The AlumNUS Jul-Sep 2011

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

THE

ISSN: 0129-3583 JULY – SEPTEMBER 2011 ISSUE NO. 86

Yale - NUS Offer Liberal Arts Degree NUS and Johns Hopkins Launch Joint Degree in Music Pioneer Duke-NUS Medical Students Graduate

AlumNUS | July - September 2011

First Word Step into NUS and stand to benefit from education offered by leading universities, a result of NUS’ many partnerships with some of the best universities around the world.

This issue features several of these partnerships. One of these is the Yale – NUS partnership in setting up Singapore’s first liberal arts college, a landmark partnership that will create a new model of undergraduate education for Asia. Another milestone is the tie-up between NUS and the Johns Hopkins University to offer the world’s first Joint Bachelor of Music Degree. This year, the Duke-NUS partnership bears fruit as the pioneer class will be conferred their degrees.

The University was ranked third best among 200 universities in Asia. The recent University Awards recognised outstanding NUS faculty, many of whom hail from top universities around the world. Read about how these dons excel in research, inspire students, and are instrumental in enhancing NUS’ global presence and standing.

This issue also features alumni who have taken the path less travelled in life, and who recently shared their passions and pursuits through the monthly forum, U@live.

Read about how Adrian Cheok is attempting to convey touch and smell through the Internet; how Tay Kheng Soon’s views of urban and rural spaces may be a solution in tackling poverty; and how Tan Lai Yong chose to live the simple life in China in order to gain the wisdom that city living does not provide. In addition, Robin Low, chairman of the NUS Overseas Alumni Chapter in Boston, shares his perspectives on disaster relief operations, and how he has put it to practice following the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

A fresh cohort of 9,000 students will celebrate their new status as alumni when they graduate this July. The Office of Alumni Relations warmly welcomes all our new alumni. We wish you every success in your careers and we encourage you to remain actively connected with your alma mater.

JULY – SEPTEMBER 2011 ISSUE NO. 86

Director Assoc Prof Lim Meng Kin (Medicine, ’74)

Managing Editor Yvette Thomasz (Arts and Social Science, ’89)

Design & Layout

Contents NEWS HIGHLIGHTS 2 A Liberal Arts Movement 6 World’s First International Joint Degree in Music 7 NUS – Ranked amongst the Top Three Universities in Asia 8 Pioneer Duke-NUS Medical Students Graduate 11 NUS President Re-Elected as Chair for Prestigious Alliance 12 For All They’ve Done 16 The Magic of Digital Humanity 17 Rubanisation: The End of Poverty?

18 Lessons learnt from the Simple Life ALUMNI CONNECTIONS 20 Rethinking Disaster Relief 24 Art(s) Matter(s) 26 Montage 2011 28 Keeping Alumni Living Abroad Close to Home 30 Alumni Return with Lessons to Share 32 Doctors Let their Hairdown to Live It Up 36 Yesterday Once More 38 Law Alumni Honour Missing Classmate through Scholarship 39 Recognising Excellence Nominate Outstanding Alumni for the NUS Alumni Awards 2011 40 An Evening of Hungarian Adventure 42 Alumni Buzz 44 Alumni Groups Listing 46 AlumNUS Card Merchants Listing 49 Dates to Remember

Jerlyn Lim

Contributors: David Shaw (Business Administration/Accountancy, ’81), Leong Pik Yin, Lo Tuck Leong (Public Policy, ’95), Dr Mary Wong (Medicine, ’81), A/Prof Teofilo C. Daquila, Theresa Tan (Arts & Social Science ’89), Valerie Vincent (Business Administration, ‘00), Yong Yung Shin (Design and Environment ’06)

Photo credit on the cover: Will Kirk/JHU Homewood Photography

Office of Alumni Relations • National University of Singapore 11 Kent Ridge Drive Singapore 119244 Tel: +65 6516 5775 / Fax: +65 6777 2065 Email: oarconnect@nus.edu.sg / www.alumnet.nus.edu.sg Printed by KHL Printing Co Pte Ltd 57 Loyang Drive Singapore 508968

Dear NUS Alumni, Faculty, Staff, Students and Friends, At this time of year when we welcome new graduands to our alumni family, it is important to reflect on what education in NUS means. Over the past decade, NUS education has made three major shifts. First, we have achieved substantial broadening of education across our university. Today, a quarter of the courses NUS undergraduates take, are in subjects outside their specific discipline. Second, we have made our educational framework much more flexible. Consequently, our students have many options of modules, programmes, double-major and double-degree courses to choose from based on their different interests, aspirations and capacity. Third, we have forged distinctive global education programmes, which are highly regarded by our peers.

As a global university, we nurture graduates who are effective in different cultural settings. Through breadth and rigour, we help our students lay the foundations which will enable them to succeed in many different types of work, in different sectors and even for jobs that may not exist today. By exposing our students to challenging roles in co-curricular activities, we foster leadership and teamwork. The many opportunities for community engagement help engender a strong sense of service to society and values.

In short, NUS’s broad-based curriculum and holistic approach seeks to develop the whole person and ensures that what is being taught is relevant to society. Aligned with this educational strategy are exciting new developments. University Town which will open in August 2011, will provide a distinctive Residential College learning experience for more than 30% of the undergraduate population, with a series of modules which will explore critical global issues while considering both Asian and Singapore contexts. In 2013, the Yale-NUS College will welcome students to a new model of residential liberal arts education, contextualised to Asia in the 21st century.

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Professor Tan Chorh Chuan (Medicine ’83) NUS President Even as we press ahead with exciting educational enhancements, however, we constantly keep in mind the fact that our students and their educational experience, remain at the very heart of our work in the university. And that one of the greatest ways in which NUS can create value, is to help enable our graduates to have successful and fulfilling lives and careers while making a positive impact on society.

NUS is delighted to welcome our 2011 graduands as our newest alumni. Even after graduation, you remain a vital and valued part of the NUS community. I strongly encourage all of you to remain deeply engaged with NUS. We, on our part, will do our best to continue to be of service to you. I wish you all the very best as you embark on your chosen paths!

AlumNUS | July - September 2011

News Highlights

A Liberal Arts Movement The announcement of the upcoming Yale-NUS College in 2013 is causing excitement among those who view a liberal arts education as the model of the future, where multiple disciplines are demanded of today’s leaders.

A future government leader, the next big film director, or a budding biochemist who will make a scientific breakthrough – these could be the people sitting next to you in your history or philosophy class at the upcoming Yale-NUS College.

Set to open its doors in 2013, this collaboration between Yale University and the National University of Singapore is expected to attract top students from the country and around the world. It will be Singapore’s first liberal arts college, as well as the first campus of Yale outside the United States.

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Launched on 11 April 2011 by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the Yale-NUS College will provide a new model of liberal arts education for Asia. It will offer the broad-based, multi-disciplinary education that the prestigious American university is renowned for, and will also incorporate the ideas and contexts of Asia.

While some might think that liberal arts education is suited only for aspiring writers, thespians and other creative-types, it is actually valuable for engineers, scientists, economists and professionals from many other fields.

In fact, Yale University, a pioneer of the liberal arts education in the United States, has produced many prominent alumni throughout its 310-year history, from presidents and Nobel Prize winners to award-winning actors and Olympic athletes.

Former US presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, multi award-winning actress Meryl Streep, acclaimed film director Oliver Stone, Federal Express founder and chief executive officer An artist’s impression

(From left) Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Education; Prof Richard Levin, Yale President; Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong; and Prof Tan Chorh Chuan, NUS President.

Frederick Smith, and co-founder of the Johns Hopkins Medical School, Dr William Halsted, are just some of its lauded graduates.

Instead of enrolling in a single academic discipline from the get-go, liberal arts undergraduates are exposed to various disciplines from humanities and mathematics to natural and social sciences before they specialise in a specific field.

Yale President Professor Richard C. Levin pointed out that such a broad-based education encourages students to view issues from various perspectives and “very deliberately prepares them for leadership”.

“The goals of liberal education are to prepare students to question relentlessly, to think through problems carefully and to analyse consequences,” said Professor Levin.

This gives them the capacity to tackle the “complex problems that face leaders of business, governmental and non-

governmental organisations in a highly interconnected and interdependent world”.

The idea of a liberal arts college was first mooted in Singapore in 2007 by the international academic advisory panel, chaired by former education minister Dr Tony Tan, who said that the American liberal arts programme may be why the United States economy is more dynamic and entrepreneurial.

In fact, NUS has started moving in that direction, having broadened its scope of education over the past decade, said NUS President, Professor Tan Chorh Chuan. A quarter of the courses its undergraduates

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The goals of liberal education are to prepare students to question relentlessly, to think through problems carefully and to analyse consequences.

– Professor Richard C. Levin, Yale President

AlumNUS | July - September 2011

News Highlights

the United Nations and the World Wildlife Fund, and major Singapore companies such as Singapore Airlines and SingTel. Such highly sought-after internships would be a key draw for students, said Ms Heng Wee May, who graduated from NUS in 2009 with a life sciences degree. “It was really hard to get overseas attachments and internships. There were so many of us fighting for just a few positions.”

(From left) Yale Vice President and Secretary Ms Linda Lorimer; Prof Richard Levin, Yale President; Prof Tan Chorh Chuan, NUS President; and Prof Lily Kong, NUS Vice President (University and Global Relations).

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take are in subjects outside their specific discipline.

With the Yale-NUS College, high-calibre students will have an exciting new option that enables them to have a broader intellectual base and to be effective across cultures and disciplines, said Professor Tan. The college will not merely replicate the curriculum and practices of Yale but will take the opportunity to invent new curriculum and pedagogies to prepare students for the 21st century where Asia will play an influential role on the world stage.

For instance, NUS is working with Yale to design a first-year humanities course – Prof Tan Chorh Chuan, NUS President that will be based on both Asian and Western literary and philosophical traditions.

With the Yale-NUS College, high-calibre students will have an exciting new option that enables them to have a broader intellectual base and to be effective across cultures and disciplines.

Yale-NUS students will spend most of their first two years doing a core curriculum that will include humanities, social sciences and sciences, before moving on to focus on a major in their third and fourth years.

Writing, speaking and independent research will be key features of the curriculum.

The four-year programme, which will lead to a Bachelor’s degree in Arts or Sciences with honours, is also a fully residential programme. This means that all students will study as well as live at the college, where they will interact closely with other students and professors, cultivating citizenship and leadership qualities.

Spanning about seven football fields, the campus will comprise three residential colleges and other facilities including a gymnasium, science labs, a performing arts centre and recording studios. There will even be spaces for students to set up their own businesses within the college.

All students can also look forward to the opportunity to go overseas at least once during their four years through academic exchange programmes, internships, research attachments and community service activities.

Already, more than 30 organisations in Singapore, the United States, Europe and other parts of the world, have come on board as internship partners.

The list is impressive on all counts and includes corporate giants such as American Express, Microsoft, Santander Bank and Coca-Cola, global organisations such as

Ms Heng, who is now working as a clinical research coordinator, feels that a liberal arts education may be an advantage in various fields of work including hers, as it would give “different insights and more varied ways of thinking and solving problems”.

Some, like local playwright Desmond Sim, were already intrigued by liberal arts education years ago. Mr Sim, who graduated from NUS Arts and Social Sciences in 1986, had read a lot about western liberal arts and wanted to sample it.

“I wrote essays, applied and fought my way into short term scholarships overseas – just to get a taste of what I thought I was missing,” said Mr Sim, whose efforts led

him to study in Tokyo, Seattle and New York. “If we had the Yale-NUS College then, I would have saved myself a lot of essays, interviews, not to mention the anguish of waiting, just to get a slice of that action.”

Others say how the liberal traditions of Yale will fit within Singapore’s education system.

Straits Times correspondent Judith Tan, who graduated from NUS with honours in 1987, says, “Yale is ranked one of the top 10 universities in the world and would definitely lend prestige to NUS, but I feel that NUS has also a lot to offer Yale—an example would be in the area of Asian studies.”

Ms Cindy Tong, a polytechnic lecturer and former writer who graduated from NUS Arts and Social Sciences in 1999, welcomes this development and believes that the introduction of liberal arts will help to develop critical thought.

“Singapore has thrived thus far on being such a pragmatic society. I think this will help to create a soul within our shiny exterior. We don’t want to be just gloss without substance.”

By Leong Pik Yin

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AlumNUS | July - September 2011

News Highlights

World’s First International Joint Degree in Music

NUS – Ranked amongst the

Launched by NUS and the Johns Hopkins University

Latest results of the 2011 QS Asian University Rankings Photo credit: Will Kirk/JHU Homewood Photography

Top Three Universities in Asia

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NUS performed strongly across most of the indicators, and was ranked first in Asia for employer reputation and second for academic reputation, international faculty and international students.

Students from the NUS Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music and the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins perform with Mr Michael Kannen, Director of Chamber Music (Peabody Institute) at Carnegie Hall.

The NUS Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music and the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins have come together to offer the first international undergraduate conservatory music programme of its kind in the world.

This joint Bachelor of Music degree programme allows students to attend classes on campuses in both Singapore and Baltimore, United States, and will be offered from August 2011.

NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan said of the joint degree, “It is a reflection of the outstanding progress that this partnership has made and the close linkages and mutual trust and respect that have developed over the past decade between our faculty, students and leadership. I am confident that with this further deepening of our collaboration, we would be able to attract and develop acclaimed musicians of tomorrow.”

The four-year programme will accept the top three to five students from each institution and they will spend three out of eight semesters in their host institution.

Johns Hopkins University President Professor Ronald J. Daniels said, “With our unique joint-degree programme, we re-dedicate ourselves to training 21st century artists whose musical and cultural knowledge transcends boundaries and

NUS is the third best university in Asia, according to the latest results of the 2011 QS Asian University Rankings. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the University of Hong Kong took the first and second positions respectively.

elevates us all. We are thrilled to build on this great partnership with our close friends in Singapore.”

To mark the 10th anniversary of the Peabody-Yong Siew Toh partnership on various fronts, another first was scored when a concert by students and faculty from both institutions performed together at the internationally-renowned Carnegie Hall in New York, attracting an audience of 250 people. The closing performance was Ernst von Dohnányi’s exuberant Piano Quintet in C minor, performed by two students from Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, two students from the Peabody Institute, as well as Mr Michael Kannen, Director of Chamber Music at the Peabody Institute.

The QS Asian University Rankings is published annually and ranks Asia’s top 200 universities based on academic peer review, recruiter review, studentfaculty ratio, papers per faculty, citations per paper, international faculty review, international student review, student exchange inbound and student exchange outbound. Published for the first time in 2009, over 400 universities are examined each year.

Said Professor Tan Eng Chye, NUS Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost: “We are pleased that we have been, once again, recognised as one of the top universities in Asia. This is a strong affirmation of the outstanding work by our faculty and staff in research and education.”

“Asian universities stand at an exciting phase of their development, and we observed great advances being forged by universities in China, South Korea and the rest of Asia. As a global university centred in Asia, we will continue to build strong alliances with partner institutions from around the world to leap-frog ahead.

Leveraging on our insights and expertise in Asia, we will work closely with our Asian and global partners to contribute to setting the pace and trends in Asia and the world, in selected areas of education, scholarship, and its application,” added Prof Tan. NUS has also performed well in QS World University Rankings® by Subject, which were released in phases since March 2011.

The University was ranked first in Asia for Mathematics; Metallurgy and Materials; Medicine; Civil and Structural Engineering; Chemical Engineering; Electrical Engineering; Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing; as well as Computer Science and Information Systems, and second in Asia for the rest of the subject rankings for Natural Sciences; Life Sciences and Medicine; and Engineering and Technology.

NUS was also amongst the world’s top 30 across all the disciplines in these subject rankings.

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AlumNUS | July - September 2011

News Highlights

At the Graduation and Hooding Ceremony on 28 May, Prof Tan applauded the students’ pioneering spirit. “In 2005, the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School was a bold aspiration. In the two years that followed, excellent faculty were recruited, a ground-breaking new curriculum was created and outstanding students enrolled.”

The Duke-NUS Graduating Class of 2011 with Guest-of-Honour, Defence Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen, previously Minister for Education (sixth from left), and senior management.

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Pioneer Duke-NUS Medical Students Graduate

Professor Ranga Krishnan, Dean of Duke-NUS, adds, “This has proven to be a very successful model of education, given our students’ excellent performance on major academic milestones, their clinical performance in the wards and feedback from patients.”

Students from the pioneer class (left to right ) Lim Kheng Choon, Karrie Ko, Koh Huishan, Dixon Grant and Ee Tat Xin.

“To the Class of 2011, your future beckons you with great promise and potential,” said Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, President, NUS, at the celebration of the first class of students’ completion of the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School (Duke-NUS) Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree programme.

attended each other’s weddings and celebrated our achievements together, whether it is academic or personal achievements, such as welcoming a child to the family”.

Established in 2005, Duke-NUS is Singapore’s first Americanstyled, research-oriented, graduate-entry medical school. It aims to produce highly-trained clinician-scientists to support Singapore’s Biomedical Sciences Initiative. Students enter with a Bachelor’s, Master’s or a PhD degree in fields that span the arts and humanities to science and engineering. Duke-NUS offers a four-year programme leading to a joint Duke and NUS Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree.

Reciting the Hippocratic Oath.

From July 2011, Duke-NUS graduates will continue their training as medical doctors in a structured residency programme created

by SingHealth and the National Healthcare Group, in consultation with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, an American body responsible for the accreditation of post-M.D. medical training programmes within the United States.

Duke-NUS graduates will train in various specialties, including Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Paediatrics, Psychiatry, Anaesthesia, and Obstetrics and Gynaecology, providing clinical care as vital members of the healthcare team.

This has proven to be a very successful model of education, given our students’ excellent performance on major academic milestones, their clinical performance in the wards and feedback from patients.

– Professor Ranga Krishnan, Dean of Duke-NUS

One of the features of the student body at Duke-NUS is its diversity. The current cohort of 186 M.D. students come from many countries and hail from the best universities, such as NUS, Nanyang Technological University, Johns Hopkins, Duke, Harvard, Oxford, Cornell, and Cambridge. This is key to the institution’s success, said Professor Sanders Williams, Founding Dean, Duke-NUS: “This diversity of backgrounds within the class has enriched their learning experience, and in concert with their individual talents and hard work, contributed to their excellent academic performance.”

The experience has been transformative and unforgettable for many. Shera Chaterji, Duke-NUS graduand and NUS Bachelor of Engineering (Bioengineering) graduate, notes: “I cherish our shared experience of medical school together. We bonded as a class, endured the challenges of being in the pioneer batch, studied together,

This milestone is only the beginning, as President of the Class of 2011, Chia Ghim Song said: “I am now looking forward to being able to serve patients and give back to society. In the midst of hectic internships, I am sure my classmates will continue to keep in touch with each other as well as with Duke-NUS.” The Duke-NUS graduands will receive their M.D. degree scrolls at the NUS Main Commencement Ceremony on 4 July 2011.

If you’d like to support Duke-NUS students’ medical education or community work, please contact the Duke-NUS Development Office at development@duke-nus.edu.sg or +65 6516 6696.

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AlumNUS | July - September 2011

News Highlights

NUS President Receives Honorary Doctor of Science at Duke University A recognition of his contributions as an international leader in biomedical sciences, public health and higher education.

“Professor Tan, in you Duke recognises a hero in Global Health”, said Duke President Professor Richard H. Brodhead who read out a brief biography of NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan’s achievements.

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Prof Brodhead cited Prof Tan’s integral role in making the Duke-NUS partnership work, orchestrating Singapore’s multifaceted response to the SARS epidemic in 2003, and efforts in Singapore’s Biomedical Sciences Initiative.

Prof Tan was conferred the honour on 15 May 2011 in Durham, North Carolina, US.

University presidents and representatives from the 10 member institutions at the latest IARU Presidents’ meeting.

11 Prof Tan Chorh Chuan receives his honorary degree from Duke President, Prof Brodhead, at Duke University’s 159th Commencement.

Duke-NUS launches Benjamin Sheares Professorship in Academic Medicine Through a generous combined seed gift of S$2.5 million from the Tote Board and SingHealth Foundation, the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore (Duke-NUS) has established the Benjamin Sheares Professorship to commemorate the rich medical legacy and distinguished work of the late Singapore President Dr Benjamin Sheares.

One of the founding fathers of Singapore medicine, Dr Sheares was a well-respected surgeon known for his deep passion for medicine and clinical research in obstetrics and gynaecology. He was internationally recognised for the “Sheares Procedure” (surgical treatment of vaginal agenesis) and for pioneering the Lower Segment Caesarean Section.

Beyond his outstanding medical service

and accomplishments, Dr Sheares had also served with distinction as Singapore’s second President for three terms (1971 - 1981).

The Professorship will recognise academic leadership in medical teaching and

Prof Soo Khee Chee receives award from Dr Joseph Sheares, son of the late Singapore President, Dr Benjamin Sheares.

in forming collaborations with other international centres of excellence. Prof Tan Ser Kiat, Chairman of the SingHealth Foundation and Group Chief Executive Officer of SingHealth, said that the individual selected for this Professorship will be like Dr Sheares, “a role model to medical students, clinicians and clinician scientists,” and he or she will pursue advanced research while serving students, patients and the community.

The inaugural Benjamin Sheares Professorship was awarded to Prof Soo Khee Chee, founding Director of the National Cancer Centre Singapore and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Singapore Health Services, and the Vice Dean for Clinical and Faculty Affairs at Duke-NUS. The professorship recognises Prof Soo’s pioneering contributions to research, scholarship and clinical service that have significantly impacted the practice of medicine in Singapore.

NUS President Re-Elected as Chair for Prestigious Alliance NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan has been re-elected Chair of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), a partnership among 10 of the world’s leading research-intensive universities.

Over Prof Tan’s Chairmanship, IARU has made progress in global education initiatives aimed at providing students with opportunities to enhance their cross-cultural understanding; creating platforms for sharing ideas and working on important institutional issues; and jointly tackling the challenge of campus environmental sustainability.

Prof Tan said: “Over the past six years, IARU member universities have developed close and warm working relationships as we jointly pursued innovative programmes that have proven beneficial to the group and beyond. It has been a great pleasure to work with such talented partners and a true honour to be re-elected to serve as IARU Chair for a further term”.

The 10 IARU institutions include The Australian National University, ETH Zurich, National University of Singapore,

Peking University, University of California, Berkeley, University of Cambridge, University of Copenhagen, University of Oxford, The University of Tokyo and Yale University.

The re-appointment was announced at the IARU Presidents’ meeting at Yale Club in April this year. In conjunction with the meeting, Yale University organised an alumni function, attracting close to 200 alumni from all 10 IARU institutions, including NUS alumni based in New York.

AlumNUS | July - September 2011

News Highlights

For All They’ve Done The University Awards in April recognised 11 outstanding persons for their invaluable contributions to NUS. Held in April 2011, the annual National University of Singapore (NUS) University Awards honoured 11 educators, researchers and professionals who have pushed the boundaries and excelled in their respective fields.

The award categories include the Outstanding Service Award, Outstanding Educator Award, Outstanding Researcher Award and Young Researcher Award.

The Outstanding Service Award is presented to individuals who have made significant contributions over the years in serving NUS as well as the national and international communities.

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The Outstanding Researcher Award is given to researchers whose works have had tremendous impact in their fields, while the Young Researcher Award is presented to researchers under 40 years old, who show promise in their fields.

Besides honouring researchers, the achievements of educators are also recognised. Those who excel in engaging and inspiring students are given the Outstanding Educator Award.

Professor Shih Choon Fong Outstanding Service Award

made Vice-Chancellor and President, positions that he held for about nine years.

Former NUS President, Professor Shih Choon Fong, is widely credited for transforming NUS into a highly regarded research university, consistently ranked among the world’s top 50 universities. Under his leadership, NUS also established research and educational partnerships with leading institutions around the world.

“Returning to Singapore after 30 years in North America was a major turning point in my life,” said Prof Shih, who obtained his professional diploma in civil engineering at Singapore Polytechnic and later earned his Master’s and PhD in applied science at Harvard University.

Prof Shih was teaching at Brown University in the United States when he was talent-scouted by the Singapore Government to return to the country to work in NUS. He uprooted himself from his comfortable academic career to serve as director of the NUS Institute of Materials Research and Engineering in 1996. In 1997, Prof Shih was appointed as Deputy Vice-Chancellor of NUS. Three years later, he was

“I had pursued my passion as an academic in North America.

My stint as NUS President gave me the opportunity to enable others to pursue their passions and advance the University together. Being able to help others reach for their best has been particularly rewarding.”

Besides his accomplishments for NUS, Prof Shih is also one of the world’s most highly cited engineering researchers and has played a key role in the formation of international alliances among leading research universities. He is now founding president and professor of mechanical engineering at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia.

Mr Tony Chew Outstanding Service Award Mr Tony Chew has been chairman of the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School since its inception in 2005, and is pivotal in steering the school towards becoming one of Asia’s top medical institutions. It has attracted world-class faculty members and quality students from Singapore and beyond, with worldwide collaborations and innovations in medical education and research.

A trained agronomist, Mr Chew struck out on his own in 1975, after working at Sri Gading Estates in Malaysia, Guthrie Trading in Singapore, and the Sampoerna Group of Indonesia.

He co-founded a small trading company that has since grown to become Asia Resource Corporation, which manages diverse businesses across Asia today.

He also actively promotes the growth of businesses in Singapore and the region, having served in leadership roles on the Singapore Trade Development Board (now known as International Enterprise Singapore), Regional Business Forum, the ASEAN Business Advisory Council, and other national and regional panels.

In the course of his 37-year career, Mr Chew has successfully led well-known brands such as Pepsi-Cola, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Jetstar Airways into uncharted territories and breathed new life into mature companies including Del Monte Pacific, Myanmar Airways International and Hua Feng Paper Mill.

“I ventured into business in Asia at a time of political instability and economic crisis. I was fortunate to survive and prosper. If I can be of service to others and contribute to society, I am happy to do so,” said the two-time Public Service award winner.

Professor Jagadese J. Vittal Outstanding Researcher Award Thanks to scientists such as Professor Jagadese J. Vittal, inorganic structures that were once viewed as worthless “polymeric rubbish” found at the bottom of laboratory vessels are now being hailed as potential materials of the future.

Prof Vittal’s groundbreaking research in crystal engineering has opened up possibilities for the development of new and advanced materials. He pioneered the structural transformations in coordination polymers – man-made structures that contain metal ion centres linked by ligands – and succeeded in altering their inherent properties, making them similar to processable materials, such as gels and fibres.

This was just one of the many research accomplishments that earned him the Outstanding Researcher Award.

Prof Vittal has built a worldwide reputation in materials synthesis, especially in single molecular precursor chemistry, and has raised Singapore’s profile in the research field of crystal engineering. He has published over 400 papers in internationally-refereed journals, reviews and book chapters, serves on the editorial boards of several international journals, and has numerous accolades to his name.

“Research is nothing but a formalised curiosity and gives the opportunity to discover something new. The joy of doing research is a great source of happiness in life and is a strong driver of success,” said Prof Vittal, who was the only recipient of the Outstanding Researcher Award this year.

Associate Professor Chng Wee Joo Young Researcher Award Associate Professor Chng Wee Joo from the NUS School of Medicine is also Consultant Haematologist in the Department of Haematology-Oncology at the National Cancer Institute of Singapore.

He was one of the earliest doctors selected by A*STAR for an international fellowship. He worked on multiple myeloma, a type of cancer, at the Mayo Clinic in the United States and won the Celgene Award for being one of the most promising young investigators working in multiple myeloma.

His research on myeloma, lymphoma and other cancers has shed more light on these diseases and could lead to better treatment for patients. A/Prof Chng and his team at NUS are currently working with renowned pharmaceutical companies to conduct more tests and to look at developing new drugs for treatment.

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AlumNUS | July - September 2011

News Highlights

Associate Professor Gong Jiangbin Young Researcher Award Associate Professor Gong Jiangbin joined the NUS Department of Physics in late 2006. That same year, he received one of the inaugural NUS Young Investigator Awards. Since then, he has earned several other accolades in research as well as teaching.

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A/Prof Gong has done extensive research in a wide range of topics in quantum and nonlinear physics. He worked with a team to understand, explore and manipulate the evolution of microscopic complex systems using pre-determined external electric and magnetic fields.

He recently proposed powerful strategies to protect the so-called “entangled states” and this has already motivated one successful experiment that may eventually be useful in enhancing the performance of many quantum physics-based applications.

Dr Liu Xiaogang Young Researcher Award For Dr Liu Xiaogang, it’s all about chemistry. Whether it is synthetic organic chemistry or nanobiotechnology, he has been actively researching these areas and devising ways to harness their potential for diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

Since joining NUS in 2006, Dr Liu and his research team have become well-known for developing innovative nanomaterials that can be used as luminescent biomarkers. These significantly improve our ability to study complex biological systems such as cancer cells and deep malignant tissues.

Dr Liu also made a parallel development in the field of DNA detection by discovering a novel colorimetric method, which has potential impact on both clinical diagnostics and biodefence. His research has been featured in top

international journals, with over 1200 citations to date.

“The most rewarding aspect of being a chemist is the ability to find new knowledge and new discoveries that can improve and transform the quality of life,” he said.

Associate Professor Yu Haifeng Young Researcher Award Computer hacking, virus attacks, and hardware and software failures are increasingly common in today’s technological age.

But computer science experts like Associate Professor Yu Haifeng, who has been with NUS since 2006, are doing everything they can to combat these problems. His recent research focuses specifically on allowing distributed computing systems – such as multiple PCs connected by the Internet – to continue operating despite malicious attacks and hardware and software failures.

A/Prof Yu made a name for himself when he invented a series of highly innovative defence mechanisms to limit Sybil attacks in distributed computing systems. In a Sybil attack, the attacker creates many fake identities and simultaneously uses these to attack the system. A/Prof Yu’s solution was the first practical and effective defence against Sybil attacks, after years of failed attempts by others in the field.

Professor Koh Khee Meng Outstanding Educator Award Professor Koh Khee Meng, from the department of mathematics, has been teaching for almost four decades, and is well loved by his students. His passion for mathematics is infectious and he manages to inject life into a subject that is often viewed as dry and abstract.

He has won 20 teaching awards over 18 years and co-authored eight textbooks ranging from GCE A-level to undergraduate and graduate levels. Some of them are widely used in schools and universities. He is also actively involved in training participants of various International Mathematical Olympiads.

“Teaching is not my occupation but my calling,” said Prof Koh, a former president of the Singapore Mathematical Society. “Mathematical results are not inexplicable products but crystallisations of the collective wisdom of mankind. As a mathematics educator, I relish the challenge of transforming the abstract into something concrete, the dull into something interesting, and the impractical into something relevant. It is a satisfying and meaningful task that I value and constantly seek to achieve in my teaching.”

Associate Professor Joel Lee Outstanding Educator Award Associate Professor Joel Lee, from the Faculty of Law, co-pioneered the faculty’s skills-based workshops, making NUS the first law school in Asia to adopt this pedagogy. Despite initial resistance from colleagues, he persevered and skills-based education is now a key part of the law school curriculum.

A/Prof Lee has also been influential in seeding this pedagogy in other institutions including the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Temasek Polytechnic, the Singapore Institute of Legal Education and the University of Copenhagen, just to name a few.

He encourages students to be lifelong learners by teaching them how to learn, how to teach, as well as to reflect critically on their classes and performance.

“It is not enough for one to just teach. A teacher must guide, inspire and touch lives. It is the ultimate form of ‘paying it forward’, never knowing if your efforts will make a difference but keeping the faith that it will.”

Mr Cheah Kok Ming Outstanding Educator Award Architect Cheah Kok Ming has been teaching in the NUS Department of Architecture since 2006 and has won several teaching awards within the five years. He inspires his colleagues and students by using technology as a way of design thinking and making the construction textbook come alive.

With more than 20 years of architectural experience under his belt, Mr Cheah brings a wealth of practical expertise to the classroom. He developed a problem-based learning approach by incorporating hands-on exercises in architectural construction, which helped students learn more effectively and independently. He also led the successful transformation of the Design, Technology and Sustainability programme, attracting top students and quadrupling enrolment in four years.

Mr Cheah, who designed the NUS Institute of Southeast Asian Studies building when he was in corporate practice, believes in providing education that extends beyond the classroom.

He is a key driver of architectural study trips, workshops and guest lectures, and also mentored students to win accolades from international design competitions.

Associate Professor Bruce Lockhart Outstanding Educator Award A/Prof Bruce Lockhart loves telling stories. And as a history teacher who lived in Vietnam, Thailand and Laos before moving to Singapore, he has countless stories to tell his students.

Having taught at NUS since 1998, A/Prof Lockhart has developed a reputation as a holistic educator who is as concerned about classroom instruction and knowledge delivery as he is about mentoring and helping students. Within the History Department, he is well known for being in his office over the weekends so as to be accessible to students after office hours and to lend them a helping hand and a listening ear.

His teaching and research focus on mainland Southeast Asia and his long-term goal is to write a textbook history of Vietnam, which will enable readers to learn as much as they can about the country “without falling asleep over the pages”, by including as many good historical anecdotes as possible.

A/Prof Lockhart also trains junior college teachers on Southeast Asia and volunteers at the Singapore Art Museum.

In fact, ‘Friends of the Museum’ proclaim him to be the most popular trainer because of his humour, humility and exceptional knowledge.

By Leong Pik Yin

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One speaker. 10 minutes. Boundless inspiration. U@live is a monthly speaker series that showcases NUS alumni who are passionate about their causes.

Read about how A/Prof Adrian Cheok, Mr Tay Kheng Soon and Dr Tan Lai Yong made a difference to society.

AlumNUS | July - September 2011

The Magic of Digital Humanity

Rubanisation:

The End of Poverty?

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Employing technology to attain a better quality of life, or even doing what’s humanly impossible?

Associate Professor Adrian Cheok presents the case for digital humanity.

Imagine dining with a friend who is miles away in Paris and enjoying a taste of the wine and cheese she is having; or cooking a meal with your grandmother five years after she has passed away.

These are just some of the radical ideas raised by Associate Professor Adrian Cheok, director of the Mixed Reality Lab at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

Speaking at the monthly U@live forum at NUS on 17 February 2011, Assoc Prof Cheok discussed the possibility of turning these ideas into reality.

Scientists, including some of his PhD students, are looking at how to digitally actuate and transmit smell and taste through the Internet. While he admits that they still have “a long way to go”, Assoc Prof Cheok believes that it will eventually be possible to merge our senses with the virtual world.

Born and raised in Adelaide, this self-

proclaimed science geek is passionate about mixed reality – the merging of the real world and the virtual world – and how to combine technology with art and creativity to improve the quality of life.

He has received numerous accolades, including being named Young Scientist of the Year in 2003 by A*Star and Young Global Leader 2008 by the World Economic Forum.

A common concern, pointed out by U@live host Mr Viswa Sadasivan, former TV presenter and Chairman of the U@live organising committee, was the possibility of people using virtual experiences as a convenient excuse to compromise on “the touch and feel aspects of life” — a scenario that may lead to people not actually talking to each other. He also said that it is impossible to replicate the intimacy of a candlelight dinner with one’s wife, for example.

Assoc Prof Cheok agreed that physical touch and authentic experiences are important and will continue to be so.

Renowned architect Tay Kheng Soon presented his ideas on solving poverty by bringing the urban to the rural through Rubanisation.

However, he believes that the merging of our senses with the virtual world has the potential to be both positive and negative, as is the case with all new inventions.

He illustrated his point using one of his creations, the Huggy Pajamas, a device that allows parents to virtually hug their child when they are physically apart. All they have to do is to stroke a handheld doll, and the child would receive the hug by wearing the specially programmed pyjama-suit.

This is an invention that is probably close to Assoc Prof Cheok’s heart — his wife and daughter live in Japan while he works here. His motivation lies in pushing the boundaries of what is doable, and improving society in the process.

“I think people have a very biological and emotional need for communication,” he said. “If we can make ways for people to communicate, on average, it will be positive.”

By Leong Pik Yin

It was an evening that raised more questions than it provided answers, but in the words of Mr Viswa Sadasivan, the presenter of the monthly U@live event at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House on 30 March 2011, the point was not to agree or disagree, but to engage in conversation and intellectual exchange. The forum featured one of Singapore’s foremost architects, Adjunct Professor Tay Kheng Soon.

Mr Tay presented his concept of Rubanisation, which refers to the integration of rural and urban spaces as one entity, in order to resolve the problem of poverty. He elaborated that when poor living conditions force rural residents to migrate to urban areas in search of a better life, they will most likely wind up jobless due to a lack of skills. As such, they will end up in the city slums where crime and poverty are prevalent.

When cities improve the living conditions of the slums, Mr Tay said, they motivate the less skilled residents to move to the urban areas, thus perpetuating the problem of poverty. In order to put a cork on the

influx, conditions in the countryside have to be improved. This, in turn, demands a paradigm shift: to stop viewing rural areas as a separate space from urban areas. “In blurring the boundary between the urban landscape and natural environment, people can work, live, learn, play, farm and heal in one place,” he posited.

Mr Tay is currently the principal partner of Akitek Tenggara, which was formed in 1976 and has completed various commercial, recreational, tourism, urban planning and institutional projects. His own achievements include a specialisation in high density, low-rise and low-cost housing in Malaysia.

Beyond architecture and urban planning, however, he is involved in educational and community projects throughout South-East Asia.

One example is the Kampung Temasek project in Ulu Tiram, Malaysia, also known as “The School of Doing”; it functions as a sort of “outdoor laboratory” for schools to run their curriculum such as mathematics, science, geography and history in a natural environment. For instance, students learn

17 mathematics through the process of building a solar oven, and they calculate the amount of solar energy collected.

Similar initiatives in Thailand are producing highly positive results.

Increasingly, especially in the field of education, thinkers and strategists are awakening to the need for a paradigm shift. As the Industrial Revolution required the disconnect between the head, the heart and the hand so that individuals could specialise in particular roles, this new age requires the amalgamation of all our faculties, said Mr Tay. The current educational system which emphasises book-learning and memorisation, therefore, does not wellequip students for the world of the new millennium. What is needed is creativity, and creativity only comes from courage and curiosity, he added.

In a parting message on a framed photo, addressed to the alumni body as a keepsake of the evening, he wrote, “Love much, think a lot.”

By Yong Yung Shin School of Design and Environment, 2006

Apart from having a live audience, U@live will also be webcast live through a dedicated website where users can send in real time comments and questions directly to the speakers.

Upcoming Speakers

Lessons learnt from the Simple Life

Prof Kishore Mahbubani 7:30pm, 27 July 2011

Kishore Mahbubani has been making

headlines all around the world.

Not being one to shy away from controversy, his opinions on topics such as ‘The Decline of Western Dominance’ and the ‘Rise of the East’ have definitely raised a few eyebrows. Today, the Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy continues to debate his views on the local and global stage. Join us this July to delve into the roots and have the opportunity to question one of Singapore’s great intellectuals.

The good doctor shared the precious lessons he brought home after 14 years in Yunnan.

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Serving with a humble heart and a learning attitude - this was Dr Tan Lai Yong’s key message as guest speaker at the 27 April session of U@live at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House.

When Dr Tan graduated from the NUS Medical School in 1985, he had made up his mind that he would not be an ordinary doctor. He uprooted his whole family and moved to the remote region of Xishuangbanna in Yunnan, China, 14 years ago, taking the path less travelled.

As a mission doctor with the Village Doctor Training Programme while holding a full-time job as a Kunming Medical College lecturer, he taught village doctors how to identify common illnesses in order to treat their communities. Soft-spoken and bespectacled, he had just returned from Yunnan for good late last year.

Despite having dedicated the prime of his life to the underprivileged in Yunnan, effectively forsaking what could have been an inherently more

lucrative path, Dr Tan believes he has the better end of the bargain. “We’ve made many friends, seen prayers answered and families blossom.”

The doctor peppered his speech with many anecdotes, some funny, others heart-warming. Most importantly, the poverty his children witnessed firsthand instilled in them a maturity beyond their years. He illustrated this by sharing a life lesson that unfolded one afternoon as his then-five-year-old daughter was helping her grandmother sift out green beans.

When the grandmother asked her to throw the crooked ones away, the child brought them to her father instead and insisted, “Why should we throw them away? They’re just crooked.” She continued, “If I plant these crooked beans, will the new beans be crooked?”

Struck with the realisation of the truth at hand, he replied, “No, the beans may just turn out fine and beautiful.” He added, “That day, I learned a simple but profound lesson from my daughter.

I also learned that beautiful beans get eaten,” prompting much laughter from

the audience. Indeed, living alongside the handicapped had taught his children that the handicapped are no different from the able-bodied, and that they have as much potential to grow and flourish.

Mr Viswa Sadasivan, the presenter of the evening’s forum, asked Dr Tan how he viewed the problem of overseas volunteerism being the fashionable thing to do nowadays, to the extent that the needy in one’s own country are neglected. Dr Tan replied that while he was not aware of such a trend, he applauded Singapore as being one of the few countries in the world whose educational syllabus includes formulated service learning. Additionally, it is much better that the youth “go out there and do something, rather than nothing at all”.

They will learn, he said.

That night, the audience left, enriched by Dr Tan’s heartfelt sharing. Dr Tan’s key message for those who aspire to follow in his footsteps: to help others learn, one must also be willing to learn.

By Yong Yung Shin School of Design and Environment, 2006

Join us Online!

www.nus.edu.sg/ualive

Denise Phua 7:30pm, 22 August 2011

Denise Phua is a true unsung hero.

At the age of 3, Denise’s son was diagnosed with Autism. Sensing a need for better autism awareness in Singapore, she founded and led multiple organisations aimed at educating caregivers and providing resources to families with autistic children. Her dedication to the cause led her to open Singapore’s first special school for autistic children- The Pathlight School. Join us for U@live in August to learn a little more about the quiet KallangMoulmein MP and her hopes for special needs individuals and Singapore society in general.

Reserve your seat now!

show live at Shaw Foundation Alumni House OR Attend theRegister at www.alumnet.nus.edu.sg

September

–

Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nus.graduates Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nusgraduates

Subhas Anandan, Criminal Lawyer

October –

Prof Edison Liu, Executive Director, Genome Institute of Singapore

November

Ivan Heng, Founder, Wild Rice Theatre Co

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alumni CONNECTIONS

Rethinking

Disaster Relief Some passionate, solutions-driven individuals are challenging the traditional model of disaster relief. Welcome to Relief 2.0.

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Soon after the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis hit Fukushima, Japan in March this year, Mr Robin Low, entrepreneur, NUS adjunct lecturer and NUS alumni was in Japan to put into motion Relief 2.0 ideas on the ground.

In short, the Relief 2.0 strategy helps to maximise all relief efforts.

Mr Low explains, “I met Carlos Miranda Levy at NUS Enterprise, and he shared about Relief 2.0. In essence, Relief 2.0 fills the gaps left by top down hierarchies.

We try to understand the needs of the survivors, and connect them to NGOs, the government or others to get help. We are also there to share information on the ground, providing another source of information other than the mainstream news. As such, Relief 2.0’s motto is to ‘enable, empower, engage and connect’.”

A critic of the traditional style of aid and having helped at Hurricane Katrina and the Indonesia earthquake, Mr Low said, “Relief 2.0 focuses on running the last mile of relief.

Generally, the government and

organisations can provide food, water and shelter to survivors. Sometimes, medicine and clothing are also donated, but when dropped off at the shelters, often they are kept in a pile and it is not sorted out.

“We understand that if clothing is not sorted, few will pick through them, even when they need it. So we help organise clothing, medicine, and share this information with other groups. We also publicise what other groups are doing online so as to spread awareness and reduce duplicate efforts.”

Mr Low’s stint in Japan was a strong example of how Relief 2.0 worked to meet unmet needs by joining up small pockets of volunteers.

Fuel Relief Fund, an organisation that provides fuel (“the next best thing to food, water and shelter” is their tagline) was in Sendai offering aid. Said Mr Low, “They

joined us at Ishinomaki. We helped spread the word and we distributed heating oil to the people who were without heat for weeks.

We provided support to each other.”

“Live information empowers people”, says Mr Low. One of his focus areas in Japan was to “coordinate communication”. “I shared the information on the ground through Twitter, Facebook and our blog on www. relief20.com. On Facebook, our supporters also updated us on the nuclear situation.

We found others to support what we do and shared the information on the ground,” he explained.

Mr Low’s communications efforts connected several survivor families with relatives and friends in other parts of Japan and overseas, using photos on Flickr and messages on Facebook.

The crisis in Japan isn’t just a physical one.

The financial losses caused by the disaster continue to climb. Some lost their livelihood; others are looking to revive their businesses.

Relief 2.0 is coming up with solutions.

“After engaging many survivors, we found that some of them want to leave the area, and some of them lost everything and don’t know what to do. There are some business owners who lost their stores but still have their infrastructure and they want to restart.

All they need is a business loan—not our pity and donations, but rather, connections to others that may provide them with interestbearing business loans. That is what we are

currently embarking on: Relief B2B,” said Mr Low. Blessed by Blessings Mr Low readily concedes that success for Relief 2.0 efforts is not measured like other relief efforts.

This is an open source movement; we are not going to patent nor earn anything from this. We feel that every disaster needs individuals, and everyone can help as long as they have a plan and what to do in the field.

Using Relief 2.0, they can get friends, family and other supporters interested in their work there, and their friends and supporters can reimburse them for their expenses.

“We do not measure it by how much was collected in donations,” he says. “Each person who has benefited from our efforts, we take as a success. I believe the volunteers who go with Relief 2.0, including me, benefit – Robin Low, alumnus more than the survivors as we get the satisfaction of helping people. Most and everyone can help as long as they have a of the time, that extra meal that we bring or plan and what to do in the field. Using Relief the songs that we share only last for a while, 2.0, they can get friends, family and other and they have to live in the same situation the supporters interested in their work there, and next day.” their friends and supporters can reimburse them for their expenses.”

Relief 2.0 was started by Levy during the Haiti earthquake in 2010, and “the ideas Qualities of a Relief 2.0 Volunteer slowly evolved in Stanford, and everywhere For starters, volunteers need to bring their he went,” Mr Low explains, describing phones and other communication devices, the community-driven development of given that in order for Relief 2.0 to work, the concept. “I contributed to the current there must be mobile phones, community refinement of the Relief 2.0 version. I added radio, the Internet, social media and the Web 2.0 portion to share information live networks. For most areas, even Banda Aceh on social media. Relief 2.0 has been tested and Haiti, notes Mr Low, phones or at least and proven in Haiti, and now in Japan. text-messaging would be up within 48 hours of the disaster.

“This is an open source movement; we are not going to patent nor earn anything from this.

“If we need anything urgently, sometimes We feel that every disaster needs individuals, we get connected to someone else nearby

who can access the resource and we can get it sent to where it is needed with just a phone call. The power of the individual is much enhanced through their networks.”

They also need to be able and willing to share information and to act on it fast. “By sharing actual information on the ground and acting quickly to the changing needs, I believe that the recovery from a disaster can be faster, and the essential help needed on the first few days can be resolved with more people,” said Mr Low.

The most important thing a relief worker in the field must possess is courage, “as fear prevents people from taking action. But the field operative must be able to judge his own safety and must not be a burden to others. For everyone else supporting, communication is key,” added Mr Low. Mr Low emphasises that Relief 2.0 is meant to support traditional relief efforts. “We do partner a lot of charities, and they know that we can do what they fail to do. Charities can get supplies and funds, and individuals can help redistribute the aid in areas they have not yet received permission to act. Plus, individuals can coordinate cross-charity or government department actions to enhance efficiency.”

By Theresa Tan Faculty of Arts and Social Science, 1989

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1. Attend an alumni event or programme THE NUS Alumni Office organises a diverse range of alumni programmes and activities all year round to meet your professional, social and personal needs. Attend whatever tickles your fancy – be it the complimentary monthly movie screenings, lunchtime talk series, or enriching evening programmes – or you could catch up with your friends at class reunions, Homecoming and other alumni events. We also organise events around the world through our Overseas Alumni Chapters.

Card 5. Use your THE AlumNUS Card identifies you as an alumnus of a prestigious global university. This complimentary card is your gateway to a host of exclusive benefits and discounts.

Stay tuned at www.alumnet.nus.edu.sg for the latest happenings

Magazine 6. Read The THE complimentary quarterly publication is sent to all alumni to ensure that you remain clued in to what’s happening on campus even after your graduation. The AlumNUS Magazine is also available online. Or subscribe to the monthly e-Newsletter that will update you on the latest alumni programmes, events and reunions.

2. Visit the Shaw Foundation Alumni House THE Shaw Foundation Alumni House is a special home on campus for all NUS alumni and friends, a vibrant hub for building bonds, and a centre of global connectivity. Open Mondays to Saturdays, 9am to 9pm. Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays.

Visit www.alumnet.nus.edu.sg for more on the Shaw Foundation Alumni House

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WAYS TO STAY CONNECTED 3. Join an alumni group ALUMNI groups are the bridge through which the NUS Alumni Office connects alumni with their alma mater. There are faculty-based, interest-based, and hall-based alumni groups, as well as overseas chapters, to suit different needs and interests. The groups offer excellent opportunities for you to be actively involved in the life of the University.

Visit www.alumnet.nus.edu.sg for the alumni groups listing

Whether you are a recent graduate or if it has been some years since you graduated from NUS, here are 10 easy ways in which you can stay connected with your friends and alma mater

Get your AlumNUS Card at www.alumnet.nus.edu.sg/alumnuscard

Read The AlumNUS Magazine online at www.alumnet.nus.edu.sg

email account 7. Use your lifelong ALUMMAIL is your complimentary, lifelong alumni email account that immediately identifies you as part of the prestigious NUS family and which helps you stay connected with your friends. Adopting the Microsoft Live@Edu platform, AlumMAIL offers you a lifelong email domain @alumni.nus.edu.sg, 10GB email storage (double the usual 5GB storage), improved contact and calendar management, up to 25GB of online storage, real-time chat and other office productivity features.

Get your exclusive AlumMAIL account at www.alumnet.nus.edu.sg/alummail

8. Stay in touch via ALUMNET, NUS’ official alumni website, keeps you closely connected with your alma mater regardless of where you are in the world. Take a virtual tour of the Shaw Foundation Alumni House, participate in exciting events and programmes, locate your friends and learn about alumni privileges and services exclusive to you.

Stay connected at www.alumnet.nus.edu.sg

9. Support students THE NUS Alumni Office provides financial assistance to deserving students each year to provide them with a well-rounded education. Awards such as the NUS Alumni Bursary Awards, NUS Alumni Student Exchange Awards and NUS Alumni Overseas Colleges Awards are made possible through alumni’s contributions.

Support students. Find out more at www.alumnet.nus.edu.sg

4. Organise a class reunion PLAY an active part in connecting your friends with one another. The NUS Alumni Office can help with contacting your classmates, advertising your reunion and providing venue support.

Organise your class reunion. Contact us at oarconnect@nus.edu.sg or 6516 5775

10. Volunteer and share nurture future generations of students and alumni. Share your wealth of knowledge and experiences with budding students and new alumni by being a mentor. Volunteer and give of your time and talent to the University. Take part in shaping and moulding the lives of the next generation.

Give of your Time and Talent. Contact us at oarconnect@nus.edu.sg or 6516 5775

AlumNUS | July - September 2011

alumni CONNECTIONS

Art(s) Matter(s)

CFA Speaker Series Come listen to the guests of the CFA Speaker Series expound on the relevance of the arts today, whether for a holistic education or a well-balanced lifestyle. Alumni speakers include 2007’s NUS Alumni Award recipient and Executive Director and President of Temasek Holdings, Mr Hsieh Fu Hua who will dialogue with artist Mr Ian Woo on 28 October. Other speakers include the former chair of the National Arts Council and former Chief Executive Officer of the Housing & Development Board Dr Liu Thai-Ker with his wife, editor Ms Gretchen Liu speaking on 5 September.

This August till December, look out for talks and exhibitions featuring notable alumni from business to the social sciences. Artistic alumni also often perform alongside the 22 NUS Centre For the Arts (CFA) arts groups, balancing their own lifestyle with the arts while also guiding undergrad members.

With something for everyone, this arts calendar promises to please!

Welcome back to Campus (August 2011)

Exhibitions at NUS Museum Camping and Tramping Through the Colonial: The Museum in Malaya (Till 2 Dec 2012) This exhibition traces the rise of the Museum in British Malaya from the 19th century, not just as an indicator of power over what was considered as the exotic but also as an acknowledgement of the advent of the Museum that led to a broader project of knowledge accumulation and ordering.

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The Sufi and the Bearded Man (Till 3 December 2011) This exhibition re-members the keramat of a 19th century Sufi traveler from the Middle East. Re-membering the keramat involved a two-year long project of collaborating with Ali, an intermediary of the Sufi and custodian of the mausoleum, who is referred to by fellow devotees as “the bearded man”.

Writing Power : Zulkifli Yusoff (July 2011) Regarded as a pioneer of installation art in Malaysia, Zulkifli Yusoff’s Writing Power looks at how historical texts affect cultural memory and understandings of nationhood. Exploring how history can be made relevant to contemporary times, Zulkifli’s artistic renditions draw upon the fascinating and complex relationship between the visual and the written.

R.E. Hartanto (Jan 2012) Provocative and humanistic, R.E. Hartanto’s portraitures tell stories of social political issues today. Using models, photography, theatrical lighting, costumes and collaborations with stylists to capture the imageries in his paintings, he directs his shots, like a director engaging his actors into a narrative.

Sinbad, Shipwrecks and Singapore (Jan 2012) Working with NUS undergrads, this exhibition explores themes related to the Belitung shipwreck and the maritime trade in the Indian Ocean and South China Sea during the 9th century.

Working the Tropical Garden (Till 6 Nov 2011) Recently donated to the NUS Museum and now installed at National University Health System building at Kent Ridge, Ng Eng Teng’s public mural Asian Symphony is an idealised expression of man’s synergistic relationship with nature.

NUS Indian Dance

NUS Dance Synergy

Let your hair down at the ExxonMobil Campus Concerts Opening Show on 19 August at the University Cultural Centre. This free admission party livens up the campus with a night of back-to-back live music gigs. Then on 16 – 17 August, savour the arts – bite sized – at the CFA House Party which showcases short performances from all 22 CFA arts groups making it one of the biggest parties on campus!

Dance and music performances (September to October 2011) Mark your calendar for a relaxing night of dance and music by CFA groups. Choose from contemporary moves by NUS Dance Ensemble and NUS Dance Synergy, or the ethnic choreographies of NUS Ilsa Tari and NUS Indian Dance. Forty-three-year old NUS Wind Symphony will also continue its long-running Da Capo concert series. Look forward to these concerts in September and October at the University Cultural Centre.

All are warmly welcomed to attend the above programmes and exhibitions. For admission and event information, please visit our event calendar at www.nus.edu.sg/cfa or find us on Facebook!

Updates for NUS Museum are available at www.nus.edu.sg/museum or http://nusmuseum.blogspot.com.

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Alumni House

alumni CONNECTIONS

Montage 2011

September

Flashback 2009: Deep within the drawing rooms of the NUS Alumni Office, a group of individuals brainstormed countless ways to showcase the ever-growing pool of alumni talent and to create a space that brought like-minded alumni together.

Photo courtesy of Triston Yeo

August

Up in the Air (PG)

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29 September, 7.30pm Auditorium Running time: 109 minutes English

The Best Bet (PG) 25 August, 7.30pm Auditorium Running time: 111 minutes Mandarin and Hokkien with English subtitles Through this, Invigorate came to life. The idea was simple - to engage alumni through their passions and provide networking opportunities to individuals within their field of interest. Over the years, the Invigorate programme has grown in both size and diversity with topics ranging from Feng Shui to photography.

The NUS Alumni Office was proud to present a collaboration with the NUS Photographic Society (NUSPS) on Montage 2011 from 4 to 9 June. Montage is an annual event organised by the NUSPS to explore the art of photography and to give newcomers to the hobby a place to improve their craft. Workshops, seminars and competitions are organised and participants, young and old, are encouraged to come along with their camera to learn something new from the experts.

As part of this collaboration, the Shaw Foundation Alumni House hosted a day of photography which included interactive workshops focusing on topics such as travel photography (by Vicky Yeow), basic studio lighting (by David Lawrence Lim) and the art of framing (by Triston Yeo).The day was capped off with an evening screening of famed photographer Annie Liebovitz’s biography, ‘Annie Liebovitz- Life Through a Lens’. A photography exhibition was also set up to display exceptional works submitted by 20 talented amateur alumni photographers.

A concurrent exhibition also showcased the stunning works of professional photographer (and workshop facilitator) Triston Yeo (FASS ’97). Triston (a fine art photographer) spends the majority of his time these days travelling to under-developed and disaster-hit nations hoping to capture the devastation and loss

to show to the outside world. Most recently, he was a part of a team of photographers to venture into Japan to document the aftermath of the recent tsunami that devastated the north-east region of Japan. His hope is to publish a book of his works, the proceeds of which would be streamed to help with the relief and rebuilding effort in Japan.

Triston being quite the connoisseur in photography finds great pleasure in volunteering his time to help out budding photographers. An alumnus of NUSPS himself, he believes in sharing the knowledge he has acquired over the years. According to him, there should be no such thing as a trade secret.

However he also shares that it is not skill alone that keeps you at the top. “I still believe in passion after so many years. You can be a good photographer, but if you don’t have passion, people will get tired of seeing your work”.

By Valerie Vincent Business Administration 2010

It’s everyone’s dream in life to strike the lottery at least once. For some, it has even become their ‘lifetime career’ to make this dream come true. Richard (Richard Low), Shun (Christopher Lee) and Huang (Mark Lee) are best of friends in The Best Bet. Richard, a white-collar executive, aims to be a good father and a good husband. However, indecisive and wimpy, he is easily influenced by the people around him. Chen Liping plays Richard’s wife who is extremely meticulous in money matters, especially when it comes to anything that has to do with Shun and Huang.

Shun works with Richard in the same company.

Unlike Richard, Shun is ambitious, outspoken

and full of ideas. However, persistently down on his luck, Shun seldom succeeds in what he does. Huang owns a Bak Kut Teh stall. A ‘super gambler’, Huang not only places heavy bets on 4D, he is also a part-time debt collector for the ‘4D King’. It is his sister, Hui Min (Joanne Peh), who sees to the running of the Bak Kut Teh business.

The Best Bet revolves around Richard, Shun and Huang whose friendships are put to a test when one of them strikes in 4D and decides to keep the winnings all to himself.

What consequences will this have on his friendships?

A satirical comedy which explores the greed, deceit and also the triumph of the human spirit, The Best Bet is about the consequence of our choices, and the path it will take us once we cross that threshold.

Ryan Bingham (Academy Award winner George Clooney) is truly living the high life.

Flying all over the world on business, he never stops moving…until he meets Alex, a fellow passenger, and learns that life isn’t about the journey, but the connections we make along the way. Acclaimed by critics and audiences everywhere, ‘Up in The Air’ is light and dark, hilarious and tragic, bouncy and brainy, romantic and real. Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly.

Visit www.alumnet.nus.edu.sg for full details and registration on all upcoming Alumni House Programmes.

All are welcome!

Shaw Foundation Alumni House | 11 Kent Ridge Drive, Singapore 119244 Admission: All are welcome | Online Registration : www.alumnet.nus.edu.sg For enquiries please contact Josephine at josephine@nus.edu.sg or 6516 6950.

alumni CONNECTIONS

Close to 100 alumni gather to meet NUS President, Prof Tan Chorh Chuan (seated ninth from left), over lunch in Beijing.

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Keeping Alumni Living Abroad Close to Home While the challenges of keeping local alumni connected to the University remain, keeping alumni living abroad connected presents an added set of challenges. Proximity being one of them.

Nonetheless, when alumni living abroad get together, the bonds are evident.

In conjunction with an overseas business trip by NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan to Beijing in April this year, the NUS Office of Alumni Relations and

NUS Beijing Alumni Chapter organised a lunch with the alumni living there. Close to 100 alumni turned up at the lunch held at Westin Beijing Financial Street on 25 April including a significant number of government officials and company heads amongst students from the NUS Overseas College in Beijing. Their conversations revolved around two areas – reminiscing about campus days and an eagerness to know the latest happenings at NUS.

On the latter, Prof Tan provided an overview of the University’s progress including the University’s rankings and the development of University Town.

(From left) Dr Phua Kai Hong (Associate Professor of Health Policy & Management, NUS Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy), Dr David Quek (President, Malaysian Medical Association), and Prof Dato Dr Syed Mohamed Aljunid (Professor of Health Economics & Consultant Public Health Medicine, United Nations UniversityInternational Institute of Global Health), share their views on the provision of healthcare services.

Mr Benjamin Tan (Business, 2000), former NUSSU President of the 21st Council, said, “This is a fantastic event for building relationships with us alumni, and for me, it is great to feel connected with NUS once again!” What

came as a pleasant surprise to the staff of the NUS Office of Alumni Relations who were at the lunch was the consistent feedback that there should be more occasions for such reunions.

There are currently about 600 alumni living in Beijing, and the Beijing chapter, set up in 2006, is the University’s connection with them.

The Beijing chapter is among four chapters in China, the others being in Chengdu, Hong Kong and Shanghai. The NUS Office of Alumni Relations keeps in touch with alumni living abroad through 15 chapters around the world.

Besides the ones in China, the other chapters are in Auckland, Boston, London, Melbourne, New Delhi, Perth, Tokyo, San Francisco, Sarawak, Sydney and Vancouver.

In Kuala Lumpur, the enthusiasm amongst alumni was just as evident. The NUS Business School’s Kuala Lumpur Alumni Chapter organised a conference on healthcare on 16 April in KL, attracting 90 participants engaged in a lively discussion on healthcare reform in Malaysia.

Alumni are an important community as NUS progresses as a global university.

AlumNUS | July - September 2011

alumni CONNECTIONS

Alumni Return with Lessons to Share For alumni, the world became their school when they left campus. And, thanks to their generosity, many have come back to campus to share their lessons. in all types of CCAs, including the NUS Jazz Band.

The School of Computing ran a speed mentoring session at the Alumni-Student Networking Event on 8 April this year attracting 80 students and 14 alumni in a mutually beneficial session. Students received tips on new start-ups, and learnt the dos & don’ts of IT Applications, Infrastructure, IT Consulting & Finance and Technopreneurship.

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Mr Max Leong in a speed mentoring session on 8 April.

‘FASSTalk – The Alumni Series’, organised by the Faculty of Arts and Social Science, attracted 100 students who learnt what it takes to succeed. They heard about the needs of the tourism industry and how FASS graduates can play a part in meeting them from Loi H.P. (’81), Remy Choo (’94) and Lorraine Lai (’08). They also learnt the importance of writing skills, creativity and innovation from the talk on Communications from Yap Boh Tiong (’68) and Ng Wei Joo (’86).

The NUS Economics Society brought back Chew Soon Gek of Clariden Leu (’82) and Lincoln Teo from DP Credit Bureau (’93) who spoke about the challenges and

While graduation brings much relief from years of studying and an exciting time in the prospect of new opportunities, it also comes with some anxiety in the face of new uncertainties.

These and more of such talks are planned to help students navigate the intricacies of the working world.

opportunities in the finance sector. And, the Geography Career Talk in February 2011 drew 300 students to hear Eugene Lee (’04), Raem Tan (’05) and Carmelita Leow (’10) on urban and parks planning, and Geographic Information Systems. SIA flight attendant, Helena Tan (’00), and winner of SIA’s Service Finesse 2010 award, shared that her knack for service and love for flying was nurtured when she was at NUS through her Geographical education and keen involvement Mr Yap Neng Giin shares his insights at the Alumni-Student Networking Event, 8 April.

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AlumNUS | July - September 2011

alumni CONNECTIONS

Doctors Let their Hairdown to Live It Up The NUS Medical Class of ’81 celebrates their 30th Anniversary

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In the midst of national election fever, a group of illustrious doctors gathered at Rasa Sentosa Horizon Pavilion ballroom to celebrate their 30th Anniversary as the NUS Medical Class of ’81 on 30 April this year. Classmates like Asha travelled home from as far away as Toronto, Kumari from Alor Star, Sook Han from Dunedin, and Hueh Fen from Kuching. Screams of recognition and hugs were punctuated by exclamations of how well (and ahem, young) we (still) looked. Never mind the occasional white hair and spreading middle, we were there to enjoy ourselves, and we certainly did!

Doctors fall in line for the dance.

Three quaters of the class turned up to renew friendships of more than 30 years.

At every turn, we were proud to see that our class has produced eminent doctors of almost every discipline, from family medicine to CEOs (of NUHS, Mt Alvernia, St Andrew’s and Kwong Wai Siew Hospital) to dean of the NUS medical faculty. However, titles and past rivalries, gaffes and political stripes were all put aside, as we were transported back to the innocent and happy university days of the late seventies.

The wit and repartee of

A beer drinking competition that drew a competitive spirit!

Leslie and Sing Shang, our ever-bantering MCs of the night, kept things going on a lively keel, helped occasionally by a squawking rubber chicken mascot, a symbol of our birth year.

Menon showed us some thought-provoking, if a wee bit stomach-churning, slides on his tsunami rescue mission. Francis treated us to a photo quiz with prizes for picking out old familiar faces of our lecturers such as Prof Yeoh Teow Seng (pharmacology), Prof Chan Soh Ha (immunology) Prof Nalla Tan (SMPH) and Mr and Mrs Ah Leng of the venerated canteen on Sepoy Line campus, whose popularity may be due in part to the presence of their pretty daughter. A new medical sign was also demonstrated – a

missing Ranjodh sign. Apparently, the two Singhs in the class, Ranjodh and Harnek, had been taking turns to attend some classes! We also spotted Wye Mun disguised as a cadaver on the anatomy trolley. A little bit more challenging was recognising our “class beauties”, Sing Shang and Peter, in all their female finery, during KE VII orientation week, complete with busts that even Leslie and Harry would have been proud of creating! Mug shots salvaged from the archives of NUS by Ben also revealed our pimply adolescent selves in M1, causing hoots of laughter as these were juxtaposed with our present-day mug shots. Those old fashioned, large, round glasses! The big hair! What were we thinking??

A dance performed to the song, “Quandoquando-quando”, by a sporting and masked May Mei led off the entertainment segment of the evening, with everyone joining in with a resounding “Hoi!” Champagne bottles were popped as we toasted the class and then the ladies of the class. Of course, this was a ploy by the guys to get the women up on stage in order to taunt us with, “Oh why were you born so beautiful, oh why were

you born at all?” followed inevitably by “We must, we must, we must”. The sounds and sight of orientation ’76 flashed anew before our eyes.

What better music to accompany our reunion than the Bee Gees’ hits, ‘Saturday Night Fever’ and ‘Staying Alive’? It was astonishing how the music and mood brought us to our feet, right down to the last man/woman in the room, and a sea of gyrating hips and pointy poses swayed to the beat. The captains of medicine were metamorphosed into a hip crowd of John Travoltas!

Tears of laughter and mirth were barely wiped off, before we were entertained with a round of dancing musical chairs, unleashing the true dance talents of Grace and company and the not-so-conventional strategy of Lee Kwang who lay across four chairs in order to claim a prize. Kong Chong and Siew Yin sang an intimate duet “Lucky”, looking fresh-faced in their colourful and youthful attire. A lucky draw with fabulous top prizes of air tickets to Bangkok was held, followed by a jazz rendition of “The Nearness of You”

by the accomplished Huey Chin, with Fun Gee on the saxophone and Mary on jazz guitar.

The evening of merriment ended with a beer-drinking contest, where die-hards like Choo Khim, Kiam Leng and even Kwai Peng gamely gulped their pint down to try to win for their group although a few tizzy souls confessed that perhaps it was not such a good idea after all.

Clutching a bagful of mementoes, prizes and new and old memories, we left Sentosa with promises to keep in close touch with our dear friends of yesteryear.

On a more serious note, in the course of the evening, we observed a minute of silence in remembrance of our dear departed classmates Wan Ling, Harnek and Ronald. Spearheaded by John, our dean, a memorial bursary fund for needy NUS medical students was launched, which, to date, has raised about $100,000. This is indeed a fitting ongoing legacy of the NUS Medical Class of ’81.

By Dr Mary Wong Medicine, Class of ‘81

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Welcome Home, NUS Alumni!

Come back and feel 19 again! Enjoy a host of activities for both the young and the young-at-heart. Reconnect with your classmates and hall mates at Bukit Timah Campus and Kent Ridge Campus. Children are more than welcome!

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th

JULY

Alumni Day @ Bukit Timah Campus 5.30pm to 9.30pm | Lower Quadrangle

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th

J U LY

Alumni Day @ Kent Ridge Campus 10am to 9.30pm | Shaw Foundation Alumni House

PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS 10am | New Alumni Welcome Concert Showcase of NUS’ up and coming campus musical superstars!

12nn onwards | The Fabulous KR Hawker Fare!

A wide spread of local and international delicacies for lunch.

Be sure to look out for our very own candy-floss machine and pop-corn maker!

PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS 5.30pm | Cocktail & Classmates

2pm to 5.30pm | Self Discovery Talks Unleash your creativity and discover a little more of yourself in the various experiential and self-discovery talks!

Videos of the old times

11am to 5.30pm | Kids! Be ready to get your hands dirty!

Performance by B5 Brass Alumni from Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music

Learn how to make clay animals, sun catchers and colourful cookies in these interactive and fun sessions without worrying about making a mess.

Vote for the best ‘Walk Down Memory Lane’ submission Winning entries will be uploaded on www.alumnet.nus.edu.sg

6.15pm | Best Dressed – ’60s Dinner Party Come dressed in ’60s fashion and stand a chance to win attractive prizes Performance by Senior Alumni ‘Walk Down Memory Lane’ Contest

6.30pm | Shaw Foundation Alumni House Arts & Culture Lecture Celebrate Aboriginal Art with us! Join us for the evening lecture featuring “The Art of Aboriginal Australia” by Ms Franchesca Cubillo, Senior Curator, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art, National Gallery of Australia. There will be limited seats available for dinner on a first-come-first-serve basis.

This lecture is sponsored by the Shaw Foundation and jointly organised by the NUS Office of Alumni Relations and the China Society.

Cake-cutting Ceremony: 50th Anniversary - Class of 1961 Prize Presentation

Register now at www.alumnet.nus.edu.sg For enquiries, please contact Ms Sim May Kim at kimz@nus.edu.sg or call 6516 5769 or Ms Josephine Chow at josephine@nus.edu.sg or call 6516 6950.

Admission is free.

AlumNUS | July - September 2011

alumni CONNECTIONS

Yesterday Once More Business Administration and Accountancy class reunite for their 30th Anniversary Time has a habit of burnishing memories, and reaching across the divides of race and religion, social circle and political bent to unite all-comers in a happy melange of camaraderie in a ritual commonly known as The Re-Union Dinner.

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Thus it was that when the Business Administration / Accountancy class of 1981 returned to Kent Ridge on 28 May 2011 to celebrate their 30th anniversary, there were smiles all round as friendships were rekindled and ties renewed. Pay close attention, and you could almost see brain synapses firing up as folks rifled through their memory banks to recall names and faces from a generation past - in some cases, shading in some pounds or shaving off some hair in their mental Identikits to make the match.

104 Bizad and Accountancy classmates (including 4 currently based in overseas) made the trek back on the historic evening for a commemorative photo taken at sunset against the backdrop of the Mochtar Riady Building. Some had turned up earlier for a tour of the Business School (changed beyond recognition!) conducted by bright-eyed student volunteers. The rest made the photo, then made for the NUSS Guild House next door and The Scholar Restaurant, where a sumptuous 8-course meal awaited.

Top (L-R): Wee Lee Din, Soh Ee Bin, Geraldine Sim, Monica Tan, Wee Kheng Hwa Bottom (L-R): Phua Soon Fong, Janet Ang, Marjorie Tan

Top: A bunch of good sports performing their penalty: bringing a fever to Saturday night at the NUSS Guild House!

Bottom: A youthful Tan Wang Cheow en route to a landslide victory in the evening’s general elections: Vote For No Change.

Throughout dinner, the good food was appreciated but atypical of Singaporeans - all but forgotten as everybody talked at once, catching up on old times. Considering some of us had not seen each other in 30 years, it’s a wonder that the program was carried out. But hey, we were schooled right, and are a disciplined bunch.

So it was that we honoured our home-grown talent (artist/ author Joanna Wong who contributed a painting and 104 journals to the evening’s proceedings), remembered our fallen comrades (Chng Pheng Lui & Lee Seng Hai), and raised funds through an auction and donations for a $25,000 student bursary in our cohort’s name ... a goal that was met within a week after the dinner, through follow-on donations from civicminded classmates.

The highlight of the evening’s entertainment was the penalty dance by a whole table (good sports all) who had performed miserably at a quiz that tested our recall of student days. To the embarrassingly familiar track of Saturday Night Fever, a bunch of people who should know better rolled back the years and boogied like Travolta to the appreciative wolf-whistles of a raucous crowd. In this day of YouTube, they should have been very afraid. But in the closed confines of a BizAcc reunion, their secret is safe with us.

Vote for No Change was a fiercely contested election of candidate classmates who had morphed the least over the past 30 years.

In response to exhortations to make their vote count, diners thronged to the front of

Friendships fuelled and ties renewed as classmates trudge back to school for one big hurrah.

the hall to paste coloured stickers on the candidate of their choice. A youthful Tan Wang Cheow swept the election by a landslide margin.

The dinner ended with a lucky draw (and a note of thanks to the University organisations and individual classmates who had sponsored prizes) as well as the delivery of the commemorative photo, hot off the printer, as people took their leave with refreshed memories, renewed ties, and - befitting the evening’s theme -Friends for Life.

Organising committee: Colin Chow, Chua Hung Meng, Foo Heng Jee, Lydia Boey, Tan Ai Lin, Marjorie Tan, Grace Fung, Chan Kok Pun, Kulwant Singh and David Shaw.

By David Shaw Business Administration/Accountancy, ‘81

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AlumNUS | July - September 2011

alumni CONNECTIONS

Law Alumni Honour Missing Classmate through Scholarship

Recognising Excellence Nominate Outstanding Alumni for the NUS Alumni Awards 2011 Open for nominations by NUS Alumni

Bennett Lam (second from left) and his classmates with the late Chief Justice Wee Chong Jin after their call to the bar.

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NUS Faculty of Law alumnus Bennett Lam disappeared at sea while on a fishing trip, but his memory lives on at his alma mater, thanks to the ‘Class of ’86 Bennett Lam Scholarship Fund’, set up by his classmates in his honour.

Yap Wai Ming, member of the ‘Class of ’86 Bennett Lam Scholarship’ committee, says, “Coming together to celebrate our anniversary offered us an opportunity to renew our ties with old friends and relive the wonderful times we had at Law School.

We remembered the financial difficulties our classmates faced, and realised it was our chance to make a contribution to the future of Singapore’s legal fraternity.”

Scholarship recipient Shen Xiaoyin, a final year Law student also majoring in Economics, used to tutor students six times weekly and work as a violin teacher in a music school to finance her education. She is now able to concentrate on her studies, and says, “It is not the monetary value that matters most but the opportunity given to students to realise their full potential in studies and in life, and not to be restricted by limited financial circumstances. Being at the receiving end of others’ kindness has made me realise the value of giving to those in need.”

“I would give back to NUS in the future when I am in the position to give. I will always remember that my success would not be possible without the kindness of the people who have supported me during difficult times,” adds Xiaoyin, who was able to spend one semester in Austria on an exchange programme.

The family of Bennett Lam says, “We are happy and proud that Bennett’s classmates have sought to remember him by naming the Scholarship after him. The Scholarship is a clear testimony of their publicspiritedness and generosity, as well as the depth of the bonds and friendships they formed in Law School.”

Melvin Loh, another scholarship recipient and a final year Law student, was struggling to afford school fees. He says, “The Scholarship has not just helped me financially, it has also given me the chance to give back to society and to apply what I learned in Law School. I am now able to help others through pro-bono legal work and volunteerism.”

The ‘Class of ’86 Bennett Lam Scholarship Fund’ was set up at a 20th anniversary class reunion and has awarded 32 scholarships over the last three years.

A university’s mark of excellence is very much shaped and defined by its alumni.

Through the NUS Alumni Awards, the University accords recognition to remarkable alumni who, in their personal pursuit for excellence, have made significant contributions both to their alma mater and society at large.

Nominations for the NUS Alumni Awards 2011 are now open. The award categories include the Eminent Alumni Awards, the Distinguished Alumni Service Awards and the Outstanding Young Alumni Awards.

The award ceremony will be held on 4 November 2011 at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House.

Past award recipients include President S R Nathan and former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew who were conferred the Eminent Alumni Award in 2007 and 2005 respectively.

Distinguished Alumni Service Award recipients from past years include Mr Chandra Mohan K Nair, Ms Chong Siak Ching, Dr Oon Chiew Seng, Mr Johnny Tan Khoon Hui and Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed. The Outstanding Young Alumni Award has been given to Ms Jeanette Aw Ee-Ping, Mr Goh Seng

Award Category

Wee and Ms Eunice Elizabeth Olsen, amongst others.

The Selection Committee, chaired by NUS President, Prof Tan Chorh Chuan, comprises NUS senior management and prominent alumni.

To nominate deserving alumni, please submit applications online at alumniawards.nus.edu.sg.

For more information, please contact Ms Poon Sern Yin at oarpsy@nus.edu.sg or 6516 6525.

Criteria

Eminent Alumni Awards

The nominees must have distinguished themselves nationally or internationally for their excellent and sustained contributions and achievements in public and community service; in arts, sports, culture or entrepreneurship; or in a profession or scholarly field.

Distinguished Alumni Service Awards

The nominees must have distinguished themselves in rendering excellent and sustained service to NUS, its predecessor institutions or the alumni community.

Outstanding Young Alumni Awards

The nominees (aged 40 and below) must have distinguished themselves nationally or internationally for their excellent and sustained contributions in their chosen fields while exemplifying the best attributes of youth in today’s world, and/or rendered excellent and sustained service to NUS or its alumni community

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alumni CONNECTIONS

An Evening of Hungarian Adventure NUS Business School Alumni Association organises a Members’ Night NUSBSA organised this business-cum-social event held at St James Power Station, with the support of the Hungarian Embassy in Singapore.

The evening attracted more than 100 guests, including Hungarian Ambassador to Singapore, His Excellency Dr Ferenc Somogyi; Vice President of the Hungarian Investment and Trade Agency, Dr György Kerekes, who flew to Singapore specially for the event; and the resident ambassador to Hungary, His Excellency Mr Ng Ser Miang, also a Bizad alumnus.

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(From left) His Excellency Mr Ng Ser Miang, Resident Ambassador to Hungary; His Excellency Dr Ferenc Somogyi, Hungarian Ambassador to Singapore; Mr Benny Lee, NUSBSA President; and Dr György Kerekes, Vice President, Hungarian Investment and Trade Agency.

In 1552, 2,000 brave Hungarian soldiers in Eger city stopped the onslaught of Western Europe by the Ottoman Empire when they fended off 150,000 Ottoman Turks – with the help of Bikavér (Bull’s Blood) wines! This, and other interesting

nuggets of quirky information was part of Arthur Tan’s (owner of Wine Tatler) introduction to Hungarian wines at the NUS Business School Alumni Association’s ‘NUSBSA Members’ Night – An Evening of Hungarian Adventure’, on 28 April.

Amidst gypsy music, Hungarian salami and award-winning Hungarian wines, the guests were intrigued by Hungary’s many inventions, showcased in a video-clip - from the ballpoint pen to the refrigerator; and from soft contact lenses to the helicopter.

Ten-year old NUSBSA organises activities to engage business school alumni at both the intellectual and social levels and these include talks such as ‘CEO Unplugged’, ‘CEO Breakfast Talks’ and golf reunions.

CEO Breakfast Talk Series

Mr Lee’s riveting talk covered current

and future energy sources, the growing appetite for energy consumption in the newly developing countries such as China, India, Brazil and Russia, and new technological developments such as fuel cell, hydrogen and electric vehicles.

The talk, chaired by Mr Benny Lee, the President of NUSBSA, drew 100

“Sharing Aspirations, Forging The Future” Saturday, 8 October 2011 Shaw Foundation Alumni House 11 Kent Ridge Drive Singapore 119244 The NUS Alumni Leaders Forum is an initiative by the NUS Alumni Advisory Board (AAB).

Organised by the NUS Business School Alumni Association “Meeting Future Energy Needs” was presented by Mr Lee Tzu Yang, the Chairman of the Shell Companies in Singapore, speaker of the first instalment of the CEO Breakfast Talk Series organised by SAS-NUSBSA on 15 April at the Marina Mandarin Hotel.

Inaugural NUS Alumni Leaders Forum

high calibre participants comprising businessmen, C-suite executives, NUS Business School alumnus, faculty members, students and senior members of the SAS Singapore team including their CEO Mr Bill Lee who enjoyed the morning of quality networking.

Organised by

Join us in this inaugural NUS Alumni Leaders Forum, specially designed for alumni and student leaders. This full day programme in Alumni Relations consists of talks, dialogues and roundtable discussions centred on best practices in Alumni Relations, and includes networking tea breaks, lunch and dinner.

Don’t miss this valuable opportunity to learn about the challenges of reconnecting and engaging with alumni from local and overseas invited speakers.

Come and share your experiences and ideas. Be inspired to make a difference.

Confirmed speakers include : Mr Mark Dollhopf, Executive Director, Association of Yale Alumni, Yale University Mr Johnny Tan, NUS AAB Member and President NUS Society Dr Teo Ho Pin, NUS AAB Member and President, NUS Building & Estate Management Alumni Mr Peter YB Tay, NUS AAB Member and Past President, NUS Business School Alumni Professor Arthur Lim, President, The Alumni Association Associate Professor Lim Meng Kin, Director, NUS Office of Alumni Relations Admission is free and limited places are available on a first-come-first-served basis. To register, please email to Ms Wendy Ng at oarnlc@nus.edu.sg For more information, please visit www.alumnet.nus.edu.sg Information is correct at the time of print.

AlumNUS | July - September 2011

Alumni buzz

Faculties

Faculties

Rag Day 2011 “Experience NUS”

Come down and support the Alumni Float during the NUSSU Rag & Flag Day 2011!

Soak up the carnival-like atmosphere and join in the cheers as the faculties, halls of residence and alumni put on a magnificent show of talent and creativity.

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20 Years of Southeast Asian Studies The Southeast Asian Studies Department, set up in 1991, has come a long way with many achievements under its belt.

“Southeast Asia is my academic hearth and a region I call home.

I am glad NUS and our Faculty has finally a Department that bestows academic enquiry and expression to an amazing region of cultural diversity and regional identity,” said A/Prof Victor Savage, head of the programme (1992–1997, 1999-2001).

Today, it offers a wide selection of programmes and these include graduate degrees by coursework and research and the joint MA degree in SEA Studies with the Australian National University. Shorter programmes include the FASS Summer School with Yale University titled “Southeast Asia in Context” and the Semester-in-Southeast Asia exchange programme with the University of Gadjah Madah, Thammasat University, Vietnam National University, Khon Kaen University, and Ateneo de Manila University.

Date: 9 August 2011 Time: 1:30pm Location: Marina Bay Promontory We’ve got 100 seats reserved specially for our Alumni.

Visit www.alumnet.nus.edu.sg to reserve your seat!

Four SEA languages are also offered - Bahasa Indonesia, Vietnamese, Thai and Malay - housed at the Centre for Language Studies.

Contact Josephine Chow (josephine@nus.edu.sg) for more information.

Alumni, students, staff and their families celebrated the 20th anniversary of Southeast Asian Studies.

43 The department celebrated its 20th anniversary with a dinner for 120 alumni and their families, students, former heads, staff and friends at the NUS Faculty Club on 7 May 2011 with FASS Dean Professor Brenda Yeoh, A/Prof Goh Beng Lan (Head), A/Prof John Miksic and A/Prof Teofilo Daquila (Assistant Heads and Graduate Coordinators).

Halls of Residence

Shearites and Dunearnites of the ’80s reunite Dunearnites and Shearites re-lived the ’80s at a dinner hosted by Sheares Hall on Saturday, 2 April 2011. A hilarious speech by 1980s alumnus N. Srinivasan, brought back warm memories of their stay in Sheares Hall, and so did the presence of

former Sheares Hall Master A/Prof Lawrence Chia. It was also a night that benefited victims of the recent tsunami disaster in Japan with a lucky draw where all proceeds were donated to the Singapore Red Cross for the relief effort.

Alumni from Sheares Hall and Dunearn Road Hostels gather for a night of good food, free flow of wine and beer, and riotous entertainment.

AlumNUS | July - September 2011

Alumni connections

Staying Connected through

NUS Alumni Groups Chinese Studies Alumni Association Mr Lim Sin Tat Email: sintat@fa.com.sg Website: www.fas.nus.edu.sg/chs

Japanese Studies Alumni Association Ms Sia Sheau Chwen Email: chwensia@gmail.com

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NUS Economics Alumni Dr Lee Soo Ann Email: ecsbox8@nus.edu.sg Website: www.nuseconomicsalumni.org NUS History Alumni Association Ms Yeap Mei Yi Email: meiyiyeap@gmail.com Website: www.nushistoryalumni.sg Political Science Alumni Association Mr Nicholas Lee Email: nl9007@hotmail.com

Faculty of Dentistry

Guild of Dental Graduates Singapore Dr Alvin Lee Email: lvinlee@gmail.com Website: http://www.dentistry.nus.edu.sg Dental Implantology Alumni Dr Shahul Hameed Email: drshahul@pacific.net.sg

Faculty of Engineering

Faculty of Science

Master of Science in Management of Technology Alumni (MOT) Mr Wong Kar Hong Email: karhong.wong@alumni.nus.edu.sg Pharmacy Alumni Dr Celine Liew Email: celineliew@nus.edu.sg Website: www.pharmacy.nus.edu.sg/alumni Physics Alumni Dr Phua Kok Khoo Email: kkphua@wspc.com.sg Website: www.nuspal.nus.edu.sg Science CBLC Alumni Association Mr Chua Yunjia Email: chua_yunjia@customs.gov.sg Website: http://scicblc.nus.edu.sg/alumni Science Youth Alumni Mr Quek Wee Tong Email: weetong@alumni.nus.edu.sg Website: www.scienceyouthalumni.com

NUS Business School

Diploma in Business Administration Alumni Mr Tan Tat Thye Email: tt_tan_sg@yahoo.com.sg MBA Alumni Dr Michael Teng Yeow Heng Email: admin@corporateturnaroundcentre.com Website: www.nusmbaalumni.org

Engineering Alumni Singapore Mr Keith Kee Email: keithkee@pacific.net.sg Website: http://www.easingapore.org/

NUS Business School Alumni Association Mr Benny Lee Email: bennylee.nusbsa@gmail.com Website: www.bschool.nus.edu.sg/nusbsa

NUS SHE (Safety, Health and Environment) Alumni Png Mui Kee Email: mmkkpng@yahoo.com.sg

NUS Business School Mandarin Alumni Dr William Chung Tang Fong Email: wilctf@yahoo.com.sg Website: www.bschool.nus.edu.sg/MandarinAlumni

Faculty of Law

Law Faculty Alumni Ms Goh Mia Yang Email: lawlink@nus.edu.sg Website: www.law.nus.edu.sg/alumni

AIESEC Singapore Alumni

NUS Alumni Photographic Society

NUSSU Alumni

Institute of System Science (ISS) Alumni

NUS Alumni Toastmasters Club

Singapore MIT Alliance Alumni Association (SMA)

Mr Ng Vern Shion Email: aalumnisg@yahoo.com Website: www.aiesec.org.sg Mr Wesley Kwon Email: K3107267@ntu.edu.sg

Nanyang University Graduate Christian Fellowship

FACULTY-BASED ALUMNI GROUPS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

INTEREST-BASED ALUMNI GROUPS

NUS Graduate School

NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences & Engineering Alumni Dr Teo Peili Email: peiliteo@alumni.nus.edu.sg Website: http://blog.nus.edu.sg/ngsalumni

NUS Postgraduate Alumni Mr Deepak Pitta Email: postgrad@nusalumni.org

NUS Overseas Colleges

NUS Overseas Colleges Alumni Ms Chua Rui Wen Email: ruiwen.chua@nocalumni.org Website: www.nocalumni.org

Assoc Prof Lai Yee Hing Email: chmlaiyh@nus.edu.sg

National University of Singapore Society Mr Johnny Tan Email: jtan4nuss@gmail.com Website: www.nuss.org.sg

NS Pioneers Association Mr Teo Cheng Keng Email: chengkeng@gmail.com

NUS Alumni Dragonboat Team Mr Kow Weijie Email: imzbest_88@hotmail.com

Mr Yang Jie Xiang Email: jyjx@yahoo.com

Mr Wee Gee Shing Email: geeshing@gmail.com Website: www.nusalumni.freetoasthost.org

NUS Climbing Alumni

Mr Toh Beng Li Email: De_philosopher@hotmail.com

NUS Radio Pulze Alumni Mr Lim Tau Wee (Lin Daowei) Email: daowei@radiopulze.com Website: www.radiopulze.com

NUS Volunteer Network Alumni Association Mr Timothy Lin Email: timothytim@hotmail.com Website: www.volunteerasone.org/alumni

Mr Charles Oh Email: charles.oh@cbs.com

Mr Su Xiangyong Stanley Email: sxystan@alum.mit.edu Website: www.singaporemitalliance.org

The Association of Nanyang University Graduates

Mr Chia Ban Seng Email: bschia@pacific.net.sg Website: www.nantahalumni.org.sg

The Nanyang University Alumni Academic Society

Dr Choong Chow Siong Email: cschoongcpa@pacific.net.sg

School of Computing

Computer and Information Science Alumni Association Mr Oliver Tian Sau Meng Email: oliver.tian@alumni.nus.edu.sg Website: www.alumni.nus.edu.sg/cisaa

School of Design and Environment

Architecture Alumni Association Mr Neo Sei Hwa Email: seihwa@tenarchitects.com.sg Website: www.arch.nus.edu.sg/alumni/AAA

Building & Estate Management Alumni Dr Teo Ho Pin Email: rstyal@nus.edu.sg Website: www.bema.org.sg Masters of Science (Environmental Management) Alumni Ms Amanda Ong Email: bluee@singnet.com.sg

University Scholars Programme

Scholars Programme Alumni Network Ms Gurvinderjit Kaut Email: uspgkss@nus.edu.sg Website: www.usp.nus.edu.sg/alumni

Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine The Alumni Association Dr Wong Keng Mun Email: kengmun3@yahoo.com.sg Website: www.alumni.nus.edu.sg/medical

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HALL-BASED ALUMNI GROUPS Eusoff Hall Alumni

Ms Wong Sheau Yann Email: sheauyann83@yahoo.com.sg Website: www.eusoff.nus.edu.sg

Kent Ridge Hall Alumni

Mr Kelvyn Choo Email: kr.alumni@gmail.com Website: www.kentridge.nus.edu.sg

King Edward VII Hall Alumni Association Ms Chia Jia Yan Email: chiajiayan@nus.edu.sg Website: www.kevii.nus.edu.sg

Raffles Hall Alumni

Prof Teo Chee Leong Email: clteo@nus.edu.sg Website: www.raffles.nus.edu.sg

Sheares Hall & Dunearn Road Hostel Alumni Dr Colin Tan Keng Yan Email: colintan@nus.edu.sg

Temasek Hall Alumni

Mr Lee Yeow Chor Email: leeyeowchor@yahoo.com.sg Website: welcome.to/thalumni

OVERSEAS CHAPTERS NUS Alumni Chapter in Auckland, New Zealand

NUS Alumni Chapter in London, United Kingdom

NUS Alumni Chapter in San Francisco and the Bay Area, USA

NUS Alumni Chapter in Beijing, China

NUS Alumni Chapter in Melbourne, Australia

NUS Alumni Chapter in Shanghai, China

Mr Ee Chiong Boon Email: davedawn@clear.net.nz

Mr David Lim Email: beijing@alumni.nus.edu.sg

NUS Alumni Chapter in Boston, USA Mr Robin Low Email: robinlow@yahoo.com

NUS Alumni Chapter in Chengdu, China Mr William Gan E-mail: williamgan@ncsi.com.cn

NUS Alumni Chapter in Hong Kong Ms Cheung Wai San Email: cheungwaisan@gmail.com Website: nushkalumni.blogspot.com

Dr Tan Peng Guan Email: london@alumni.nus.edu.sg

Dr Soh Leng Lu Email: nusalumnimelbourne@live.com.au Website: www.alumni.nus.edu.sg/Melbourne

NUS Alumni Chapter in New Delhi, India Mr Brahm Majithia Email: brahmmajithia@gmail.com

NUS Alumni Chapter in Perth, Australia Mr Thomas Goh Email: gohtlc@yahoo.com

NUS Alumni Chapter in Sarawak, Malaysia Mr Paul Kho Email: paulkhk@tm.net.my

Visit the Overseas Alumni Chapters e-Community sites: www.alumnet.nus.edu.sg Log into the e-Community site with your AlumMAIL address and password.

Mr Chong Fu Chiung Email: fuchiung@hotmail.com

Dr Cheah Kim Fee Email: sgdental@hotmail.com

NUS Alumni Association (Australia) INC, Sydney Mr Jack Tan Email: jtan@coinequities.com.au

NUS Alumni Chapter in Tokyo, Japan Mr Tetsuya Fujimoto Email: tefuji@cam.hi-ho.ne.jp

NUS Alumni Chapter in Vancouver, Canada Mr Arthur Yap Email: ayap@shaw.ca Website: www.alumni.nus.edu.sg/Vancouver

AlumNUS Card Merchants Listing The complimentary AlumNUS Card identifies you as part of the prestigious NUS alumni family and is your gateway to a host of benefits. Get your card online at www.alumnet.nus.edu.sg/alumnuscard Terms & Conditions apply. The NUS Alumni Office and the AlumNUS merchants reserve the right to amend the terms and conditions governing the offers at any time. All information is correct at press time. Visit www.alumnet.nus.edu.sg/alumnuscard for the latest privileges and promotions.

North Border Bar & Grill Enjoy

10% discount off dinner bill

and enjoy 1 for 1 Happy Hour treats Visit www.northborder.com.sg or call +65 6777 6618

Big Bear Camping Enjoy S$15 off any tent booking packages. Quote Promo Code: 15V11NUS when making booking. For more information,

Xin Wang Hong Kong Cafe Enjoy

10% discount off Pang Yau card member

visit www.bigbearcamping.com.sg

fees (usual at S$30) Visit www.xinwang.com.sg/membership.htm

46

Sinema LLP

Atos Wellness

- Buy 2 tickets and get one ticket free on purchase at the Box Office

Enjoy wellness treatments at a special rate of S$28 each:

- Spend S$50 at the Sinema Store and get a free gift

- Renewal Face Spa 60-mins indulgence worth S$180

For more information, visit www.sinema.sg or

- Thermal Spa Retreat (Body Detox) 45-mins indulgence

call +65 8228 1403

worths $180 For appointments, call +65 6841 9926

Fraser Suites Edinburgh Stay in one of the feature Suites at special rate of ÂŁ250.00 per

Bikram Original Hot Yoga

night (inclusive of VAT at 20%).

Quote NUS making booking. Visit www.frasershospitality.com

Enjoy a complimentary session for you and a friend (worths S$80). Visit www.bikramoriginalhotyoga.com or call +65 6735 9555.

NUS Shaw Foundation

*Terms & conditions apply.

Alumni House

True Fitness

Enjoy

Enjoy complimentary 10-day access (worth S$110) at any True Fitness outlets. Visit www.truefitness.com.sg *Terms & conditions apply.

25% discount off venue rates for

event bookings in the Auditorium and Seminar Rooms. For more information, call +65 6516 7700 or email: sfahvenues@nus.edu.sg

The Olive 3

Enjoy

- 15% online discount on Hand Bouquets / Table Arrangements - Surprise Music Delivery Bundle Package at S$120 (usual at S$160) Quote Promo Code: ALUMNUS when ordering

Enjoy - 15% off Steam Cleaning Services -5% off weekend rates for Regular Housekeeping Packages (minimum 1-month service)

online or via phone. For more information, visit

For services, visit www.homecentral.com.sg or call

www.theolive3.com.

+65 566 6156

AlumNUS | July - September 2011

AlumMail It is free and it will last you a lifetime! Sign up for AlumMAIL – your complimentary, lifelong email account that immediately identifies you as a member of the prestigious NUS family.

For New Sign-Ups (New Users)

Alumni Events July to September 2011

3 EASY STEPS to getting your AlumMAIL

Provided by the NUS Alumni Office as a gift to alumni to evoke a sense of pride, AlumMAIL, uses an email domain@alumni.nus.edu.sg, which helps you stay connected to your friends even after you leave the university. It is your gateway to maintain strong bonds with other alumni and serves as a lifelong connection between you and your alma mater.

Step 1:

Adopting the Microsoft Live@Edu platform, we have also upgraded AlumMAIL to serve you better.

Click on “New Sign-Up”

Here’s a slew of exciting features that will help you stay connected with your fellow alumni and alma mater:

Dates to Remember Senior Alumni Tea & Chat

Go to URL www.alumnet.nus.edu.sg/portal

JULY

Step 2:

28 thur AUGUST

25 thur

Step 3: Enter Particulars

• Up to 25GB of online storage • Real-time chat • Other office productivity features Simply sign up at www.alumnet.nus.edu.sg and you can start to enjoy the exciting features of AlumMAIL!

For Existing AlumMAIL/ e-community Users 3 EASY STEPS to login

Step 1: Log on to www.alumnet.nus.edu.sg Please visit www.alumnet.nus.edu.sg for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about AlumMAIL.

25 thur

My Name is Khan (PG) The Best Bet (PG) (see page (see 42) page 27)

SEPTEMBER

29 thur

Heartbreaker (M18) Up in the Air (PG) (see page 42) 27) (see page

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (PG)

Step 2: Click on “e-Community Sign-In”

Step 3: Enter User-ID and Password

(see page 42)

29 thur

identifies you as an esteemed NUS alumnus

• Improved contact and calendar management

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

• Lifelong email domain@alumni.nus.edu.sg which immediately • 10GB email storage (double the usual 5GB storage)

Feature Flicks

U@live

Alumni Events

JULY

JULY

27 WED

Speaker: Professor Kishore Mahbubani (see page 19)

AUGUST

22 MON

Speaker: Ms Denise Phua

8 FRI 30 SAT JULY

Alumni Day @BTC (see page 34)

(see pages 23 to 26)

Alumni Day @ KR (see page 35)

(see page 19)

SEPTEMBER

28 Wed

Speaker: Speaker Mr Subhas Anandan (see page 19)

AUGUST

9 TUE NUSSU Rag & Flag Day: Come down to the Promenade @ Marina Bay to support our Alumni Float

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Stay Connected!