 20-year teaching career is empathy. Such appreciation for the stresses and challenges faced by medical students and junior doctors prompted Assoc Prof Nga to set up in 2017 the globally popular online pathology teaching

resource, “Pathweb”. It has two main components: a virtual museum comprising digitised, fully-annotated specimens of diseased body parts; and a self-directed learning resource containing interactive elements such as mind maps and quizzes. For this and other accomplishments, she has received multiple teaching excellence awards.

“To me, excellence is the attainment of a high standard of performance that goes beyond standard measurables, so as to make a meaningful impact and a positive difference to others. It involves trying one’s best and engaging in continual self-improvement.” Assoc Prof Nga Min En

Singapore, such as cybersecurity and maritime; leveraging on its BLOCK71 concept, NUS Enterprise will take a whole-of-campus approach to explore innovative solutions to industry pain points. “We want to see more young people taking risks and pursuing their entrepreneurial passions. We want them to be more daring in coming up with new business or technology innovations, and creating new companies,” says Dr Chan. “This in turn will spark a multiplier effect, emboldening others around the region to enter into entrepreneurship.”

RESPE CT AND INTEGRITY IN PRACTICE

L O O K I N G I N WA R D

means is it uniquely rooted to NUS. Applying the VMV into our own lives as aspirational guiding principles will equip us to become better global citizens, and well-placed to succeed not just at home but internationally.”

Lastly, the new VMV will serve as a launch pad for NUS to review its internal governance and The HANGAR by NUS Enterprise is a base to management practices, and look house NUS start-ups for ways to achieve ever-higher and entrepreneurs levels of excellence. This is part and as they nurture their parcel of its transition in 2006 from business ideas. a statutory board to a corporatised, autonomous university — a move which gave NUS, along with other publicly-funded universities, greater flexibility to strategise, innovate and differentiate itself in the competitive global higher education landscape. “Just as companies must adapt quickly to opportunities and challenges in the business environment, so must universities. I hope to change the culture of administration at NUS and cultivate a more responsive, bolder, risk-taking mentality,” says Prof Tan. “Total transformation, internal and external, is what we are after.”

THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING So where do NUS alumni fit in all this? Do they have a special role to play in disseminating the VMV? By virtue of their size alone — they number about 300,000, dwarfing NUS’ 40,000 students and 10,000 staff — the answer is a resounding ‘yes’. According to Prof Ho, fellow alumni can contribute in two ways: They can act as NUS brand ambassadors. “As good role models in the workplace and the wider community, they can show to the outside world the pride that comes with being from NUS.” They can give back to the NUS community. “As donors, our alumni can give financially-disadvantaged students a chance to receive and benefit from a first-rate education at NUS, like they did.” Mr Benjamin Tan (Business ’00), an NUS Alumni Advisory Board member, points out that the VMV’s universality makes it applicable to local and overseas alumni alike: “The VMV may be especially pertinent to our University’s interests, but by no

Since leaving NUS, Mrs Carmee Lim (Science ’63) has carved out a distinguished career in the education profession. The 78 year-old is perhaps most well-known for her former tenure as Principal of Raffles Girls’ School from 1988 to 1999. As Principal, she led by example while instilling respect and integrity in her students — values which had been cemented during her undergraduate days. Mrs Lim treated everyone equally, from the teaching staff to the coffee lady, and all were included in school functions. She also regularly exhorted her pupils to do the right thing, even when nobody was looking at them.

“NUS is a great university, and a gateway to boundless learning experiences. As alumni, we must inspire others to make the world a better place in our own distinctive ways.” Mrs Carmee Lim

A CALL TO SERVICE Whether it be in education, research or entrepreneurship, NUS’ VMV aims to achieve transformational change, which by its very nature demands a future-oriented outlook. A look back at its past vision statements indicates just how far the University has come. In the wake of Singapore’s formation as an independent republic in 1965, successive NUS Presidents stretching from the late Dr Toh Chin Chye (1968–1975) to Professor Lim Pin (1981–2000) busied the University with contributing to the nationbuilding effort. Things changed when Professor Shih Choon Fong (2000–2008) took over the mantle at the turn of the millennium. Under his presidency, NUS sought to become “the intellectual and entrepreneurial pulse of Singapore” and “a global knowledge enterprise” through fresh approaches to education, especially science. His successor Prof Tan Chorh Chuan (2008–2017) set NUS’ sights on becoming “an international university with a unique Asian flavour” in order to address issues faced by the rising continent, such as urbanisation and environmental sustainability. At the end of the day, however, there Mr Benjamin Tan, is one throughline that binds the various NUS Alumni visions, including the new VMV, together: Advisory Board the emphasis on improving people’s lives, member be they near or far, or for current or future generations. This overarching purpose harkens all the way back to the founding of NUS in 1905 as a medical school “by the community, for the community”. So in a way, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Applying the VMV into our own lives as aspirational guiding principles will equip us to become better global citizens, and well-placed to succeed not just at home but internationally.

O C T — D E C 2 0 1 8 . 19

forum

A ‘POST’ MODERN WORLD As one of the most wired countries on the planet, Singapore not surprisingly has a tremendously high rate of social media penetration. But for all the opportunities that it opens up for communication, interaction and branding, social media does have its negative aspects. Can a balance be struck between the good and the bad? Our alumni weigh in.

CAUGHT UP IN A (SOCIAL) MEDIA FRENZY? Does it bring people together, or divide them? Does it serve as a platform for minority voices, or is a mere echo chamber? With social media becoming a part of many people’s lives, three NUS alumni offer their opinions on the multi-faceted impact it has.

H W E E: I was previously on Facebook but have deactivated my account. I am now only on LinkedIn, and only log in for perhaps five minutes per day. I use it specifically for business development purposes – it has been quite helpful in my career and I have managed to revive some old work contacts since returning to the (venture capital field) after a three-year hiatus. M I N G H O W E: I am on Facebook and Instagram. I’m also on LinkedIn but I don’t use it as a social media platform. I probably spend about two hours each day checking Facebook and Instagram, largely to ‘stalk’ my friends and follow up on news that might interest me. I do get articles from news sites such as ST Online that are pushed to me through Facebook, which I find is a good way to catch up on trending topics. P R IYA: I also spend about two hours on social media platforms each day, be it to update my school’s Facebook account, or watch nail art videos on Instagram (laughs)! I also catch up with my ex-students through Instagram, which is their preferred platform – Facebook is out of fashion with the younger generation.

O U R PA N E L

MS HWEE ANG (ARCHITECTURE ‘01) 39, WORKS IN THE VENTURE CAPITAL SECTOR

MS PRIYA PRASAD (ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ‘08) 32, HEAD OF DEPARTMENT AT A SECONDARY SCHOOL

Do you post often on these platforms, and if so, about what?

H W E E: I repost content selectively; largely articles that resonate with me, such as those on topics of technology and investments. M I N G H O W E: As compared to Instagram which I share with closer friends, my network on Facebook is a lot wider, and would include colleagues and bosses. So, I would say that I have a different persona for each platform: on Instagram I might share my travel experiences or things that are meaningful to me, but

2 0 . THE ALUM NUS

MR CHUA MING HOWE (COMPUTER SCIENCE ‘14) 29, EXECUTIVE MANAGER (IT), AGRI-FOOD & VETERINARY AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE

I LL U STR AT I O N : G ET TY I M AG E S; LO CAT I O N: P E N NY U N IVE R S IT Y CAF E

What social media platforms are you on, and how much time do you spend on them?

TEXT BY KOH YUEN LIN . PHOTOS BY TECK LIM

Social media posts are really just curated snapshots of a person’s life or thoughts at a moment in time. It’s largely stage-managed, I feel. - MS HWEE ANG

I hardly post on Facebook as I am more wary of how my posts are being perceived. Similarly, because of my own user behaviour, I do not take my friends’ posts as a reflection of their life. H W E E: Social media posts are really just curated snapshots of a person’s life or thoughts at a moment in time. It’s largely stage-managed, I feel. P R IYA: Actually, I don’t think most regular people would go to such an extent as to carefully create an online persona. That is more true for those who take social media postings as their profession – such as an Instagram model. H W E E: It also has to do with what the individual uses the medium for. Those who use it as a means to communicate with a private community would generally post content that inspires conversation among the group. Those who use it more to promote themselves would have more curated public profiles that showcase a certain side of themselves or their life, which fits the image that they wish to perpetuate. P R IYA: Well, for the kids there is nothing private about social media; it is all public – they bask in the attention. It is certainly a very effective platform for getting heard.

M I N G H O W E: Indeed. To give an example, when a Twitter user wrote a post about the difficulties in getting a license (from the AVA), it was immediately flagged and our IT team went on to study the issue of online applications. More and more organisations – from companies in the private sector to government agencies – are taking steps to engage people through social platforms. H W E E: Also, it isn’t just teenagers who market themselves through social media. Many people use LinkedIn as a platform for professional selfpromotion but sometimes put out content that are not intellectually rigorous. But one could still get a lot of “likes” depending on his or her popularity. Do you find it an effective platform for gathering information?

P R IYA: As an alternative to mainstream media, social media does give users a means of finding out different ways of thinking about things. But you have to look at the information objectively. M I N G H O W E: The algorithm behind the sites and apps is such that the platform feeds you the type of content that you like to consume. So what you get out of it really depends on your own user behaviour. H W E E: I do get updated on trending topics through LinkedIn, but I also realise that what I get is a selfselecting outcome. In the very least it provides me with conversation-starters among industry people. M I N G H O W E: Personally, I don’t think social media platforms are meant for intellectual discourse.

O C T — D E C 2 0 1 8 . 21

forum

H W E E: A platform’s purpose has to do with how its users perceive it. I think many people see social media simply as a place to freely voice their opinion, often in real time — and sometimes without much thought. M I N G H O W E: Yes, this is most apparent with issues that might be somewhat controversial – that is when you start seeing the extremes in opinion being put out on social media. Would you say social media is divisive, then?

M I N G H O W E: Well, there are people who use social media to connect to a community, and there are those who really just use it to make abrasive comments and stir tension. H W E E: Such behaviour is often just a reflection of an individual’s dissatisfaction in life. M I N G H O W E: There are also Facebook pages set up just to troll the government. You really have to assess the value of the platform for yourself. P R IYA: My students wouldn’t know the difference between informed opinions and fake news that is spread on social media! That said, they don’t use the platforms for news consumption. H W E E: Such ignorance isn’t unique among the young, but also among some of the less-savvy and the elderly. I personally have relatives who would take what they read on Facebook as gospel truth – for example, they might get

very excited about an article on a cure for cancer and start sending it to everybody in the family. Do you think social media is still effective in its “social” function?

P R IYA: Actually, I find that many of the 15 to 16 year-olds use social media just to show case what’s happening in their lives. The actual socialising happens a lot on gaming platforms, rather than on social media. H W E E: I remember being fascinated by the BBS (Bulletin Board System) in my teenage years too! I think social media doesn’t replace socialisation. Also, it has now turned into a branding tool not just for individuals but also corporations, which is why we are constantly bombarded by marketing information pushed to us through these platforms. On that topic: are you wary of losing proprietary information through the use of social media?

M I N G H O W E: It is not just social media. The moment you go online, be it to send an email or to surf the internet, you are giving away information about yourself – from your age and gender, likes and dislikes, and even your location. There are many algorithms tracking your user behaviour, and this data could either be used for push marketing or sold to other corporations. It’s just a matter of how much data the telcos and IT companies want to mine.

L O G G ED IN

83%

of the Singapore population are on social media, the 9th-highest in the world.

SINGAPOREANS

2h 6min DAILY ON

SOCIAL MEDIA.

22 . THE ALUM NUS

S ourc e: G lobal D igi t al Re po rt 2 0 1 8

SPEND AN AVERAGE OF

Cyber-bullying happens everywhere. Also, impressionable youths might be negatively affected when they don’t realise that what they see on social media is not necessarily a reflection of real life. - M S P R I Y A P R A S A D

H W E E: A friend, who in the business of background checks, does not even send out pictures of his children through WhatsApp, because everything that is posted virtually may stay there forever. P R IYA: I think the compromise on personal information is dormant knowledge for most people, but I don’t think anybody truly thinks about it or acts on it. H W E E: I did! That was why I deactivated my Facebook account. We are losing rights to our private information, and putting them in the control of others. M I N G H O W E: I would sometimes think about the concerns, but I do also realise that the moment you are online there is no way to control this loss of proprietary information. But this also goes back to why I am more cautious of what I put up on social media: whatever you post could come back to you one day, because these things cannot be erased! What are the other risks of using social media?

P R IYA: Cyber-bullying happens everywhere. Also, impressionable youths might be negatively affected when they don’t realise that what they see on social media is not necessarily a reflection of real life. In a 2017 survey conducted by the Royal Society for Public Health in England, Instagram was ranked worst for young people’s mental health. It affects youths more because studies have shown the human brain’s prefrontal cortex only fully develops at around 21 years of age for men and slightly earlier for women. Teenagers do not realise that it is a part of the brain called the amygdala – associated with emotions and impulses – that drives their decisions, and that their reasoning capacity might be limited. Given the risks, should social media be more regulated?

P R IYA: There already are age restrictions to setting up accounts on social media, but it is easy to get around them. And with everybody owning a smartphone these days it is hard to regulate usage. Recently, France banned the use of mobile phones in schools to promote actual real-time engagement. But in Singapore, secondary school students are encouraged to bring their phones and announcements are sometimes made through WhatsApp groups. There is a strong push towards adopting technology. H W E E: The push for adoption of technology can a bit overzealous at times, and seen as a solution to everything.

M I N G H O W E: If you put in checks – such as having to use your identification number to STAY I N verify your age and identity in order to set up TO U C H an account – then it would defeat the whole with the NUS purpose of having a space that is “free”. alumni family on social media H W E E: Also, technology transcends geographical barriers and the regulations of @NUS_Alumni individual countries, so short of banning it NUS Alumni nation-wide – such as in the case of Facebook, YouTube and Google in China – not much can @NUSOAR be done. The companies behind the social media platforms certainly won’t want to enforce any such regulations because it would mean losing users and lowering revenues. What then are the advantages of using social media?

P R IYA: It is useful for me largely to keep in touch with my exstudents – it is, however, against regulations to connect with current students on social media. For the teaching community, Facebook is also used it to connect, communicate and collaborate – we learn different teaching methods from what each other shares. H W E E: In some industries, a lot of people still use Facebook as a means to expand their network, perhaps because the company is the poster boy for the prevailing demographic. Facebook also connotes the idea of a fraternity. M I N G H O W E: Facebook has managed to evolve so that it has many other functions – such as buying and selling through Marketplace. What do you think is the future for social media?

P R IYA: I am not sure. There was a time when there was a Snapchat craze, but that has died down and somehow Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are the ones that have prevailed. M I N G H O W E: As seen from the Snapchat example, those with wider functions and are capable of evolving will survive. H W E E: And higher perceived value. Social media is here to stay because the corporations behind them have developed the businesses beyond what they originally were. However what I do hope to see is greater control in the hands of the users – be it the ability to protect personal data or the ability to retract something posted and have all records of it erased.

If you’d like to join our Forum panel, do write to us at OARconnect@nus.edu.sg to express your interest and pick from our list of future discussion topics that you may want be part of.

O C T — D E C 2 0 1 8 . 23

panorama

HOME SAFE HOME The SGSecure national movement is Singapore’s community response to the threat of terror. It aims to sensitise, train, and mobilise our community to prevent and deal with a terror attack.

Slaying the Black Swan, SG Style A look at SGSecure and uniquely Singaporean strategies to achieving community cohesiveness in the fight against terror, as outlined by security and risk management expert Mr Raj Joshua Thomas (Arts and Social Sciences ’04, Law ’12). CONOMIST AND STATISTICIAN Nicholas Taleb, in his lauded The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable defined a “black swan” as a highprofile, hard-to-predict event that has an effect of large magnitude and consequence in history. While Taleb’s black swan theory is concerned with events in the financial world, his discourse on the subject may also be applied to understand the effect of terrorist attacks on societies, and how countries should craft their counter-terrorism strategies.

Taleb identifies three characteristics of a black swan: 1. The event is outside of the realm of regular expectations; 2. The event carries an extreme impact; 3. In spite of its outlier status, speculation arises post the event, to try to explain it, and it is retrospectively postulated to have been predictable. A black swan essentially changes the complexion of a society in an unexpected manner, shaped by the emotions stirred up by such a disruptive event. In the wake of an increase in the incidence of acts of terror, many countries have published national counter-terrorism strategies that seek to prevent and respond to terrorist attacks. A quick survey of the national strategies of other countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia and Denmark, shows an emphatic effort in preventing a terrorist attack, through identifying and dealing with potential terrorists, supporting operations against terror groups overseas and beefing up the emergency services.

A 3 60 APPROACH Singapore’s counter-terrorism strategy includes the above, but has also incorporated a concerted effort to engage the public and enlist their participation in the effort. This is the

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SGSecure movement. The Singapore approach — unique among that undertaken in most countries — aims to negate the factors that would have made a terrorist attack a black swan, reducing its effect on the history of our nation and the way of life in Singapore. First, the paradigm of how the Singapore government regards a terrorist attack is encapsulated in the SGSecure slogan: “Not If, but When” — that in spite of robust vigilance and prevention efforts, a terror attack in Singapore is inevitable. This seeks to remove the sting of shock should such an event occur in Singapore, allowing Singaporeans to fall back on the responses stipulated in the SGSecure schema. Indeed, a 2016 Sunday Times poll found that three out of four Singaporeans believed that a terror strike in Singapore was “only a matter of time”. Instead of relying on just trying to predict and prevent terror

The safeguarding against a terror attack becoming a black swan must therefore begin even before a terror attack occurs.

discrimination. 50% of Muslims in the US felt that “In recent years, being Muslim in the US has gotten more difficult” while a significant 75% said that there was “a lot of discrimination against Muslims in the US”.

A HOUSE UNITED attacks, the acceptance that it is only a matter of time before it happens builds a sense of urgency to prepare against the inevitable, akin in tenor to London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s comments that being prepared for terror attacks is “part and parcel of living in a big city”. Second, SGSecure aims to reduce the impact that a terrorist attack has on Singaporeans’ way of life. It holds: “The intent of terrorists is to inject fear and weaken the psychological resilience and social fabric of our society. This is why the cornerstone of our counter-terrorism strategy must be the strengthening of community vigilance, cohesion and resilience”. In this regard, the SGSecure ‘Stay Strong’ pillar prescribes how one should react during a terror attack, specifically, the application of the Run, Hide, Tell sequence, and improvised first aid (Press, Tie, Tell). Further to the immediate physical reaction to an attack, SGSecure also advises on how to cope during a crisis. For example, it prescribes that persons could turn to family and friends for comfort, and should resume their daily routine and keep themselves occupied. It further cautions against avoiding people of other races, or religions. The objective of this portion of SGSecure is to blunt the impact of a terror attack and help Singaporeans revert to their usual way of life as soon as possible. Third, SGSecure specifically provides for how Singaporeans should react in the aftermath of an attack, setting out, inter alia, steps to prevent speculation as to the details and motivations for the attack, that may fuel suspicion and discord. This is intended to ameliorate the possibility of finger-pointing at any particular group. SGSecure advises not to spread rumours, or to post or share videos that can cause worry and panic, and instead, to keep up with and rely on advisories and information from official sources. In this regard, SGSecure seeks to control the narrative after an attack. The 911 attacks is the most obvious black swan in recent times. Among other things, it has had significant impact on relations between communities within societies. A comprehensive 2017 Pew Research Centre Study on Muslims and Islam in the US and Europe underscores the growing distrust of minority communities. For example, the study showed that 41% of US adults felt that “Islam encourages violence more than other faiths” while 35% found that there was a “great deal or fair amount of extremism among US Muslims”. Half of the respondents felt that “Islam is not part of mainstream society”. In the UK, which has faced several attacks by Islamist extremists, over a quarter of respondents said they had an “unfavourable view of Muslims”. On their part, migrant communities say they face increasing

Such a situation where one community becomes targeted and distrusted after a black swan is simply untenable in Singapore. Our society is based on mutual respect for our constituent communities and this fine balance has brought us internal stability and is an integral aspect of our way of life. The safeguarding against a terror attack becoming a black swan must therefore begin even before a terror attack occurs. SGSecure provides for this, by encouraging Singaporeans to be part of a cohesive community by deepening mutual trust and respect through learning about different cultures, races and religious practices, and building links and friendships with neighbours regardless of creed. This approach is markedly different from that taken in, for example, Denmark, which in May this year passed a new law requiring children in ghettoes, who are mostly Muslim, to attend mandatory training in “Danish values”. This includes being taught about Danish culture and language, and the celebration of Christian holidays like Christmas and Easter. This new legislation has been criticised as targeting Muslims, and seeking to fight extremism by countering it with Danish values. Far from preparing Danish society from recovering from a terror attack, this type of policy drives wedges between communities and would invariably lead to more distrust and discrimination after an attack. Policies like these increase the likelihood that a terror attack would have a black swan effect. Nonetheless, while the SGSecure movement has been well-conceived, it is an ongoing effort. A 2017 Sunday Times poll found that with four in five Singaporeans were unprepared for a terrorist attack. Another survey by The Straits Times in 2016 found that social cohesion needed to be worked on, with half of the respondents stating that they were aware that there was a significant number of Singaporeans who were at least mildly racist. As such, there is yet work to be done to condition Singapore society to withstand against a terror attack changing our way of life. But, as succinctly put by Minister for Home Affairs Mr K Shanmugam (Law ’84), “you can’t just wave a magic wand and say it’s done”. While SGSecure may not be a magic wand, it is an integral tool that equips Singaporeans to slay the black swan, by preparing — socially, psychologically and skills-wise — for any act of terror on our soil. Mr Raj Joshua Thomas is President of the Security Association Singapore and CEO of full-service security firm TwinRock. He regularly advises clients on security risk mitigation measures, including counter-terror procedures and protocols..

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changemaker

WHO IS HE? Dr Brian Chan currently works as a Medical Officer in the Department of Neurosurgery at the National Neuroscience Institute.

IKE MANY WHO TRAIN TO BE DOCTORS, Dr Brian Chan is passionate about saving lives. But unlike most people, he has committed himself to paying it forward to the next generation, even if he has to do things differently. “I wanted to become a doctor to serve others when they are at their most vulnerable,” he says. “And not just to save the people of today, but also to place myself in a position that enables me to enact change for the future and improve the lives of tomorrow’s patients.” Dr Chan’s determination saw him through nine years of university. The 31 year-old first enrolled at NUS Science in 2008. After obtaining an Honours degree in Life Sciences, specialising in Biomedical Science, he decided to follow in his parents’ footsteps. His father, Associate Professor Edwin Chan, is Chief Scientific Officer at the Singapore Clinical Research Institute. His mother, Dr Jennifer Yeo, is a general practitioner.

I wanted to become a doctor to serve others when they are at their most vulnerable.

At Your Service From running with the disabled to counselling sex workers, Dr Brian Chan (MD, Duke-NUS ‘17) has spent much of his life helping others around the world. Having taken an unusual path to a medical degree, he plans to continue exploring new ways of making a difference.

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Dr Chan enrolled in Duke-NUS Medical School in 2013. He graduated last July, and has just completed his first year as a physician with SingHealth. At the time of this interview, he has just begun a six-month posting in the Department of Neurosurgery at the National Neuroscience Institute. “This has been a long journey,” he admits. “I had always wanted to do medicine but did not get in as an undergrad. It has given me the time and space to really think about what I want to do with my life. My undergrad training established a strong interest in research and the basis of medicine which I might not have had time to appreciate otherwise. And now I am in a position to guide others who find themselves at similar crossroads.” Indeed, on the Duke-NUS website, you will find a helpful blog post from Dr Chan detailing seven things one needs to know when applying to the graduate medical school. Taking a different route has its advantages. Desiring to make use of this “second chance to make a real and tangible difference to the Duke-NUS community”, Dr Chan ran for and was elected class president four years in a row. “Duke-NUS is still a young school and growing in so many ways,” he says. “I wanted to be see Duke-NUS make an impact in the way medicine is practised in Singapore.”

A SPIRIT OF GIVING Giving back lets Dr Chan combine his two loves: medicine and community work. A proud “true-blue ACSian of 12 years, from primary school to junior college”, Dr Chan says that community service became a key part of his life thanks to the exposure his school gave him.

TEXT BY THERESA TAN . PHOTO BY MARK LEE

It was during his junior college days that Dr Chan started going on overseas missions with his parents. “Most of my work has been with Crisis Relief Singapore, a Christian non-profit organisation. I have at times volunteered with other organisations as well including other churches and NGOs. I’ve been to Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, China, Tibet, Mongolia and Sri Lanka, to name a few.” Most of these trips are centred on medical care, he adds, as well as education and empowerment. These days, he still goes on trips with his family, organised by his church, to a fishing village in Batam. Medical aid is just part of these trips — the chance to bring hope to underserved communities through working with other organisations is especially satisfying for Dr Chan. “One of my most memorable experiences was in Mongolia,” he shares. “We were partnering with the local arm of Campus Crusade for Christ to provide medical aid, education and counselling to the various military and prison installations. We were also involved with outreach activities to orphanages and commercial sex workers. Having the chance to work alongside an international team opened my eyes to what one can achieve through collaboration.” This practice of serving the needy overseas continued during his years at Duke-NUS. “DOVE (DukeNUS Overseas Volunteering Expedition) is one of our annual volunteer projects. It’s a joint effort between faculty, students and international partners. I participated as a first-year student and was inspired to return and lead the project in my third year. We work with NGOs in developing countries to enable sustained medical care and education. It’s an expedition that focuses on clinics and health education. There is extensive training for the students and they really take ownership of the project.” His giving was not limited to overseas missions. During his medical school days, Dr Chan also volunteered with Runninghour, an inclusive running group of guides that provide support to disabled runners in Singapore. “Those were some of my fondest memories,” he says. “I used to run competitively during my college days

ON THE WINGS OF HOPE Project DOVE (Duke-NUS Overseas Volunteering Expedition), organised by a team of medical students from DukeNUS Graduate Medical School, first pioneered under the name of Project Karen in 2010. Since then, teams representing Project DOVE have travelled to Thailand and Vietnam annually to improve lives beyond Singapore, by providing sustainable medical care and health education to underprivileged communities.

and Runninghour was a great way to give back to the community and continue my love for running. We would serve as guides to mentally- and visually-challenged runners. Sadly, I have not been with them for some time now due to the demands of medicine.” He has every intention of returning to volunteer work, when time allows. “I hope to get back in the game now that I’m done with housemanship and I’m looking into opportunities to serve communities and my school,” says Dr Chan, who has two sisters: a designer and a medical student.

A N E W PA R A D I G M F O R M E D I C I N E While specialising in a field of medicine is the norm, what Dr Chan is really keen on is the future of medicine. “Medicine is much more than just attending to patients. We would never progress if it were just that. The term ‘academic medicine’ refers to the combination of clinical practice, research and education to improve the care of patients. This is what most large medical centres, such as Duke-NUS/NUHS, work towards. To make medicine sustainable, you have to keep pushing boundaries — that’s research. And you need to impart knowledge — that’s education — to the next generation. And, of course, you have to provide excellent clinical care.” He adds that these days, most doctors don’t just treat patients. “A clinician-scientist, for example, is a physician who treats patients but who also devotes time to research. He has the opportunity to bridge the gap between clinicians practising in the real world and scientists who are researching in the lab. With the patient as the focus, we take a problem back to the lab, figure out how to solve it and bring that solution back to the real world. He quips, “It’s easier said than done!” Making things better for the next generation is a sign of appreciation to the previous generation, says Dr Chan. “The best way that we can say thank you to our family, friends, faculty, seniors, school and anyone who has blessed us, is to pay it forward to the next generation, whether that comes in the form of teaching, research, volunteering, financial contributions or counselling.”

AMA ZING RACERS

Dr Brian Chan at a Runninghour event

Winner of the APSN (Association for Persons with Special Needs) Bronze Award for Excellent Service in 2012, as well as the President’s Award for Volunteerism (Informal Group) in 2014, Runninghour is an inclusive running club formed in 2009 by a group of fitness enthusiasts. They act as buddy runners

to special needs members who are mildly intellectually-challenged every Saturday morning. The members are mainly students and ex-students with APSN. Runninghour has been supported by Central Singapore Community Development Council (CDC) as a Healthy Lifestyle Club (HLC).

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spotlight

HE OLD SAYING ‘the rich just keep getting richer’ rings true for Hollywood romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians. Featuring an all-Asian cast — including a handful of Singaporean actors — the film has topped the North American box office for the third week in a row since its premiere, sweeping nearly US$111 million (approximately S$152 million) in earnings as of early September. Here in Singapore, where some of the scenes were set, the movie has been Number One for two straight weekends (at the time of writing) and has grossed $4.66 million and counting. NUS alumnus and theatre veteran Ms Janice Koh counts herself “lucky” to be a part of not just a successful Hollywood movie but one that is viewed as a watershed moment by many Asian-Americans. “Everyone on set was thrilled because it had never been the case where you could look around and see every scene that was being shot, every role that was being played, was someone of Asian descent. I feel so privileged to have been given a role in this movie,” says Ms Koh, who was part of the pioneer batch of NUS Theatre Studies students. The AlumNUS catches the busy 44 year-old mother to two boys aged 12 and 14 — in between her rehearsals for an upcoming play by TheatreWorks and her fundraising efforts for W!ld Rice’s theatre and rehearsal space — for a chat about her role:

Congratulations on the film’s success! Were you expecting such hype?

Taking on Tinseltown Crazy Rich Asians actress Ms Janice Koh (Arts and Social Sciences ‘95) on her maiden experience on a Hollywood set and the pride and gratitude she feels to have been involved in this landmark box office hit. 2 8 . THE ALUM NUS

overwhelmingly embraced by the Asian-American community. It is a landmark movie in many ways — a movement, says Chu — which hopefully will trigger a new way of thinking about filmmaking and casting from the point of view of diversity and inclusivity. How did you manage to get the part of Felicity Leong?

Like everybody else, I had to audition — twice. But I didn’t hear back from [the studio] for a long time, so I assumed that it wasn’t going to happen. The confirmation process had taken a while, and at the time filming had started in Kuala Lumpur, I was in a play. A scene I was to be in clashed with my schedule. I was very fortunate, however, that the producers and the director liked me enough to write me out of that particular scene in order to keep me for the rest of the movie. They could have easily re-casted but they didn’t, so I just felt very honoured and lucky.

P H OTO S : F LY E NT E RTA I N M E NT

I knew it was going to be a good film when we were halfway through our shoot, when the director John M. Chu showed us a 10-minute sizzler. Of course it was a special moment in Hollywood to have a story like this — starring an all-Asian cast — and that is funded by a Hollywood studio. But I think even the producers themselves didn’t expect [the film] to be so

TEXT BY FAIROZA MANSOR

How would you describe your character?

She belongs to ‘old money’. But even though she comes from the ultra-wealthy world, she is extremely frugal. For example, she might be rich enough to buy a hotel but will not pay for a taxi when it is raining. I personally do not understand that! (laughs) How did you prepare for your role?

The main part of my preparation was learning the lines in Cantonese because I don’t speak the dialect. And half my lines were in Cantonese! So the first thing I did when I got the script was call my actor friend to get it translated. And I said those lines everywhere I went — in the car while fetching my kids to school and even while taking a shower — until the words came out of my mouth on auto-pilot mode. A US audience probably cannot tell the difference, but I knew that an Asian audience can, and I didn’t want to let them down.

“seen” in an authentic way. The debate suggests that we have some deep-seated issues in our country — in terms of minority representation and class diversity and these need to be discussed. If the movie has provided a platform to start those discussions, great. I don’t blame people for raising these issues, but I also feel it’s naïve to think that Hollywood can solve all of our problems. Tell us about your time as a Theatre Studies major at NUS. How has that shaped your career?

The set was very well-resourced, which means there were people in charge of every aspect of production. A lot of the crew on the ground were local — Malaysians, Singaporeans etc. In that sense, I was very proud; it showed that we have the capabilities and the talent; we just lack that big Hollywood budget. The actors were very well taken care of. Every day I would be picked up and sent to the set, and then back home after I was done. All this so we wouldn’t be tired, so that when we arrived, we were ready to give our best. In that sense, it cut both ways. Much is given to you, but much is also expected of you.

After completing the Theatre Studies programme at Victoria Junior College, I knew I wanted to study acting and performance. But there was no way my family could have afforded to send me away, and at the time, arts and theatre scholarships were hard to come by. Luckily, the year I graduated from JC was when the Theatre Studies programme was started at NUS by Dr KK Seet. Going in, I knew the programme was primarily academic, so I decided from the get-go that I was going to find my performance training elsewhere. So all through my time at NUS, I was working a lot with TheatreWorks, and also doing workshops outside of my course. This being said, I’ve always been a theatre nerd. I love performing but also enjoy the academic part of it. The programme prepared me well for my Masters in arts administration and cultural policy which I took in England. Whatever they were teaching there, I thought to myself: “Been there, done that!” On hindsight it was a good balance — there are things that school will never be able to teach you but at the same time, there is some discipline and critical analysis that would be helpful when you go into a project.

Some have said that the film isn’t representative of Singapore, or Singaporeans. What’s your take on this?

What are your hopes for Crazy Rich Asians, or has it already achieved beyond what it sets to do?

As a Hollywood movie, it could not be all things to all people. It is after all based on a novel about the 0.01 per cent of society. I might be Chinese but I don’t even feel the movie reflects me as I don’t come from that ultra-rich world. Ultimately, it is a fantasy. However, I understand where some of the concerns are coming from. I understand the desire by Singaporeans to be

It would be great if this movie becomes what Love, Actually is to many people, including myself. I already know the story but I will still watch it every Christmas. So it would be amazing if Crazy Rich Asians has that kind of longevity. To get there, the story needs to be good and well-told. Otherwise you won’t feel compelled to watch it again. I know of people who have watched it five times. So we shall see — time will tell.

How was it like to be on a Hollywood set?

MADE IN SINGAPORE Adapted from Singapore-born Kevin Kwan’s best-selling novel of the same name, Crazy Rich Asians also stars other Singaporean actors including Pierre Png, Selena Tan, Tan Kheng Hua, Koh Chieng Mun and Fiona Xie. Spotted in the movie were shots of Shenton Way, Marina Bay Sands, Gardens By The Bay and even the Merlion.

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pursuit of excellence

WHO IS SHE? Regional Marketing Director of homegrown furniture brand Scanteak, which was started by her parents in 1974 as a 400sqft shop space, and today boasts more than 100 retail outlets across the world.

Going Against the Grain From working in Hollywood to running her family’s furniture business, Scanteak, Ms Jamie Lim (UCLA-NUS EMBA ‘15) has reached new career heights by thinking differently and being willing to learn.

HILE MS JAMIE LIM IS BEST KNOWN today as the Regional Marketing Director of furniture brand Scanteak, her initial career was a world away — both literally and figuratively — from what she is doing now. As a teenager, she had set her sights on Hollywood, and enrolled in Biola University to study film. Though also offered a place at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA), Ms Lim chose the small Christian college because of its value system and the opportunities it afforded students. “Producers like Ralph Winter (Star Trek, X-Men) would come and talk to us in a small class setting,” she says of her time at Biola. At university, she also discovered her love for marketing, and directed her energy towards marketing films. After graduating, Ms Lim interned with Universal Studios for a year, before being hired by Walden Media. “I handled publicity, arranging press junkets and getting the word out about the

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films.” Films that Ms Lim marketed included Mulholland Drive, the Chronicles Of Narnia series and Ray, which won Jamie Foxx an Oscar for Best Actor. For Ms Lim, whatever she found was worth her effort to do, she would pull out all the stops to be the best at it. “During my internship interview at Universal, I was asked where I saw myself in a few years — I said I hoped to eventually become his boss if opportunity allowed.” Indeed, things did turn out that way — only not where she expected.

THE CALL HOME In 2004, two years into her career in movie marketing, Ms Lim received a call from her father, Mr Lim Pok Chin, managing director of Scanteak, who had started the business in the 1970s with his wife, Ms Catherine Foo, Scanteak’s executive director. “He said, ‘I heard you are coming home. Come visit me in Taiwan.’” Her suspicions

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were aroused when her father picked her from the airport in his Mercedes, and took her to Taipei’s best Japanese restaurant. “He asked me, ‘Are you making an impact yet? Why not do your own business? You can have flexible time.’” Even at that point, Ms Lim was no stranger to the family business. As a youngster, she was enlisted by her parents to provide “customer service” to the children of shoppers, till their parents had made the purchase. She also would draw up “press advertisements” for the latest furniture, and follow her mother to meetings. Her father’s suggestion came at the right point in Ms Lim’s life. She had just read Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad, Poor Dad, which proposes that a person should not work for money, but make money work for him, by way of businesses and investments. “I decided that the opportunity made sense,” says Ms Lim, who accepted the offer, so that she would also be able to spend time with her sister Julia, who was ten at the time. However, she jokingly adds that “my father conned me. Life wasn’t as easy as he said. I lost 16kg in my first six months!” Mr Lim did not actually have a clear plan for his daughter. When Ms Lim asked him what he wanted her to do, he told her, “Go and learn sales. You’ll get out only when you have hit top sales for the month.” Ms Lim met that target within six months. “They didn’t know what to do with me. They were so busy with expanding the business, that they didn’t have time to manage me,” she says with a laugh. So she found her own place. “Teak is old-fashioned. Coming from Hollywood, where everything is so edgy, I thought it needed a change. I told my dad, ‘We are marketing to a slightly older audience.’ He said, ‘But they are the ones with the money.’ I said, ‘Tell you what, I’ll go and shoot a TV commercial. Can I please have some budget.’ He gave me $20,000! There wasn’t much I felt we could do with $20,000!’” Ms Lim went to her mother and pitched the idea of a rebranding exercise for Scanteak. Ms Foo asked for favours from friends, and Ms Lim hired a creative agency. They crafted a story about a family’s life over decades, with Scanteak’s furniture in the background. Ms Lim used the money her father gave her to buy airtime on Mediacorp TV. When the commercial “Table” was completed, Mr Lim asked, “What is the message are you trying to convey with this ad?” She replied, “That Scanteak is a lifestyle, not just a product.” Scanteak’s first TVC was a hit with viewers. At the Viewer’s Choice Awards that year, “Table” was among the top 10 most popular TV commercials. That success helped fortify the change in branding for Scanteak. “Buying is based on passion. I have to want to buy the furniture myself. So, I redesigned some pieces. My father couldn’t see why we had to do it, but I said, ‘Try lah.’ They sold very well.”

BIT BY BIT Emboldened, Ms Lim started tweaking more designs. And more changes were to come. “I told my dad, ‘Now that the

If I’m given opportunities and talents, I have to utilise them wisely. Every breath we have is a miracle. product is so nice, can we change the stores?’”. In 2012, Mr Lim agreed to let his daughter set up Scanteak Signature, a series of concept stores which carry two ranges, Holm and Prologue, created in collaboration with famed design collective Outofstock Design. Prologue, which appeals to younger buyers, scooped up a number of top awards including the prestigious President’s Design Award 2015. It was like this — step by step — that Ms Lim reckons the brand has come to where it is today. She says that steering the company into a new, young market “was a fun process”. “Fun” has taken them to145 stores across the world, and a global staff count of nearly 400.

LEARNING BY DOING

2002 Joins Walden Media as a film marketer

2004 Returns to Singapore to take up a role at Scanteak

2009 Scanteak receives its second SUPERBRANDS SINGAPORE Award

2010 The brand expands to more than 100 showrooms worldwide

2015 Completes her NUS-EMBA degree; Scanteak wins the President’s Design Award and the brand receives the Good Design Award in Japan, for the Prologue Collection.

In 2014, Ms Lim decided to embark on her Executive MBA as part of the 10th intake of the UCLA-NUS programme. “I wanted a more hands-on approach — not all exams and memorising!” she says. NUS had a place in her heart, as she had applied to as a teen: “I was admitted to NUS but couldn’t get into Business.” The ever-ambitious Ms Lim opted for a double-degree course. She completed her UCLA degree in 2014 and started her NUS year in 2015. She had actually put her downpayment for UCLA when she discovered she was pregnant, and delayed the start of her EMBA by a year. It was a brave choice, but Ms Lim is not one to back down from a challenge, even if it meant having to study and look after a baby at the same time. She remembers her EMBA experience with fondness: “I learned a lot from Associate Professor Prem Shamdasani (Business ’84), who taught Marketing and also from my peers. This was a regional programme so we visited companies across the region. “One memorable incident was when our Entrepreneurship Professor George Abe presented a case study about a US lawyer who went to Shanghai and started a chain of In-N-Out Burgers — he pirated the whole concept! Prof Abe asked us what we thought, and of course, we all said it was really unethical etc. And then, Prof Abe introduced the lawyer we had all just been badmouthing! He came out and told us, ‘If you want to expand your brand, watch out for people like me.’ After listening to him, I was much more careful with my trademarking,” says Ms Lim. Given her schedule and role as wife and mother to three children under six, it is a surprise that Ms Lim still makes time to serve on the Future Economy Council. “I’m very honoured to be a part of it. I felt I could contribute and be a good sounding board for this generation,” she says. It all ties in with Ms Lim’s outlook on life. “I’ve always tried to make a difference in all that I do,” she says. “If I’m given opportunities and talents, I have to utilise them wisely. Every breath we have is a miracle.” O C T — D E C 2 0 1 8 . 31

frontiers

THE RISE OF THINKING MACHINES The Singapore government certainly believes in the potential of artificial intelligence (AI). Last year, it announced that the National Research Foundation (NRF) would be investing up to $150 million into AI Singapore, a national programme to address challenges that affect both society and industry; to invest in deep capabilities to catch the next wave of scientific innovation; and to grow AI innovation and adoption in companies. Chief Scientist of AI Singapore, Professor Chen Tsuhan, tells us more.

Saying “Aye” to AI The AlumNUS speaks to the clever humans behind Singapore’s foray into the world of artificial intelligence.

HE NEXT TIME YOU ARE CATCHING a live football game on cable TV, remember to say “thank you” to Professor Chen Tsuhan. Long before he became the Deputy President (Research and Technology) of NUS, he worked at research institute AT&T Bell Labs in the US. There, he filed a patent that makes streaming digital video possible. It is just one of the 29 US patents that Prof Chen has to his name. Today, Prof Chen has his sights set on even more important things. On top of his NUS appointment, he is also the Chief Scientist of AI Singapore (AISG), a national programme in artificial intelligence (AI) hosted at NUS. AI is a field of computer science that involves training machines to function in an intelligent manner; that is, to learn and solve problems. When Siri tells you what the weather is like, or when Google automatically translates text from one language to another, AI is involved. And it is not just found in consumer applications. Earlier this year, the Genome Institute of Singapore used AI to identify cancer-associated mutation hotspots from the analysis of genomes of 212 gastric cancer tumours. Standard techniques would have taken 30 years. AI is also being used to detect illegal network intrusions as well as by financial institutions trying to detect fraudulent transactions. There are hopes that AI can be used in fields like medicine, to help doctors to diagnose a problem or propose a treatment plan.

32 . THE ALUM NUS

Big names like Google, Facebook and Apple are investing heavily in AI. In addition, countries such as China also see AI as important to their future and are investing accordingly. “It’s almost crazily competitive in terms of financial resources and talent,” says Prof Chen. And despite the presence of so many heavy-hitters, he believes that Singapore can still play in the big leagues. “Singapore has already done things right. Rather than trying to compete on quantity, we are already very competitive in terms of quality.”

GETTING WITH THE PROGRAMME According to Prof Chen, Singapore leads the world in terms of AI citation impact. This is a measure that looks at the number of citations a paper receives, weighted by field. Machine learning, in particular, is an area where Singapore researchers are doing well, specifically, the sub-field of speech recognition and natural language processing. This is partly because they have to deal with a challenging language environment in Singapore. Here, you have people using multiple languages in the same sentence and even when everyone is speaking the same language, there is a multitude of accents. Add to this the idiosyncrasies of Singlish grammar and you can see why Alexa and Siri would struggle with processing language in Singapore. “We already have researchers, funded by

TEXT BY JIMMY YAP

We need to know how to tame AI to make it useful...We have to continue that research. AI Singapore, who are attacking that problem,” he says. “We are in the process of designing an Alexa for Singaporeans, and our professors are leading the world in that area of natural language processing.” Being able to process multi-language speech would be useful, not just in Singapore, but in other places where multiple languages or dialects are spoken such as in China, India or the Middle East. He says it is his hope that one day, all the core algorithms for natural language processing systems will originate from Singapore. That is not far-fetched, he believes. “If a speech recognition system works in Singapore, I’m pretty sure it will work everywhere else.” According to Prof Chen, while AISG will try to be as inclusive as possible in terms of supporting AI research that scientists are doing, in terms of areas where they are giving out grants, the organisation is focused on healthcare, finance and urban solutions. “These are the three domains that we believe AI will make a strong impact in Singapore,” he explains.

MAI N I MAG E: G ET TY I M AG E S // P H OTO S O F P R O F C H E N TS U H AN AN D P R O F N G S E E K I O N G : K E LV I N C H I A

P L AY I N G W I T H F I R E ? Although there is huge interest in AI, some people are cautious. One concern is that one type of AI, artificial neural networks, is able to learn and make decisions — but this learning takes place in a ‘black box’ that no one understands. Imagine an artificial neural network-powered system tasked with making recommendations about treating a patient with colon cancer. The system has been fed with massive amounts of data from around the world regarding treatment options and outcomes, and it examines all the different variables involved. It then generates a recommended treatment plan based on its understanding of what works best for that particular patient.

HAILING INNOVATION Grab books a ride with NUS to use AI Prof Ng See Kiong

Prof Chen Tsuhan

However, doctors can only see the plan. The decision-making process is a ‘black box’, so doctors cannot judge if the plan makes sense or not. One more concern that has been raised by some people is the possibility that AI becomes super-intelligent and goes out of control. While such fears are linked more to the unregulated use of poorlyunderstood technologies, Prof Chen is quick to point out that even in the field of artificial neural networks, some concerns do exist. “Yes, people should be worried about ‘black boxes’, ” he says. “That’s why at AI Singapore, we have one effort known as explainable AI. You want AI algorithms to work, but you also want to be able to explain how they work, so that if they do fail, you understand why, so you can make them better.” He feels the solution to address all these concerns is actually not to avoid them. “In fact, it’s the opposite. We have to continue that research. “Humans discovered the use of fire, but it took a lot of failures for us to learn how to make fire useful. And then we had to invent fire extinguishers as well. That’s where we are with AI. We need to know how to tame AI to make it useful. And if necessary, we have to come up with an extinguisher!”

Ride-hailing and payment services company Grab has partnered NUS to set up a $6 million artificial intelligence (AI) lab to develop transport solutions. The Grab-NUS AI Laboratory is Grab’s first major AI laboratory and NUS’ first AI laboratory with a commercial partner. It was launched in July this year. Professor Ng See Kiong, Co-Director of the Grab-NUS AI Lab and Director (Translational Research) at the NUS Institute of Data Science, says the laboratory’s ultimate aim is to reduce the time people spend on the road getting from A to B. The entire process involves multiple steps which can be improved. For example, Grab wants to assign a ride to the driver who is most

likely to accept the job, and AI can be used to better understand a driver’s preferences. The driver also needs to find the person who booked the ride, which is not always easy, as the mapping is sometimes inaccurate or the pickup point is too generic. Finally, AI can also be used to help the driver leverage on real-time traffic data to find the fastest route. This collaboration gives NUS researchers access to Grab’s massive dataset, which is a necessary resource for AI research. Grab also presents an interesting case study because in Southeast Asia they use both cars and motorcycles for taxis. “This presents a dataset that few people have studied,” says Prof Ng. Apart from helping

Grab, the work can also help cities deal with traffic congestion and conduct urban planning, he says. The Grab-NUS AI Lab is located in the innovation 4.0 (i4.0) building, situated in the NUS Kent Ridge campus. i4.0 is home to NUS’ Smart Nation Research Cluster, which comprises 12 research entities specialising in AI, data science, analytics and optimisation, as well as cybersecurity.

O C T — D E C 2 0 1 8 . 33

ALUMNI SCENE

A FAMILY REUNION

Seated on orange mat: Prof Tan, centre, in brown shirt; NUS Alumni Relations Director Mr Bernard Toh (Architecture ’84) in yellow shirt; NUS Students’ Union President Mr Jeffrey Lee (Science, Year 4) in navy polo tee; Ms Pamela Oei (Architecture ’97) in black top; Vice Provost (Lifelong Learning) Prof Susanna Leong (Law ’89) in cheongsam; Yale-NUS College President Prof Tan Tai Yong (Arts and Social Sciences ’86 ’89); and Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy Dean Prof Danny Quah in brown shirt.

LiNUS was a hit with attendees!

Activities suitable for all ages could be found at the event, including game booths for children.

32 4 . A TH LU EM AN LUM S NUS

Authentic cultural dance performances by NUS Indian Dance (left) and staff and students from the NUS Department of Southeast Asian Studies (right).

AT KENT RIDGE Some 5,000 alumni, students, staff and their families were treated to a Southeast Asian cultural extravaganza at University Town on 18 August as part of this year’s Kent Ridge Alumni Family Day, organised by NUS Alumni Relations. NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye (Science ’85) graced the event and many exciting activities were held.

UTown Green was packed with families and friends taking a break (and some photos!) from the many activities.

This year’s Kent Ridge Alumni Family Day goodie bags!

Above: Bubble soccer time! Left: Attendees played with Southeast Asian musical instruments at the ASEAN Enclave booth. Below: After a fun-filled afternoon of activities, the event ended with the largest outdoor movie screening on campus.

Educational booth by NUS Life Sciences.

Alumnus Ms Pamela Oei performed with her band, Ugly In The Morning.

Read more from NUS News article ‘A family reunion at Kent Ridge’ at news.nus.edu.sg/highlights/family-reunion-kent-ridge.

O C T — D E C 2 0 1 8 . 35

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS

EVENTS

NUS Business School Alumni Activities

The calendar of NUS Business School and Global Alumni Network Office (GANO) has been busy with many interesting and engaging alumni activities:

Executive MBA (Chinese) Intake 23 Homecoming Reunion 30 JUNE NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye (Science ’85) joined 40 alumni for a hike at MacRitchie and gave a special talk on the future of big data and AI titled “A Glimpse into Artificial General Intelligence”.

7th NUS BIZAD Leadership Development Mentoring Programme 29 AUGUST This year’s mentors gathered at Botanico @ The Garage to meet their student mentees for the first time. It was a golden opportunity for both parties to foster a bond before embarking on an intensive six-month learning journey, which promises to be an enriching and eye-opening experience for mentees and mentors alike.

MBA (Chinese) Class of 1998 Homecoming Reunion

A Reunion of Faculty

Faculty members at the reunion hosted by Dr Gan (seated, 3rd from left).

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

1 SEPTEMBER Dr Gan See Khem, former Head of NUS Business School’s Department of Management & Organisation, hosted a reunion dinner at her home for faculty who were in the School in the 1990s. The reunion was attended by 25 faculty members.

1 3 J U LY 30 alumni attended the reunion which included a briefing by Professor Brian Hwang on School programmes and updates, and a tour of NUS, hosted by then GANO Director Ms Ng Pheck Choo (Business ’84) and current MBA students.

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1 AUGUST The event was held for 150 MBA students (Intake year 2018). During the day, the students went on a tour of Singapore’s iconic landmarks including Marina Bay Sands, the Merlion and Botanic Gardens led by members of the NUS MBA-Alumni Association. The seniors (from intake year 2017) were also invited to the dinner to network with the alumni and students.

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ALUMNI HAPPENINGS

EVENTS

Senior Alumni Tea and Chat Sessions On 28 June, NUS Senior Alumni met and interacted with internationally acclaimed poet and academic, Emeritus Professor Edwin Thumboo (Arts ’56). Prof Thumboo took the audience on a journey through the history of Singapore – using his poems as “doors” to create the continuing journey of ‘One Nation, One People, One Singapore’. Prof Thumboo has won numerous awards Emeritus Prof and accolades, and his poetry is being Edwin Thumboo studied by international and local scholars. The audience was treated to intimate insights into his childhood and growing years, as well as to his reading and expounding of his selected poems. On the tea session held on 26 July, Associate Professor Alexandre Chan (Public Health ’11), Deputy Head of NUS Department of Pharmacy, shared the latest research findings on cancer and its treatment in his talk on ‘Cancer Myths Debunked – Facts from Research’. It was a valuable educational session bringing senior alumni up to date with cancer medication and their side effects, NUS Senior Alumni both cognitive and physical. The holds their monthly Tea and Chat audience had the opportunity to session on the interact with a specialist who is last Thursday of both a medical doctor as well as each month. a pharmacist.

(From left) NUS Alumni Relations Director Mr Bernard Toh (Architecture ’84), Assoc Prof Chan and Chairperson of NUS Senior Alumni Dr Rosemary Khoo (Arts and Social Sciences ’65).

32 48 . A TH LU EM AN LU UM S NUS

BEMA Fundraising Golf & Appreciation Dinner

Annually, the President of Building & Estate Management Alumni was raised for (BEMA) Dr Teo Ho Pin needy students (Building ’85) hosts the to provide them BEMA Fundraising Golf and with bursaries, essentials such Appreciation Dinner as an as textbooks opportunity for the alumni and enrichment to network, connect and programmes. meet friends and business associates from the industry. This year, the Fundraising Golf and Appreciation Dinner was held at Warren Golf & Country Club on 13 June. Although the Golf segment met with inclement weather, it did not dampen the mood of the participants and donors. $90,000 was raised for needy students to provide them with bursaries, essentials such as textbooks and enrichment programmes. “Besides assisting our vulnerable families financially, it is also important to invest in the lives of our children as part of holistic assistance. I thank our donors for making this possible”, said Dr Teo.

$90,000

ALUMNI’S VISIT TO NUCOHS As part of the Faculty of Dentistry’s alumni engagement initiative, alumni are invited to a tour of the Faculty’s new building — National University Centre for Oral Health Singapore (NUCOHS). The Bachelor of Dental Surgery Classes of ’82, ’83 and ’84 were among the first batch of alumni to go on a preview tour of NUCOHS on 12 August, before the Faculty began their move in October. The Centre will be fully operational by mid-2019. Close to 30 alumni and their family members visited the state-of-the-art clinical facilities as well as the expanded training facilities that will see the yearly undergraduate intake grow from 60 to 80 in the next few years.

Above: Alumni from Classes of ’82, ’83 and ’84. Left: Tour of the simulation lab.

Thursday, 7.30pm

Shaw Foundation Alumni House Register at: alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/MMnov18

29 November

(PG13)

Supported by:

NUS Alumni Relations organises regular movie screenings for members of the NUS community. Join us for Movies On The House, ranging from all-time classics to family favourites. Friends and family members are welcome too!

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS

EVENTS

NUS Seafarers

Two NUS Seafarers trips were undertaken in late May and early June on the schooner Four Friends. The first voyage was organised by the Special Programme in Science (SPS) and sailed from Jakarta to Pontianak over 13 days. Led by two SPS faculty, the team included undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as three SPS alumni. The thalassic voyage allowed the team to explore uninhabited islands, appreciate life in insular Southeast Asia, and interact with the native wildlife. Freeing a turtle that was entangled in a net was a poignant moment. Adhering to the spirit of SPS,

each participant was responsible for a mini project related to the ocean. Projects included night-time photography of the sky, comparing the coral reefs of the region with that of Singapore, finding land without any navigational technology, how to psychologically cope with being lost at sea, and the coconut tree in tropical imagery. The second voyage began three days after the first, journeying from Pontianak to Bintan. Organised by the Department of Southeast Asian Studies and consisting of a similarly diverse group of students and alumni, this voyage

journeyed through the remote Tambelan Archipelago. Despite its inaccessibility, team members’ interaction with the residents there revealed their deep connection to the region’s political and economic currents which have bearings on their livelihoods as fishermen. Many were well-travelled: one had sold fish near Singapore in the 1990s and another was originally from Sulawesi. “Indeed,” said Professor Jan Mrázek to the villagers on Pulau Pinang who trounced our group at volleyball, “we are also from an island, but more isolated than you, since we know nothing of the waters around us.”

The NUS-ACN Alumni Group Launch The first corporate Alumni Group, NUS-ACN Alumni Group, was launched on 2 August with a vision to “serve as a platform for all NUS Alumni in Accenture to connect, interact, and develop, creating a positive impact on both institutions”. More than 40 members attended the launch event which started with a welcome speech by the Group’s Chairperson Mr Bryan Loke (Business ’14). This was followed by a sharing session by Senior Manager of NUS Alumni Relations, Mr Samuel Tan (Business ’03) on the activities and initiatives available to alumni. The respective event leads also shared some of the upcoming exciting events planned, including Brownbag series, mentormentees pairing and networking events.

24 40 . A TH LU EM AN LUM S NUS

KEVII Hall Alumni Reunion of 1970s Residents

From left: Mr Roy Higgs (Science ’73), CEO of NUSS; Assoc Prof Fred Wong (back); Dr Thai Tran (front), Department of Physiology, NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine; Mr Johnny Tan (Science ’82), Management Committee Member of NUSS; Laureate Prof Paul Foster; Mr Eddie Lee (Law ’81), Chairperson of NUSS; Ms Catherina Tan (Business ’89), Honorary Treasurer of NUSS; Prof Wang De Yun, Director of Research, Department of Otolaryngology, NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine; and Mr Edward Tay (Law ’92), Honorary Secretary of NUSS. Organiser Mr Michael Tai (Engineering ’74) (left) with Ah Leng (centre) and his family seated on his left, with fellow organising committee member Dr Lily Aw (Medicine ’80) seated to Ah Leng’s right.

What started out as four KEVIIANs Calling all KEVIIANs meeting regularly for good food grew to – if you would like become one of the biggest reunions for to organise an event the Class of ’70s. for your hallmates, Over 80 alumni who stayed in the tell us how we can King Edward VII Hall at Sepoy Lines support your event. in the 1970s met at the Singapore Stay connected, Island Country Club for a reunion on email Ms Hidayu 31 August. There were representatives (Arts and Social from the Schools/Faculties of Medicine, Sciences ‘10) at Engineering, Dentistry and Pharmacy. kehnha@nus.edu.sg. Gracing the event were retired canteen operator, Mr Wong Niap Leng (affectionately known as Ah Leng, the retired canteen operator at the Outram campus) and family; and former KEVII Hall Manager Mr Lim Ah Pat (from 1969-1996) and his daughter. Both had been synonymous with the Hall, and the alumni were happy to reconnect with them after such a long time. Joining the party were the current KEVII Hall Master and team. The event was jointly supported by King Edward VII Hall and Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. Mr Lim Ah Pat (seated, 2nd from right) looking over old photos with (from left) his daughter Ms Lim, Mr Moh Wung Hee (Engineering ’77), Dr Sim Chiang Khi (Medicine ’78) and Mr Poh Eng Seng (Engineering ’76).

NUSS Professorship Lecture It was an enriching evening for an estimated 130 members and guests who attended the NUSS Professorship Lecture on 3 September at Kent Ridge Guild House, Della & Seng Gee Guild Hall. The NUSS Professorship Lecture was established in 1995 with an endowment of $1.5 million to fund eminent professors from different disciplines to share their knowledge with the NUS community and general public. This Professorship is part of NUSS’ efforts to contribute to the development of meaningful interactions with its alma mater through academic pursuits. This session features Laureate Professor Paul Foster from University of Newcastle, Australia, an internationally renowned researcher in the mechanisms of asthma, allergy and respiratory infections. Professor Foster shared with the audience how asthma develops, new treatments and unmet clinical needs. The Q&A session was moderated by Associate Professor Fred Wong, Head of Pharmacology in the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.

Audience gained valuable insights from Laureate Professor Paul Foster (right) on how asthma developments, new treatments and unmet clinical needs.

O C T — D E C 2 0 1 8 . 41

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS

EVENTS

Raffles Hall 60th Anniversary Celebration at Bukit Timah Homecoming Civil Engineering ’76 Reunion at Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Raffles Hall (RH) celebrates its 60th anniversary this year and has held a series of events, including a reunion in conjunction with Bukit Timah Homecoming held on 7 July. In addition to a performance, alumni also read a poem ‘Oh! To Be a Rafflesian!’ written by Ms Lim Swee Kim (Science ’88, Business ’98), Dr Nadya Patel and Dr Jack Patel, Resident Fellow and spouse at Raffles Hall.

Excerpts from ‘Oh! To Be a Rafflesian!’ Always welcoming, always embracing, Students from every faculty seem to relish, Be it business, science, arts or engineering, Into the millennium, Raffles Hall continues trailblazing. For the 21st century brings in an advent of passionate ones, Musicians, designers, writers and athletes continue striving, United as one, it is through our actions we show that we care, A sense of togetherness and solidarity, coupled with a warm spirit and positive mentality, Breeding optimism, compassion, and not only success, the Rafflesian spirit continues to live on within each of us.

RH60 GALA DINNER 30 March 2019, Saturday, 7.30pm at Shangri-La Hotel Singapore Price: $1,000 nett per table RSVP: tinyurl.com/rh60galadinner or rh60galadinner@gmail.com For more information on RH60 events, please visit raffles.nus.edu.sg/alumni/rh60.

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

36 alumni from the Civil Engineering class of ’76 (together with their spouses and guests) gathered for their 42th anniversary reunion in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah from 12 to 15 July, hosted by Mr Wong Ching Kung and his wife Mrs Rosie Wong. Alumni from different cities had a great time catching up with one another and reminiscing about the “Prince Edward” campus days. Over the four days, the group rekindled their bonds over activities such as island-hopping, sight-seeing, shopping, trekking and tasting of local cuisines. The spirit of camaraderie was still strong among the classmates after more than four decades, who continued to support and look forward to their reunions.

By Mr Woh Sow Choon and Mr Poh Eng Seng

32nd NUSS Golf Annual Charity More than 120 golfers participated in this event organised by the National University of Singapore Society that raised $513,500 towards the Endowed Student Support Fund in honour of Professor Tan Chorh Chuan (Medicine ’83), former President of NUS.

Cheque presentation by NUSS President Mr Eddie Lee Choy Peng (Law ’81) (second from left) to NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye (Science ’85) (second from right) and Professor Tan Chorh Chuan (middle). The presentation was witnessed by Chairperson of Alumni Students’ Advancement Committee and NUSS Management Committee Member Mr Johnny Tan Khoon Hui (Science ’82) (extreme right), and NUSS Golf Convenor Mr Joseph Ng Moi Boon (extreme left).

SoC turns 20 NUS School of Computing (SoC) celebrated her 20th Anniversary with a Homecoming Fun Fair on 18 August, with some 400 SoC alumni, students, staff and their guests enjoying a day of fun on School grounds. Aside from typical carnivalstyle games such as giant darts, archery, and even a mechanical rodeo bull, the Fun Fair was given a Computing slant. Attendees had opportunities to fly a drone, experience a virtual reality game, and even receive suggestions

Attendees at a virtual reality game.

for make up from Associate Professor Terence Sim’s Face Recognition Project Showcase. The Fair also received support from alumni from the past few decades. Founder of Hutcabb Services Mr Oliver Tian (Computing ’88) set up booths to expose kids to coding robots; Co-Founder of Nomis Piy, Mr Ng Hern (Computing ’92 ’98) specially created puzzles for an Escape Room-style Puzzle Hunt around the School; and Co-Founder of Neeuro, Mr Kelly Choo (Computing ’08) set up a game booth that had participants challenging to break high scores in their memory game app while getting their brain waves measured. No Fun Fair would be complete without a Dunking Tank. Alumni had a ball of a time taking an once-in-a-lifetime

Assoc Prof Gary Tan (Science ’84) on dunking machine.

opportunity to dunk their past lecturers including the current Dean of SoC, Professor Mohan Kankanhalli. Amongst the sporting volunteers were alumniturned-lecturers Dr Colin Tan (Computing ’97 ’00 ’04), Mr Aaron Tan (Computing ’89 ’93), Dr Tan Wee Kek (Computing ’07 ’13), and Dr Soo Yuen Jien (Computing ’99 ’01 ’06). Hats off to all the academic staff who braved the half-hour slot to be dunked – over 20 times for some – for everyone else’s enjoyment.

While the School is only celebrating her 20th year, the SoC Family consists more than two decades of alumni, as the history of NUS Computing alumni spans much further back to 1975 as a department under the Faculty of Science. The SoC Family looks forward to having all alumni joining in the upcoming 20th Anniversary Gala Dinner in October.

O C T — D E C 2 0 1 8 . 43

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS

UPCOMING ALUMNI EVENTS

EVENTS

USP Homecoming

Engineering Class of 1983 35th Anniversary Reunion Dinner 16 November, Friday, 6.30pm

NUSS Kent Ridge Guild House To commemorate this special occasion, the Class is also raising funds to establish a class scholarship. For more information, contact Mr Tan Seng Chuan at sctan@tembusuasia.com or 9815 9861. NUS Bizad Charity Run 2019 12 January 2019, Saturday, 4.30pm

NUS Business School, Mochtar Riady Building Annual charity run jointly organised by NUS Business School Alumni and NUS Bizad Club. For more information, visit bizadcharityrun.com or facebook.com/ NUSBizadCharityRun. Homeless: An Exhibition by Chow and Lin Now till 27 April 2019

NUS Museum Free Admission

The latest exhibition by alumni Mr Stefen Chow (Engineering ’03) and Ms Huiyi Lin (Arts and Social Sciences ’03) consists of a series of photographic installations that contrast satellite imagery of the wealthiest regions of the world (centred on five individuals) with the routes taken by refugees to cross international borders. For more information, visit museum.nus.edu.sg/calendar/ 573-homeless.

42 4 . A TH LU EM AN LUM S NUS

Post lesson group photo with Assoc Prof Albert Teo (Mr Spencer Hsu is the 4th from the right)

The University Scholars Programme (USP) held its Homecoming on Saturday, 18 August, in conjunction with the Kent Ridge Alumni Family Day. The event welcomed over 60 alumni, across 13 graduated batches. The first batch of alumni from the Class of 2003 celebrated its 15th anniversary, while the Class of 2008 and Class of 2013 celebrated their 10th and 5th anniversary respectively. Mr Bernard Toh (Architecture ’84), Director of NUS Alumni Relations, also graced the event. He chatted with the alumni and introduced the new NUS Vision, Mission and Values in his welcome message. USP Director Associate Professor Kang Hway Chuan urged the alumni to contribute towards the planning of USP’s 20th anniversary celebrations in 2020. The key highlight of the afternoon were the USP classes for alumni. Deputy Director (Student Life) at USP, Associate Professor Albert Teo’s (Arts and Social

Sciences ’86) class on Engaging and Building Communities was oversubscribed, as Assoc Prof Teo is a well-known figure to the alumni, having been with USP since its inception. It was his first time conducting the USP class for alumni. Mr Spencer Hsu (Arts and Social Sciences + USP ’07) shared with us his biggest takeaway – “My USP life is complete, after having finally attended a class taught by Prof Teo – so refreshing, looking at community development through an academic lens. Prof Teo’s humble approach to his work also reminds us of the importance of humility in life’s neverending learning journey!” Dr Leung Wing Sze’s class on Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery was also filled with fruitful and engaging discussions. Ms Siti Hazirah (Arts and Social Sciences + USP ’11) shared that, “Being in Dr Leung’s class reminded me of the classic conundrum of attending a USP tutorial – you come out of it enriched, but with a massive headache due to having your thoughts stretched beyond their limits! I appreciated having my views challenged, perceptions questioned and assumptions redefined.” Overall, it was a great afternoon of reconnecting and reminiscence.

N U S B S A A C C O U N TA N C Y W I N G

CPE Talk on Red Flags – Combating Bribery and Corruption The NUS Business School Alumni Association (NUSBSA) Accountancy Wing organised a Continuing and Professional Education (CPE) talk on “Red Flags – Combating Bribery and Corruption” on 22 May. This talk was sixth in a series that the Association organises for their members, and accountants in general. Mr Sarjit Singh (Accountancy ’91), Executive Chairman of Ardent Associates LLP, focused on the fraud triangle and safeguards

Mr Sarjit Singh

against bribery and corruption. He also shed some light on recent cases such as Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M) as well as 1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

N U S B U S I N E S S S C H O O L M A N DA R I N A L U M N I

Inauguration of the 14th Executive Committee cum Dinner

Having been the Chief Financial Officer of AIA Singapore and Aviva Asia, as well as an assurance and advisory consultant at Price WaterhouseCoopers, Mr Singh shared his insights and beliefs in what accountants need do to ensure that their firms are aligned with international

best practices to maintain an above-board and transparent business environment for companies and society. His firm is the winner of the Best Practice Award in the Singapore Accountancy Awards 2016. 72 members and guests of NUSBSA attended the talk.

“One generation plants the trees, another gets the shade” The NUS Business School Mandarin Alumni elected their 14th Executive Committee on 28 July. After the election, alumni attended a lecture by Associate Professor Wu Yaozhong on “The Management – Creating vs Solving Mr Kwek (left) with Mr Sun. Problems”, where he shared the model of analysing problems, coming up with solutions and selecting options, as well as many case studies. In the evening, at the official inauguration of the 14th Committee, Mr Kwek Chok Ming (Business ’78 ’09), Chairman of the 13th Committee, reviewed the achievements of his Committee and welcomed the new Chairman and Committee with a Chinese saying “One generation plants the trees, another gets the shade”. Mr Kwek then presented the Lifelong Alumni Shield to some alumni, and handed over the leadership to Mr Sun Xiushun (Business ’12). The event was also attended by Professor Susanna Leong (Law ’89), Vice Provost (Lifelong Education), who welcomed and congratulated the new Chairman and Committee.

The AlumNUS thanks all contributors for the articles and photos in Alumni Happenings, showcasing our vibrant alumni community.

O C T — D E C 2 0 1 8 . 45

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20% off North Indian, Thai and Western à la carte food menu.

HOME & LIVING

FOOD AND BEVERAGE

BLISSFULTHOTS

CELLARMASTER WINES

15% off storewide.

Enjoy 10% off all wines and RIEDEL glassware including sales items.

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PRIVILEGES & FASHION & RETAIL CURATELIER 10% off regular-priced items (except for stationery/cards). 12% off regular-priced items from greis collection (personalised jewellery and accessories).

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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

ELBOW ROOM BY DRINKS AND CO. 10% off sharing platters and pizzas. 10% off selected bottles. Buy 5 get 1 free house-pours.

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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.

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.

FOODLINE.SG PARTEA

$30 Cash Rewards with a minimum spending of $300, applies to all catering orders.

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$10 Cash Rewards on all cakes with minimum spending of $50.

15% off any purchase of PARTEA beverages.

DR. CHEN’S TEA SINGAPORE 10% off regular-priced items.

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TRAVEL AND ACCOMMODATION

EDUCATION & SELF-ENRICHMENT

PARK AVENUE HOSPITALITY

INTUNE MUSIC

Executive Deluxe (One-Bedroom Suite with fully-equipped kitchenette, washing machine cum dryer, spacious living room) at $168++ per room night.

10% off regular course fees. Waiver of registration fee worth $20 (one-time fee).

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HEALTHCARE OCEAN DENTAL Waiver of consultation fees (U.P. $15-$50). Enjoy special rates: • Scaling and Polishing at $68 for students and $75 for staff and alumni (U.P. $75$120). • Flouride Treatment at $15 for students, staff and alumni (U.P. $25). • X-ray: OPG (Full Mouth) at $50 for students, staff and alumni (U.P. $70). • X-ray: Bitewing/PA at $15 for students and $20 for staff and alumni (U.P. $25). For other treatments, enjoy 10% off treatment fees for staff and alumni. For other treatments, enjoy 20% off treatment fees for students.

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ARANDA COUNTRY CLUB Special Rates for booking of Executive Suites: • $180/night during off peak period. • $320/night during peak period. • $340/night during super peak period. • Complimentary use of 1 BBQ pit. • 1 complimentary vehicle decal. • 4 complimentary passes for the use of Club’s sporting and recreational facilities.

BEAUTY & WELLNESS THEFACESHOP 15% off regular-priced items, excluding mask sheets and/or nail products.

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SPORTS AND OUTDOORS TRAPPED TIPS Y TOES NAIL BAR 15% off classic manicure and pedicure services.

LIFESTYLE MARINA AT KEPPEL BAY 5% off Chartering Service for The Admiral Yacht.

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15% off deluxe gel manicure and pedicure services with return soak-off. Birthday month special: top up with a hand/feet spa treatment @ 15% off.

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$17/pax during off-peak period (Mondays to Fridays, before 6pm). $22/pax during peak period (Mondays to Fridays after 6pm, Weekends/Public Holidays All Day and Eve of Christmas/ New Year).

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the path less travelled

A B U G ’S LIFE BY FAIROZA MANSOR

“There are still so much more to learn about these creatures. To me, the most exciting part of this job is to discover something that is new to everyone. It never gets old.” NUS Biological Sciences PhD student Mr Tan Ming Kai

A lantern bug

48 . THE ALUM NUS

What began as a childhood fascination with grasshoppers eventually led Mr Tan Ming Kai (Science ‘15) to the discovery of 63 new orthopteran species in the region.

THE WORD “ADORABLE” is not often used to describe orthopterans — an order of insects that comprises grasshoppers, locusts and crickets. But as a child, Mr Tan Ming Kai felt that these bugs were exactly that. This sentiment has not changed nor waned, for the now-28 year-old, who is currently pursuing his PhD in Biological Sciences at NUS. The child-like curiosity has evolved however into an even deeper appreciation. “I am fascinated by how diverse [orthopterans] are in forms and functions,” says Mr Tan. “Some have bright colourful patterns, while others closely resemble plant parts; some are carnivorous, whereas others are pollinators.” Since 2009, Mr Tan has searched high and low to collect and identify these insects. His research has taken him across Singapore and also around the region to Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam and the Philippines. The efforts have paid off. Check out his discoveries at hoppingaround.wordpress.com

Nisitrus vittatus

To date, Mr Tan has discovered and described 63 species new to science. While he often names his findings after their locality or characteristics, he has also christened one after a local folk song and another after Jiminy the cricket from Disney’s animated film Pinocchio. There are also crickets that are named after his mother (Arnobia tinae) Craneopsis olivacea and his wife (Pulchroteratura huiqing), with whom he tied the knot last year. NUS, Mr Tan says, has been instrumental in his ability to pursue this passion. “The University has provided me with the platform to do research on orthopterans, which may not have been possible if I did not continue pursue a PhD here,” he lets in. Mr Tan plans on continuing with his research on orthopterans for as long as he can. “There are still so much more to learn about these creatures,” he says. “To me, the most exciting part of this job is to discover something that is new to everyone. It never gets old.”

WHAT’S C O OL ABOUT CRICKETS..

...according to Mr Tan Ming Kai. “There are crickets which live on sandy beaches. They dig holes to stay out of the water during high tide, but emerge during low tide to feed and find mates.”

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2 Freeze Treatment + Sessions 1 SessionofofFat Signature Body Flush + 1 Session Signature Body Flush Treatment @ of $88. Treatment @ $88. cherylw.com.sg

LIFESTYLE LIFESTYLE

I.DENTAL I.DENTAL • Free consultation and examination*

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FINNS BALI FINNS BALI

• 10% off tickets for Splash Water Park – • 10% off tickets for Splash Water Park – splashbali.com splashbali.com • 10% off Super Fun Pass – finnsrecclub. • 10% off Super Fun Pass – finnsrecclub. com/whatson/finns-bali-super-fun-pass com/whatson/finns-bali-super-fun-pass • Buy 2 Get 1 Free at Cubby House Kids • Buy 2 Get 1 Free at Cubby House Kids Club – cubbyhousekidsclub.com Club – cubbyhousekidsclub.com • Rp 100,000 voucher at Body Temple Spa • Rp 100,000 voucher at Body Temple Spa – bodytemplebali.com – bodytemplebali.com • 10% off F&B daily after 5pm at Bistro C • 10% off F&B daily after 5pm at Bistro C Smoke House – bistrocbali.com Smoke House – bistrocbali.com • 10% off Finns Bali Day Pass – • 10% off Finns Bali Day Pass – finnsrecclub.com/day-pass finnsrecclub.com/day-pass ••10% off joining fee for Finns Bali 10% off joining fee for Finns Bali Membership Membership –– finnsbali.com finnsbali.com

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•• Free and examination* Free consultation x-ray •• Free 10% x-ray off scaling and polishing • 10% off scaling and polishing • 10% off dental filling • 10% off dental filling • 10% off normal tooth extraction • 10% off normal tooth extraction • 10% off tray system teeth whitening • 10% off tray system teeth whitening • 10% off chairside teeth whitening • 10% off chairside teeth whitening • $220 waiver for consultation for • $220 waiver for consultation for Invisalign treatment** Invisalign treatment** • $220 Waiver for consultation for braces • $220 Waiver for consultation for braces treatment** treatment** *Consultation will be waived when there *Consultation will be waived when there is another dental treatment performed on is another dental treatment performed on the same visit. the same visit. ** For AlumNUS Card member’s children ** For AlumNUS Card member’s children with valid valid student student pass. pass. Waiver Waiver given given with upon commencement commencement of of treatment treatmentonly. only. upon

HEALTHCARE HEALTHCARE EAGLE EYE CENTRE

EAGLE EYE CENTRE Consultation: 1st consultation at $100

Consultation: consultation $100 $70. and follow-up1st consultation at at and follow-up consultation at $70. 10% off Category A procedure: 10% off Category A procedure: • LASIK (Epi-LASIK and FerntoLASIK) ••LASIK (Epi-LASIK andLens FerntoLASIK) Implantable Contact (ICL) ••Implantable ContactControl Lens (ICL) Eagle Eye Myopia • Eagle Eye Myopia Control Programme (EMCP Lite and EMCP) Programme (EMCP LiteFiller, and EMCP) • Oculoplastics (Botox, Double • Oculoplastics (Botox, Filler, Double Eyelid Surgery, Eye Bag Surgery) Eyelid Surgery, Eye Bag Surgery) 5% off Category B procedure: 5% off Category B procedure: • Corneal Diseases Management and • Corneal Diseases Management and Transplantation •Transplantation Glaucoma Management Lasers and • Glaucoma Surgery Management Lasers and •Surgery Ocular Inflammation and Uveitis • Ocular Inflammation and Uveitis Treatment •Treatment Age-related Macular Degeneration • Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Treatment (AMD) Treatment • Retinal and Macular Surgery and • Retinal and Macular Surgery and Treatment Treatment • Adult and Paediatric Strabismus • Adult and Paediatric Strabismus Management and Surgery Management and Surgery • Paediatric Ophthalmology • Paediatric Ophthalmology • Dry Eyes • Dry Eyes

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FASHION AND AND RETAIL RETAIL FASHION PIIPIINOO PIIPIINOO

10%off offretail retailprice. price. 10%

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$100 $100 off off Feng Feng Shui Shui service. service.

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THE ECONOMIST ECONOMIST THE

10% off off standard standard subscription subscription rate rate–– 10% economist.com/NUS/std economist.com/NUS/std Additional 5% 5% off off on on student student subscription subscription Additional rate –– economist.com/NUS/stu economist.com/NUS/stu rate

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