The AlumNUS Oct-Dec 2017 by NUS Alumni Office

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ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE

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OCT-DEC 2017 // ISSUE #111

FORMULA

F O R S U S TA I N E D

GIVING

THE MYRIAD WAYS IN WHICH NUS AND ITS ALUMNI HAVE SERVED NATION AND SOCIETY

THE MAGAZINE IS GOING

CONTENTS

OCT - DEC

Help us to reduce our carbon footprint! Read The AlumNUS magazine online at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/alumnusmagazine. In line with NUS’ sustainability efforts, we will no longer be sending print copies of The AlumNUS magazine to our readers, with effect from January 2018. Subscribers will be notified via email when a new issue is fresh off the press. Print copies will only be available to those who indicate their preference to continue receiving them at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/updatemyparticulars. Please opt-in by 31 October 2017 to ensure you receive your print copy in January 2018. We look forward to your continued support!

Update your email address to ensure that you are informed when a new issue of The AlumNUS is fresh off the press! IN THE NEWS

02 04 06 08 09 10

NUS Leadership Transition NUS Day of Service Kent Ridge Alumni Family Day Bukit Timah Homecoming Alumni Concerts / Social Night UM-NUS Inter-University Tunku Chancellor Golf Tournament

COVER STORY

11 The Spirit of Service

MY WORD

20 State of the Arts Mr Ong Keng Sen (Law ‘88)

ONCE UPON A MEMORY

22 On the Fast Track

Ms Ethel Lin (Law ’10)

CHANGEMAKER

24 Building a Giving Community Mr Yeo Keng Joon (MBA ’85)

ALUMNI SCENE

26 The Art of Speaking Well NUS Alumni Toastmasters Club

ALUMNI SCENE GIVING

28 A Legacy for Education and the Greater Good Ms Felicia Low (Arts and Social Sciences ‘10)

CORRIGENDUM Jul-Sep 2017 issue, page 12: In our story ‘As A New Chapter Begins’, we incorrectly stated that Mr Lim Guo Hong (Computing’17) was the winner of the ‘IT Youth Of The Year Award’ in 2017. The actual winner was another SoC student, Mr Yeo Quan Yang.

U@LIVE

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS

30 The Pursuit of Joy

34 Events

Mr Tan Chade-Meng

NUS ENTERPRISE

PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE

29 Nurturing Game-Changers in Singapore and Beyond

32 Rewriting the Rules of Goodbye

OFFICE OF ALUMNI RELATIONS 11 Kent Ridge Drive #05-01 Shaw Foundation Alumni House Singapore 119244 Tel: (65) 6516-5775 Fax: (65) 6777-2065

Ms Angjolie Mei (Arts and Social Sciences ‘02)

Advisor MR BERNARD TOH (Architecture ’84) Editor MS YEAP SU PHING (Business ’17) Assistant Editor MS TAN LING ING Production Assistant MS NOREEN KWAN Publishing Consultant MEDIACORP PTE LTD

PERSPECTIVE

46 Smart Service LAST WORD

48 Fungi on His Mind

Mr Ace Le (Business ’07)

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 2017 by the National University of Singapore. All rights reserved. Printed in Singapore by KHL Printing Co Pte Ltd.

Jul-Sep 2017 issue, page 24: In the write-up ‘Two Is Better Than One’, we wrongly stated Ms Chng Jia Hui’s name as ‘Chan Jia Hui’. F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N O R T O R E A D T H E A L U M N U S O N L I N E , P L E A S E V I S I T A LU M N E T. N U S . E D U . S G /A LU M N U S M A G A Z I N E .

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IN THE NEWS To read more NUS News, visit news.nus.edu.sg

Prof Tan Eng Chye (left) and Prof Ho Teck Hua will form NUS’ next leadership team.

NUS LEADERSHIP TRANSITION P r o f e s s o r Ta n E n g C h y e ( S c i e n c e ’ 8 5 ) t o b e n e x t

N U S P r e s i d e n t ; P r o f e s s o r H o Te c k H u a ( E n g i n e e r i n g ’ 8 5 )

strong passion for our University. He is a man of great integrity. Eng Chye has a wide following based on the trust he engenders, and his exceptional ability to inspire people to work together,” Mr Hsieh said. On Prof Ho’s appointment, Mr Hsieh added, “A worldrenowned scholar with deep industry ties, Teck Hua is an outstanding leader with bold and creative ideas. He has been remarkably effective in recruiting top talent to NUS, and building several world-class research institutes and programmes over a short period of time. With these two appointments, NUS will have a truly outstanding leadership team.” NUS President Designate Prof Tan Eng Chye is an experienced academic leader and the chief architect of the University’s pioneering educational and academic programmes, including the University Town Residential College Programme, the Centre for Future-ready Graduates, the School of Continuing and Lifelong Education, and NUS (Suzhou) Research Institute, the Institute for Application of Learning Science

and Educational Technology, as well as technology-enhanced education initiatives. Under his leadership, the proportion of NUS undergraduates who have had overseas educational experiences increased to over 80 per cent in 2016. He also led a comprehensive revamp of the NUS General Education curriculum, and introduced the grade-free scheme for NUS freshmen, to promote exploration, curiosity and critical thinking among students. Prof Tan Eng Chye said, “I am deeply honoured to be appointed the next President of this exceptional university. Under Chorh Chuan’s leadership, NUS has affirmed its status as a leading global university that strives to contribute to Singapore, and the wider community. “To continue to be among the world’s great universities, we must further accelerate NUS’ transformation by driving innovation across talent development, education that is future-focused, and research that impacts lives and society. I am immensely proud of what NUS has achieved, and inspired by the

Prof Ho with NUS Alumni Advisory Board Member Mr Edward D’Silva (Architecture ’75) at NUS Alumni Awards ceremony.

to be new Senior Deputy President and Provost. PROFESSOR TAN ENG CHYE (Science ’85), who has been the University’s Provost for the past 10 years, has been appointed the next NUS President. A top academic leader and mathematician, Prof Tan has had a key hand in guiding NUS’ progress over the decade, and is widely acknowledged for his instrumental role in transforming NUS into a leading global university. He will succeed Professor Tan Chorh Chuan (Medicine ’83)

as President on 1 January 2018. Prof Tan Chorh Chuan will be seconded to Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH) at the end of 2017. There, he will be the Founding Executive Director in the Office for Healthcare Transformation as well as serve as MOH’s Chief Health Scientist. The leadership transition also included the appointment of Professor Ho Teck Hua (Engineering ’85) as NUS’ new Senior Deputy President and

Provost from 1 January 2018. A globally-prominent behavioural scientist, Prof Ho currently leads the University’s research efforts as its Deputy President (Research & Technology). In his new role, Prof Ho will oversee the areas of research, education and enterprise. NUS Chairman Mr Hsieh Fu Hua (Business ’74) warmly welcomed Prof Tan Eng Chye as the next NUS President. “Eng Chye is a deeply respected academic, and a steadfast, open and decisive leader, who has a

Prof Tan Eng Chye at NUS Alumni Relations’ Chinese New Year Appreciation event.

exciting opportunities ahead. I look forward to working closely with our students, colleagues and friends to further steepen our trajectory of excellence,” he added. Senior Deputy President and Provost Designate Prof Ho had returned from the University of California, Berkeley in 2015, after more than two decades overseas, to serve as NUS’ research chief, raising the global profile of the University’s research. He created the country’s first Smart Nation Research Cluster at NUS, and established corporate labs with industry giants. The Tan Chin Tuan Centennial Professor also initiated the popular Lifelong Learning Initiative for NUS alumni. Mr Hsieh paid tribute to Prof Tan Chorh Chuan for his stellar stewardship of NUS since 2008. “During Prof Tan Chorh Chuan’s tenure as President, NUS has transformed along an extraordinary trajectory of excellence. We are particularly grateful that he has developed a deep bench of talent with outstanding individuals for the next leadership team. We greatly appreciate Chorh Chuan for his many contributions,” said Mr Hsieh.

This is an excerpt of an article that was first published on 28 July 2017 in NUS News at news.nus.edu.sg/ highlights/prof-tan-eng-chye-be-next-nus-president.

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IN THE NEWS

MAKING THEIR MARK

M O V I E O U T I N G TO S H AW F O U N D AT I O N A L U M N I H O U S E

The whole NUS family was out and about giving back to communities across Singapore and overseas on

C O A S TA L C L E A N - U P

9 September for NUS’ second annual Day of Service.

TREE PLANTING @ CHESTNUT NATURE PARK

AT A G L A N C E

Some 40 students and staff from Ridge View Residential College (RVRC) dedicated their Saturday morning planting trees at the Chestnut Nature Park to rejuvenate the secondary forest habitat. Before they set out on their task, experts from NParks provided a stepby-step demonstration. Also breaking a sweat with the group were NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan (Medicine ‘83); Professor Adekunle Adeyeye, Master, RVRC; NUS Day of Service Chairman Mr Jeremy Ee (Engineering ‘05); NUS Alumni Relations Director Mr Bernard Toh (Architecture ‘84) and Deputy Director Ms Florence Neo (Arts and Social Sciences ‘93); as well as Alumni Advisory Board members Ms Janet Ang (Business ‘82) and Mr Johnny Tan (Science ‘82). The treeplanting activity also commemorated the inauguration of RVRC as a member of Friends of Chestnut Nature Park.

participants comprising alumni, students, staff and family members

ACTIVITIES

BENEFICIARIES

OVERSEAS ACTIVITIES

TREES WERE PLANTED

NEIGHBOURHOOD H E A LT H S E R V I C E

K AYA K R E S E R V O I R CLEAN-UP

Students of the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine rolled out the Neighbourhood Health Service — a local community service project which reconnects needy residents to the healthcare system through free health screenings — for residents of rental blocks 1, 2 and 12 at Eunos Crescent.

Participants picked up litter as they paddled their kayaks at the Marina Reservoir as part of this activity organised by the National University of Singapore Students’ Union (NUSSU). 26kg of litter was collected, after which participants convened to brainstorm other collective efforts with the aim of bringing about a greener Earth.

355 KG

A screening of the movie Trolls, lunch and family fun photo booth – these were some of the treats awaiting 180 children from NTUC My First Skool (KidSTART Programme), and their family members, at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House. Organised by NUS Alumni Relations, the event was especially opened to those from low-income and disadvantaged households.

NUS Provost Professor Tan Eng Chye (Science ’85), together with volunteer students and staff of the College of Alice & Peter Tan conducted a clean-up of the shore, waterways O F T R A S H and mangroves in Tanah Merah by collecting, W A S COLLECTED categorising and removing trash.

A D AY I N T H E SHOES OF A MIGRANT WORKER In collaboration with Healthserve, NUS Faculty of Science students and alumni organised an afternoon of food, games and sports for migrant workers at the Mandai Weslite Dormitory.

I .V O LU N T E E R 2 0 1 7 Volunteers of this activity, organised by the NUS Red Cross Youth Chapter, went grocery-shopping with elderly from the Lions Befriender @ Ang Mo Kio Senior Activity Centre, chaperoned children from Prison Fellowship Singapore on their excursion to the S.E.A. Aquarium at Resorts World Sentosa, accompanied residents from the Red Cross Home for the Disabled to Gardens by the Bay, and conducted a batik-painting activity and visit to the Singapore Science Centre for beneficiaries from the Association for Persons with Special Needs.

WA L K I N G W I T H DINOSAURS Children and youth beneficiaries were taken on special guided tours of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum as they interacted with members of the NUS Students’ Community Service Club and NUSSU Alumni.

HOUR OF CODE Beneficiaries at the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS) were introduced to the basics of computer science by the members of the NUS Computing Alumni Association.

SERVING WITH LOVE In conjunction with World First Aid Day, NUS Food Science & Technology Programme Alumni members and volunteers, collaborated with the Singapore Red Cross to promote the importance of first aid in the community. They also packed and distributed groceries to 300 beneficiaries living in the South West District.

MINI SPORTS D AY W I T H CHILDREN FROM S A LV A T I O N A R M Y H AV E N Children from Salvation Army Haven (Pasir Panjang) were invited to Eusoff Hall for a mini sports day event which featured a variety of sports and fun games.

MID-AUTUMN F I E S TA

Stories and traditions of the Mid-Autumn Festival were brought to life to youths with autism at this Fiesta organised by the NUS Industrial Design Class of 2008, in partnership with the Social Leisure Club of the Autism Resource Centre (Singapore). O C T- D E C 2 0 1 7

IN THE NEWS

KENT RIDGE ALUMNI FA M I LY D AY 2 0 1 7 NUS’ BIGGEST HOMECOMING event Kent Ridge Alumni Family Day welcomed almost 5,000 alumni, students and staff — along with their friends and families — to University Town on 19 August. Organised by NUS Alumni Relations, the evening was filled with fun, food and entertainment for all. Gracing the occasion was NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan (Medicine ’83) who encouraged alumni to keep their connections with NUS and their fellow alumni strong. Prof Tan also submitted his Chinese ink painting titled Landscape of the Mind for the NUS Alumni Art Exhibition, organised by the NUS Chinese Studies Alumni Association, in conjunction with Kent Ridge Alumni Family Day. All across University Town, NUS offices, alumni and student groups held interactive activities such as the Student Life Fair and drone, music and dance workshops. The Environmental Atrium, helmed by NUS Environmental Sustainability and NUS Facilities Management, showcased the University’s sustainability efforts and how everyone can do their part for the environment.

Things meanwhile heated up at the Battle of the AlumNUS Foodpreneurs organised by NUS Campus Amenities, where eateries on campus established by NUS alumni entrepreneurs competed to impress the judges, who included National University of Singapore Society President Mr Eddie Lee (Law ’81) and University Health Centre’s Senior Physician and Advisor Dr Catherine Chua. The Spread café at the Mochtar Riady Building run by Mr Foo Yuk Sam (Arts and Social Sciences ’14) was declared the winner. Guests were also entertained by NUS student and magician Anderson Chua, as well as friendly mascots LiNUS and NUS Medicine’s Meddy and Neddy. No surprises, then, that many gave the thumbs-up to the day’s programme. “I enjoy attending homecoming and other school activities when time permits. I get to reconnect with classmates and pick up new skills through activities organised by my faculty,” said Ms Suria Wijaya (Business ’13). Come night time, participants spread out their picnic mats on Town Green and enjoyed live music performances by alumni and student groups such as TO Ensemble, Singapore Idol 2006 runner-up Mr Jonathan Leong (Arts and Social Sciences ’07) and PennyLane, Festive Drummers, and winner of the Singapore leg of Sing! China 2017 Mr Marcus Lee (Design and Environment ’17) and Cosmic Armchair. The event ended with an outdoor movie screening on campus of the popular animated movie, Trolls.

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IN THE NEWS

From left: Dean Kishore Mahbubani, Prof Tan Chorh Chuan, and Dean Simon Chesterman (with his trusty steed).

BUKIT TIMAH HOMECOMING 2017 USUALLY QUIET on Saturdays, the Bukit Timah campus started to come alive in the late afternoon of 1 July as alumni started arriving for the muchanticipated annual Homecoming organised by NUS Alumni Relations. By evening, the Upper Quadrangle was teeming with more than 1,100 alumni from a wide range of cohorts. Many of them came in boots, cowboy hats, chequered shirts or denim, in line with the country western theme.

The event was graced by NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan (Medicine ’83); Dean of Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Professor Kishore Mahbubani (Arts and Social Sciences ’71); and Dean of Faculty of Law, Professor Simon Chesterman. The Homecoming also celebrated the 50th anniversary for the Class of 1967 and the 60th anniversary of the Faculty of Law. The atmosphere was boisterous as old friends exchanged excited greetings and caught up with one another. Guests were treated to popular country songs performed by Matthew And The Mandarins, and gamely joined in during the song and dance session led by alumni group, NUS Alumni Sing-Along.

ALUMNI CONCERTS: L O V E A F FA I R WITH THE OBOE THE FIRST CONCERT in the brand new Alumni Concerts series was held on 17 June at Shaw Foundation Alumni House. The new initiative, by NUS Alumni Relations and the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, aims to showcase NUS alumni musical talents and promote music appreciation. Love Affair with the Oboe featured Mr Howard Ng (Music ’11) accompanied by pianist Dr Tham Horng Kent. The audience was treated to a brilliant performance of pieces such as G.P. Telemann’s Partita No.2 in G Major, J. Röntgen’s Sonata No.1 and F. Poulenc’s Sonata for oboe and piano.

SOCIAL NIGHT ALUMNI LEADERS and volunteers gathered for an enjoyable evening with fellow alumni at the 4th Social Night held on 15 June at Supply & Demand. Organised by NUS Alumni Relations, this annual event brings together Alumni Group leaders; Associate Directors for Alumni Relations; representatives from the various Faculties, Halls and Colleges;

newly-appointed Class Ambassadors; Directors of the various NUS offices and departments; as well as members of committees who spearhead events and initiatives, such as the Alumni Leaders Forum, Alumni Students Advancement Committee, Day of Service and Golf tournaments. In his welcome remarks, NUS Alumni Relations Director Mr Bernard Toh (Architecture ’84) expressed his gratitude for the alumni leaders’ and volunteers’ efforts and dedication in strengthening alumni as the third pillar of NUS.

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IN THE NEWS

COVER STORY

BOOK CORNER

NUS Golf Captain, Mr Lim, receiving the trophy from President Dr Tony Tan, with Prof Tan Chorh Chuan.

U M-NU S IN TE R- UNI V ERS I T Y T U N K U CHANCEL LOR GOLF TOURNAMENT 2017 Congratulations, team NUS!

SINCE 1968, the annual UM-NUS Inter-University Tunku Chancellor Golf Tournament has been celebrating the strong and enduring ties between NUS and the University of Malaya (UM). The hosting of the tournament alternates between UM and NUS in Malaysia and Singapore respectively. NUS hosted the 49th edition of the tournament this year on 19 and 20 July at Sembawang Country Club and Keppel Club. NUS Chancellor and Singapore President, His Excellency Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam (Science ’62) also hosted the official dinner reception on 19 July, with UM Chancellor and Sultan of the State of Perak, His Royal Highness Sultan Dr Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah, in attendance. The NUS team was delighted to have won this year’s tournament. Golf Captain, NUS Vice President (Finance) Mr KC Lim said, “the keen support

from our alumni and staff golfers was instrumental in winning this year’s UM-NUS Inter-University Tunku Chancellor Golf Tournament.” He thanked all golfers for their excellent sportsmanship as well as Director of NUS Alumni Relations Mr Bernard Toh (Architecture ’84) and his team for organising this year’s games. This event was well-supported by alumni, faculty members and staff from both universities. 100 golfers from both contingents participated in the tournament. Besides having a great time on the green, it was also a great opportunity for members of both universities to meet their counterparts, catch up with old friends and make new ones.

THE

SPIRIT OF S E R V I C E BEHIND EVERY *ITCH IS A BACK STORY: THE STRUGGLES OF GROWING UP WITH RASH B Y

D A N I E L

The tradition of giving back is not new to NUS, whose faculty, students and alumni have been active in their efforts to uplift the lives of others — and contribute their skills to the nation — for decades.

B Y

W A N D A

T A N

B O E Y

IN THIS HILARIOUS tellall, Singapore’s Godfather of Fashion, Daniel Boey (Arts and Social Sciences ’89) talks about his personal experiences struggling with allergies. “In an industry where it is de rigueur for everyone to be fashionable and modish in the latest trendsetting rage, I began to wonder if there was a place for someone the likes of me. In a sea of perfect complexions, my dysfunctional, eczemascarred skin stood out for the wrong reasons.”

SINCE 2000, NUS STUDENTS HAVE RAISED MORE THAN

$7 MILLION

FOR THE UNDERPRIVILEGED THROUGH THE ANNUAL NUSSU RAG & FLAG.

Available at most major bookstores in Singapore and at Amazon.com. O C T- D E C 2 0 1 7

COVER STORY

NUS

has always strived to be more than a quality highereducation provider and research-intensive institution — it also has a long and storied history of service. After all, in 1905, NUS, in its first iteration — The Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School — began life as a institution to train doctors to serve the health needs of the local populace in colonial Singapore. One of the latest initiatives undertaken by the University is the institution-wide NUS Day of Service (DOS), a charity and community outreach initiative pioneered by the NUS Alumni Advisory Board in 2016. The overwhelming response led to DOS2017, with almost twice as many volunteers and beneficiaries involved. “I hope that the activities today will continue as long-term and sustained contributions to society. With everyone’s support, Day of Service will continue to grow, and with that its positive impact on

CHECK OUT pages 4–5 for a snapshot of this year’s Day of Service activities.

Students of NUS College of Alice & Peter Tan cleaning up the Tanah Merah coast.

Outside of the Orientation Week, volunteering opportunities are available year-round through various NUS student organisations. The Community Service Club (CSC), which falls under the NUSSU umbrella, is made up of 4,000 students across all faculties. They run a wide range of regular volunteering programmes like befriending the terminally ill and tutoring at-risk youth, as well as special projects that take place annually. Project Collection in Aid of the Needy (C.A.N.), started in 2004, is one of the special projects carried out by CSC members. Held during the summer holidays, they spend the first two weeks of July collecting and encouraging the public to donate canned food and dried rations, and then sort the food items into individual packs and distribute these to the beneficiaries in their homes at the end of the month. The project reaches out to needy households in a

Singapore and beyond,” said Mr Jeremy Ee (Engineering ’05), who is the Organising Chairperson of the NUS Day of Service. The DOS is just one in a long list of initiatives that have been carried out by the University, its staff, students and alumni over the years with the aim of giving back and making a difference to society.

A LTRUISTIC MOTIVES One of the most popular fixtures on the University’s academic calendar is NUSSU Rag & Flag, an annual charity project that has steadily grown in size and scope since its inception in 1957. Originally a one-day event to Director of NUS Alumni raise funds for a handful of causes, Relations Mr Bernard Toh (below) and NUS Rag & Flag now consists of two DOS Organising parts held on separate days during Chairperson Mr Jeremy Ee (right) at the Orientation Week in August. the Chestnut Nature Park Upwards of $400,000 is raised every tree-planting activity.

year for 21 charities supported by the Community Chest, the fundraising and engagement arm of the National Council of Social Service. The first part, Flag Day, sees NUS freshmen and senior students hitting the streets of Singapore to collect donations from the public. This is followed a few days later by Rag Day, during which undergraduates from the different faculties, halls of residence and residential colleges display intricate floats and put on stage performances on campus as a way of thanking the public for their donations. Booths are also set up by the beneficiary organisations, such as Fei Yue Community Services and Pathlight School, spreading further awareness of their work and adding to the carnival atmosphere.

WITH EVERYONE’S SUPPORT, DAY OF SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO GROW, AND WITH THAT ITS POSITIVE IMPACT ON SINGAPORE AND BEYOND. Mr Jeremy Ee, Organising Chairperson of the NUS Day of Service

different neighbourhood each year, and is also open to NUS students who are not CSC members. Community engagement is also a common theme across the University’s six halls of residence and five residential colleges. For example, at Eusoff Hall, the Eusoff Voluntary Corps (EVC) — which grew out of the now-disbanded Raffles– Eusoff Voluntary Corps — was formed in the 1990s to promote and support effective community volunteerism among those staying there. At present, the EVC comprises about 80 student-residents.

THE STUDENT VOLUNTEERS DELIVERED

PROJECT C.A.N. CAN! In 2016, Project C.A.N. volunteers collected more than 10,000 food items and basic necessities as well as 2,000kg of rice from the Ang Mo Kio community for less-privileged residents in the area. This year’s edition was another successful one, with 220 studentvolunteers helping residents in Chinatown.

DONATED PACKETS AND CANNED GOODS TO

439

LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS O C T- D E C 2 0 1 7

COVER STORY

A MORAL RESPONSIBILITY EVC students spreading Chinese New Year cheer to the vulnerable elderly.

For Ms Syazana Yahya (Law ’15), 26, volunteering with the NUS Pro Bono Group served as a springboard to her pro bono work as a practising lawyer.

In particular, the EVC’s efforts are directed at three disadvantaged groups: the underprivileged elderly living around Chin Swee Road near Chinatown; children based at The Haven, a residential home run by The Salvation Army for abandoned, abused and neglected children; and adults with intellectual disability who are receiving vocational and social skills training at the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS) Training and Development Centre in Clementi. Weekly visits by EVC members let these individuals know that they are not alone, contributing to a more inclusive society.

TR A N S F E R A B L E S KILLS There are also undergraduates who view voluntary work as a chance to leverage on the skills acquired through their degree for a good cause. In 2008, medical students from the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine initiated the Neighbourhood Health Service (NHS), which provides free door-to-door health screenings for Singaporeans living in rental flats. Held

In 2016, Operation Orion went to a village in Nepal which had been hit by the 2015 earthquake.

A NHS volunteer administering an eye-screening test.

PBG members making soap bars for migrant workers.

NHS S TAT S FROM 2008 TO 2016,

RENTALBLOCK RESIDENTS WERE SCREENED UNDER NHS.

The NUS Archery team teaching the sport to underprivileged kids.

over one weekend in September or October, the NHS has since broadened to include NUS Nursing and Social Work students, and has reached out to lowincome residents in Taman Jurong, MacPherson, Bukit Merah, Marine Terrace and Eunos Crescent. NHS volunteers conduct annual health screenings and follow up personally with those who have abnormal screening results to encourage them to seek treatment at a polyclinic. “Health disparities arise because a segment of the population cannot afford proper health screening,” says Associate Professor Gerald Koh (Medicine ’95) from the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, who serves as Academic Advisor of the NHS. “We want medical students to realise that they are responsible not just for the health of patients who walk through their clinic door, but also those who don’t.”

Whereas community service projects like the NHS benefit the less-fortunate in Singapore, others like Operation Orion — spearheaded by the NUS Civil Engineering Club — help underprivileged communities overseas. For two weeks in December, Civil Engineering students travel to a rural part of Asia and build structures such as houses, and schools for the local villagers, while engaging in cultural exchange. Now in its 18th year, Operation Orion has been to remote regions in Myanmar, Cambodia, China and Nepal, among others. NUS Law undergraduates offer legal assistance to those in need via the NUS Pro Bono Group (PBG). Founded in 2005 by a few service-minded Law students, the PBG now consists of some 200 members across eight different projects. These include regular attendance at Community Legal Clinics run by the Law Society of Singapore’s Pro Bono Services Office; collaborations with charities advocating for migrant workers’ rights; and attachment programmes with the Syariah Court and State Courts to help individuals who lack legal representation. Even the University’s varsity teams have embraced the service mindset in recent years. Despite their busy training schedules, athletes from the NUS Archery, Floorball and Rugby teams set aside time to interact with underprivileged kids and teach the sport to them.

WE WANT MEDICAL STUDENTS TO REALISE THAT THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE NOT JUST FOR THE HEALTH OF PATIENTS WHO WALK THROUGH THEIR CLINIC DOOR, BUT ALSO THOSE WHO DON’T. Associate Professor Gerald Koh, NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine

“To be honest, I joined the PBG during my freshman year at NUS because I thought it would be a fun experience and a good way to make friends. However, once I became involved with the PBG’s Legal Education and Awareness Programme (LEAP) and saw meaning in what I was doing, I stayed on and was elected Project Head of LEAP in 2012/13. The objective of LEAP is to raise awareness among youths-at-risk of their legal rights, and the possible legal consequences of their actions. Many of these kids get in trouble with the law because they think it is fun, or that they won’t get caught. Workshops conducted by LEAP — which cover all sorts of topics, from family violence to drugs and theft — remind them that certain actions can have consequences which affect their future, and hopefully this will guide them to making better decisions. When I first got my practising certificate, I was quite intimidated to take up pro bono cases. So I started small and volunteered at Community Legal Clinics. Over time, as I developed confidence speaking in front of the bench, I began to take on criminal cases with the Law Society’s Criminal Legal Aid Scheme, which provides free legal representation to those who cannot afford it. I have also worked on a number of pro bono cases in my time with Eugene Thuraisingam LLP, where I am currently an Associate. As lawyers, we are in a unique position to facilitate access to justice for the underprivileged using our legal skills. That is why it is important to me to volunteer my time, no matter how busy I am. I want to be a successful lawyer, but success, to me, is not measured by money or power alone. It is also measured by the extent to which I have used my legal skills to help others.”

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COVER STORY

SE R V IC E AS A C AR E E R I N TE RN A L I S I NG T H E E T HOS While there is no shortage of volunteering opportunities at NUS, it is still up to the students themselves to plan or sign up for them. That is what makes the University’s tradition of service so impressive: it has been maintained — and arguably strengthened — over the decades, even though student volunteerism was never made mandatory. On why NUS has not made community service a compulsory requirement for graduation, NUS Dean of Students Associate Professor Peter Pang says: “We don’t want students to feel forced into doing volunteer work as they may just do it perfunctorily.” Instead, his Office of Student Affairs (OSA) acts as an enabler, offering guidance and funding to student groups interested in community engagement. “The OSA works closely with NUSSU and its constituent bodies to promote and create awareness of the benefits of performing community service, both for others and for students themselves,” he explains. Employers are increasingly looking for well-rounded graduates with hard as well as soft skills, such as empathy and interpersonal skills. Participating in volunteer programmes allows students to develop these attributes. “We see community service as a way of building empathy in students, and getting them to think about how to apply the technical knowledge that they have learnt for the betterment of society,” says Assoc Prof Pang. “Ultimately, we want students to understand the value of giving back, not out of a sense of noblesse oblige — ‘I am more privileged or well-off than you, so I should help you’ — but recognising that they also benefit from it.”

A WEALTH OF OPPORTUNITIES! Associate Professor Peter Pang NUS DEAN OF STUDENTS

1957

The University of Malaya Students’ Union (precursor to NUSSU) organises its first-ever Rag & Flag Day, as part of Welfare Week.

The Raffles–Eusoff Voluntary Corps (predecessor to Eusoff Voluntary Corps) is cofounded by students staying in both residential halls. The Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), later known as ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, is born.

1989

The National University of Singapore Society (NUSS) initiates the $1.6 million Student Loan Endowment Fund to provide higher education opportunities for needy students.

NUSSU Student Life Fair — Held at the beginning of the academic year, this event introduces new students to the array of faculty and clubs, societies and interest groups. NUS Volunteer Network — An amalgamation of the CSC, NUS Volunteer Action Committee, NUS Red Cross Youth Chapter and NUS Rotaract Club, it seeks to provide a wider range of volunteering opportunities. NUS Volunteer Fair — Organised annually by the NUS Volunteer Network, this showcases the many volunteering activities available at NUS. NUS CARES — Short for NUS Community Advancement with Research and Education Synergies, this initiative enables faculty and students to use their expertise in solving issues identified by community partners.

O S A S TAT S IN 2016, THE OSA PROVIDED A TOTAL OF

IN FUNDING FOR 128 STUDENTRUN COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS.

S E R V I C E AT N U S : A L O O K B A C K 1952 The present-day 1968 Department of Social Work starts out as a Diploma in Social Studies programme within the University’s Economics Department.

Besides the DOS, other University-wide platforms have been created to promote community involvement among students:

1995

The NUSS Community sub-committee formed to help the underprivileged and raise awareness among graduates about the need to care for the less-fortunate.

1998

The Student Mentorship Programme is initiated with the then-Tanjong Pagar Community Development Council, where NUS undergraduates befriend and tutor at-risk youths.

2000

Students from the NUS Civil Engineering Club spearhead Operation Orion to lend their expertise to overseas communities.

2002

The NUS Students’ Community Service Club (CSC) is formed as a nonfaculty Constituent Club under NUSSU.

2005

Law students set up the NUS Pro Bono Group to promote volunteer legal service among their peers.

Away from the University’s volunteer scene, modules, or the revision of existing ones. For there is a growing group of undergraduates example, students taking the ‘Special Areas who hope to make service to others a full-time of Social Work Practice’ module will focus on profession. Within the Faculty of Arts and Social problem gambling and cyber bullying — both hot Sciences, the number of students majoring in topics — in Semesters 1 and 2, respectively, this Social Work has gradually risen, with close to 500 academic year. students enrolled in all four years of the degree However, one thing that has stayed constant programme in 2016. “Social Work students have through the decades is the underlying skillset aspirations that are different from the norm,” needed by social workers. “Challenges and says Associate Professor Esther Goh, Head of responses in social work may have changed, the NUS Department of Social Work. “They are but the methodology has remained consistent. driven by a desire to protect vulnerable people Our core curriculum has not changed much, and bring a positive impact in their lives. They including the mandatory 800-hour field prize intangible rewards, such as seeing people placement,” says Assoc Prof Goh. “This change and grow, over tangible rewards like component assigns students to prisons, family high salaries.” service centres, hospitals, nursing homes and The then-University of Malaya first offered other places, where they learn how to translate social work training in 1952 as a Diploma course what they have been taught in the classroom to in Social Studies under the auspices of the the real-life setting under a qualified supervisor.” Economics Department, before setting up a separate department four Associate Professor years later. At that time, graduates Esther Goh worked at the British colonial government’s Department of HEAD OF THE NUS DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WORK Social Welfare, whose aim was to meet basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter, for a postWorld War 2 population. Today, social workers serve their clients’ lower-level as well as higher-level needs, such as improving marital quality, parenting skills and early intervention for children with special needs. Emerging social problems have also led to the introduction of new undergraduate

2007

2009

2008

2011

The Institute of Water Policy, part of the NUS Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, is inaugurated to improve water policy and governance in Asia.

The Chua Thian Poh Community Leadership Programme is launched to groom Singapore’s next generation of community leaders.

The CSC joins forces with the NUS Volunteer Action Committee, NUS Red Cross Youth Chapter and NUS Rotaract Club to establish the NUS Volunteer Network.

Medicine students initiate the NHS to provide free health screenings for vulnerable residents.

NUS creates the Centre for Social Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy (later renamed the Asia Centre for Social Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy).

Current and former Business students get together to host the first Bizad Charity Run.

2013

2015

2014

2016

Several alumni create the Alumni Students Advancement Committee to raise money for the NUS Alumni Bursary Fund Campaign.

The Faculty of Law makes pro bono work compulsory for undergraduates under the new Mandatory Pro Bono Scheme.

The University marks its 110 th anniversary with the launch of NUS CARES (Community Advancement with Research and Education Synergies).

The whole NUS family participates in the University’s inaugural Day of Service to give back to the community. The NUS–Singtel Cyber Security R&D Laboratory opens its doors in support of Singapore’s Smart Nation initiative.

O C T- D E C 2 0 1 7

COVER STORY

MOULDING TOMORROW’S CHANGEMAKERS Efforts are being made by various faculties to incorporate community service into the mainstream curriculum:

Since the Faculty of Law’s Mandatory Pro Bono Scheme kicked off in 2014, all Law students need to complete at least 20 hours of pro bono work prior to graduation. NUS Business School’s Asia Centre for Social Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy conducts research and executive education courses to advance the understanding and capabilities of those involved in the region’s social enterprise and philanthropic sectors. Undergraduates across all disciplines can apply for the Chua Thian Poh Community Leadership Programme, under which students examine and propose alternative solutions to critical social and community issues affecting Singapore.

NATIONAL THOUGHT LEADERS

NUS is also home to numerous research centres, all of which carry out another equallyimportant dimension of service: service to the nation. One of Singapore’s oldest think tanks is the ISEAS– UPHOLD ING Yusof Ishak Institute, originally THE TRA D ITION called the Institute of Southeast NUS alumni are continuing to Asian Studies (ISEAS) when it give back to the community in their own was founded in 1968. ways. Many donate money or organise Renowned for its academic fundraising events, such as charity research on Southeast Asia’s golf tournaments and class reunions, to economic, political and sociosupport the NUS Alumni Bursary Fund cultural issues, the centre Campaign, which provides financial aid has spawned a network of to needy undergraduates. The Campaign regional institutes dedicated Professor has raised close to $13 million, which will to East Asia, South Asia and David Rosenblum go towards supporting up to 500 students the Middle East, such as the DIRECTOR, NUS–SINGTEL CYBER each year. SECURITY RESEARCH AND NUS Institute of South Asian The Campaign is championed by a fourDEVELOPMENT LABORATORY Studies (ISAS). “Singapore, as a person NUS Alumni Students Advancement global city, must understand Committee (ASAC), chaired by Mr Johnny and build bridges with these regions of the world,” Tan (Science ’82). They play a coordinating role for a variety says ISAS Chairman Mr Gopinath Pillai (Arts ’61). “At of bursaries, from faculty- and hall-based ones to memorial ISAS, we produce a large amount of well-researched funds named after prominent deceased alumni. “We hope to publications and create chances for Singaporean and South Asian leaders to interact.” The Bizad Charity Run Within the NUS Lee Kuan Yew School of Public 2017 flag-off Policy, scholars at the Institute of Water Policy (IWP) outside the NUS Business concentrate on water governance and management School Mochtar Riady issues in Asia. IWP is a strategic partner for the Building. biennial Singapore International Water Week, and contributes significantly in shaping water policy both domestically and in neighbouring countries. This led to NUS being ranked in 2013 by global research and advisory firm Lux Research as the world’s top water research institution.

Mr Gopinath Pillai

The University’s latest area of research is the Smart Nation Research Cluster, launched in 2016 to support Singapore’s Smart Nation initiative. Among the institutions in this cluster is the NUS–Singtel Cyber Security Research and Development Laboratory, where researchers from NUS and Singtel are working together to develop novel data analytics techniques and data encryption software. “We want to produce the best cyber security research possible, both to realise Singtel’s strategic business goals and to support the government’s Smart Nation agenda and strategic priorities,” says the Laboratory’s Director, Professor David Rosenblum. Although these technologies are mostly proprietary to Singtel, Prof Rosenblum adds that these will also generate a positive impact on society. “Once Singtel adapts the innovations coming out of our Lab to create new products and services or enhances existing ones, users in Singapore and all of Singtel’s markets will benefit from improved network security and data privacy.”

CHAIRMAN, NUS INSTITUTE OF SOUTH ASIAN STUDIES

ALUMNI BURSARY FUND S TAT S

Mr Tan (third from left) with ASAC members (from left) Mr Soh Yi Da, Mr Seah Cheng San and Mr Yeo Keng Joon; with Mr Kevin Ong (Director of Major Gifts, NUS Development Office) and Mr Bernard Toh (Director of NUS Alumni Relations).

project a united front as alumni and cultivate a spirit of giving to improve the social mobility of financiallychallenged students,” says Mr Tan, who is also an NUS Alumni Advisory Board member. The flagship fundraising event for the NUS Business School Alumni Association is the annual Bizad Charity Run, organised in partnership with the NUS Students’ Business Club. Open to the NUS community as well as the general public, this year’s

event in January 2017 raised a total of $30,000 for the Autism Resource Centre (Singapore). Despite living thousands of miles away, overseas alumni chapters are also keeping the University’s tradition of service alive in their local communities. A repeat participant in the NUS Day of Service 2017 was the NUS Alumni Auckland Chapter (New Zealand), who had held an auction night the previous year in support of the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ’s ‘Breathe Better September’ national campaign. “Charitable work is not new to our group members, who volunteer in their own time and in their individual areas of interest. DOS2016 gave us the opportunity to do this together,” explains Mr Ee Chiong Boon (Arts and Social Sciences ’82), Chairperson of the Auckland Chapter. Almost all 45 members attended the dinner to fundraise for the campaign to increase awareness of respiratory illnesses. Hopefully, these and all other alumni — or the entire NUS family, for that matter — will go on to pursue a lifetime of service, much like ISAS’ Mr Pillai. The 80 year-old diplomat has devoted more than a quarter-century to public service and, is also currently Singapore’s Ambassador-at-Large and Special Envoy to Andhra Pradesh, India.

The NUS Alumni Bursary Fund Campaign has to date raised close to $13 MILLION, which will go towards supporting up to

STUDENTS each year.

Mr Ee Chiong Boon (in orange tie) with the NUS Alumni Auckland Chapter on their NUS Day of Service 2016 auction night.

In honour of his contributions to the nation, Mr Pillai received the NUS Outstanding Service Award in 2015. However, he says, “Recognition or profilebuilding is not what service is about. It’s about doing something that is essential for society and that you have passion for — I found mine in political and civic issues — without regard to compensation.” Mr Tan (second from left) at the 25th NUS Alumni & Friends Charity Golf 2016, which raised in excess of $500,000 for the NUS Alumni Bursary Fund Campaign.

O C T- D E C 2 0 1 7

MY WORD

STATE OF

THE ARTS B Y

T H E R E S A

T A N

Following his swansong year as Festival Director of the Singapore International

CHAPTERS FROM A STORIED CAREER

Set up TheatreWorks Writers’ Laboratory. Writers’ Lab has since grown into Greenhouse (for writers) and Hothouse (an incubation space for playwrights).

Festival of Arts (SIFA), Mr Ong Keng Sen (Law ’88), 54, speaks about the subject that’s close to his heart.

aving run SIFA for the last five years, I’m happiest about the fact that I’m once again reconnected with audiences. I feel that people on the ground are actually ready for the arts — I was very lucky I got a very strong signal from the audiences, that they have their own perspectives, their own minds, about the arts. People stopped me after an event and told me very clearly about what they experienced and why they liked or disliked it. Also, now with social media there’s a lot of response; you know who your audience is. With O.P.E.N Homes, where audiences went to a person’s home, the physical audience was 20 but 7,000 people participated through Facebook live streaming. SIFA was able to get a commitment of attendance from 155,000 people last year, and this year I think the figures will be larger. In Singapore, we make that demand of the arts, like the arts has to prove its legitimacy. I think no other WHO IS HE? arts festival in the world demands its After earning his Law degree audiences to be in the hundreds of in 1988, Mr Ong Keng Sen thousands — that’s what you demand became the Artistic Director of TheatreWorks — a from a pop concert! position he has held the past Why did I say ‘yes’ to being 29 years. Mr Ong has the Festival Director? I had benefited so rare distinction of having much from the old Singapore Arts received both the Singapore Festival, both as audience member Young Artist Award (in 1992) and artist. I had gone to the Arts Fest and Cultural Medallion (in from 1982 onwards, buying my own 2003). From 2012 to 2017, he helmed SIFA as its tickets, queuing up — I was spending Festival Director. In 2010, he hundreds of dollars on tickets, which was awarded the Fukuoka was a lot of money then. From 1988, Arts and Culture Prize for I was regularly commissioned by the his efforts to create and Arts Festival to make a new work. So, preserve Asian culture. I felt very sad when they closed down

that festival, and really felt a need to come back and contribute. And now I feel like I’ve done something. I am much less disgruntled about the arts now because it’s much clearer to me what the expectations are. It’s interesting that there’s no longer a Ministry of The Arts — the arts come under the Ministry of Community, Culture and Youth. It’s clear to me that the government sees the arts more as a community bonder, a way to give back to the population — but on the government’s own terms — rather than being intrinsically valuable. In this scramble to get numbers and mass participation, it has now arrived at a lowest common denominator — every photo of a museum features children playing! It’s about having a consumer-contented society; people feel “I pay my taxes and now I have the Night Festival to go to.” Being involved in the festival did give me new ideas, give me new hope. I think the arts could be very interesting for the children of the future, if they are about 6 or 7 years old now. The generations before that, of the past 30 years, grew up in a tightly-engineered space. I feel that I’m kind of a lost generation that was somehow missed; we were not on the radar. And because we were not on the radar, we could also become whatever we wanted to be. Now the arts is very much just a platform to move to somewhere else and to keep moving. Among the young people who practise the arts, I think that there is a savviness with which they engage with the system to keep moving ahead. Many of them may move on to get their masters, and not necessarily be in the arts anymore. The arts is now seen as this scaffolding where you move through but you don’t see why there should be payback. We need to become much more nuanced in how we live with the arts, giving space for imagination to create a creative society. In secondary school,

Began the Flying Circus Project, an embodiment of the concept of interculturalism through collaboration with artists from different countries and cultures.

Received the Singapore Young Artist Award for Theatre and Fulbright Scholarship to New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Received the Singapore Youth Award (Arts & Culture).

Was the first Asian and Singaporean curator of In-Transit, Berlin International Arts Festival, commissioned by the House of World Cultures and the Festspiele Berlin.

If I were going to university today, I would do something where the coursework is only a guide to me becoming a human being.

literature played a vital role in my imagination, but when you look at young people around us (for whom it did not), maybe they have a lack of connection with other realities which are not their own. Theatre is not just about having something to do, or having a nice night out. The arts is more than that; it’s related to building a foundation for the kind of society we want. For me, the University was such an important part of my growing up — I learned a lot from those years in Law School. It was a time of enlightenment, not just with my classmates, but also the lectures that I attended. I was part of the team that set up the Theatre Studies department in NUS in 1992 — I felt that there was a gap, because theatre was studied mainly as literature then. Theatre Studies goes beyond creating good theatre plays — it’s not a place of practice, it’s not a conservatory — but it’s a way of looking at performance in the larger sense of the word, for example, what is involved in the performance of Pink Dot? What is

happening in the city when there are these rituals of communion? If I were going to university today, I would do something where the coursework is only a guide to me becoming a human being. So I would still opt for Law and Political Science, and would look very closely at Theatre Studies — I’d like to know how it’s contributing to my life. Looking back at those five years at the helm of SIFA, I’d like to believe I’ve proven old conceptions wrong: we’ll leave the festival in the black and have created an audience that understands that the arts can be viable, that it doesn’t have to be a culture or street festival. There is belief in the arts for itself now, as a necessary space for the city. But there is still so little transparency and justification. So, my regret is that, for this kind of paradigm shift to happen, for the public to demand accountability, they need more time to shift their whole way of thinking about the role of arts in our society. O C T- D E C 2 0 1 7

ONCE UPON A MEMORY

ON THE

RACE TO THE FINISH

hen she first tried competitive swimming at 17 in junior college, she couldn’t swim 200m without stopping to catch her breath. Over a decade later, Ms Ethel Lin has not only improved her lap times but also made waves as a national triathlete. She was introduced to the sport as a Law undergraduate in NUS in 2007. “I like both long-distance swimming and running so a triathlon seemed like the natural thing to do, and was what I thought I’d do well in.” Then a freshman, Ms Lin signed up for the NUS Aquathlon team after chancing upon its website. From being one of the slowest members, she worked her way to being the team captain in 2008 and winning several NUS Sports Awards in 2009. “The NUS Aquathlon

FA S T TRACK and Recreation Centre

As a freshman, Ms Lin dabbled in handball – and broke a finger in her first competition at the Temasek Hall Inter-Block Games. Although swimming is “a first love”, Ms Lin says: “If I could only do one sport for the rest of my life, it would be running. I love how simple it is and nothing exhilarates me the way an intensive interval session at the track does… I have beautiful memories of quiet morning runs around the Kent Ridge Campus and SRC track.”

(SRC) on campus was the training arena for national athlete Ms Ethel Lin (Law ’10), who was introduced to triathlons in NUS. B Y

P H Y L L I S

H O N G

team is one of the most welcoming communities I have encountered, where everyone feels that they belong, no matter how fast or slow,” she shares. The sports culture in NUS, says Ms Lin, is also conducive for recreational players, students who want to explore new sports and competitive athletes alike. A sporting highlight for her was making the national triathlon team in 2010 and representing

Singapore at SEA Games 2015. “I had been trying throughout my years in NUS but only made the team after graduation,” she says. Although she ultimately dropped out of the triathlon event at the SEA Games due to heat exhaustion — and subsequently missed the 5,000m and 10,000m events that she had qualified for — the episode has only served to spur her on. She recently won the women’s category of the

H O M E A W AY F R O M H O M E Besides the NUS Aquathlon team, Ms Lin was a member of the NUS Cross Country and Swimming teams. A resident of Temasek Hall during all of her four years in NUS, she also participated in the annual Inter-Block and Inter-Hall Games. “It almost feels like I spent more time in the SRC than in lectures. Most of the lifeguards knew me by name,” she recalls.

R U N A W AY FA V O U R I T E

The former Sports

Singapore International Triathlon 2017 in September, earning herself a nomination slot for the Commonwealth Games 2018. She also has her sights set for the 2019 SEA Games. The challenge of putting in the hours on the track and pool despite having a day job is not unfamiliar to Ms Lin, who used to juggle between training MAIN PHOTOS BY WONG WEI LIANG

One of Ms Lin’s favourite races was the Inter-Varsity Aquathlon held on the NUS campus in her final year. Despite suffering from injuries and not performing well at earlier races, she pushed herself and came in first. “It was a special race. It was not just my last for a team that had helped me grow so much — it was also my last time racing for NUS,” she says.

MS ETHEL LIN, 31, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AT COMPETITION COMMISSION SINGAPORE

YUSOF ISHAK HOUSE

and studies. She is thankful for the supportive team in NUS — coaches, seniors and teammates — as well as the convenient access to facilities such as the pool and gym. While Ms Lin feels nostalgic about the SRC, she finds the new University Sports Centre impressive and believes that current and future NUS students will create great memories there. “We used to have to stop training during wet weather but the lucky young ones won’t have this problem now with the indoor pool,” she says. Ms Lin fondly remembers celebrating team members’ birthdays by the pool as well as heading to the Subway sandwich outlet at Yusof Ishak House (YIH) after training. Her teammates were also her study buddies during the examination period, when they would revise at YIH’s study rooms as well as the Central Library.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

The new three-storey University Sports Centre (USC) was completed in July 2017. It replaces the Sports and Recreation Centre (SRC), which was demolished in 2015. A sprawling complex that spans over 9,000sqm — about 100 HDB 4-room flats — USC offers a wide range of facilities that cater to both competitive and recreational sporting activities. Location: 2 Sports Drive 1

OLYMPICSIZED POOLS – ONE OUTDOOR AND ONE INDOOR 1 TRAINING POOL

SQUASH COURTS

FITNESS AND CONDITIONING LAB

A MULTI-PURPOSE MEZZANINE FOR ACTIVITIES LIKE FENCING AND DANCING

The building also received the Green Mark Platinum Award 2015 by Building and Construction Authority. Features include a dual cooling mode sports hall that optimises ventilation, high-efficiency lights and the use of sustainable building materials such as eco-friendly cement and recycled concrete. GREEN EFFORTS TRANSLATE TO… ESTIMATED ENERGY SAVINGS OF

32%

ESTIMATED WATER SAVINGS OF

39% O C T- D E C 2 0 1 7

CHANGEMAKER

In 2007, you raised about half a million dollars to set up 10 bursary funds. You then helped to launch the Singapore Polytechnic Graduates Guild Endowment Fund. And in 2014, you initiated the NUS Campus

Couples Bursary Fund. What spurs you to continue giving? Helping needy students is close to my heart as I came from a very humble background and relied on financial aid to pay for tuition fees. I wouldn’t have made it so far otherwise. It all started quite simply. I had wanted to make a donation to commemorate my youngest son’s wedding in 2006, and my initial donation of $25,000 became the seeding fund of sorts when I later roped in nine other friends who also believed in the cause to donate. The government matching structure also made it a very easy sell — the money you donate will help needy students in perpetuity! That’s very good ROI! How has your tough childhood shaped you into who you are? I was the youngest among three children, and the only son in the family. My father passed away unexpectedly when I was six years old and my mother had to provide for us. It was difficult: few women worked in the 1960s, and on top of that, my mother was illiterate. Still, she stretched her means to provide for us, and even though we were young, my siblings and I would do our part to help too. One of her jobs was the caretaker of the Melaka coffee-shopkeepers association, and I would help her by running to every coffee shop — perhaps 70 or 80 of them — to

collect their monthly subscriptions! We still managed to have fun as children, and though we could see that our friends and classmates lived in much better houses and went for holidays and such, we just lived with it. I do hope to let all students know that there is no shame in being poor. I certainly didn’t have that social stigma, because at the end of the day it is what you do that counts, and not how rich or poor your family is. Those days did teach me to be frugal, as money does not come easy. Beyond that, I also learnt important values from my mother. Despite our circumstances, she was a very giving person who would always lend a helping hand

Igniting compassion takes an awareness of the fact that there are those who need or help.

Mr Yeo Keng Joon is a past President of the MBA Alumni-NUS; Founding President of NUSBSA and was a member of the NUS Alumni Advisory Board.

leaders — be it to open doors, give career advice or for mentorship. I have personally engaged some 30 recipients through the years and keep in touch with them, giving them guidance wherever I can. Veterans in the business world can also help to consult non-profit organisations and help to review their financial operations. How do those around you view your efforts? Apart from convincing my friends to also give back, my eldest daughter (Ms Yeo Suan Wei, 40) runs a social project called CampVision, which is now in its 14th year. It helps empower underprivileged youths from neighbourhood schools to live their dreams. I like to believe that her work is influenced by what I do.

THE NUS CAMPUS COUPLES BURSARY FUND INITIATED BY MR YEO IN 2014 HAS SO FAR RAISED MORE THAN

WHO IS SHE?

ENABLING MORE THAN 13 BURSARIES TO BE AWARDED IN PERPETUITY AFTER GOVERNMENT MATCHING

BUILDING A GIVING COMMUNITY A g e n e r o u s d o n o r f o r d e c a d e s , M r Ye o K e n g J o o n ( M B A ’ 8 5 ) a l s o inspires others to follow his lead. He speaks to undergraduate v o l u n t e e r M s H e w Ye e L i n g o n h i s o w n j o u r n e y o f s e r v i c e .

WHO IS HE?

Ms Hew Yee Ling is the Director of Volunteer Development for the 38th executive committee of National University of Singapore Students’ Union.

PHOTO BY EALBERT HO

ou have been extremely active in giving back to NUS — share with us your experience of doing your MBA at NUS and how it made NUS a special place for you. Since young, I have always been an active member of the communities that I am in. Similarly, when I was doing the part-time MBA at NUS as part of their third-ever cohort of students, I joined the MBA club and was elected the President of the MBA Alumni-NUS, the Founding President of NUS Business School Alumni Association (NUSBSA) and later became an inaugural member of the NUS Alumni Advisory Board when it was formed in 2005. The one-and-ahalf year MBA programme was done alongside similarly ambitious people. Some became ministers, others were appointed CEOs of multinational firms. As a Malaysian coming to Singapore and trying to move up in my career, the network was certainly useful. But what I treasured most was the camaraderie among our class of around 40 people, all facing the same challenges of having to juggle work and studies, keeping awake through lectures… (laughs). It was a very enriching experience.

to those around her. Giving doesn’t always mean donating money, but simply caring and doing what you can to help.

they have different priorities or financial commitments. But those who have the means, I always say “Just give lah.”

What were the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your journey of giving back? The biggest challenge I face is getting people to realise that there are people who need financial help in Singapore. I simply invite the sceptics to come to a bursary interview session. The stories of unexpected tragedies and hardships from the applicants always draw tears. Of course, I understand that some might not want to donate money as

Apart from donating funds, how else do you think alumni can give back to the school and society in general. With their experience and resources! With so much life experience, our alumni can guide a younger generation of students. I think this makes the NUSBSA bursary fund the bursary with a difference. Our bursary recipients can tap into the resources of very established business

The young today are often called the “me” generation. How can youths be encouraged to give back in their own ways? With relation to giving back to the school, the key thing to do would be to first engage them, and NUS is trying its best to reach out to younger alumni through the class ambassadors. Only when they are engaged would they think about giving back financially once they are in the position to do so. From a larger context, Singaporean youths would probably be more giving if they had the opportunity to see the lives of those who are not as fortunate as they are, be it within Singapore or in neighbouring countries. Igniting compassion takes an awareness of the fact that there are those who need our help. O C T- D E C 2 0 1 7

ALUMNI SCENE

Keen to improve your own public speaking skills while making new friends along the way? Get in touch with the group at facebook.com/nusalumnitmc

THE ART OF SPEAKING WELL T h e N U S A l u m n i To a s t m a s t e r s C l u b

wants to strengthen the leadership and communication skills of its members.

This is one way we can help fellow alumni practise their public speaking skills. And that is what makes you a better speaker: practise, practise, practise.

NUS ALUMNI RELATIONS & SHRIMAD RAJCHANDRA MISSION DHARAMPUR JOINTLY PRESENT

MR GUO CHENG (ENGINEERING ’10), VICE-PRESIDENT (MEMBERSHIP), NUS ALUMNI TOASTMASTERS CLUB

KEYS TO SUCCESS MR GUO SHARES THREE TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL SPEECH:

READ WIDELY: “This way, your speech is relevant and timely — peppering it with current references also makes it more accessible to your listeners,” says Mr Guo, who turns to The Economist for his dose of news and views. CONDENSE your message into three easyto-follow points. TAKE YOUR TIME: “One of the most common mistakes that people make is they speak too fast. Relax and enjoy giving your speech,” adds Mr Guo.

elling a pencil in the era of smartphones can be a daunting task, but this was what a member of the NUS Alumni Toastmasters Club had to do at one of the group’s monthly meetings. Activities like these are one way of improving the communication skills of the Club’s 20 members, says its Vice-President (Membership), Mr Guo Cheng (Engineering ’10). Membership of the alumni group is not restricted to former members of the undergraduate Toastmasters Club. Other NUS alumni, including those who did their exchange semesters in the University, are welcome as well. “This is one way we can help fellow alumni practise their public speaking skills,” Mr Guo, the group’s former President, tells The AlumNUS. “And that is what makes you a better speaker: practise, practise, practise.”

The Club gathers on the second Friday evening of each month, where members take turns speaking in front of one another. Some come with prepared speeches, while others take on a ‘Table Topic’. These require members to speak about a given topic or even make a sales pitch. Fellow members then share their feedback. “But it doesn’t end there — armed with this feedback, members then re-deliver their speeches,” says Mr Guo. “This way, they can learn and improve in the same meeting.” He adds that having members from a variety of professions and backgrounds ensures that feedback is multi-faceted. Mr Guo values his membership of the Club, as he has benefitted from it professionally. The engineer in the electronics industry is expected to present regularly at work and says that attending Toastmasters meetings has helped him become more confident and clearer in his delivery.

M A H AT M A N A M A H AT M A A theatrical performance in English about an untold story of two legends of Indian history : Mahatma Gandhi and his spiritual mentor, Shrimad Rajchandraji.

Inspiration: Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshbhai

Director: Rajesh Joshi | Writer: Uttam Gada Music: Sachin-Jigar

SINGAPORE TOUR

Wednesday, 15 November 2017 | 7.30PM Shaw Foundation Alumni House, Auditorium Register at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/yugpurush17 Members of the NUS Alumni Toastmasters Club, including Mr Guo Cheng (front row, third from left).

ALUMNI SCENE GIVING

For information on making a gift to NUS, contact us at 1800-DEVELOP (1800-338-3567) or email askdvo@nus.edu.sg

ALUMNI SCENE ENTERPRISE

A LEGACY

FO R E D UCAT I O N AND THE GREAT E R G O O D

“Endings do happen,

and thinking about what kind of end, and to what end all that one has accumulated in life should go, is important,” shares

NURTURING

Ms Felicia Low (Arts and

GAME-CHANGERS

S ocial S ciences ’ 14), who has made a legacy gift to NUS.

successful visual artist, and a former recipient of the Lee Kong Chian Scholarship for her doctorate in Cultural Studies at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS), Ms Felicia Low will be supporting bursaries and scholarships at FASS through her bequest. Most people tend to shy away from thinking about death and planning for their own demise, but this is not the case for Ms Low. She shares, “I think it was my work with the elderly with dementia which made me more aware of end-of-life issues. There is an assumed sense of security for the future, which makes more gloomy possibilities somewhat taboo.” Ms Low nominated NUS in her will because of the positive long-term impact of her gift. She explains, “I wanted to support NUS as I know that there are many local students who face financial challenges, and education should not be denied to anyone just because of financial limitations. I feel that I have the capacity to support the younger generation in this way.” At the same time, she hopes the beneficiaries will appreciate that they too have a responsibility. “I also believe the individuals who receive these bursaries and scholarships need to know that the money came from someone who believed in their potential to contribute and to transform this financial support into a larger, societal benefit. It is part of a wider cycle of give-and-take that generates greater growth and greater good,” Ms Low expounds. In fact, Ms Low has some words of wisdom for the future recipients of her gift. “Use what you have been

IN SINGAPORE & BEYOND

C THE FELICIA LOW BURSARY

given well. And find out what is worth doing, so that you can do it well,” she advises. Felicia Low’s legacy gift Her personal experience shaped will benefit FASS students her decision to nominate FASS through bursaries and scholarships students as her beneficiaries. She says, “I trust the standard and rigour of an NUS education and the kind of undergraduates that it produces. I am also very much an arts and social sciences person, and understand the struggles in gaining recognition and support in this field.” Ms Low has been a practising visual artist since 1999 and is very successful in her field, having received the Outstanding Youth In Education Award in 2005 and been selected for the President’s Young Talent Show organised by the Singapore Art Museum in 2009. She is also the founding director of the Community Cultural Development (Singapore) and now teaches at the University of Social Sciences and the School of the Arts.

arousell, Honestbee, Shopback — these are some of the new services in recent years that have added much convenience to our lives. Did you know they were started by NUS alumni? NUS Enterprise — the entrepreneurial arm of NUS — has played a pioneering role in nurturing Singapore’s start-up ecosystem. For alumni looking to grow their tech startups, NUS Enterprise offers a comprehensive range of support services:

INCUBATION SUPPORT: NUS Enterprise manages several incubation centres across Singapore, including The Hangar, BLOCK71 Singapore and NUS Enterprise@Singapore Science Park.

BUSINESS VALIDATION & MENTORSHIP: Budding entrepreneurs can leverage NUS Enterprise’s network of industry experts and its start-up validation programme to assess and refine their ideas.

COMMUNITY & EVENTS: NUS Enterprise, along with its partners via BLOCK71, has helped nurture Ayer Rajah into one of the densest start-up communities in the world. It organises weekly events to keep the community updated on the latest happenings, including its signature Kopi Chat series featuring renowned global speakers.

TECHNOLOGY ACCESS: Entrepreneurs can gain access to NUS’ portfolio of technologies and its research capabilities to develop their next game-changing product. FUNDING SUPPORT: NUS Enterprise provides funding schemes to support startups across different stages of growth. This includes the NUS Alumni Start-Up Catalyst, an initiative for early-stage start-ups founded by NUS alumni.

ACCELERATORS AND HACKATHONS: NUS Enterprise frequently collaborates with industry partners — such as Bayer, Huawei, L’Oréal, Mercedes and Singapore Airlines — to launch accelerator programmes and hackathons.

OVERSEAS LAUNCHPAD: Start-ups looking to expand into overseas markets can leverage the BLOCK71 initiative. NUS Enterprise has established strategic and collaborative partnerships across Jakarta, San Francisco and Suzhou, for expanding start-ups to access new markets while tapping on NUS Enterprise’s global network of resources and contacts.

DID YOU KNOW?

Many familiar or up-andcoming Singaporean startups are founded by NUS alumni! For more success stories of NUS start-ups, visit enterprise.nus.edu.sg/ success-stories Between 2014 – 2016 alone, NUS Enterprise has helped to incorporate over 200 NUS-related start-ups, including 40 spin-offs using NUS technologies NUS Enterprise organises over 200 events a year, including Innovfest Unbound, the largest innovation festival in Singapore

For more information on how you can grow your start-up with NUS Enterprise, visit enterprise.nus.edu.sg O C T- D E C 2 0 1 7

U @ LIVE To register for future U@live events, visit nus.edu.sg/ualive

FAST FACT

THE PURSUIT

MR TAN JOINED GOOGLE AS ONE OF ITS PIONEER STAFF IN 2000. BEYOND HIS ENGINEERING DUTIES, HE ALSO LED A SERIES OF POPULAR MINDFULNESSBASED TRAINING PROGRAMMES. HE RETIRED FROM THE TECH GIANT IN 2016 AS ITS ‘JOLLY GOOD FELLOW’.

O F J OY

HAPPY PEOPLE ARE

M r Ta n C h a d e - M e n g b e l i e v e s that we all have the power to be happy; we just need to learn how.

B Y

A S H U T O S H

R A V I K R I S H N A N

s a teenager, Mr Tan Chade-Meng was taught that success would lead to happiness. “It was drilled [into] me that if I worked hard in school, I would eventually become successful and then happy,” he said. Mr Tan suspected that this was a common belief in Singapore, as he told the audience at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House. But as he grew up, Mr Tan, 46, realised that it was happiness that led to success, and not vice-versa. “I met many successful people who were actually miserable,” quipped the former software engineer. As he delved into the subject, Mr Tan — who in 2000 was Google’s 107th hire — found that research supported his theory. “Happy people are 31 per cent

The audience was invited to reflect upon happiness and to spread joy as well.

Once you’ve learnt to access joy, you have everything you need to succeed.

31% 19%

MORE PRODUCTIVE AND

MORE ACCURATE AT TASKS

more productive and 19 per cent more accurate at tasks,” he said. “They are also likely to be healthier and have stronger relationships.”

THREE TO REMEMBER Having shared about the importance of happiness, Mr Tan then spoke about how it could be achieved through joy. For him, “joy is the building block of happiness,” referring to those fleeting moments of pleasure that we experience, but tend to overlook. “Accumulating these moments leads to happiness. And fortunately, accessing joy is highly trainable. All it takes are three simple steps.” These are: EASING: “For five seconds, focus your attention on a single breath,” said Mr Tan. “This relaxes you and frees you of regret and worry. At the end of the breath, you should feel a little more joyous.” He described the exercise as a game-changer, saying, “It lets you access joy at any given moment. Doing this for 100 minutes — spread out over several days — is all you need to see a change.”

Many audience members — including this writer — found that they were smiling by the end of the exercise. Mr Tan explained why, saying, “To be on the giving end of a kind thought is intrinsically rewarding. Doing this regularly forms a mental habit, which helps you cultivate joy every day.” Using these three steps to access W H O joy frees us from the need for sensory or egoistic pleasures. “When you’re I S H E ? not dependent on an external factor Described by Mr Sadasivan for happiness, you find joy that is as a “more evolved human”, sustainable and evergreen.”

Mr Tan Chade-Meng is the chairman of the California-based Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute, which offers mindfulness and emotional intelligence training. Mr Tan is also co-chair of One Billion Acts of Peace, a global citizens’ movement that has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize eight times. His 2012 book Search Inside Yourself is a New York Times best-seller. He started his career as a software engineer, and has won numerous industry awards.

INCLINING: “Think of a mountain: water flows down its slopes effortlessly towards a certain destination. Our minds are the same way: if you’re inclined towards anger, everything makes you angry. But if you’re inclined towards joy, then everything makes you joyful.” But how do you change your mind’s natural inclination? “Notice the thin slices of joy in life,” said Mr Tan. These are brief moments of pleasure that we often overlook. “Think of how nice the first sip of water feels after you’ve talked a lot. That’s a thin slice of joy.” Noticing these moments makes us more aware of and familiar with joy. “By doing this, we welcome joy as a member of the family and after that, joy flows into our life effortlessly.” UPLIFTING: For the final step, Mr Tan asked the audience to secretly identify two strangers in the auditorium and then wish for them to be happy. MR TAN CHADE-MENG SPOKE ON 23 JUNE 2017 AT THE SHAW FOUNDATION ALUMNI HOUSE IN NUS.

A COMMITMENT TO HAPPINESS

During the lively question-andanswer session that followed, some audience members asked about remaining joyous in the face of adversity. To this, Mr Tan said, “These three practices have taught me that joy can co-exist in the midst of misery, which makes painful experiences more manageable.” U@live moderator Mr Viswa Sadasivan (Arts and Social Sciences ’83) shared his own experience with this. “In the course of my volunteer work, I met a woman who had been diagnosed with late-stage cancer. She welcomed me into her home (where I taught her children) with such happiness and warmth. I couldn’t understand how she could be so happy, but now I see that it’s because she had access to joy.” The session ended with a poignant question from an audience member about how the need to keep up with the Joneses LIFTING affect our happiness. Mr Tan THOUGHT LEADERSHIP said he himself is not immune to As of January 2016, U@live, our thoughts of discontentment but guest speaker series, showcases he makes a conscious effort to global thought leaders. Hosted reject them. “Even though I have by Alumni Advisory Board member and veteran TV presenter a successful career, I still envy the Mr Viswa Sadasivan (Arts and accomplishments of others. But I Social Sciences ’83) at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House, the remind myself that someday I will 1.5-hour session is also streamed die — when that happens, none of live on the U@live website. this will matter. In the face of life and death we’re all equal.” O C T- D E C 2 0 1 7

PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE

It’s not about adding days to your life, but adding life to your days.

r Ang Yew Seng, the founder of the funeral parlour that bears his name, was a well-known figure in the local casket industry and Buddhist community. When he died of renal failure in 2004, his wake lasted seven days. His second daughter, Ms Angjolie Mei (Arts and Social Sciences ‘02), was 24 at the time and at the wake, she found herself repeatedly explaining the circumstances of her father’s death, an experience she found trying. She did, however, get to meet friends of her father who shared their memories of him. Through them, she got to hear many stories about him, and also understood why he did certain things, like always having ang pows ready in the glove compartment of his car. “It turned out that he’d give them to the old chefs at the restaurants he liked to go to,” she says. She never forgot that experience. Some years later, while on attachment with a funeral services company in New Zealand, she was involved in the memorial service of a 94 year-old woman. What was different about this service was that it was organised by a funeral celebrant, someone trained to organise a funeral so as to make it a celebration of the deceased’s life. During the service, people laughed, cried and clapped, and Ms Angjolie left the service feeling that she knew the woman. “I thought to myself, ‘if only we could do something like this in Singapore.’”

NOT A DEAD-END JOB When they were younger, Ms Angjolie and her siblings focused on their studies and were not involved in the family business. Her father’s

REWRITING THE

Armed with an unconventional approach, Ms Angjolie Mei (Arts and Social Sciences ’02) breathes new life — and

adds some heart — into Singapore’s funeral industry.

PHOTO BY EALBERT HO

RULES OF ‘GOODBYE’

WHO IS SHE? Ms Angjolie Mei changed her name from Ang Mei Mei because ‘Mei Ang’ in Hokkien sounds like “no husband”. She legally added Jolie to her name because she admires actress Angelina Jolie. Also, ‘jolie’ in French and ‘mei’ in Chinese both mean beautiful. Her father, Mr Ang Yew Seng, was known as the ‘Coffin Samaritan’ because he would often provide free services to those in need. She has already planned her own funeral down to the colour of her nails (red), dress (a lime-green cheongsam) and the contents of her coffin (her Ray-Bans, dancing boots and some of her handheld fans that she collects).

passing, however, changed everything. He had died without any succession plans and had gambling debts to pay off. As such, Ms Angjolie resigned from her job at a logistics company to help her mother run the funeral parlour. (In fact, the first dead body she had ever touched was that of her father). Her mother, however, had different ideas. “She kept trying to chase me out of the industry. ‘You are too young; get more exposure outside,’ she would say,” recalls Ms Angjolie, now 37. Her desire to introduce innovations also resulted in many quarrels. “My mum didn’t want change. She felt it was important to preserve my father’s name.” After a year working with her mother, she became a financial planner for a few years before returning to the funeral industry. She started a consultancy, TransLifeCare, with four overseas veterans in the field. One-anda-half years later, in 2010, she left to start her own company, Life Celebrant — and one of the first things she did was to embark on a 10-day funeral celebrant course in Sydney. At the same time, she hit upon the idea to offer upmarket wakes and funerals, complete with espresso machines and free Wi-Fi for attendees. She also began offering memorial boards after learning about them at a conference in the US. These consist of photographs, mementoes and notes so that people attending the wake can know more about the deceased. The funeral celebrant interviews friends and family of the deceased to find out what they were like, the key milestones in their lives, as well as their favourite songs, phrases and interests. These are then worked into the eulogies. The firm also ensures that the funeral highlights what is unique about the deceased. For one teenager who had a collection of Rubik’s cubes, the family gathered his cubes and gave them out, except for his favourite one, which the father put into the coffin. For a girl who had been a Harry Potter fan, they served Hogwarts Burgers and Dumbledore Scallop Magnificent at her memorial service. In the case of cancer victims who had lost their hair from treatment, her staff buy a wig so that the deceased looks more like his or her normal self. They even help put on fake eyelashes when necessary. “We don’t charge the family for it,”

Ms Angjolie says. Her innovations have paid off — the company has since grown, with 11 employees. Its latest service, Showers of Love, lets family members spend personal time with their loved one after the body is embalmed and before it is taken to the wake. While death may be a taboo subject, there is, at the same time, a fascination around it. Ms Angjolie regularly gets asked about how bodies are prepared and how people should prepare to meet their maker. That is why she recently wrote a book, Dying to Meet You, where she recounts her life story. Among other things, the book describes the embalming process (warning: not for the faint of heart) and explains Chinese funeral taboos so one can avoid making a faux pas at a wake.

LIFE LESSONS Though it outwardly doesn’t appear relevant to her work, Ms Angjolie feels that her degree from NUS has come in handy (she majored in Psychology and Economics). Soon after she started her company, Ms Angjolie signed up for a two-year diploma course in funeral directing and embalming with Mount Royal University in Calgary, Canada. Besides learning about the chemicals to use to preserve bodies, she found that she also had to do three units in conflict management. “That is where my background in Psychology kicked in,” she says. Ms Angjolie has many fond memories of her time in NUS. She lived in Kent Ridge Hall for a year and recalls waking up in the morning to the sound of crickets. She also remembers the late-night suppers at Fong Seng coffeeshop and the Arts canteen where she and her friends would spend many hours hanging out. One would imagine that a person who works in the funeral industry would be perpetually sombre. Ms Angjolie, however, has a sunny disposition and positive outlook on life. She enjoys travelling and salsa dancing. In fact, her plans for her own memorial service involve a live band playing Latin music at her favourite salsa club in Clarke Quay. Ms Angjolie believes that it is important to make the most of one’s time on earth. One of her favourite sayings is “It’s not about adding days to your life, but adding life to your days.” “Some people just live one day at a time; there is no passion, they just drag themselves to work. I believe we need to look further. If there’s something you want to do, just do it.” Dying to Meet You: Confessions of a Funeral Director is available in bookshops. O C T- D E C 2 0 1 7

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS EVENTS

Engineering Class of 1982 celebrates its 35th Anniversary REMINISCE, RECONNECT, RENEW

THE MPP TURNS 25

Panel Discussion

Prof Mukul Asher has been with NUS since 1975.

With a passion for helping deserving students in financial need to have equal access to quality education in NUS Engineering, alumni from the Engineering Class of 1982 organised a 35th anniversary reunion-cum-fundraising dinner on 21 July at the National University of Singapore Society (NUSS) Kent Ridge Guild House.

As the alumni spent time catching up with each other and reminiscing about their university days, they did not forget the other purpose of their gathering. Armed with cheques, cash and gift forms, the alumni showed their support for the Engineering Class of 1982 Bursary Endowed Fund, which will enable financially-challenged Professor Cham Tao Soon addressing the guests.

THE LEE KUAN YEW SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY (LKYSPP) celebrated the 25th anniversary of its Master in Public Policy (MPP) programme with MPP Class of 2017 a reunion dinner at the Conrad Centennial that were previously inaccessible to them. In the Hotel, in August. spirit of authenticity, they spoke candidly about the MPP students and alumni, staff, as well challenges encountered while in pursuit of their goals, as current and former faculty members and offered sound advice to those still came together for an evening of good in the programme. cheer, cosy conversation and lively The occasion was especially intellectual exchange. Joining in the festivities meaningful for Professor Mukul Asher, were Singapore’s Emeritus Senior Minister who has been with NUS for 42 years Mr Goh Chok Tong (Arts ’64), who chairs the Gatherings like (since 1975), of which 25 years was LKYSPP’s governing board, and Dean these keep our with the MPP programme. He was also Professor Kishore Mahbubani (Arts and Social Sciences ’71). network strong part of a trio of lecturers who visited Harvard University prior to setting up The evening’s highlight was the hourand celebrate the Public Policy programme, to ensure long panel discussion, moderated by Dean the outstanding that the local programme adhered to Mahbubani and featuring alumni members international best practices. Mr Moe Thuzar (’96), Mr Kunzang Lhamu (’02), work of our Distance was no deterrent for Ms Jacqueline Chen (’09), and Mr Will Chua fellow alumni. Mr John-Paul Parmigiani (’11), who (’11). The alumni speakers reflected on how the MPP programme had transmuted their professional picked up “the farthest distance” prize for having travelled from the US to attend the reunion. and personal journeys, by opening doors to pathways “Gatherings like these keep our network strong and celebrate the outstanding work of our fellow alumni. It is such a great privilege and honour to be an alum of the school, and have opportunities like these to reconnect with the people who made my LKYSPP experience so special,” he said. “Keeping with the LKYSPP tradition, the event was masterfully executed, and beautifully celebrated.”

students to pursue their studies in NUS Engineering. Bursary recipients, who were unable to attend the dinner, penned their appreciation to donors via a slide presentation. The students’ heartfelt words of thanks touched the hearts of all present. Dean of NUS Engineering, Professor Chua Kee Chaing (Engineering ’87), welcomed the Class of 1982 and Professor Cham Tao Soon, Engineering Dean from 1978 to 1982, back on campus. Prof Chua also commended the alumni in their fundraising efforts to help students achieve their potential.

NUS Engineering Dean, Professor Chua Kee Chaing (seated centre), and Head, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Professor Quek Ser Tong (Engineering ’84) (seated left), with NUS Engineering alumni.

ALUMNI ART EXHIBITION Organised by the Chinese Studies Alumni Association, the first-ever Alumni Art Exhibition on campus was held in NUS University Town from 17 to 19 August, coinciding with the annual Kent Ridge Alumni Family Day. Planning for the exhibition started about a year ago, under the guidance of Advisor, Dr Tan It Koon (Science ’63). 98 beautiful art pieces by 36 talented alumni painters, including western oil and acrylic paintings, Chinese

Landscape of the Mind, by NUS President Prof Tan Chorh Chuan.

calligraphy and paintings, were on display. Among the artists were NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan (Medicine ’83); former Director of NUS Alumni Relations, Associate Professor Victor R Savage (Arts and Social Sciences ’72); Dr Tan; and renowned children book artist Mr Lee Kow Fong (Arts and Social Sciences ’96). The exhibition was opened by Director of NUS Alumni Relations, Mr Bernard Toh (Architecture ’84), together with Head of Chinese Studies Department, Professor Kenneth Dean.

Prof Eduardo Araral (‘98), Ms Jacqueline Chen (‘09; panel speaker) and Mr Martino Tan (‘09; editor of Mothership.sg) together with ESM Goh.

Satisfaction, by Assoc Prof Victor R Savage.

O C T- D E C 2 0 1 7

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS EVENTS

NUS ENGINEERING

ANNOUNCEMENT

EUSOFF 60TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS 1958 - 2018

Year 2018 marks an important milestone for Eusoff College/Hall as it turns 60 years old! Diamond Jubilee Celebrations in 2018

All Eusoffians are invited to the following events : 24 January 2018: Eusoff Hall Dance Production (MES Theatre, Mediacorp) 17 March 2018: Eusoff Fiesta (Eusoff Hall) 23 March 2018: Eusoff Charity Golf Tournament (Seletar Country Club) 6 April 2018: Eusoff Charity Gala Dinner (NUSS Kent Ridge Guild House) Eusoff Endowed Bursary and a Eusoff Endowed Student Advancement Award

Eusoff Hall would like to commemorate its 60th anniversary by raising $400,000 to establish a Eusoff Endowed Bursary and a Eusoff Endowed Student Advancement Award. These endowed funds will provide the Hall with a perpetual source of funding to support financially-disadvantaged Eusoffians so that generations of deserving Eusoffians can benefit from the enriching experiences of hall life. For detailed information on giving and celebration plans, please visit http://nusync.orgsync.com/ org/eusoffhall/60th_anniversary_updates. If you have ever stayed at Eusoff College/Hall, please connect with Eusoff Hall via eshsec@nus. edu.sg or eshbox2@nus.edu.sg, or call 65167146.

CHARITY GOLF 2017

NUS Nursing Classes of 2014-2017 Reunion The inaugural NUS Nursing Classes of 2014-2017 reunion, themed UNIty in diVERSITY, was held at Shaw Foundation Alumni House on 15 May. The event was graced by Guest-of-Honour, Professor Emily Ang, Head of Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, and attended by NUS Nursing’s faculty members, administrative staff, alumni and students. The meaningful theme for the reunion highlighted the importance of diverse stakeholders acting to complement one another, bringing their unique strengths to advance nursing and healthcare standards in Singapore. As future

healthcare leaders, they have to make decisions taking into account majority and minority interests, and must be morally responsible to all groups affected. The reunion took on additional significance, as it was the first classambassador-initiated effort. “I was fortunate to have a great team, who contributed an immense amount of their energy and time to make this event a success. I hope that future Class Ambassadors will continue what we’ve started, and make such reunions a tradition,” shared Class Ambassador Mr Cheng Ling Jie (Nursing ’17).

The Nursing Alumni’s Budding Tree The Budding Tree is a beautiful piece of art made collectively by nursing alumni, and signifies their progress and dreams. The base artwork was completed by Ms Sumathi d/o Gunasundram (Nursing ’16). The leaves represent the alumni’s thumbprints leaving a mark in their own way in their nursing journey, and adding life and colour to the nursing landscape. The trunk represents the strong foundation and values received from their education at the School. The branches represent the closely-knit alumni network supporting one another through challenges and celebrating one another’s successes, and their strong ties with the School. At the roots, is the core where life draws strength from and the alumni wrote what keeps them going and their vision and hopes for nursing, such as ‘love’, ‘pride’, and ‘family’. On 2 August, the NUS Nursing Alumni proudly presented this meaningful canvas of art to the Head of Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Professor Emily Ang, at the School’s Nurses’ Day celebrations Conventus.

The NUS Engineering Charity Golf 2017 played out on a hot and humid day, but it did not deter the 152 golfers comprising alumni, industry partners and friends, who teed-off in the afternoon. They came together at Orchid Country Club to play and raise funds for the Faculty of Engineering Bursary Endowed Fund. The Bursary will provide deserving students who require financial assistance the opportunity to study in NUS Engineering. Donations from the event surpassed the target and reached $411,788. “The NUS Engineering Charity Golf 2017 is also a testament to the NUS spirit of giving, manifested in our alumni’s dedicated services to their alma mater and community,” said Dean of NUS Engineering, Professor Chua Kee Chaing (Engineering ’87). The Charity Golf began with a shotgun start at 1.15pm and included a hole-in-one contest. There were also opportunities to win novelty prizes for

events such as ‘pH Big Hole-in-One’, ‘Nearest to Pin’, ‘Longest Drive’ and ‘Nearest the Line’. The event wrapped up with the Faculty receiving the gift cheque of $411,788 from the Guest-of-Honour, Mr Wong Ngit Liong (Engineering ’65), former Chairman of NUS Board of Trustees, to set up the Faculty of Engineering Bursary.

DONATIONS FROM THE EVENT SURPASSED THE TARGET AND REACHED

$411,788

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS EVENTS

NUS Alumni Orchestra’s Debut Concert

NUS Chinese Dance 40th Anniversary Production

The NUS Alumni Orchestra (NAO) held their debut concert on 24 and 25 June at the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre. The Orchestra presented four sets over the weekend to an audience of 4,000 of all ages. Established officially only early this year, the 60-members strong orchestra presented popular favourites in line with Esplanade’s soundtracks theme. Their repertoire included music from Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter, Star Wars and the Carmen Suites. They ended each set with a popular encore piece, can-can, which encouraged audiences to clap along, showing that classical music can be fun and entertaining. The Orchestra is focusing its efforts on outreach to the NUS community and the public, by using themed concerts to help audiences to appreciate and understand music better.

Photos: Kinetic Dance Expressions

Contact: facebook.com/NUSAlumniOrchestra

NUS Chinese Dance (NUSCD) alumni and students performed on 28 July on the special occasion of its 40th anniversary. As Singapore’s longest-running Chinese dance group, Memories of the Past, Dreams of the Future featured NUSCD’s signature pieces through the years in this onenight-only performance. The first segment of the programme showcased existing NUSCD repertoire as excerpts in a medley piece. Dance pieces included Rhythm of Sleeves, Mirror.Moon, Reverie and The Rite of Spring. Mr Michael Wong (Arts and Social Sciences ’90) who performed the duet Bittersweet Yearnings and an alumni dance titled My Homeland, also rallied his fellow alumni to participate. The second segment of the programme presented new dance pieces, including the premiere of three specially-choreographed works by renowned visiting Chinese choreographers, Mr Wang Cheng and Mr Tao Wen Jun, who were specially invited from China to work on this celebratory performance.

The audience appreciated the performance, and I am so proud and glad that I took part in this production. The production featured the creative use of LED lights and beautiful costumes. While it was a walk down memory lane for alumni performers who were reliving their fondest pieces, they were also delighted to see how the current dance members tackle dance steps and put their own stamp on the choreography. “The audience appreciated the performance, and I am so proud and glad that I took part in this production,” said Mr Wong.

The University Scholars Programme (USP) held its Homecoming on Saturday, 19 August, in conjunction with the NUS Kent Ridge Alumni Family Day. The Homecoming welcomed over 80 USP alumni across 12 batches, and celebrated the 10th and 5th anniversary of the Class of 2007 and Class of 2012 respectively. Mr Bernard Toh (Architecture ’84), Director of NUS Alumni Relations, attended the event and spent time getting to know the alumni.

USP Deputy Director Associate Professor Albert Teo (Arts and Social Sciences ’86) took this opportunity to update alumni about new initiatives in USP and the ways to contribute back to USP. Assoc Prof Teo also encouraged alumni to consider contributing in terms of “Three T’s” – Time, Talent and Treasure. As part of cultivating lifelong learning with USP, USP professors also conducted classes for alumni at the

Ms Jessica Tan (Arts and Social Sciences + USP ’16) who attended Assoc Prof Vail’s class

Homecoming – a chance for alumni to reminisce about their good old days as an USP student. Associate Professor Barbara Ryan, Associate Professor Lo Mun Hou and Associate Professor Peter Vail conducted Over the Rainbow, Glocally, What are you Wearing?: Dressing for Work and the Nature of Gender and Narrative in Everyday Life respectively. Contact: facebook.com/NUSUSP

ANNOUNCEMENT

NUS Bizad Charity Run 2018 Saturday, 13 January 2018, 5pm NUS Bizad Charity Run 2018 is jointly organised by NUS Business School Alumni Association and NUS Bizad Club, and supported by the NUS Business School Global Alumni Network Office (GANO). The charity run, in its 8th year of running, aims to raise funds and support financially-challenged NUS Business School undergraduates. Keeping to the School’s values of caring for the larger community, The Food Bank Singapore will also benefit from the funds raised through the charity run.

Admission is FREE Venue: Shaw Foundation Alumni House, Auditorium Time: 7.30pm Register at: alumnet.nus.edu.sg/upcoming_events For enquiries, please contact Mr Delon Lim at delon.lim@nus.edu.sg or 6516 5769.

26 October PG-13

Contact: facebook.com/nuschinesedance Find out more information and register at bizadcharityrun.com.

USP HOMECOMING 2017

Besides the engaging professor, the class was really characteristic of USP mainly due to the alumni who were critical yet open-minded in asking questions.

30 November M18

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS EVENTS

A GATHERING OF BUSINESS SCHOOL ALUMNI IN ASIA

NUSS-NUS MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME:

APPRECIATION DINNER 2 0 1 7

Taiwan Professor Song Zhaoli and Ms Ng Pheck Choo, Director of NUS Business School Global Alumni Network Office (4th and 5th from right), with the Taiwan Alumni Chapter President Mr Robert Huang Po-Hung (Business ‘13) (extreme right) and his committee members.

The Taiwan Alumni and Student Networking Dinner brought together some 100 alumni, students and faculty in Taipei on 3 May. It was a great opportunity for the NUS EMBA (Chinese) students, who were there for their Taiwan study segment, to meet with the Taiwan Alumni Chapter Committee.

Photo: Alan Ng Photography 2 persons concert Ad_FA copy.pdf 1 6/12/2017 4:40:00 PM

Vietnam Held in Ho Chi Minh City on 27 May, over 70 alumni and guests attended the dinner and forum titled Vietnam: Global Challenges and Regional Opportunities. Attendees picked up tips from local entrepreneurs and attorneys on navigating the business terrain and harnessing opportunities in the Vietnamese markets. Some 20 alumni and

guests were also invited on several corporate visits to witness upcoming investment projects. These provided alumni a unique opportunity to understand Vietnam’s investment environment as well as a platform to meet local business practitioners to exchange knowledge and ideas, and explore new business opportunities.

South Korea The South Korea Alumni Chapter committee came together in Seoul on 10 June for a student and alumni forum-cum-networking event, attended by some 60 alumni and students. At a seminar titled Wealth Management: Long Term Perspectives, former faculty member Professor Inmoo Lee, currently the KAIST Chair Professor of Finance at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, shared his insights and knowledge on wealth management for the South Korean market, with global perspectives.

HAVING A BALL OF A TIME On 15 August, Business School alumni gathered at the Orchid Country Club for the Golf Reunion Challenge 2017 organised by the NUS Business School Mandarin Alumni, NUS Business School Alumni Association, MBA Alumni-NUS and supported by NUS Business School Global Alumni Network Office. The event provided a casual and fun-filled setting where 140 alumni and friends got together and network over a friendly game of golf, followed by a dinner.

CMY

An appreciation dinner for both mentors and mentees of the Mentorship Programme AY2016/2017 was held on 16 August, jointly organised by the National University of Singapore Society (NUSS) and NUS Office of Student Affairs. The event was also attended by Mr Eddie Lee (Law ’81), President of NUSS; Mr Eugene Tan (Business ’11), Chairperson of the Alumni Development and University Relations Sub-Committee; NUSS Management Committee members; and Associate Professor Vivian Ng, Vice Dean of Students (NUS Office of Student Affairs). Assoc Prof Ng shared in her address that she is delighted to see many mentors who have repeatedly volunteered their time, and sharing with the students their valuable life experiences. Ms Judy Tan (Arts and Social Sciences ’90), a mentor for the past three years, said, “I still find much joy in giving advice and helping mentees. This programme builds up a good rapport between the two parties and I enjoy relating to the younger generation as well.”

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS OVERSEAS CHAPTERS

SHANGHAI

HONG KONG

NUS Alumni Shanghai Chapter Exchange Meeting with Singapore Ambassador to China

NUS ALUMNI HONG KONG CHAPTER –

APPRECIATION AND NETWORKING NIGHT

Ms Chan (in red) with Mr Toh and her committee members.

The NUS Alumni Shanghai Chapter had an engaging exchange meeting with Mr Loh Ka Leung (Arts and Social Sciences ’95), Singapore Ambassador to China, on 17 August in Shanghai. Ambassador Loh spoke on the history and future of Singapore-China Relations, and introduced Singapore’s investment projects in China. The meeting was chaired by Dr Geng Jing (LKYSPP ’11), President of NUS Alumni Shanghai Chapter and Vice President of Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) Shanghai Alumni Chapter. Attendees included Mr Loh Tuck Wai (Arts and Social Science ’93), Consul General of Singapore in Shanghai; Mr Ji Xiaoye (LKYSPP ’11), President of LKYSPP Shanghai Alumni Chapter; about 30 NUS alumni as well as guests from the Consulate-General in Shanghai, Singapore Business Association, and Shanghai Overseas Returned Scholars Association.

The NUS Alumni Hong Kong Chapter held its Appreciation and Networking Night on 8 June, at the China Club, Hong Kong. Alumni and guests gathered to express their appreciation to immediate past Chairperson, Mr Tang Kin Ching (Computing ’07) for all his contributions to the Chapter; and to celebrate the installation of the new Chapter Committee, helmed by Ms Chan Kailin (Science ’04). NUS Alumni Relations’ Director, Mr Bernard Toh (Architecture ’84) and Hong Kong Consul-General of Singapore in Hong Kong, Ms Foo Teow Lee (Science ’94), also attended the event. Mr Toh opened the event by announcing the appointment of Ms Chan, and introducing her committee. Mr Toh also shared on the latest developments of the University and upcoming alumni events. More than 80 alumni across different faculties and cohorts attended the event, and welcomed the opportunity to meet and network with fellow alumni who live or work in Hong Kong, and to reminisce about their student days at NUS.

CHENGDU

NUS Alumni Chengdu Chapter’s National Day Dinner

XIAMEN

NUS Alumni Xiamen Chapter’s Family Day During the Dragon Boat Festival holiday on 28 May, the NUS Alumni Xiamen Chapter organised a Family Day event to Gu-Ming Rock Mountain, in Changtai county of Fujian province. The group had an enjoyable time learning the art of making zongzi (rice dumplings especially made and eaten during the Festival), picking fruits, hiking and exploring the old villages. The trip ended with a visit to the beautiful Rose Garden. Mr Chi Chiew Sum (Arts and Social Sciences ’98), Consul-General of Singapore in Xiamen, provided generous support and constructive advice to the Chapter for the planning of event.

The NUS Alumni Chengdu Chapter organised a gathering on 9 August to celebrate Singapore’s National Day. Besides alumni, the Chairman of Singapore Chamber of Commerce, Mr Tan How Kwang, and Deputy Director of International Enterprise Singapore, Ms Kristy Lee, were

also invited to the dinner. Both old and new friends had a great time catching up or getting to know one another, and reminiscing about their days on NUS campus – over Singaporean dishes and while enjoying the live telecast of the National Day parade.

Admission AdmissionisisFREE FREE Venue: Venue:Shaw ShawFoundation FoundationAlumni AlumniHouse, House,Auditorium Auditorium Time: Time:7.30pm 7.30pm Register Registerat:at:alumnet.nus.edu.sg/upcoming_events alumnet.nus.edu.sg/upcoming_events For Forenquiries, enquiries,please pleasecontact contactMrMrDelon DelonLim Limatat delon.lim@nus.edu.sg delon.lim@nus.edu.sgoror6516 65165769. 5769.

26 26October October PG-13 PG-13

30 30November November M18 M18

PRIVILEGES ON CAMPUS SHAW FOUNDATION ALUMNI HOUSE

20% discount on rates for venue bookings.

nus.edu.sg/alumnet

THE UNIVERSITY CLUB 25% off à la carte items. Order any 2 beers/ house pour spirits/ house pour wines (by the glass) and get a 3rd drink free from 4pm-8pm daily.

LEE KONG CHIAN NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM 10% discount on single entry tickets as well as for both Individual and Family membership.

UNIVERSITY CLUB PRIVILEGESAND ON CAMPUS THETHE WRITE CONNECTION EDUCATION 25% off à la carte 10% off course fees for TWC’s Writing SHAW FOUNDATION ALUMNI HOUSE items. Enrichment (Primary 1-6) or Critical SELF ENRICHMENT 20% discount on rates for venue bookings. Order any 2 beers/ KNOWLEDGE TRAIL LEARNING CENTRE nus.edu.sg/alumnet

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LEE KONG CHIAN NATURAL HISTORY

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theuniversityclub.sg

PRIVILEGES & NUS MUSEUM

20% discount on all NUS Museum’s publications and catalogues.

$20 for NUS Museum guided tour of 20 pax maximum per group (Usual Price: $50). Simply present your AlumNUS Card at NUS Museum or any SISTIC counter upon purchase or booking

museum.nus.edu.sg

OFFERS

Your complimentary AlumNUS Card entitles you to a host of benefits and privileges! Get your complimentary AlumNUS Card at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/alumnuscard Terms & Conditions apply. The NUS Office of Alumni Relations and the AlumNUS Card merchants reserve the right to amend the terms and conditions governing the offers without prior notice. All information is correct at press time. Visit alumnet.nus.edu.sg/ alumnuscard for the latest privileges and promotions.

PRIVILEGES &

NUS LIBRARIES Complimentary entry to all NUS Libraries upon presenting the AlumNUS card. Annual subscription fee at $139.10 (Usual Price: $353.10) or a 5-year membership package at $460.10. The online membership application is available at libportal.nus.edu.sg/ frontend/web/about-nus-libraries/ membership/personal-externalmembership. For additional information, email membership@nus.edu.sg or call 6516 2016.

NUS MUSEUM

20% discount on all NUS Museum’s

publicationsCAVENDISH and catalogues. MARSHALL

$20discount for NUS off Museum 25% all printguided bookstour from of 20 pax maximumTrade per group Marshall Cavendish and General (Usual Price: $50). Reference catalogue. Simply present your AlumNUS Card marshallcavendish.com/ at NUS Museum or any SISTIC marshallcavendish/genref/resources/ counter upon purchase or booking Catalogue%202017.pdf museum.nus.edu.sg

libportal.nus.edu.sg

FASHION AND RETAIL

PRIME ASIA CONNECT IS SHOE

IS SHOE

One-month complimentary subscription 10% off storewide. ofisshoe.sg Caixin Global news.

10% off storewide.

SPORTS AND OUTDOORS

u.caixinglobal.com/htm/register html? ivcode=6420

THE SHOETREE PROJECT

10% discount off all items, on top of any prevailing discounts.

shoetree.sg

15% off regular-priced shirts. 50% off suits and pants. 10% off all BB accessories. 10% off total bill at

Experience real flying in a Cessna with a maximum of 2 friends at $750 (Usual Price: $950).

Your complimentary AlumNUS

Register for private license course with Seletar Card entitles you to a host of Flying Club and receive a free collar pin worth and privileges! $20benefits upon registration.

The online membership application is available at libportal.nus.edu.sg/ TO ENSEMBLE frontend/web/about-nus-libraries/ Get your complimentary AlumNUS Up tomembership/personal-external20% off concert tickets, workshops, seletar-flying-club.org Card at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/alumnuscard albummembership. and merchandise prices. 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.

toensemble.com For additional information, email membership@nus.edu.sg or call 6516 2016.

libportal.nus.edu.sg

FOOD AND BEVERAGE FOODLINE

$30 Cash Rewards for catering orders, with a minimum spending of $300. $10 Cash Rewards for all cake orders, with minimum spending of $50.

foodline.sg

KPO CAFÉ AND BAR

20% off regular-priced items for NUS students and staff.

SPORTS AND OUTDOORS

15% off regular-priced items for NUS alumni.

facebook.com/KPO.sg BYKIDO

BYKIDO BENJAMIN BARKER (BB)

SELETAR FLYING CLUB

NUS LIBRARIES Complimentary entry to all NUS Libraries upon presenting the AlumNUS card. Annual subscription fee at $139.10 (Usual Price: $353.10) or a 5-year membership package at $460.10.

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.

isshoe.sg

OFFERS

LIFESTYLE

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BENJAMIN BARKER (BB)

$20 off BYkidO pass (Usual Price: $30).

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$20 off BYkidO pass (Usual Price: $30).

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The Assembly Ground.

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(until Dec)

PERSPECTIVE

SMART

SERVICE

C Y B E R-S H A R I N G I am passionate about using the Internet to spread knowledge and share best practices with fellow software engineers across the world. Through videos and online tutorials, we can equip people from disadvantaged communities with the skills they need to break the cycle of poverty. The digital transformation has made serving the community more convenient and widespread.

How has the digitalisation of daily life affected the way we give back to the

c o m m u n i t y ? Yo u n g g r a d u a t e s w e i g h i n . I N T E R V I E W S

B Y

A S H U T O S H

MR VIKNESHH VAIRAVAN

R A V I K R I S H N A N

25, SOFTWARE ENGINEER (ENGINEERING ’17)

MR KEITH TAN 28, CEO, WONDERLABS (ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ’15)

D O N AT I O N S D O N E D I F F E R E N T LY

MR ADITYA SANTOSO 29, SOFTWARE ENGINEER (COMPUTING ’10)

S PA R K I N G C O N V E R S AT I O N S Mental health issues have not been given the attention they deserve and the stigma around mental disorders still exists. But social media offers a unique tool to tackle this: it raises awareness. I am encouraged to see my friends sharing articles about mental health on their social media pages. But digital worlds create echo chambers, where we only hear the views of our own social circle — as such, articles may not reach those that need to read them the most. Ultimately, social media can only spark the conversation — what happens next depends on the individual.

DEVELOPMENTS IN FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGY OFFER GREAT POSSIBILITIES FOR CHARITIES AND SOCIAL SERVICES, AMONG THEM THE RADICAL TRANSPARENCY OF DONATIONS. Currently, donors have a hard time knowing just how much of their donations reach the intended beneficiaries. But technologies like Blockchain provide total transparency, which may encourage more philanthropy. They can also help restore trust in charitable institutions which may have been eroded by corruption scandals.

F O R G I N G PA R T N E R S H I P S I work for an online publication that focuses on sustainable business. Going digital means we walk the talk by putting everything we produce online, instead of printing it. But it goes beyond just our product — social media has also been a great learning tool for environmental advocates. They can see how other organisations are reaching out to people and learn to frame their cause in a way that makes people want to participate.

‘ FA C E T I M E ’ S T I L L M AT T E R S MY COMMUNITY WORK IS DONE THROUGH PRO BONO LEGAL CLINICS AND TECHNOLOGY HAS MADE IT EASIER FOR ME TO ACCEPT CASES AND SIGN UP FOR SUCH CLINICS. But I still need to meet applicants and discuss their issues face-to-face. Not all legal issues can be solved by running figures through a computer. Ultimately, I still need to set aside time for this sort of service — something that technology cannot replace.

SOCIAL MEDIA ALSO HELPS YOU FIND OTHERS FIGHTING FOR THE SAME CAUSE, CREATING POTENTIAL PARTNERSHIPS.

MS HANNAH KOH

30, CORRESPONDENT, ECO-BUSINESS (ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ’10)

MS NADIAH MAHMOOD 30, LAWYER (LAW ’10)

NUS ALUMNI HAVE BEEN SPEARHEADING EFFORTS TO DIGITISE THE SOCIAL SERVICES AND PHILANTHROPY SECTORS. HERE ARE SOME OF THEIR INITIATIVES:

LEADING THE WAY

Start Now: Co-founded by Mr Keith Tan (mentioned in this article), the start-up built software to help organisations connect their employees with volunteering opportunities and assess the impact of volunteer activities on their organisation. It was acquired in 2015. GIVE.Asia: Co-created by Mr Pong Yu Ming (Engineering ’09) and Mr Aseem Thakur (Engineering ’09), the online platform makes donating easier and more accessible. Since its launch in 2009, it has facilitated over S$15 million in donations to many causes, among them animal welfare groups and children’s societies. O C T- D E C 2 0 1 7

i g n u F

LAST WORD

D A T E S

ON HIS

OCT

B Y A S H U T O S H R A V I K R I S H N A N

MIND

MYCENA MANIPULARIS

“The net-like cap pattern is intricately beautiful at close-up. What’s more, this species glows in the dark with a green bioluminescence light!” PHALLUS INDUSIATUS

“Commonly known as Lady’s Veil. The fruit body has a penis-like structure (hence the name phallus), growing out of a jelly egg-shaped base, and exuding a semen-like smell.”

group. This passion led him to launch @sgfungi on Instagram in 2015. He updates it regularly with sightings from his weekly treks through the island’s green spaces. So far, he has recorded more than 100 species in some 500 posts. It’s not just fellow mycology enthusiasts who have taken notice — Mr Le’s profile has amassed more than 1,000 followers, many of them laymen who are fascinated by the unique beauty of fungi. To Mr Le, this shows that social media can be a powerful tool for nature conservation. “It empowers activists by providing a convenient and inexpensive tool to spread awareness about conservation issues,” he says. “Seeing a photo of fungi while scrolling through Instagram motivates users to learn more about these organisms.” Want to go on a fungal trek? Send an Instagram message to Mr Le at @sgfungi

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

Fungi are a group of some 1.5 million different species of organisms that include yeast, mould and mushrooms. Despite their prevalence, some are harder to find than others. “I am still looking out for the poisonous brown rollrim (Paxillus involutus),” says Mr Le. “A fellow enthusiast spotted it in Botanic Gardens but I have not had any luck.”

I M A G E S

ON THE HUNT

OCT

A DREAM OF 2 WORLDS

YUGPURUSH – THE PLAY

@ Shaw Foundation Alumni House, 7.30pm

OCT

WED

U@LIVE FEATURING MR PETER HO

ENQUIRIES Ms Idy Lim idylim@nus.edu.sg

ENQUIRIES Mr Samuel Tan samuel.tan@nus.edu.sg

THU

OCT

SAT

ALUMNI CONCERTS A DREAM OF 2 WORLDS

FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM (PG-13) @ Shaw Foundation Alumni House, 7.30pm

WED

alumni events

@ Shaw Foundation Alumni House, 7.30pm

MOVIES ON THE HOUSE

O C T N O V

NOV

MON

PRE-CONCERT SHARING SESSION-

OCT

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

“I call this the ‘stardust mushroom’ — it has beautiful violet sprinkles on the top of the cap, which disintegrate into the wind.”

R E M E M B E R

ENQUIRIES Mr Delon Lim delon.lim@nus.edu.sg

with his unique social media profile. AT WINDSOR NATURE PARK, Mr Ace Le is crouched over a fallen log, peering closely at a cluster of what appears to be dead leaves. “I think it’s a species of Stereum, but I’m not too sure,” he tells The AlumNUS. He whips out his phone and posts a photo of the brown discs on @sgfungi, an Instagram feed he set up to document the fungi in Singapore. To Mr Le’s joy, a netizen soon confirms that his initial hunch was correct. The discs were indeed the Stereum variety of fungi. “The fungal world is often overlooked and understudied but absolutely thrilling to observe,” says Mr Le, 31, whose fulltime job is as a regional marketing manager for a carpet manufacturer. “They are the foundation of our ecosystem and may be crucial to our survival as a species.” Mr Le developed his childhood interest in ecology when he served as the vice-president of the NUS Students Against Violation of the Earth

THU

@ Shotgun, Raffles Country Club, 1.00pm

spotlight on Singapore’s biodiversity

CONIOLEPIOTA SPONGODES

26 TH ALUMNI & FRIENDS GOLF TOURNAMENT

Mr Ace Le (Business ’07) is shining the

KNOW YOUR MUSHROOMS

T O

@ Shaw Foundation Alumni House, 7.30pm

ENQUIRIES Mr Delon Lim delon.lim@nus.edu.sg

ENQUIRIES Ms Idy Lim idylim@nus.edu.sg

NOV

THU

THIRSTY THURSDAYS

NOV

WED

U@LIVE FEATURING MR DAN SHEFET

@ SEAR, 6.30pm

@ Shaw Foundation Alumni House, 7.30pm

ENQUIRIES Ms Idy Lim idylim@nus.edu.sg

ENQUIRIES Ms Cassandra Lua cassandraluaqy@nus.edu.sg

ENQUIRIES Mr Samuel Tan samuel.tan@nus.edu.sg

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

NOV

THU

NUS ALUMNI AWARDS 2017 @ Ridge View Residential College

BY INVITATION ONLY

NOV

THU

MOVIES ON THE HOUSE

LOGAN (PG) @ Shaw Foundation Alumni House, 7.30pm REGISTER alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/MMnov17 ENQUIRIES Mr Delon Lim delon.lim@nus.edu.sg

Welcome all You enjoy: Welcome Welcome allNUS NUS allalumni! alumni! NUS alumni! Youwill will You enjoy: will enjoy: Complimentary facilities Complimentary Complimentary facilities facilities

Gatherings, talks Gatherings, Gatherings, talksand talks andevents events and events

Delicious dining options Delicious Delicious dining dining options options

Up rental rates Upto to80% Up 80% tooff off 80% rental off rental ratesrates

Hot-desking spaces, newspaper and Hot-desking Hot-desking spaces, newspaper spaces, newspaper and and magazine corner, usage of computers magazine magazine corner, usage corner,ofusage computers of computers and printers, and access to meeting and printers, and printers, and access andtoaccess meeting to meeting and activity rooms. and activity androoms. activity rooms.

Refuel and reunite over a satisfying meal Refuel and Refuel reunite andover reunite a satisfying over a satisfying meal meal at the Reedz Café or The University Club. at the Reedz at theCafé Reedz or The CaféUniversity or The University Club. Club.

Organised exclusively for alumni. Attend our Organised Organised exclusively exclusively for alumni. for alumni. Attend our Attend our events to boost knowledge, network and events toevents boost to knowledge, boost knowledge, network network and and exchange ideas. exchangeexchange ideas. ideas.

Special rates for alumni to book the Special rates Special forrates alumni fortoalumni book the to book the 298-seater auditorium, as well as venues for 298-seater 298-seater auditorium, auditorium, as well as asvenues well as for venues for meetings, exhibitions and other special events. meetings, meetings, exhibitions exhibitions and other and special otherevents. special even

Find Kent Ridge Findususat Find at11 11 us Kent at 11 Ridge KentDrive, Drive, RidgeS119244 S119244 Drive, S119244

OPENING HOURS Email ASCreception@nus.edu.sg OPENINGOPENING HOURS HOURS Email ASCreception@nus.edu.sg Email ASCreception@nus.edu.sg 9am – 9pm (Mon – Fri) Website nus.edu.sg/alumnet 9am – 9pm 9am (Mon – 9pm – Fri) (Mon –Website Fri) Website nus.edu.sg/alumnet nus.edu.sg/alumnet 9am – 1pm (Sat) Facilities booking https://alum.nus.edu.sg/fbs 9am – 1pm 9am (Sat) – 1pm (Sat) FacilitiesFacilities booking booking https://alum.nus.edu.sg/fbs https://alum.nus.edu.sg/f Closed on Sun and PH Phone +65 6516 5775 Closed onClosed Sun and on PH Sun and Phone PH +65 Phone 6516+65 5775 6516 5775