The AlumNUS Jan-Mar 2012 by NUS Alumni Office

Contents 1

First Word

The NUS Alumni Awards 2011

ISSUE 88

In The News

10 16

Spotlight

EDITOR Yvette Thomasz, Arts and Social Sciences ’89

Contact us Office of Alumni Relations National University of Singapore 11 Kent Ridge Drive Singapore 119244 Tel: +65 6516 5775 Email: oarconnect@nus.edu.sg

Class Acts

My Word

ADVISOR A/Prof Lim Meng Kin, Medicine ’74

PUBLISHING CONSULTANT MediaCorp Pte Ltd

Cover Story

Celebrating The Best

First Word

The JANUARY — MARCH 2012

The Vision For College 3

Once Upon A Memory

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Alumni Scene

Winning Alumni Hearts

The

Assoc Prof Adeline Seow (left) and Prof J Y Pillay are setting the direction for College 3 at University Town

Acts Class

Pursuit Of Excellence

Woman On A Mission

Alumni from across the decades on what it means to be an NUS graduate

ISSN: 0129-3583

Changemaker

DINOSAUR POWER!

Upcoming star attractions at Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum

Champion For The Needy

STATE OF THE UNIVERSITY ADDRESS

The perils of ‘sky-pointing’

PG33 ARE THERE ‘PIRATES’ ON SINGAPORE’S BOAT? IVAN HENG FINDS OUT

U@Live

JAN - MAR 2012 // ISSUE 88

ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE

“The Best Years Of My Life”

Cover.indd 1

Moderator Viswa Sadasivan (left) and speaker Ivan Heng sharing a light moment

27/12/2011 5:51 PM

Acknowledgements Neo Aik Sing (Art Direction), Roy Lim (Photography), Lionnel Lim (Styling), Manisa Tan (Hair & Grooming), Topman and Dorothy Perkins (Clothing)

IGHTY-EIGHT, AND RARING TO GO! Welcome to the launch issue of the revamped AlumNUS magazine. This is our 88th issue and we have made changes to give it a fresh look and feel. There are more feature stories on alumni, and greater breadth and depth in our coverage of the latest developments at our alma mater. You could say we have given AlumNUS something akin to a ‘facelift’. We’ve done that because we want it to do a better job of connecting with you. Only by staying connected can we become the vibrant community that we aspire to be. Indeed, AlumNUS is our most important mode of keeping the alumni body — now numbering 209,000 and spanning more than 100 countries — connected. Do drop us a line. Tell us what you think. Better still, share your world with us. Send us your pictures. Point us to people, places or topics you would like to see featured in future issues. Keep fellow alumni updated on what’s happening in your life. Reconnect through the Class Notes page. Here’s wishing you and your loved ones a great start to the New Year. Let’s stay connected!

“Only by staying connected can we become the vibrant community that we aspire to be.”

Alumni Happenings

Culture

Class Notes

Last Word

The AlumNUS magazine is published quarterly by the NUS Office of Alumni Relations. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the NUS Office of Alumni Relations or the National University of Singapore. For more information or to read AlumNUS online, please visit www.alumnet.nus.edu.sg

A/Prof Lim Meng Kin, Director, NUS Office of Alumni Relations

JAN-MAR 2012

IN THE NEWS

STATE OF THE UNIVERSITY ADDRESS 2011:

THE PERILS OF “SKY-POINTING ” What is “sky-pointing”? What does it have to do with the National University of Singapore staying ahead in a competitive global university landscape? NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan shares his strategies at the State of the University Address 2011. 1995 - The Galapagos Islands. Along its beaches, resident marine iguanas drape themselves on the rocks to catch the sun. Suddenly, a volcano erupts. As red-hot lava flows into the sea, scorching everything in its path, the marine iguanas cannot fathom why their surroundings had become so hot. “So they did what they would normally do when hot — they pointed to the sky. Of course, this wasn’t the right response and many perished,” related NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan. He had heard the tragic story from famed wildlife photographer Tui de Roy during a visit to the Galapagos Islands. “Tui’s story highlights the risks of just continuing to

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do what you’re used to doing, even though changing circumstances demand different types of action,” continued Prof Tan. His State of the University Address drew 360 NUS staff, students and other invited guests on 14 October 2011. In his address, Prof Tan stated three key trends: the globalisation of universities around the world, the dramatic emergence and growth of new peaks in higher education in Asia, and the intensifying competition for top talent among the world’s universities. “These changes raise crucial questions for NUS: What adjustments must we make to ‘raise our game’? How do we try to stay ahead of the curve?” he said. He suggested three key strategies for

NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan speaking at the State of the University Address 2011

NUS in response to the changing higher education landscape: Focus, Differentiate and Synergise. The first strategy is “Focus”. To succeed in the face of intense global competition, NUS must sharpen its focus, he said. Revealing plans for NUS to become a key centre for health research in Asia, he added: “This is a good niche for us. The global burden of disease is shifting rapidly to Asia. As Singapore and Asia face the current epidemic of chronic diseases, there’s a pressing need for better and more cost-effective public health intervention and modes of health delivery.” The new Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, he added, will be crucial to this plan. It will collaborate extensively with fellow counterparts under the National University Health System – the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry and National University Hospital – as well as the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School and other NUS faculties. Turning to his next strategy — “Differentiation” — Prof Tan highlighted how the waved albatross in the Galapagos Islands is “designed to fly spectacularly, covering huge distances, and making clever use of rising air thermals to soar ever higher”. Similarly, to reach new heights and “soar” over the rest of the competition, NUS must differentiate itself in terms of its goals and the design of its programmes. Prof Tan points out that NUS has been bold to physically transform itself to enable innovative new learning approaches, and to create lively and dynamic hubs to promote interaction, collaboration and a rich campus experience. Describing the newly-opened University Town (UTown) as a novel model for residential college learning, Prof Tan highlighted that it contained “interlaced spaces for learning, living, arts, culture, sports and social activities to blur the line between learning inside and outside the classroom.” Other than UTown, there are plans for a complementary Campus Core which will offer opportunities for exhibitions and cultural programmes. Over the years, NUS has differentiated itself by offering students

“We have the will and the ability to succeed, to position our University strategically in the changing higher education landscape.” different academic pathways and quality programmes at renowned partner universities overseas. But this will no longer be enough. “The fact is that each year, China and India will together produce nine million graduates. Increasing numbers of these graduates will be of ever-higher quality, in tandem with the rapid advances being made in the top universities in these countries,” highlighted Prof Tan. To help students differentiate themselves, NUS will focus on strengthening students’ abilities in three areas: clarity of thinking and communications, cross-cultural effectiveness and cultivation of wider personal and professional networks. Finally, to illustrate his last strategy, “Synergy”, Prof Tan drew attention to the efforts made by NUS Enterprise to accelerate the University’s efforts at commercialisation and start-up formation, such as setting up Enterprise House as a powerful bridge between the NUS

When a volcano erupted, marine iguanas on the Galapagos Islands “pointed” at the sky and perished

Overseas Colleges programme and their incubator programme. “To help our start-ups, particularly those in the software and IT applications, gain access to larger markets, NUS Enterprise has set up launch-pads in China and in Silicon Valley,” he said. Some of these start-ups are expected to contribute to the development of the innovation ecosystem at Suzhou Industrial Park. Other than developing synergies between NUS programmes and units, Prof Tan also emphasised the importance of strategic global partnerships and cited the Yale-NUS College as a key example. The new model of liberal arts education, he said, bodes well for the future of NUS. In closing, Prof Tan expressed his optimism that NUS will continue to do well. “Through our individual and collective efforts, we have the will and the ability to succeed, to position our University strategically in the changing higher education landscape, by making NUS a leading global University centred in Asia,” he said.

JAN-MAR 2012

IN THE NEWS Mr Lee Kuan Yew

Dr Paul Volcker

DR PAUL VOLCKER SPEAKS ON THE CURRENT ECONOMIC CRISIS

IN CONVERSATION:

MR LEE KUAN YEW AT LKY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY’S 7TH ANNIVERSARY

US President Barack Obama has described him as “one of America’s most promising economic minds”. Former White House Chief Financial Advisor Dr Paul Volcker, who is a leading world authority on international economics and finance recently gave his take on the current global economic crisis at NUS.

“The vision’s got to be your vision, not my vision,” said Singapore’s former Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew at a dialogue session marking the seventh anniversary of the Lee Kuan Yew (LKY) School of Public Policy. “You have the vision for the kind of Singapore you want. You’ve got to crystallise that and get your leaders to adopt your vision,” he continued — stopping short of telling young Singaporeans what their vision of Singapore should be. Speaking for the first time as a Distinguished Fellow of the LKY School, Mr Lee fielded questions on Singapore’s government policies and political setting from students and other invited guests, including diplomats, private sector leaders and donors. The dialogue on 14 September 2011 was moderated by the School’s Dean, Professor Kishore Mahbubani. Mr Lee, who was Singapore’s Prime Minister for more than three decades, acknowledged that he had “simpler problems” to tackle when he was in charge of the government. His task as prime minister was mainly to move Singapore from being a Third World country to one in the First World. Now that Singapore is First World, the situation is more complex. “Many highly-educated people believe we must have more competition, more pressure on the government… Whether that leads to better governance, I’m not able to say,” said Mr Lee. While he agreed that there can be a competitive opposition, he does not believe it is a good idea for Singapore to have a two-party government. “Among other reasons, I don’t believe Singapore can produce two top class teams. We haven’t got the talent to produce two top class teams.”

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He believes it is popular democracy that has driven governments in the United States and Europe into its current debt crisis. “When you have popular democracy, to win votes you’ve got to give more and more,” he said. “And to beat your opponent in the next election, you’ve got to promise to give more away. So it’s a never-ending process of auctions. And the cost? The debt [is] being paid for by the next generation.” Mr Lee shared that he had been careful to ensure Singapore did not go this way and that he hoped Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his cabinet would make sure Singapore “veer on the side of prudence and balance the budget, and not raid the reserves”. When asked if the problem of an ageing population in Singapore today could be attributed to the ‘Stop at Two’ campaign on family planning launched in the 1960s, Mr Lee disagreed. “Stopping at two has nothing to do with what’s happened. It’s happening throughout the developed world,” he pointed out. Instead, he attributed the current situation to the rising education levels among women today and to economic development. Mr Lee referred to a study by the Institute of Policy Studies and reiterated the need for immigrants to make up the population in view of the low fertility rate. Singapore’s fertility rate has fallen to 1.15 today, and Mr Lee said he does not expect to see it return to 2.1, the rate of replacement. “So, the solution is immigration... As we age, and there aren’t enough young people to look after the old, then maybe the population will be receptive to taking in more immigrants,” Mr Lee said, adding that Singapore could take in about 20,000 to 25,000 immigrants annually to grow

the population. He believes that a major reason for Singaporeans’ difficulty in accepting foreigners is the differences in language. “I don’t think they (the immigrants) can learn English in their lifetime enough to become Singaporeans. We’ll have to wait for that to happen in the next generation,” he said. When asked by Professor Mahbubani what could be done to get Singaporeans to understand better the importance of letting immigrants in, Mr Lee said Singaporeans currently “just don’t want to see so many foreigners in their midst”. But he is certain they will come around, perhaps in “20, 30 years.” Mr Lee went on to speak on other topics including Singapore-Malaysia relations, the widening income gap and Europe’s debt crisis during the 50-minute dialogue session. Good governance alone isn’t enough to solve the crisis in Europe, he said. “All it means is that you’ve a system in place. In critical times, it might just tip over.” Mr Lee thinks European leaders will try very hard to prevent the collapse of their currency union but he does not believe they will be able to keep it going. To conclude the session, Mr Lee unveiled the French editions of his two-volume memoir, L’Histoire De Singapour (The Singapore Story) and Du Tiers-Monde A La Prosperite (From Third World To First). The LKY School’s inaugural Outstanding Alumni Award was awarded to Sundram Pushpanathan, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Deputy Secretary-General for ASEAN Economic Community, in recognition of his contributions in promoting good governance and public policy.

The October collapse of US brokerage MF Global is a warning against excessive risk-taking, said Dr Paul Volcker, the former chairman of the US Federal Reserve. The firm filed the eighth-largest bankruptcy in the history of the United States after its risky bets on bonds in troubled European states resulted in billion-dollar losses. Dr Volcker spoke on global financial issues at a dialogue organised by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKY School), NUS, on 9 November 2011. The School’s Dean, Professor Kishore Mahbubani, moderated the session. Convinced that speculative activities caused the financial crisis of 2007-2010, Dr Volcker has pushed for a reform bill to curb this. The Volcker Rule could come into effect as early as July 2012 as part of the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill. The rule aims to prevent American banks from proprietary trading or making big bets on markets with their own money or from backing private equity and hedge funds. “In my view, banks shouldn’t take part in speculative activity. I’d like to see that rule adopted in Singapore and right around the world,” said Dr Volcker, who

was Chairman of the Economic Recovery Advisory Board under US President Barack Obama until January 2011. Governments should avoid bailing out big institutions and putting taxpayers at risk, he argued. Failed financial institutions should be liquidated so that they can continue to meet their obligations and not upset the market. But the question was, Dr Volcker pointed out, would governments have the political will to enforce this when “push comes to shove”? On the global front, Dr Volcker’s biggest concern was whether European Union policymakers can win back market confidence and hold the bloc together. He suggested three solutions for the European debt crisis: recapitalisation of vulnerable banks, loans to debtridden European nations such as Spain and Italy, and absolution of debts for certain banks. “If that can continue for a year, enough confidence would have emerged so that markets will themselves be in a position to provide the funds,” he said. Asked whether Europe has the resources to solve its problems, Dr Volcker stated, “They’ve the resources in Europe to get it done. Or they go to the rest of the world for funds. The rest of the world

has a big stake in this. Europe as a whole can manage it, but can it manage it individually? They all have their own political problems.” As for the United States, Dr Volcker said policymakers knew that raising taxes would produce positive results for the economy. However, this wasn’t happening due to the “deep ideological divisions” between the current administration and the right-wing Republican opposition. He predicted that US interest rates were unlikely to head up from near zero before the end of 2012. However, American businesses were maintaining their profitability and were “by and large, in pretty good shape”. Dr Volcker has served as a Governing Board Member of the LKY School since 2006. Sharing his experience, the man renowned for his ability to implement tough reform told his audience that even the best of policies would fail unless it was well-administered. This was why there would always be demand for an institution like the LKY School, which he lauded for making “remarkable progress” in understanding the problems and complexities of administration.

Compiled by Viviyanti Zainol | Photos by Sir Michael Culme-Seymour

Sharing his insights with the LKY School of Public Policy on its seventh anniversary was Mr Lee Kuan Yew, who joins the School as its Distinguished Fellow.

“Europe as a whole can manage it [the European debt crisis], but can it manage it individually? They all have their own political problems.” Dr Paul Volcker, former chairman of the US Federal Reserve JAN-MAR 2012

IN THE NEWS

NEW JTC-NUS RESEARCH CENTRE TO PROVIDE REAL ESTATE SOLUTIONS

INTRODUCING THE WORLD’S FIRST ENERGY STORAGE MEMBRANE

A new joint research centre will develop cutting-edge ideas to solve Singapore’s industrial space constraints. It will have an annual operating budget of S$1 million over the next five years. High-rise mega industrial complexes. Building over major roads, expressways, buildings and sea space, or even going underground to create more land space. These are among the innovative ideas to be explored and developed at a new joint research centre set up by NUS and Jurong Town Corporation (JTC). Creative ideas are needed to alleviate Singapore’s industrial space constraints. Industrial buildings take up 18 per cent of Singapore’s total land mass and the manufacturing sector is expected to continue contributing substantially to the economy, hence requiring more space. The NUS-JTC Industrial Infrastructure

Tan Eng Chye and JTC Assistant Chief Executive Officer, Technical and Professional Services Group David Tan on 24 November 2011. Speaking at the launch of the Centre, Prof Tan said: “By joining efforts, talents and resources, the collaboration will accelerate innovations in sustainable industrial infrastructure and in industrial estate solutions. “Researchers and planners can explore and investigate the issues at hand, and then work in cross-functional and multi-disciplinary teams to propose and develop solutions. And these may eventually be brought to the market.” JTC Chief Executive Officer Manohar

“The JTC-NUS partnership paves the way for us to keep pushing the limits of possibilities, to try new ideas and chart new frontiers with innovative real estate solutions.” JTC Chief Executive Officer Manohar Khiatani Innovation (NUS-JTC I3) Centre will leverage on NUS’ technological expertise in areas such as built environment, environmental engineering and real estate, and on JTC’s business expertise and experience as a developer of industrial land. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by NUS Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost Prof

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Khiatani noted that Singapore is constantly being challenged to introduce sustainable solutions to optimise land use to support its industrial development and economic growth. “The JTC-NUS partnership paves the way for us to keep pushing the limits of possibilities, to try new ideas and chart new frontiers with innovative real estate solutions,” he said.

NUS researchers have come up with a cost-cutting and environmentally-friendly energy storage device that could revolutionise the energy industry. All smiles for NUS Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost Professor Tan Eng Chye (left) and JTC Assistant CEO Mr David Tan

An operating annual budget of S$1 million will be provided by JTC over the next five years. The Centre will focus its research in five areas: industrial real estate market, land intensification, planning and design, systems integration and optimisation, and industrial construction technology and methods. Within the research areas, it will look into technical and financial feasibilities, buildability, speed of construction, scalability as well as market acceptance of the methods and concepts in order to understand the cost-benefits, challenges and limitations as well as potential spin-offs of the innovative land intensification ideas. Creative and research expertise will be drawn from the NUS School of Design and Environment (SDE) and the Faculty of Engineering (FoE). Twelve project leaders – seven from NUS and five from JTC – have been appointed to jointly manage research projects carried out at the Centre. The Centre hopes to attract NUS students and faculty members to pursue projects and careers in this area. NUS undergraduate and graduate students will be placed on attachments to assist in its research activities.

A new technology to power hybrid vehicles and store solar energy in the near future? Researchers from NUS Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Initiative (NUSNNI) have developed just that. Led by principal investigator Dr Xie Xian Ning, the team used a polystyrenebased polymer to sandwich a soft, foldable membrane in between two graphite metal plates. When charged by these plates, the membrane stores energy at a rate of 0.2 farads per square centimetre. Standard capacitors typically manage an upper limit of only one microfarad per square centimetre.

Besides a faster charging speed, the new material can be charged 5,000 to 6,000 times, about 10 times that of rechargeable batteries. “The performance of the membrane surpasses those of rechargeable batteries, such as lithium ion and leadacid batteries, and supercapacitors,” said Dr Xie. The membrane is not costly to manufacture, and the cost of storing energy in it works out to S$0.80 (about US$0.72) per farad. In contrast, the cost for standard liquid electrolyte-based batteries is S$9 (US$7) per farad. A patent for this novel invention

“The performance of the membrane surpasses those of rechargeable batteries, such as lithium ion and lead-acid batteries, and supercapacitors.” Dr Xie Xian Ning has successfully been filed in the United States. It has already attracted the attention of scientific journals worldwide — it was featured in Energy & Environmental Science and highlighted by renowned international journal Nature. Supported by grants from the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research & Technology (SMART) and the National Research Foundation, the revolutionary energy-storage device took about one and a half years to come to fruition. More applications for the device will be explored and there are plans to commercialise it by tying up with venture capitalists. (From left)Wang Yu Zhan, Dr Xie Xian Ning, and Wang Qian who devised the energy storage membrane JAN-MAR 2012

IN THE NEWS

Come 2014, say hello to Apollo, Prince and Twinky at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum.

The dinosaur skeletons were found between 2007 and 2010 in a quarry in Wyoming, USA.

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CATALYST FOR CHANGE New X-ray Absorption Facility for Catalysis Research at NUS is a first of its kind in Southeast Asia A research facility able to perform advanced research on catalysis, materials and environmental sciences has been opened at NUS’ Singapore Synchrotron Light Source (SSLS). The X-ray Absorption Facility for Catalysis Research (XAFCA) – a first of its kind in Southeast Asia — was set up by the Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences (ICES), a research institute of the Singapore Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). Simply put, catalysis is a chemical reaction that is sped up with the help of a catalyst. One example of catalysis is hydrogenation – treating something with hydrogen – through which products like margarine and ammonia are created. Another important contribution catalysis has made is to the environment. Without

it, there wouldn’t be catalytic converters in vehicles breaking down toxic exhaust emissions into non-toxic substances. “The XAFCA facility provides a value proposition for the chemicals industry,” said ICES Executive Director Dr Keith Carpenter. “Through the study of catalytic reactions, we can understand the behaviour of the active sites during the reaction. By understanding exactly how the catalyst works, the selectivity and robustness can be improved to give higher yield and reduced manufacturing costs in many chemical industries coupled with reduced environmental impact.” Besides catalytic materials, the new

Prof Mark Breese (left) and Dr Keith Carpenter unveiling a plaque to mark the opening of the XAFCA

The layout of the XAFC beamline

facility will also allow the study of other materials with applications in important fields such as electronic, energy storage, batteries and fuel cells. SSLS Director Prof Mark Breese said that the opening of the beamline facility marks a milestone by expanding SSLS’ capabilities and integrating with in-situ analysis. He added that the scope of SSLS’ analytical applications and number of beamlines have increased since it was commissioned in 1999. “We’re confident that this effort will create a vibrant research environment which will drive advancement in synchrotron radiation instrumentation,” added Prof Breese.

Photos: Dinosauria International

THE DINOSAURS ARE COMING!

The dinosaurs are coming, thanks to donors who helped clinch a multi-million dollar deal in the nick of time. The three large fossil skeletons of sauropod dinosaurs acquired by the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research will be the star attractions at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, which opens in 2014. The museum, a new purposedesigned building will be located along Kent Ridge Crescent. It won the bid from Dinosauria International, a fossil company based in the United States. The major donors for the purchase are Dr and Mrs Lee Seng Gee and the D S Lee Foundation. Other generous contributions came from Siloso Beach Resort, Binjai Tree, Bengawan Solo, and many private well-wishers including an unnamed donor. The dinosaur skeletons were found between 2007 and 2010 in a quarry in Wyoming, USA. Discovered together, the two adults and one baby are diplodocid sauropod dinosaurs, among the biggest animals to walk on this planet some 150 million years ago. The adult dinosaurs — nicknamed Apollo and Prince — measure 24m and 27m in length respectively, while the baby dinosaur, Twinky, is 12m long. The three long-necked dinosaurs will be the centrepiece of the new museum’s gallery. Two of the dinosaurs have been mounted and arrangements are being made for their arrival at the National University of Singapore. The largest of the trio, measuring 27 metres in length, will arrive by 2014. The dinosaur exhibit will be a spectacular display of one of the world’s largest animals at a scale unmatched by most natural history museums in the world. Promising to be a multi-generational attraction, it will also be used for educational purposes, hopefully inspiring future generations of scientists to pursue research across multi-disciplinary fronts. Fund-raising efforts are underway by the museum to raise another S$2 million for an exhibition on the history of life on earth, centering around the three dinosaurs.

JAN-MAR 2012

COVER STORY

By Leong Pik Yin

From the post-independence era of the 1960s to the fastpaced information age of the 21st century, every decade presents different norms, economic outlooks and social settings for bright-eyed graduates from the National University of Singapore. Yet, there are elements and experiences that seem to endure through the eras; a rich and colourful varsity lifestyle that often extends beyond the lecture hall and classroom. AlumNUS talks to notable alumni about what it was like to be a fresh graduate during their day.

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Arts and Social Sciences ’68

t university, Zaibun Siraj once togged herself up to depict ‘War’. Her outfit was fashioned from a white bedsheet, complete with army accessories and a skull. She topped it off with a purple wig. Ms Siraj was certainly no wallflower at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences in the ‘60s. It was, in her words, “a time of change”, marked by the Vietnam War, the hippie movement and Singapore’s independence. The 64-year-old retired teacher and teacher-trainer, who still turns heads today with her vibrantlycoloured outfits and purple-streaked hair, is now a motivational speaker and author. An early champion of the feminist movement in Singapore, Ms Siraj is a former president of the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE), which she cofounded in 1985. She has fought vocally for women’s rights, but then being vocal was something she mastered at university. The History major credits her lecturers for inspiring her and her peers to express their views. “I was trained to articulate ideas clearly and not to be afraid to make suggestions. It helped me develop confidence and the skill to speak up.” Beyond the classroom, Siraj was actively involved in Eusoff College, then an all-girls’ hostel. She took part in Student Union activities, speech competitions and plays. She could also be found with flowers in her hair, singing Beatles songs with her varsity mates — one of whom was On Zaibun Siraj: Black and printed 2-fer blouse, silk scarf and crystal necklace from Marks & Spencer

Arts

8 6 9 1

“The university gave us the opportunity to create and to be ourselves.” “[The riots] taught us the importance of racial harmony,” says Ms Siraj, adding that at university, she got to form close friendships with local Chinese and Malays, as well as Malaysian undergraduates. At that time, however, women’s rights were “dismal”. Women faced discrimination of all sorts; for example, there was a quota for the number of women who could enter medical school. Domestic violence was rife and women were often demeaned in the media. Ms Siraj’s feminist beliefs began at home. Her mother, a social worker at the Syariah Court, often came home with stories of women whose husbands had abandoned them to take other wives. “My mother was a feminist in her time. I grew up disliking the arrogance of the traditional males,” says Ms Siraj, who has been married for 35 years. Her father, a school principal who was also actively involved in volunteer work, was supportive of her views.

Interviews: Leong Pik Yin | Photos: Roy Lim | Styling: Lionnel Lim | Hair & Makeup: Manisa Tan

Class Acts

ZAIBUN SIRAJ

Singaporean musician and humour writer Siva Choy — on the rooftop of the university’s Science Tower. Siraj graduated in 1968 and went on to obtain her Diploma in Education in 1969, before starting her teaching career at Victoria School. There were not many graduates at that time, so most of them found jobs easily, she said. However, the late 1960s was also a politically tense era with racial riots breaking out in Singapore in 1964 and 1969, triggered by Sino-Malay conflict and violence in Malaysia.

Thus, her personality fully blossomed at NUS. “The university gave us the opportunity to create and to be ourselves. This gave us the confidence and the strength to grow and to develop our potential in so many different areas when we graduated.”

JAN-MAR 2012

COVER STORY

EDMOND PEREIRA Law ’76

he early ’70s was an era of rapid growth in Singapore, marked by the manufacturing boom and proliferation of foreign capital. Law graduate Edmond Pereira had big dreams. After obtaining his degree from the University of Singapore in 1976, he applied to join the Foreign Service. “I had great aspirations then of being a diplomat, one who would wine and dine at the United Nations, in the UK, and elsewhere in Europe,” he recalls of his young self. Instead, he was called in for an interview with the Legal Services Commission (LSC), during which he was chided by then-Chief Justice Wee Chong Jin, who asked the wet-behindthe-ears lawyer why he had not applied to join the legal service. CJ Wee, who was also the LSC Chairman at that time, reminded Mr Pereira of his National Service obligations, which he had yet to fulfill. So Mr Pereira joined the Ministry of Defence as a legal officer, embarking on what has become a solid career in the law. After two years with Mindef, Mr Pereira was posted to the AttorneyGeneral’s Chambers — the key legal advisor to the government — where he served as Deputy Public Prosecutor and State Counsel for six years. He established his own practice in 1992. Today, Mr Pereira, 62, who won the Law Society of Singapore’s first Legal Eagle Award in 1998, is highly regarded as a criminal lawyer. His eldest daughter (Mr Pereira has four children) is currently doing her bar examinations in London. In the early ‘70s, the Law Faculty

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admitted just over 100 students each year, compared with more than 200 today. Graduating as a lawyer at that time was prestigious, he says. But the university at Bukit Timah — the Law Faculty has since returned there after more than two decades at the Kent Ridge campus — was far from swanky. Mr Pereira recalls attending lessons held in Nissen huts: prefabricated military-style steel structures with curved roofs. Still, the atmosphere was cosy and friendly, and the proximity of the various faculties created a close-knit community, says Mr Pereira, who represented the university in intervarsity debates and athletics. “I had very fulfilling and eventful undergraduate years, where strong bonds of friendship were developed.” He is still in touch with his peers from the Law Faculty, including former Nominated Member of Parliament Chandra Mohan Nair, Senior Counsel Deborah Barker, and District Judges Roy Neighbour, Low Wee Ping and Hamidah Ibrahim.

Law

1976

Medicine ’84

s an NUS Medical undergraduate during the early 1980s, plastic surgeon Dr Woffles Wu frequented discos, spent weekends in car workshops with fellow sports car fanatics, and still found the time to paint as well as sing in the Medical School band. “It was the disco era,” says the 51-yearold, recalling his visits to “hot” nightspots like The Club and Chinoiserie, “a time of bell bottoms, psychedelic prints and tightfitting V-shaped shirts.” But as hard as he partied, Dr Wu was dead serious when it came to work. As a houseman, he often toiled until the wee hours of the morning, surviving on just one or two hours of sleep. There were only four public hospitals in Singapore during that period, and the 1980s was a time of rapid growth. Hospitals were often operating at full capacity to cope with the rising number of patients from the newly-created housing estates. “The work culture was different then,” recalls Dr Wu, who has two children. “At that time, we had to look after an entire ward. Now, doctors and nurses are given just a portion of a ward to look after. We worked really hard then, but nobody complained. “We all adapted, learnt to cope with stress… I think the doctors who came out of that ‘fire’ were much ‘harder’ and better.” Dr Wu started out in Pediatrics

“The medical training we received in those years was among the best you could get anywhere in the world,” he says. “Some of us were offered scholarships overseas but we decided to stay in Singapore. You get to see a different spectrum of diseases [studying in Singapore] that are more relevant to practising here. “The medical faculty was a tightly-knit community, and my undergraduate life was very full and fulfilling. I would do it all again if I had to.”

“The medical faculty was a tightly-knit community, and my undergraduate life was very full and fulfilling.”

“I had eventful undergraduate years, where strong bonds of friendship were developed.” Over the years, Mr Pereira has taken on numerous high-profile civil and criminal cases, one of the most prominent being the grisly “body parts murders” — Briton John Martin Scripps killed and dismembered three tourists — that gripped Singapore in 1995. He was also involved in Singapore’s biggest bank fraud case to date, in which an Asia-Pacific Breweries finance manager swindled banks out of $117 million. Mr Pereira grew up greatly influenced by lawyers. He was a regular visitor at the home of the late Justice Denis D’Cotta, his classmate’s father, who was a High Court judge from 1970

WOFFLES WU

before getting his surgical degree which then enabled him to practise plastic surgery. He says he found it difficult to treat children with terminal diseases. “You see them every week and you develop an attachment and empathy for them. Then six months later, they die. It was depressing,” he says. “I felt that plastics suited my temperament better. It is a different way of helping children, such as those born with congenital deformities. To be able to restore some normality to their faces and their lives is greatly satisfying.” Dr Wu remembers fondly his early days as a doctor at the former Toa Payoh Hospital. “It had a very nice spirit and all the doctors knew one another. It was smaller, there was

to 1981. The late Minister for Law and National Development E.W. Barker was a close family friend and a great source of inspiration. “Hearing them talk about their youth, their experiences as lawyers and in the Court encouraged and inspired me,” says Mr Pereira. “I wanted to be a criminal lawyer who could make a difference. “I feel I can help people who are treated unjustly, uphold the rights of individuals, be a guardian of the rights of the citizenry. The cut and thrust of court work excites me.”

more interaction and you learnt more. Those were the days when we really looked forward to going to work.” He moved to Singapore General Hospital in 1988, where he worked as a plastic surgeon for 12 years before setting up his own practice. In 1990, Dr Wu also won the Young Surgeon of the Year award for his groundbreaking research on nasal anatomy. Dr Wu believes that his NUS education has played a significant part in his career. His varsity mates include cardiologist Michael Lim and Ting Choon Meng, inventor of a patented cardiac watch.

e n i c i med

4 8 19

JAN-MAR 2012

COVER STORY

ADAM KHOO Business Administration ’99

hile his peers were partying at NUS Jam and Hop sessions, Adam Khoo was supplying the deejays and mobile entertainment equipment for those events. He also ran a training consultancy, invested in property and stocks, and wrote his first book — all while he was a Business Administration undergraduate during the 1990s. Yet he made it to the Dean’s List every year, ranking among the top one per cent of his university cohort. Shortly after graduation, Mr Khoo became a poster boy for entrepreneurship, having raked in his first million at the age of 26. But the road to success was an arduous one for the 37-year-old. Expelled from his first primary school for bad behaviour and poor results, Mr Khoo did so badly for his Primary School Leaving Examinations that he did not qualify for any of the six secondary schools of his choice. Frustrated, he began to believe that he was “born lazy and maybe even stupid”. The turning point came when he was 13. His parents sent him for a motivational camp based on neurolinguistic programming and wholebrain learning. “[Before that] I was learning the wrong way,” says Mr Khoo, who then realised that he was a right-brain person who organises information in

a pictorial way. “It was that shift in paradigm that turned things around for me.” Today, Mr Khoo’s businesses in education, training, event management and advertising pull in a combined annual turnover of $30 million. He has also written 11 books, including the best-selling I Am Gifted, So Are You!. Mr Khoo scoffs at the notion — still held by some — that education is hardly useful to a businessman. “That’s rubbish. Education, both formal and informal, is very important, especially in Asia where people still judge you by your paper qualifications,” says Mr Khoo who graduated with an honours degree in 1999. “It’s the process you go through that’s important: you go through the rigours of training your mind how to think and how to process information.” It was at NUS that he was forced to familiarise himself with a thenunknown beast — the Internet. The 1990s marked the start of the dotcom era and the university encouraged lecturers and students to go online.

“The contacts and friendships I formed at NUS are definitely most important for me.”

ALUMNUS

“Many of us were quite resistant and fearful,” recalls Mr Khoo. “But our lecturers and tutors were posting lessons and assignments online so we had no choice. It was scary just setting up an email account!” The exposure proved invaluable — Mr Khoo makes full use of social media for his businesses today, including Facebook, Twitter and blogs. He also cashed in on the Internet revolution in the late 1990s and early 2000s by investing in some technology

stocks during “one of the biggest bull runs of our time”. Mr Khoo, who is married with two children, says his undergraduate days were particularly worthwhile because of the network of people he built. A number of key personnel in his companies, including a current business partner, were his university classmates. “Some of us worked on projects together. That’s when you learn a lot about people, what they’re like and how they work. The contacts and friendships I formed at NUS are definitely most important for me.”

B usiness

9 9 9 1

“Those insane hours in the computer lab in my final year made me realise how far I could push myself.”

LEE LI HUI Engineering ’04

he stayed in a muddy house full of chickens, and helped to build a school in rural Thailand. She skied every week for a semester as an exchange programme student in Vancouver. And she ran up and down the steep hills of the Kent Ridge campus to train for a road relay. Lee Li Hui’s undergraduate days at NUS were certainly far from ordinary. In fact, they were a prelude to her ultimate adventure; in 2009, she made history as one of the first Singaporean women to conquer the world’s highest summit, Mount Everest. In 2004, while her classmates were looking for jobs upon graduation, Ms Lee decided to take a monthlong trek in the Himalayas. It was this experience that planted the urge in her to climb a mountain. “I felt a little dissatisfied to be trekking beneath such majestic beauty,” she recalls. “Instead, I longed for the experience of standing atop the snowcapped mountains.” While she was at NUS, Ms Lee had eagerly signed up for the NUS Centennial Everest Climb in 2005. Up until then, she had trekked in Thailand, Australia, Nepal and Vietnam. Climbing Everest sounded like an experience of a lifetime,” says the Chemical Engineering graduate. “Plus, I thought it would be cool to be a part of this epic NUS endeavour.” But the training schedule then coincided with her exchange programme in Vancouver, so she had to give up the opportunity. She later joined a team of like-minded On Lee Li Hui: Aubergine dress by Dorothy Perkins, bracelets from Marks & Spencer

Engineer ing

2004

women and spent the next five years training and working towards an Everest climb, ultimately conquering the peak in 2009 with the other three women. Ms Lee feels that her university experience helped to prepare her for this seemingly insurmountable goal. While working on her finalyear project at university, she was in the computer lab every day from 8am to 3am. “It made me realise how far I could push myself when I set my mind to it. I was actually proud of myself for keeping to those insane hours. “There’s an inexplicable sense of achievement for being so focused on your goal that makes the ‘suffering’ rewarding. This was actually a taste of what I was to experience during my five-year training for Everest,” says Ms Lee, 29, who had to juggle team meetings and gruelling training on top of her then-work commitments in pharmaceutical sales. Ms Lee and her team trained six days a week, and training included climbing stairs with a 20kg backpack each. They also had to attend networking sessions and source for sponsors. By the time she embarked on the climb, Ms Lee was “a lot more than the mountaineer I [had] aspired to be”. “I was an adventure racer, a mountain biker, a marathon finisher, a rock climber, a sponsorship, marketing and PR person, and even a motivational speaker. The person I grew into over the five years made me redefine my potential and proved what time and commitment can achieve,” says Ms Lee, who is married and now works as a business development manager.

JAN-MAR 2012

SPOTLIGHT

Sixteen exceptional individuals were honoured at the glittering NUS Alumni Awards 2011. On 4 November 2011, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee shared the stage with a 30-something millionaire entrepreneur and an engineerturned-dance choreographer. Such interesting individuals and more were present at the 2011 NUS Alumni Awards, a ceremony

Standing: Winners of the Outstanding Young Alumni Award (from left) Darius Cheung; Edward Chia; Darrel Chong; Eric Feng; Tung Soo Hua; Adam Khoo; Kiran Kumar; Benjamin Lee; Ivan Lee, and Wekie Tay

celebrating the most outstanding individuals from NUS’ diverse alumni community of more than 200,000 in over 100 countries. The 16 awards were divided into three categories — the Outstanding Young Alumni Award, the Distinguished Alumni Service Award

Dr Noeleen Heyzer, Arts and Social Sciences ‘71, ‘73 and the Eminent Alumni Award. Nominees for the first two awards were chosen by an online nomination process, while the last was nominated by the NUS Alumni Awards Selection Committee. The Eminent Alumni Award — the night’s marquee award — went to Dr Noeleen Heyzer, the Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific at the United Nations. Since assuming this role, Dr Heyzer has worked tirelessly to implement conventions and developmental goals in the AsiaPacific region. Dr Heyzer, who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005, is

“The advancement of one’s own interests cannot be exclusive of the interests of others in general.” Kong Mun Kwong, Architecture, Building & Estate Management ‘71

the former Executive Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). Her achievements there included changes in inheritance laws for women, better working conditions for migrant workers and the inclusion of women as full citizens in Afghanistan’s constitution. Dr Heyzer graduated from NUS with a Bachelor of Social Sciences (Hons) in 1971 and a Master of Social Sciences in 1973. NUS provided her with her “first serious exposure to intellectual analysis and debate,” said Dr Neyzer. “It gave me the time and space to deepen my thinking and interest in society.” The Eminent Alumni Award was bestowed on Dr Heyzer in acknowledgement of her outstanding contributions to humanity and dedicated service to NUS and the larger alumni community. There were five awardees for the Distinguished Alumni Service Award

which recognises alumni who have distinguished themselves in rendering excellent and sustained service to NUS, its predecessor institutions or the alumni community. Among them was Mr Kong Mun Kwong, who was from the class of Architecture, Building & Estate Management ’71. Mr Kong, who was an NUS Adjunct Associate Professor from 1988 to 1993, said he had benefited from more than just the academic education he received. He was part of an active student leadership during the mid-1960s when Singapore became independent of Malaysia in 1965, and learnt that “the advancement of one’s own interests cannot be exclusive of the interests of others in general”.

“The role of the university alumni is critical — we need to find inspiration from each other and, more importantly, give inspiration to the current students.” Viswaroopan Sadasivan, Arts and Social Sciences ‘83

Another recipient, Mr Viswaroopan Sadasivan, was recognised for his contributions in broadcasting, the public sector, the community and NUS. Mr Sadasivan, who was from the class of Arts and Social Sciences ’83, had spent 12 years in broadcasting. An NUS Alumni Advisory Board member since its inception in 2006, he launched U@live, a monthly signature NUS event that presents alumni, students and faculty members who have made a difference.

Text: Ramesh William

CELEBRATING THE BEST

“NUS gave me the time and space to deepen my thinking and interest in society.”

OPPOSITE PAGE Winner of the Eminent Alumni Award Dr Noeleen Heyzer (front row, fourth from left) with winners of the Distinguished Alumni Service Award and NUS staff (from left) Prof Brenda Yeoh, Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences; Viswa Sadasivan; Wong Ngit Liong, Chairman, NUS Board of Trustees; Prof Tan Chorh Chuan, NUS President; Dr Seek Ngee Huat; Kong Mun Kwong, and A/Prof Lim Meng Kin, Director, NUS Office of Alumni Relations 16

ALUMNUS

JAN-MAR 2012

SPOTLIGHT

The many contributions of Dr Seek Ngee Huat, Architecture, Building & Estate Management Class ‘73, include serving as Chairman of the Advisory Committee to the MBA with Specialisation in Real Estate (2005-2006)

Bob Chua, Arts and Social Sciences ‘80, has earned a reputation as the most engaged mentor on the Faculty of Arts and Social Science’s Mentorship Programme since it started in 2006

Veronica Eng, Business Administration ’76, ‘84, currently contributes to NUS as a Member of the Board of Directors, Centre for Asset Management Research & Investments, NUS Business School

“The role of the university alumni is critical — we need to find inspiration from each other and, more importantly, give inspiration to the current students,” said Mr Sadasivan. The other three recipients were Dr Seek Ngee Huat (Architecture, Building & Estate Management ’73), Mr Bob Chua (Arts and Social Sciences ’80), and Ms Veronica Eng (Business Administration ’76, ’84). Interestingly, of the 16 honoured on the night, seven were from the

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Mr Ivan Lee, CEO of Thai Express, an Outstanding Young Alumni, expressed the view that “Arts programmes tend to produce the most entrepreneurs.” “I guess that’s because we are taught to be more creative and to look at different perspectives,” said the Arts and Social Sciences ’00 graduate. Altogether, 10 alumni aged 40 and below were honoured that night as Outstanding Young Alumni for having distinguished themselves for their excellent and sustained contributions to their chosen fields, NUS or its alumni community, and exemplifying the best attributes of youth in today’s world. Engineering ’05 graduate Darius Cheung dedicated his award to his NUS peers who helped to set up the security start-up tenCube which was subsequently acquired by McAfee. “Most of the 25 who formed the company were from NUS,” said Mr Cheung. “My fondest memories of NUS are of spending hours [with my roomate and cofounder] drumming up ideas and writing code at night, putting together business plans and making products… all which have led us to where we are today.” Besides Mr Lee and Mr Cheung, the other awardees were Mr Edward Chia (Arts and Social Sciences ’09); Dr Darrel Chong (Engineering ’03); Mr Eric Feng (Computer Science ’07); Mr Adam Khoo (Business Administration ’99); Mr Kiran Kumar (Engineering ’07); Mr Benjamin Lee (Arts and Social Sciences ’06);

Mr Wekie Tay (Arts and Social Sciences ’98); and Ms Tung Soo Hua (Science ’97, Arts and Social Sciences ’07). NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan praised the night’s winners and reiterated the university’s commitment to its students and alumni in his speech. “NUS has put in place many programmes to make the learning experience a dynamic, exciting and a vibrant one,” he said. “The result is our fresh alumni have a greater, and growing, sense of belonging and connection to our university.” About 300 guests including spouses, parents and relatives were present at the awards event to celebrate with the winners. Notable alumni present included paraplegic neuroscientist and Paralympian Dr William Tan and former Member of Parliament Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed. The NUS Alumni Awards has an impressive list of past recipients: the former President of the Republic of Singapore, Mr S R Nathan, the former Senior Minister Mr S Jayakumar, Hyflux CEO Ms Olivia Lum, and the present Ambassador to the United States, Professor Chan Heng Chee, to name a few. Prof Tan honoured all the winners for their respective successes and contributions to NUS. “Your values and qualities serve as a beacon and inspiration to the entire NUS community,” he said. “You remind us of what is possible when we set our dreams high, pursue our convictions and use our talents in the service of others.”

“Your values and qualities serve as a beacon and inspiration to the entire NUS community.” NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan to the award winners

U@live is a monthly speaker series that showcases outstanding members of the NUS community. Apart from having a live audience, U@live will also be webcasted live through a dedicated website where users can send in real time comments and questions directly to the speakers.

7:30pm, 18 January 2012 Philip Yeo Engineering ’74 Chairman, SPRING Singapore

Kick off the year with a pioneer who has helped transform Singapore from Third World to First.

7:30pm, 8 February 2012 S R Nathan Arts & Social Sciences ’54 Former President, Republic of Singapore

Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nus.graduates

S R Nathan comes back to NUS to chat about his experiences in office and life after his presidency.

Join us Online!

www.nus.edu.sg/ualive

Reserve your seat now!

Attend the show live at Shaw Foundation Alumni House Register at www.alumnet.nus.edu.sg

Who else...

would you like to hear on U@live

Email us at ualive@nus.edu.sg

with your nominated speakers, and your name, faculty, year of graduation, email address and telephone number. 18

ALUMNUS

JAN-MAR 2012

MY WORD

THE VISION FOR COLLEGE 3 Professor J Y Pillay and Associate Professor Adeline Seow, respectively the Rector and Master of the third residential college in UTown, share their vision and plan College 3. By Viviyanti Zainol Student residents can expect a multi-disciplinary curriculum and a culture of networking at the latest residential college at the National University of Singapore’s University Town, when it opens in August 2012. This is the third residential college after Tembusu and Cinnamon. Setting the direction for the college is its Rector, Professor J Y Pillay, the founding chairman of Singapore Airlines, the former managing director of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) and the current chairman of the Council of Presidential Advisers. Prof Pillay and Associate Professor Adeline Seow, Master of the third

ALUMNUS

college—temporarily named College 3 — give AlumNUS a glimpse of what the inaugural batch of student residents can look forward to. PROF PILLAY, YOU HAVE SUCH A DIVERSE CAREER FROM CORPORATE WORK TO POLITICS. WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO IN YOUR ROLE AS RECTOR?

Prof Pillay: This is something of great interest to me because it is a pioneering assignment for the system of residential colleges and for me, of course. I look forward with some trepidation and some anticipation to this role. Trepidation, because I have little experience of academia, but anticipation in that it’s a new field for me. I

enjoy associating with youngsters and that includes not just the students, but the faculty members and the Master herself. I can learn something from them. The way I see university education is that it first, of course, must provide the tools of the trade. It must also be able to develop one’s ability to manage resources, which essentially means learning how to get on with colleagues, your boss and your subordinates when you come out to work. Sooner or later, university graduates will be expected to manage people. University should be able to broaden the mind of the individual so that he or she is not confined to his specialty, but is able to function as an enlightened citizen. He should be able to absorb what the outside world has to offer beyond the confines of the university. He should receive a good grounding for continued education and development beyond university. COLLEGE 3’S CURRICULUM FOCUS WILL BE “ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT”. COULD YOU ELABORATE?

A/P Seow: What’s distinctive about those who come to College 3 is that they’re going to be in a community of 600 students. They’re going to be living together, learning together, picking up soft skills. One of the things we hope they’ll also get is a sense of connectedness, a sense of being part of something larger than themselves. We think this will enrich their university education, expand their horizons and make them think about what their role is when they finally go out to work and apply all their skills. We hope this theme will give a coherence to the curriculum. The five modules they will be doing in the college will involve this theme of active citizenship and community engagement. Other universities incorporate a theme

by including a service component in the modules. So the students learn, explore, ask questions that are analytical and critical in terms of academic rigor, but they also apply that by going outside—learning from people in the real world, in a way that’s relevant to what they’re learning in the classroom. RESIDENTS WILL GO THROUGH A ‘CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE’ WHICH OFFERS PRACTICAL HANDS-ON LEARNING. WHAT CAN THEY EXPECT?

A/P Seow: This is an elective module for senior students who would like to discover how the principles of active citizenship can be used to address a real-world issue. We’ve just implemented the pilot phase. Two groups of students are working with the Health Promotion Board and students from the Institute of Technical Education to explore innovative ways to help youth embrace health. In this case, ‘health’ and its determinants are understood not only from the biomedical but the social perspective. We want to help students connect with their passion, to be involved in community and to connect them with like-minded people, whether they are from Engineering, Arts and Social Sciences or Medicine. So that when they go out to work, they can be an influence in their social communities. We want to light the flame that will help them to continue learning, and as Rector has said, expand their views, make them view their roles as more than just their work, and see how they can positively influence society.

develop their minds and their skills after they leave university. I think we can get some sense of it by looking at how they progress. They are only here for two years. Some may be invited to spend their third year here. The interesting question [is] how many of them would like to spend their third year here. That would give us some idea of whether we’re doing things right (laughs). A/P SEOW, AS MASTER, WHAT KIND OF UNIQUE UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE DO YOU HOPE STUDENTS AT COLLEGE 3 WILL HAVE?

A/P Seow: What makes a college

unique is its identity, and this will emerge over time as the community comes together and develops a strong sense of purpose. For College 3, it’s the theme of active citizenship and community engagement. But ultimately, the experience will be defined by its Fellows, members and everyone who contributes to the College. If anything, I trust that it’ll simply be the firm conviction that the College can make a real and meaningful impact on the lives of our students as they prepare to enter the working world. It will take the concerted effort of a whole team of people, but I believe this is truly worthwhile.

Setting the direction: Associate Professor Adeline Seow (Medicine ’88) (left) and Professor J Y Pillay (Law ’96)

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO SEE BY THE END OF YOUR FIRST TERM AS RECTOR AND MASTER OF THIS NEW COLLEGE?

Prof Pillay: I would like to get a better understanding of university and academia, and the aspirations of our younger generation. But the impact of the university on the students of being part of College 3 will be the ability to be useful citizens, to function effectively in organisations, to be able to recognise the need for them to

Photos by Steve Zhu

Artist’s impression of College 3 which will open in August 2012

JAN-MAR 2012

Dressed up as a tomato (facing camera) for Rag & Flag during first year

ONCE UPON A MEMORY

On a first year studio trip to Malaysia (third from the left, first row)

“The e ars Y t s e B of my Life” Award-winning architect Belinda Huang (Architecture ’90) recalls her red-eye days and nights as an undergraduate. As told to Theresa Tan

elinda Huang, 44, is one-half of Arc Studio, which she and her husband Khoo Peng Beng founded in 1999. Arc is best known for designing the iconic and highly-soughtafter Pinnacle@Duxton public housing flats which consists of seven 50-storey towers and features the world’s two longest sky gardens of 500 metres each. For its work on this massive project, the studio has garnered multiple awards including the 2010 Best Tall Building Asia & Australasia award by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat; the 2010 President’s Award for Design; and the prestigious 2011 Urban Land Institute Global Awards for Excellence in Los Angeles. Ms Huang is also actively involved in the Urban Planning Renewal Authority’s Sub-Committee in the Singapore Institute of Architects. Despite her packed schedule, the mother of three boys, (Matthew, 13, Nicholas, seven and Jaden, four) makes time for “family drumming sessions, with African drums!”. She graduated from NUS with a Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies in 1990, and in 1992, completed her Diploma in Architecture at The Bartlett, the multidisciplinary education and research for the built environment faculty of the University College London. For AlumNUS, Ms Huang recalls the highlights of her days as an NUS undergraduate.

ALUMNUS

At the President’s Award for Design 2010 ceremony (second from left)

The Pinnacle@Duxton

Friends Forever University days! Feels like eons ago, yet some memories are still so fresh. My relationship with architecture started in NUS in 1986. With the benefit of hindsight, I now know that my time there was a foundation stone for my life and career. Studio life was a completely new experience for me, after years of classroom learning. It was just one big space; we broke up into groups with our own drafting tables. Ninety per cent of our time was spent in the studio designing. It was intense. But soon, working through the night to meet presentation deadlines became a way of life. Endless bad hair days and puffy red eyes was the unique look for Archi girls. I discovered early that Uhu glue was the perfect nail polish remover, so naked nails were added to my ‘Archi Fashion List’. Strangely, those years in NUS are still the best years of my life.

My strongest memories of being in NUS are of the great friendships forged. While we worked insanely hard, all the ‘pain’ was made negligible by long hours of laughter, 3am nasi lemak suppers and the occasional Jam & Hop… Employing humour in a gruelling situation is but one of many life skills I gained from my undergraduate days. The more demanding the project, the closer my classmates and teammates became. We were full of life, devouring all we could, happily feeding our senses on the many trips we took together. In our first year, we went to Malaysia and studied the architecture of the indigenous cultures. In our second year, we went to Myanmar to look at the temples and take in the culture there. Architecture is not about an inanimate object—it is about how space correlates with how people live. I learned from those days that anything and everything can inspire you. Most importantly, as classmates and teammates, we looked out for

one another. Architectural projects require teamwork. You rely on those around you, from the contractors to the consultants. Without them, you can’t get it built. Relationshipbuilding is everything. The architect has to pull the whole team together.

How I Met Your Father Architecture School was also where I met the man who would become my husband. I was in second year and he was in first year. I was on the camp committee as the Viking Queen during the first year orientation camp. He told me that his earliest impression of me was that I was a very loud person, constantly cackling with laughter. After graduation, I was working at a firm and one day my boss said, ‘I found this guy! He’s very good with computers!’ and in walked Peng Beng, and I said ‘Aiyah, you ah?’ We started out as colleagues and friends. I still remember telling him I would never marry an architect. But our marriage was a ‘rollercoaster’! We started going out, and

two months later we were married— that was 1998. And two months later I was pregnant!”

Just Say It

At university, I also gained the ability to express myself fearlessly. This has helped me immeasurably in my work. The many jittery moments when we had to stand up to the toughest of critics—our tutors—to present our projects definitely helped to ‘toughen my skin’. This is something that is very useful, I assure you, especially when you are facing a room of 20 suntoughened contractors. I clearly remember Rag & Flag Day when I was in first year. We had constructed a huge can of Campbell’s vegetable soup, and a bunch of us dressed up as vegetables and danced the Twist. It was hilarious—and I have not been easily embarrassed since! Looking back, my years in NUS imprinted in me the importance of relationships and the need to have fortitude when achieving goals. Most of all, to do all that with laughter!

Belinda Huang Architecture ’90 JAN-MAR 2012

Photos courtesy of Belinda Huang | Main photo by Kenneth Choo | The Pinnacle@Duxton photo GettyImages

Belinda (second from left) at her third year graduation in 1990

ALUMNI SCENE

Christine Fairchild, Director of Alumni Relations, University of Oxford

Prof Arthur Lim, President of the Medical Alumni Association

Mark Dollhopf, Executive Director, Association of Yale Alumni

“What we thought to be a potential challenge and difficulty turned out to be a huge bonding point for the group,” described Ms Edersheim. Further exploring the topic of empowering volunteer alumni leaders, Assoc Prof Lim Meng Kin, Director of NUS’ Office of Alumni Relations (OAR) spoke on “broadening the base and strengthening the core” by energising the “core” in order to engage other alumni who will in turn reach out to others. With NUS becoming a global university, Assoc Prof Lim noted that it would be important to extend NUS’s global reach by expanding the network of overseas alumni chapters. Alumni association presidents such as Mr Benny Lee, President of the NUS Business School Alumni Association; Dr Teo Ho Pin, President of the NUS Building And Estate Management Alumni; Prof Arthur Lim,

WINNING ALUMNI HEARTS Getting alumni actively involved in their alma mater takes art and heart. Alumni leaders from top global universities including Yale and Oxford gathered to exchange ideas at the inaugural Alumni Leaders’ Forum organised by the National University of Singapore’s Office of Alumni Relations. By Yong Yung Shin The inaugural NUS Alumni Leaders’ Forum on 8 October 2011 brought together a core group of alumni leaders and volunteers to share challenges, strategies for success and future plans for alumni engagement. Local alumni leaders had the benefit of hearing how top global university alumni organisations handle alumni relations. Guest speakers from Oxford and Yale offered interesting new perspectives. Mr Mark Dollhopf, executive director of the Association of Yale Alumni at Yale University, kicked off the symposium with a surprise. He handed out real bank notes to illustrate the concept of “serial reciprocity”, a series of one-way transfers where no return is expected by the original giver. He said that when there is a thriving culture of stewardship, alumni who have benefited from the gift of education will in turn, want to pass it on, creating a positive impact on communities everywhere. His challenge: “The giving should

ALUMNUS

ultimately lead to the question: How are these communities different because NUS alumni live there? The best universities are not those that ask their alumni for money, but those that inspire their alumni to give.” Different demographics of alumni are inspired differently. Director of Alumni Relations at Oxford University Christine Fairchild, who has 20 years of experience working in alumni relations at Harvard Business School, offered an innovative, segmented approach to alumni engagement. She spoke about a project undertaken by the Harvard Business School to segment alumni outreach based on generational cohort, as opposed to a one-size-fits-all approach. Using a database that identified every alumnus’ needs, they were able to address these specific needs, tailor their communications messages and engage their intended audience successfully. Offering another perspective, Katherine Edersheim, Chairperson of

President of the Medical Alumni Association; and Mr Johnny Tan, President of the NUS Society, also spoke on the achievements and challenges faced by their respective associations. The whole-day event, which included lively breakout sessions in the afternoon and ample opportunities for interaction over coffee and lunch, culminated in a fun-filled appreciation dinner attended by 180 out of the total of 290 participants – a most encouraging sign considering it was a Saturday night. The meeting of minds, the networking and the warm camaraderie generated augur well for the future. For according to Assoc Prof Lim, the future of alumni relations depends crucially on getting motivated alumni and alumni groups to increasingly lead the charge.

(From left) Prof Tan Tai Yong, Vice Provost (Student Life), Kathy Edersheim, Chairperson of the Yale Global Alumni Leadership Exchange Program, Dr Teo Ho Pin, President, Building and Estate Management Alumni, Dr Cheah Kim Fee, Chairman, NUS Alumni Chapter in Shanghai, China

Johnny Tan, President, National University of Singapore Society Benny Lee, President, NUS Business School Alumni Association

Peter Tay, Member, NUS Alumni Advisory Board and Chairman, Organising Committee for the Inaugural Alumni Leaders Forum with A/Prof Lim Meng Kin (right), Director, NUS Office of Alumni Relations

the Yale Global Alumni Leadership Exchange (YaleGALE), showed that interest-based activities are a powerful way to rally alumni relations for the greater good. The Yale Alumni Service Corps, for example, serves the global community in places like China and Mexico, organising overseas trips to areas that require humanitarian aid. Ms Edersheim said, “Having a mission inherent in the programme is really critical. Not all of these trips are for everybody, but [they work] for those driven by a particular mission or those who are truly interested in a specific cause.” She related a heart-warming incident from a two-week programme in China. Two of the participants, aged 83 and 84, were blind. What could have been a logistical nightmare for the group turned out to be a pleasant experience for all, as the other participants pitched in to ensure that the couple’s needs were met, taking turns to escort them everywhere.

NUS Alumni Leaders’ Forum speakers and participants

JAN-MAR 2012

ALUMNI SCENE

PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE Tan Wai Jia with some children in Mozambique

The International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU) recently held its third Alumni Associations Summit in Singapore, hosted by the National University of Singapore (NUS), from 10 to 12 October 2011. Yale University hosted the first Summit in 2009 and the University of Cambridge organised the second in 2010. The IARU is an alliance of 10 of the world’s leading research-intensive universities that share similar visions for higher education, in particular the education of future leaders. Established in late 2005, the Alliance comprises the Australian National University, ETH Zurich, NUS, Peking University, University of California, Berkeley, University of Cambridge, University of Copenhagen, University of

Oxford, The University of Tokyo, and Yale University. The summit was attended by the alumni directors of the IARU universities who shared best practices in alumni relations and explored challenges faced by each institution including staff development, the establishment of global alumni networks and the leveraging of broadreaching institutional and alumni support to enhance alumni activities.

The Summit closed with a unique event, the International Alumni Networking Night. For the first time, close to 200 alumni from IARU universities living in Singapore came together over dinner and good entertainment. Tong Hsien Hui, CEO, National University of Singapore Society (extreme right, below) with alumni from the IARU universities.

(From left) Makoto Nakamura, Director of Alumni Relations, The University of Tokyo; Mark Dollhopf, Executive Director, Association of Yale Alumni; Kazutaka Yamaji, Director, Alumni Affairs Office, The University of Tokyo; Kathy Edersheim, Chairperson of the Yale Global Alumni Leadership Exchange Program; Prof Tan Chorh Chuan, NUS President; Priscilla Wadham, Alumni Relations Manager, Australian National University; Dr Peter O. Brunner, Managing Director of ETH Alumni Association; Christine Fairchild, Director of Alumni Relations, University of Oxford; Tania Schwartz, Head of Alumni Relations, University of Copenhagen; A/Prof Lim Meng Kin, Director, NUS Office of Alumni Relations 26

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WOMAN ON A MISSION

Doing good, wherever she is

Tan Wai Jia (Medicine ’11) believes it’s not about what you think you can do, but about what love can do through you. And she certainly walks the talk. By Elisabeth Lee She has written and illustrated two books – Kitesong and A Taste of Rainbow. Her bicycle is named Faith. Asked who inspires her, she says Mother Teresa. Dr Tan Wai Jia has been on 15 — and counting — humanitarian trips. In this present-day cynical world, the 24-year-old is a literal breath of fresh air, perhaps even a shocker. If not for the fact that the petite medical resident was seated across, sipping on a soy latte, this writer wouldn’t have believed she was real. But real she is, and with a plethora of undeniable achievements to boot. For starters, there are the numerous mission trips she has been on over the past eight years, while simultaneously battling anorexia and getting through junior college and medical school. Dr Tan graduated from the National University of Singapore Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine in July 2011 and is completing her residency at Tan Tock Seng Hospital. “Medical school inspired me to push my boundaries in impacting communities, not only through fundraising or building infrastructure or teaching — which are all important, mind you — but also through public healthcare and improving the physical and mental wellbeing of people,” says Dr Tan. “It gave me the opportunity to meet many inspiring doctors such as Dr Tan Lai Yong and Dr Liang Wei

[Singaporean medical humanitarian aid workers] who could have led a luxurious lifestyle instead of living among the poor and helping them, using their expertise. “That spurred me on to continue to put serving the poor as a top priority in my life.” A global young leaders conference she attended in 2004 spurred Dr Tan on to an eye-opening volunteer trip to Cambodia. “I’d never been to a village or visited the poor [before]. This made me realise how much we can learn from the poor and about our social responsibility to help the less fortunate,” says Dr Tan, who is the younger of two daughters. In January 2011, she was honoured by the non-profit group Orchid Jayceettes of Singapore as a Young Outstanding Singaporean. Even now, despite the 100hour work weeks and paucity of annual leave (seven days every four months), Dr Tan finds the time on every break to go on yet another humanitarian trip.

“You don’t have to go overseas to make an impact,” she also says. And indeed, Dr Tan’s humanitarian work doesn’t end when she returns home. During her first solo volunteer trip to Nepal in December 2005, she was heartbroken to discover that the children at Sophia’s Home, the Kathmandu orphanage she visited, had to move every couple of months because the centre could not afford the rent. This inspired her to write her first book, Kitesong, about a child and her runaway kite. Sales from the book in August 2006 of around $110,000 enabled Dr Tan to buy the orphans a permanent home. Separately, she also raised funds for a $100,000 cochlea transplant for one of the Nepalese children. She has a new book I Love You in the works and has been giving talks about her second one A Taste of Rainbow which chronicles her past battle with anorexia.

The power of love One future plan is a feeding programme for the orphans she met while volunteering in the port city of Pemba in Mozambique in early 2011. Dr Tan spent three weeks with the children, eating what they ate, to get a feel for what they were going through. She was “deeply impacted” by the poverty there. Heidi Baker, a missionary in Mozambique, is the reason why the staunchly spiritual doctor headed to Pemba. “Heidi’s message is simple: ‘Love has a face’,” Dr Tan explains. “It’s not about what you think you can do. It’s about what love can do through you.”

“Medical school inspired me to push my boundaries in impacting communities.”

JAN-MAR 2012

Main photo by Hong Chee Yan | Other photo courtesy of Tan Wai Jia

THIRD IARU ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONS SUMMIT

CHANGEMAKER

Mdm Halimah Yacob (Law ’78) has made it her life’s work to transform society through empowering women, foreign workers and the poor. By Theresa Tan Mdm Halimah Yacob, 57, is Singapore’s Minister for State for the Ministry of Community, Youth and Sports and is an elected Member of Parliament for Jurong GRC. She began her career at the National Trade Union Congress (NTUC), where she became Deputy Secretary General and Director. She has built her career on finding solutions in areas such as poverty, workers’ rights and women’s issues. Mdm Halimah, who holds a Masters of Law degree from NUS, talks to The AlumNUS about her work in helping the helpless in society. YOU HOLD A MASTERS OF LAW DEGREE FROM NUS. WHAT SKILLS FROM YOUR CAMPUS DAYS HAVE SERVED YOU BEST THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER?

I obtained my LLB from the then Singapore University and my LLM from NUS. A law degree is very versatile as it prepares you not only for a legal career but for other professions as well. It equips you with analytical skills, the ability to think critically and to be quick on your feet with arguments to support your case. These have been very useful in my work, including my international work in the International Labour Organisation (ILO) when I was representing workers to negotiate a couple of new ILO conventions in tripartite committees. YOU ARE RECOGNISED AND RESPECTED AS SOMEONE WHO SEEKS TO MAKE POSITIVE CHANGES IN SOCIETY. HOW DID YOU EMBARK ON THIS PATH?

Growing up poor, I realised that one

ALUMNUS

“For many women, returning to the workforce is not an option but a necessity as dual-income families provide greater stability especially in today’s context.” of the most debilitating facts about poverty is that people feel disempowered and sometimes, hopeless. They tend to tolerate greater injustices inflicted on them because they think

have done remarkably well in lifting our people out of poverty within a relatively short period. I remember accompanying my mother to Geylang during Hari Raya to visit relatives when I was young. When it rained, you had to walk in the mud. But look at Geylang today; [it’s] a transformation within a lifetime. At the ASEAN conference, many countries cited Singapore as their role model.

LAST NOVEMBER, YOU PARTICIPATED IN THE 7TH ASEAN MINISTERS MEETING ON RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND POVERTY ERADICATION (AMRDPE) IN BRUNEI. WHAT IS THE BIG PICTURE FOR ASEAN?

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHANGES YOU HAVE HELPED TO PUT INTO EFFECT THAT YOU DERIVE THE GREATEST SATISFACTION FROM?

Unlike the European Union, ASEAN is not a homogenous entity as there are differences in our political systems and levels of development. Poverty in ASEAN is also relative as poverty in Cambodia or Laos is vastly different from how we define poverty in Brunei or Singapore. For example, you can use the United Nations yardstick of poverty — which is defined as earning not more than USD2 a day — and you will find a lot of poor people in Cambodia and Laos. But using the same yardstick, you will find almost none in Brunei or Singapore. The desire to eradicate poverty is strong and everyone has roadmaps on how to do so, but the key challenge lies in the implementation. There has to be investments in basic infrastructure to support education, healthcare and investments. There must also be a stronger will to fight corruption which is dissipating a lot of resources that can be used for development.

Throughout my career, I have worked on many areas and they have all proven very satisfying because you see the difference that you can make to people’s lives. During the 2008/2009 crisis, I was taking care of workers in the electronics sector who were the worst affected. My union colleagues and I worked very hard to minimise

RETURN TO THE WORKFORCE?

YOU ARE THE PATRON OF` THE YOUNG MUSLIM WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION. WHAT DO YOU THINK CAN BE DONE FOR, AND BY YOUNG MUSLIM WOMEN?

I strongly believe in the empowerment of women. I hope to see more of our women in leadership positions in all sectors of our society. In my view, only when we see a stronger representation of women at the leadership level, will we see our community progressing faster. More than 50 per cent of the graduates in the Muslim community are women. We need to make better use of their talents so that our community can advance faster. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR WOMEN TO

For many women, returning to the workforce is not an option but a necessity as dual-income families provide greater stability especially in today’s context, where economic cycles are shorter and jobs are less permanent. Also, it is important for women to build up their own retirement income as they are living longer and need more healthcare in their twilight years. HOW DO YOU PERSONALLY MANAGE AS A WORKING MOTHER OF FIVE CHILDREN?

I [regularly] discuss my work and time commitments with my children. Above all, I also teach them a great deal of independence. But they know that I am always around and they can count on me when they need help or want a second opinion on things. Above all, I try not to jump on them when they make mistakes along the way as that is the best way for them to learn.

A Seminar on

IN YOUR OPINION, IS THERE A WORKABLE MODEL FOR POVERTY ERADICATION? WHAT DOES IT ENTAIL?

If we were to use Singapore’s approach to poverty eradication, then it would involve heavy investments in education, healthcare and housing coupled with a pro-investment environment so that we can create jobs for the people. But at the same time, we have to ensure that there is a sufficiently strong social safety net to catch those who fall through. By any standard, we

retrenchments and put as many workers as possible on training schemes. The Back To Work programme in which we helped more than 10,000 women to go back to work is another very fulfilling programme.

? O D O T G IN H T T H IG al Morality WHAT IS THE R Applied Topics in Soci

Photo by Steve Zhu

CHAMPION FOR THE NEEDY

that this is their lot in life. So, I realised from a young age that we do not live in Utopia and that life is never fair as the balance of power can be stacked against the poor. Joining the labour movement [in NTUC] gave me the chance to bring about greater equity and provide a stronger voice to the poor and dispossessed.

Dr Kyle Swan, National University of Singapore involve moral Bypar ese th hy, of e som d an y da De tment of Philosop We make choices every ?’ do to ing lves, ‘What is the right th Seminar Dates: issues. We often ask ourse and March 2, 2012 February 13, 17, 20, 22, 27 thinking Time: 4 - 7pm, Swan will introduce the Alumni House Venue: Shaw Foundation Over six sessions, Dr Kyle ity ral mo ial soc ss cu dis d sophers an t of some of the great philo and enquiries, please contac Family, Economics & For registratioatn oar & call 6516 1811. ity or sg un du. mm us.e Co i@n see ing in areas includ d Ms Irene See Relations, the Media, an l na tio na ter In & w La Finance, ior Alumni Group Organised by NUS Sen . ne ici ed M & lth Hea ported by Sup

U@LIVE

ONE SPEAKER. 10 MINUTES. BOUNDLESS INSPIRATION. U@live is a monthly guest speaker series that showcases NUS alumni who are passionate about their causes. The one-hour show hosted by veteran TV producer Viswa Sadasivan at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House is also streamed live on the U@live website.

Denise P hua, Arts & Social Sciences ‘83

Ivan Heng Subhas Anandan Aseem Thakur

Denise Phua

DETERMINED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE When her son was diagnosed with autism, Denise Phua made a decision to create opportunities for mainstream education and employment for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. For 20 years she was a career powerhouse. But when her son Jun-Yi was diagnosed with autism at the age of three in May 1999, Denise Phua gave up her fulltime career to care for him. Back then, Ms Phua’s options were to migrate to a country with special needs education systems, or stay put in Singapore and make the best of what was available — and along the way, help those who did not have the same luxury of choice. Today Ms Phua, an Arts & Social Sciences ‘83 graduate, is recognised for her work in blurring the divide between the abled and those with special needs — she has worked hard to promote the inclusion of special needs persons in mainstream education and employment. Ms Phua, 52, is also serving on a full-time, voluntary basis as President of the Autism Resource Centre (ARC) Singapore. 30

ALUMNUS

She is also a school supervisor at two special schools, Pathlight School and Eden School. As with all worthy achievements, hers is one of small beginnings; in 1999, she started volunteering at ARC. The needs she witnessed and the possibilities she envisioned, including a society that recognises that autism falls on a spectrum, and that for highfunctioning autistic children like her son (now 15 and who is gifted in art), the then-existent ‘one-size-fits-all’ special schools were not enough. This spurred her and several volunteers to start Pathlight School in 2004, the first autism-focused school in Singapore. The school, now at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10, offers an autistic-focused education for students who are cognitively able to cope with mainstream academics. Its curriculum includes a focus on life-readiness skills. Its two key values are normalisation — students are groomed with the aim of integrating them into mainstream society; and dignity — to have the same

access to education, employment space and social space as any other child does. Pathlight’s student enrolment grew from its initial intake of 41 students in 2003 to its current 603. There is now a long waitlist. The school has always been run, thanks to Ms Phua’s corporate background, like a corporation, with tight standard operating procedures, adequate teacher training and results that are measurable. Ms Phua replicated Pathlight’s success at Eden School (formerly known as Singapore Autism School), drawing on her networks, marketing skills and ability to balance the books and pull in the necessary funding and much-needed resources to keep the then-struggling school going. Ironically, the success of Eden School has attracted criticism — but for good reasons. “Now it is also acquiring a very long waitlist and sometimes we get ‘bashed’ for that. In a way, we are the victims of our own success,” she says unapologetically. Well-run schools for special needs children are a scarce resource, and with about 216 new cases of autism being diagnosed annually (according to ARC), the need is growing. In 2004, Ms Phua resigned from her position as managing director of the Centre for Effective Leadership which she had founded in 1993. In 2005, she was tapped for a career in politics and is

currently Member of Parliament in the Kampong Glam ward, the neighbourhood she grew up in. She is married to Roland Tay, another former corporate high-flyer who set up the Professor Brawn Café, an eatery that hires autistic employees to give them a shot at the working world. The couple also have a daughter Yi-Xin, 17. Ms Phua’s proudest achievement is the implementation of the satellite class model, whereby students from both Pathlight and Eden are given access to classes in mainstream schools such as Chong Boon Secondary School and Bishan Park Secondary School. She sees this as a key tool in the de-marginalisation of those with special needs — it gives the special needs students an opportunity to be integrated into society at an early age, while helping mainstream students learn to accept and live among those who are different from them. She is determinedly canvassing more support from her peers in the industry. “I don’t think there are enough people who want these children in the mainstream schools. If you’re a teacher, a principal or a person of influence, I want you to consider opening up your schools to these children; they’re part of the Singapore family, and they deserve a chance to be there.” By Yong Yung Shin Denise Phua spoke on Aug 22.

Subhas Anandan, Law ‘70

ACCESS TO COUNSEL AND RIGHT OF SILENCE The well-recognised criminal lawyer talks about why he stands in the gap between the legal rights of an arrested person and the reality of how that person is then treated. He is one of Singapore’s bestknown criminal lawyers, but Subhas Anandan never intended to make a career out of defending suspected criminals. “I became a criminal lawyer by accident. When I first started practice I had a lot of clients who came from my kampung, my neighbourhood, which was quite rough. They were all involved in criminal matters,” he recalls. Word of the young lawyer’s prowess in the courtroom spread fast, and more and more people asked him to represent them. The second of five children, Mr Anandan was born in Kerala, India.

When he was five months old, his family migrated to Singapore in search for a better life, and his father found work as a clerk for the British Royal Navy. A graduate from the National University of Singapore’s Faculty of Law in 1970, Mr Anandan has been involved in more than 2,000 cases related to murder, drug trafficking, corporate fraud, insider trading, criminal breach of trust, misappropriation of funds and terrorism throughout his 40 yearlong career. Some of these have been Singapore’s most high-profile trials such as that of ‘One-Eyed Dragon’ Tan Chor Jin and the kidney transplant case involving retail tycoon Tang Wee Sung. Some are considered landmark JAN-MAR 2012

U@LIVE

cases for their impact on the law. Mr Anandan is currently a senior partner in law firm RHT Law LLP; he is also a founding member and the first president of the Association of Criminal Lawyers of Singapore, an organisation that aims to contribute to the development of criminal law, and the representation of the interests of criminal law practitioners in Singapore. His heart for ex-offenders is obvious. “In my experience, the people in Singapore are very unforgiving. They find it very difficult to give people a second chance. They always hold the fact that you have been convicted or that you have been in jail against you. “It’s a mindset we have to change,” he says on the environment for exoffenders in Singapore. “Just because you have been convicted once, it does not make you a bad guy. There could be so many reasons why you committed that offence. It’s sad when people condemn you as totally hopeless just because of one mistake.” Often approached by ex-offenders for help to start a new life, the 63-year-old believes that their successful rehabilitation into society depends on the level to which the people around them are willing to give them a second chance. He is well-known for his pro bono services in the community and bail courts for those who are unable to afford a lawyer. Mr Anandan agrees that some criminals will return to a life of crime, but it is his belief that the public too has to take a “certain level of risk”. A passionate advocate for the innocence of the accused until proven otherwise, he reminds his audience that what one sees and reads in the media, and what actually happened, can be two different things. “Do not judge him [the accused] until the trial is over. Don’t worry about what the papers say, what people say, or what the Director of Public Prosecutions says.“ By Yong Yung Shin Subhas Anandan spoke on Sep 28.

ALUMNUS

“People in Singapore find it very difficult to give people a second chance. It’s a mindset we have to change.”

Subhas Anandan (right), with moderator Viswa Sadasivan listening to a question from a member of the audience.

Aseem Thakur, Engineering ‘09

THE ART OF GIVING This young Engineering alumnus introduced a bold way of fundraising that just keeps growing. “Fun is very important. If you’re not having fun doing good, you’re not doing good the right way,” says Aseem Thakur. Thinking this way led the 2009 NUS School of Engineering graduate to set up the online philanthropic platform GIVE.sg, which in just two years has helped various charities raise over a million dollars. At 25, he is the youngest speaker so far to be invited by U@Live. “We believe that every human being has the potential to be compassionate and change lives, and that young Singaporeans are not apathetic. If there are tools to make volunteerism fun, simple and engaging, they will be able to do more,” he says of how GIVE.sg was born. Idealistic? Perhaps. Inspiring? For sure. Mr Thakur’s journey of volunteerism started in 2008 when he was selected for the NUS Overseas College

Programme and was sent to Stanford University in the United States. During his stint at a biomedical device startup in Silicon Valley, Mr Thakur was invited by a colleague to the latter’s “birthday party” — a day building homes for the volunteer organisation Habitat For Humanity. The experience ignited a passion in the then 22-yearold to “do something” upon returning to Singapore. But when he approached charities with the intention to raise funds, Mr Thakur was given donation cans to solicit for funds from passersby. Frustrated but not discouraged, he revisited the experience he had during that “birthday party” building homes for the needy in the US, and realised that two key factors had made that occasion memorable — fun and friends. “A lot of people care about social causes, but they don’t necessarily know the right way of doing it, and they don’t know that it can be fun. It got me thinking; what if we can create a platform to connect charities with individuals who want to make a difference?” With five friends, he brainstormed for a solution, and in January 2010, GIVE.sg was born. Its modus operandi is simple — anyone who has a fun fundraising idea can log on to www.give.sg, choose a charity, start a fundraising page and invite those in his or her social circle to make a donation via social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter. The site addresses three main issues that hamper fundraising efforts. First, it allows aspiring fundraisers to leverage on IT tools and social media

to tap on their social circle instead of soliciting for donations from strangers. Next, GIVE.sg makes it easier for funds to be raised without using the ‘tin can’ method, which more often than not, causes fundraisers to feel more embarrassed and reluctant to ask for donations. Third, with a list of charities categorised according to cause, such as health, education and livelihood, among others, GIVE.sg empowers volunteers to “pick a fight” and allows them to play a part in solving issues they feel most strongly about. His peers, Mr Thakur says, are not apathetic. “Today’s [Singaporean] youth are exposed to so much, thus there is a need to create engaging experiences instead of doing things the old way.” To date, GIVE.sg has a growing base of 4,000 donors. Mr Thakur is careful to label GIVE.sg as a social enterprise rather than a charity organisation, and for good reason. “We want to create social impact. At the same time, we want to be sustainable in order to be scaleable.” For every dollar charities successfully raise using the website, five cents goes toward GIVE.sg, a big step up from the traditional offline revenue model whereby up to 25 per cent of funds

“We believe that every human being has the potential to be compassionate and change lives.” raised go toward covering the costs of fundraising. His vision for GIVE.sg is for it to grow into “something beyond Singapore and start a social movement for good. We believe that there are so many individuals who have excess and want to give; there has to be a way of getting that excess to somebody who needs it in an easy, efficient and fun way. “The day we can solve that problem for the majority of the people, we would consider ourselves a success.” By Yong Yung Shin Aseem Thakur spoke on Oct 19.

Ivan Heng, Law ‘88

W!LD AT HEART W!ld Rice’s artistic director and local theatre doyen Ivan Heng shares how his indomitable spirit has helped him achieve his dreams for himself and Singapore. Bouncing on the soles of his cherry red Converse high-cuts, Ivan Heng, 48, enters the stage of the Shaw Foundation Alumni House auditorium to crests of applause. Here is the man who brought us the goofy Malcolm Png (Army Daze) we loved and laughed with; the overwrought Emily (Emily of Emerald Hill) who terrified us; the fragile Song Liling (M. Butterfly) who reduced us to tears and the ruthless Richard (Richard III) who beguiled us. And his performance at U@live is no less mesmerising than any of those, as he shares the tale of overcoming insurmountable odds to be where he—and his theatre company W!ld Rice—is today. He admits his nervousness to his audience. Why was it that 35 years after he first faced an audience, butterflies still nibble on the inner walls of his stomach in the minutes preceding show time? “It’s what I thrive on,” he tells the near-capacity crowd. “You have this fear, yet you go ahead and do it anyway. “You’ll forget Geography lessons and Maths formulas, but you will never forget the first time you go on stage. Your molecules are rearranged. I got addicted to this feeling as a child.” But Mr Heng’s artistic ambitions found a formidable foe. His mother

—his father died when he was 17 — made it plain that there was no other path ahead of him other than pursuing a legal career. And that’s how he found himself gallivanting the corridors of the National University of Singapore’s Law Faculty in 1984. “Doing law was something I never regretted,” he says. “The community, the classes and the things we talked about were amazing. Law allowed me to develop a sense of justice and a sense of fairness.” That his classmates included then-budding artists like Neo Swee Lin and Ong Keng Sen, all of whom are respected, well-loved theatre practitioners today, spurred him to stick to his convictions. “I had this almighty row with my mother when I told her that I didn’t want to practise law,” he recalls. “I just knew I had to pursue my dream.” There was no turning back, especially not after winning a scholarship to study drama at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in 1990. After three years, Mr Heng topped the class with his award-winning finalyear performance as King Richard in Shakespeare’s Richard III. He returned home in 1997, and that was when Singapore theatre began taking root. Mr Heng rolled up his sleeves alongside the likes of Ong and The Necessary Stage’s Haresh Sharma, writing, directing and acting in plays and musicals. He founded W!ld Rice in 2000. “I believe theatre provides a commentary on our daily lives, as it holds up a mirror to our nature. A community’s happiness and well-being is based on having a good working theatre and sometimes a good working theatre is based on speaking truth to power,” he suggests. “In Singapore, we are always told ‘Oh, we are a small island, don’t rock the boat.’ I like to rock the boat, because I want to see if there are any pirates on board.” By Ramesh William Ivan Heng spoke on Nov 30.

JAN-MAR 2012

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS

ALUMNI ACTIVITIES

In The Swing Of Things

FASS Mentoring Programme In Its 6th Year The alumni of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) offer advice to senior or final-year students, covering possible career paths, work-life balance, best professional practices and career development. The FASS Mentorship Programme celebrated its sixth year with a dinner at the Singapore Flyer to thank the alumni and introduce them to their student mentees. For more information, contact Lynn Tan at fastanl@nus.edu.sg or 6516-5136, or log on to www.fas.nus.edu.sg The “My FASS Family” Host Programme gets alumni to help first-year FASS international students adapt to NUS and Singapore. In 2011, 17 FASS Alumni hosts were matched with 35 international students. For more information, contact Vicky Chen-Toh at fasv1@nus.edu.sg or 6516-3819.

Relooking Leadership

A CEO Roundtable on “Impactful Leadership for Corporate Transformation” drew 100 sign-ups on 10 November 2011 to listen to three eminent Business School Alumni speak on how enterprises can survive

the turbulent global economy: Liak Teng Lit, CEO, Alexandra Health System/Khoo Teck Puat Hospital spoke about transforming healthcare; Yam Ah Mee, CEO, People’s Association, shared his experiences at the Civil Service College, Land Transport Authority and People’s Association; and Peter Tay, Executive Chairman, TPS Group of Companies, spoke about fundraising and mergers and acquisitions in Asia after 2007.

Nursing School Alumni Group Formed The first-ever local graduate nursing school alumni was set up in August 2011. The NUS Nursing Alumni, led by its first President Lim Chi Ching, held its inauguration and first Annual General Meeting on 20 Oct 2011 at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House.

ALUMNUS

At the meeting, Dr Pauline Tan, Chief Nursing Officer at the Ministry of Health, challenged nurses to seek opportunities to improve nursing standards in Singapore, and to involve themselves in alumni activities as graduate nurses.

The 20th NUS Alumni and Friends Golf Tournament 2011 saw a record of 164 participants on 3 November 2011 at the Raffles Country Club. An afternoon shower interrupted the game but participants managed to complete it and gather at Kent Ridge Guild House for dinner. Mr Joe Mullinix, Deputy President (Administration) (third from left in picture) gave away the Inter-faculty Vice Chancellor Challenge Trophy to the team from the Engineering faculty. Many others went home with at least a lucky draw prize!

First Time For Alumni In Hong Kong

A Trip Back In Time

Gathering In Sydney Inclement weather did not stop 33 alumni living in Sydney from getting together for the NUS Alumni Association (Australia) Inc Annual Dinner held at the Fisherman’s Wharf Seafood Restaurant on 7 December 2011. NUSAAI President, Jack Tan talked about the importance of leadership and its need for renewal, while the Secretary, Derrick De Souza, reported that NUS is bolstering support for overseas alumni chapters.

Alumni in Hong Kong gathered for a Christmas Dim Sum Lunch on 17 December 2011. The alumni came from Engineering, Arts, Law and Medicine and met for the first time. The NUS Economics Alumni took 20 alumni members and their families on an insightful day-trip on 10 September 2011. From the Changi Museum to the Old Ford Factory and the Kranji War Memorial, alumni re-lived the hard times Singaporeans faced during the Japanese Occupation. The trip also included a tour of the SATS In-Flight Kitchen where the visitors learned that SATS accepts special food requests up to four hours before a flight, and there are 60 versions of chopped carrots!

(Left to right) Tan See Mee, Jack Tan, Susan Qi, Timothy Koh, Dr Goh Chong Min, Sweetie Goh

From Boston To New York On 12 November 2011, the chairman of the Overseas Alumni Chapter in Boston travelled to New York City to host lunch for alumni living there. (Left to right) Robin Low, Jia Li, Emma Ai, Kang Chen

JAN-MAR 2012

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS

REUNIONS

Dentists, 30 Years On

To mark their 30th anniversary in July 2011, the Dentistry Class of 1981 organised the scientific symposium, “30 Years Of Dentistry — Staying Current & Relevant”. The alumni raised $180,000 for the Dental Faculty Bursary Fund. Classmates flew in from around the world including the USA, Canada and New Zealand just for the reunion. Every one took home a special memento: the Class had souvenirs made, each bearing 34 crystals with each crystal representing a member of the class.

Reunited: Design And Environment Class Of ‘87

NOC Celebrates 10th Anniversary

Design and Environment Class of ’87 reunited on 4 November 2011, 24 years after graduation.

The Dentistry class in 1981.

The Engineering Class Of ’76 Reunite; Set Up Bursary On 27 October 2011, 35 years after they graduated, the Engineering Class of ’76 reunited for a very special night. The reunion was more than an opportunity to meet old friends and catch up; it was a chance for alumni to give back as well, by launching the Class of ’76 Engineering Bursary. Leong Yue Wing, who championed the establishment of the Bursary, said, “Tonight, while we enjoy the company of familiar faces and relive fond memories, we would also like to do something meaningful; [something] with a greater purpose. “Every year, many qualified youths with strong potential are denied a university education due to financial difficulties. We would like to help them.” The Bursary will support 10 students every academic year.

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The NUS Overseas Colleges celebrated the 10th anniversary of the setting up of the first college in Silicon Valley in 2001. These students have benefited from access to NUS Overseas Colleges across the world, partner universities and valuable internships. The theme of the party was “Hollywood Glamour.”

At the Stamford Ballroom at the Raffles Convention Centre, 330 guests played their parts well on the red carpet, complete with the flash-and-frenzy of ‘paparazzi’. There was even a casino station. It was certainly a dinner and dance to remember, with much reconnecting, reminiscing and making of new friends going on.

Medical Alumni’s 88th Reunion In Penang

Celebrating 30 Years Of Success

(Left to right) Alumni Gold Medal winners for 2011 and over the years: Koe Khoon Poh, Prof Tay Boon Keng, Dr Khoo Chooi See, Dr Wong Kai Peng and Dr Tan Peng Guan

Teaching staff and students

25th Anniversary Reunion The Class of ‘86 celebrated their 25th anniversary since graduation, on 19 November 2011. At a gathering of about 70 alumni from five faculties at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House, A/Prof Lim Meng Kin, Director of the NUS Office of Alumni Relations, shared on the various ways alumni can remain connected with the University.

It was once called “The Little Institute That Can” but that nickname does not seem so appropriate these days — the “little” institute celebrated its 30th anniversary on 1 November 2011. Since it was first established, Institute of Systems Science (ISS) has trained 71,000 infocomm

practitioners and senior managers and served more than 4,000 corporate customers from over 100 countries. That is a big achievement for what was once a “little” institute. The evening was a wonderful time for teaching staff and students at ISS to rest for a night and celebrate its successes.

The Medical Alumni Association celebrated its 88th reunion from 25 to 27 November 2011 in Penang. The three-day programme, organised by the Northern Branch, was packed with a round of golf, dinner (with alumni taking the stage with songs of yesteryear), tours to various UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites in Georgetown, and even a talk on professional risks and challenges in international healthcare. This

year, three alumni were conferred the Alumni Gold Medal—Professor Tay Boon Keng (Medicine ’73), Dato’ Dr Manickam Kanagalingam (Medicine ’58) and Dr Khoo Chooi See (Dentistry ’75). Professor Arthur Lim, President of the Medical Alumni Association for six terms, passed the presidency to Dato’ Dr Peter C Vanniasingham at the AGM. The next reunion will be held in Port Dickson from 16-18 November 2012.

JAN-MAR 2012

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS

Photos courtesy of Yap Yew Piang/NUSS

AROUND CAMPUS

Alumni Complex Lights Up For Christmas The Christmas Light Up on 3 December 2011 marked the start of the year-end festivities at the Alumni Complex. These were also with performances by a magician, the NUSS choir and acoustic duo Surath and Shane. A surprise addition to the evening was a marriage proposal by Nash Tan (Computing ‘10) to Sharon Koh (Arts & Social Sciences ‘10). The pair met as undergraduates at the NUS Dance club. The lighting of the Christmas Tree, officiated by Mr Johnny Tan, President, National University of Singapore Society (NUSS) and A/Prof Lim Meng Kin, Director, Office of Alumni Relations, capped the evening.

Out Into The Working World To help students ease into working life, the NUS OAR organised a mentorship programme, the Science AlumniStudent Networking Session. Held on 21 October 2011 at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House., the session featured 22 alumni who shared with 110 students their insights and challenges in their respective fields. Guest of Honour, Provost, Professor Tan Eng Chye expressed his appreciation to the alumni for taking time to inform and encourage the undergraduates.

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ALUMNI HAPPENINGS

Winning The Global Talent War

NUS Parents Day: Back To School

“How To Win The Global Talent War” was the focus of the NUS Global Talent Forum 2011, held on 31 October 2011 at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House. Professor Lai Choy Heng, Vice Provost (Academic Personnel) said in his welcome speech that Asia is churning out more graduates than before, but companies are finding it a challenge to recruit, develop, manage and retain the right talent. The forum drew 170 HR practitioners, CEOs, industry experts, alumni and students who came to hear speakers from top companies such as Google Singapore, Singapore Tata Consultancy Services and IBM Singapore. The forum was organised by NUS Career Centre together with the NUS OAR, HeadHunt, Kelly Services, Singapore Business Federation and Singapore Human Resources Institute.

On 28 October 2011, close to 100 parents and guardians experienced first-hand life as an undergraduate at the inaugural NUS Parents Day. The occasion, which is part of the recentlylaunched NUS Parents Programme to enhance parent involvement, brought together parents of undergraduates from the Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies and the Faculty of Law. Parents were led on a tour of the newlyopened NUS University Town as well as their children’s faculties. They also enjoyed performances put up by students. NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan said in his opening speech, “We look forward to your ideas and support to help NUS become even better. In the end, we want you to be proud NUS Parents!” The next Parents Day will be held on 11 February 2012 for parents of students at the Faculty of Business, Faculty of Dentistry and NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. Visit www.parentsprogramme.nus.edu.sg or contact parents@nus.edu.sg for more information.

Science Alumni Lauded The Faculty of Science recognised their alumni who distinguished themselves in leadership, service to the community, excellence in research, entrepreneurship and dedication to the betterment and promotion of science at the Science Alumni Awards ceremony on 26 November 2011. Receiving the awards were Dr Christopher Syn (Science ’96, PhD ’01); Dr Marissa Teo (Pharmacy ’99); Dr Lee Fook Kay (Science ’84, PhD ’90); Mano Sabnani (Science ’74); and Tung Soo Hua (Science ’97, Arts & Social Sciences ’07).

(Left to right) Tung Soo Hua (Science ’97, Arts & Social Sciences ’07); Dr Marissa Teo (Pharmacy ’99); Prof Andrew Wee (Dean, Faculty of Science); Prof Tan Eng Chye (Provost and NUS Deputy President, Academic Affairs ); Dr Lee Fook Kay (Science ’84, PhD ’90); Mano Sabnani (Science ’74); and Dr Christopher Syn (Science ’96, PhD ’01).

NUS Distinguished Engineering Alumni Awards 2011 On 13 October 2011, two NUS Distinguished Engineering Alumni Awards were presented to Tan Gee Paw (Class of 1971) and Seah Moon Ming (Class of 1981). In 1974, Mr Tan joined the thenTan Gee Paw (second from left) and Seah Moon Ming (second from right), recipients of the NUS Ministry of the Environment and was reDistinguished Engineering Alumni Awards 2011, with sponsible for drawing up the master plan (from left) Vice Dean (Enternal Relations) Prof Victor and chairing the committee to clean up Shim, NUS PResident Prof Tan Chorh Chaun, and NUS Dean of Engineering, Prof Chan Eng Soon. Singapore River. Today he is the Chairman of the Public Utilities Board. Mr Seah is the Deputy CEO and President of Defence Business of the Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd; he also serves as the Chairman of Corporate Governance Committee at Ren Ci Hospital and Medicare Centre, and is a director of Alexandra Health Pte Ltd. The award ceremony was held at the NUSS Kent Ridge Guild House.

GIVING BACK

In Giving, They Received

The NUS Volunteer Network Alumni Association visited the Hanoi University of Science and Technology on their trip to Vietnam.

John And Lydia Ewing-Chow Set Up Bursary The year was 1963. He sat behind her in Lecture Theatre 1 at the Bukit Timah campus for their first lecture as undergraduates. They were both studying Zoology at the then-University of Singapore — she, the daughter of a clerk, and he, the son of a missionary. Both of them were bursary students. Now, this couple has set up a bursary at the Faculty of Science to help students facing the kind of challenges they once encountered. The John And Lydia Ewing-Chow Bursary will be awarded to Life Science students for the next 10 years, starting with five students in the academic year 2011/2012. The John And Lydia Ewing-Chow Bursary gift will also attract the matching government grant* which will be channelled to the Science Student Overseas Exposure Fund, enabling more students who are financiallystrapped to take advantage of the many overseas opportunities that NUS offers. Mrs Ewing-Chow, a retired biology teacher, said, “Our families were poor then. My brother and I were entering university at the same time and my father could only afford to send one — the son. I wanted so much to go to university, so my father saved for my education by carrying a packed lunch to work everyday instead of eating out.” She went on to win the Fulbright Scholarship to study at Columbia University in the United States, graduating with a Masters degree in Education.

Postgraduate students and young alumni from the NUS Volunteer Network Alumni Association made a trip to the Thuy An Centre for Handicapped Children in Hanoi, Vietnam. From 14 — 21 September 2011, the students and alumni stayed in the centre with the children, organising games and art classes, as well as helping to lay the foundation for a room extension. The centre houses 150 children suffering from mental and physical disabilities. For the first time, a university exchange was held with students from the Hanoi University of Science and Technology. The NUS team made a presentation on the Singapore economy. While the team had hoped to play a small part to improve the lives of the less fortunate, the experience proved to be life-changing for them. They experienced firsthand the Vietnamese way of life, which refreshed their own perspective on life, broadened their minds to different societal values and cultures, and taught them that in helping others, they gain so much more.

During his university days, Mr EwingChow stacked books every night at the university library to contribute to his family’s income. After graduation, he worked as a teacher before becoming the Acting Zoo Director and Director of the Civil Service Institute. He then joined the private sector. He retired as Vice-President for training at OCBC Bank. While at the Civil Service Institute, Mr Ewing-Chow was awarded the Colombo Plan Scholarship to study for a Masters degree in Administration at Monash University, Australia. “We were both doubly blessed,” he said. “The bursaries helped us to go to university and that led to other opportunities.” The Ewing-Chows recently visited the Department of Biological Sciences. “As students, we used to sit side by side in the lab in the Bukit Timah campus, and we were looking forward to reliving those memories,” said Mr Ewing-Chow. “But what we saw was a different world. We were astounded by the curriculum, the equipment and the vision of the department. We came away excited by the future as painted to us by head of the department, Professor Paul Matsudaira. “Looking back at where we came from, we are thankful and very happy to be able to give to NUS.” For more information on making a gift to NUS, call Ho Yuen Kwan at 6516 5755 or email askdvo@nus.edu.sg. *All eligible gifts to NUS attract the prevailing 1:1 matching government grant. Endowed gifts for undergraduate studies receive the enhanced 1.5:1 matching.

Sheares Hall Gives Out First Scholarships, Helps 15 Needy Residents On 17 September 2011, Sheares Hall became the first Hall of Residence to award scholarships to deserving residents who are academically-strong and who also contribute significantly to residential life in the Hall. This year’s recipients were Leonard Boey and Joel Leong. Leonard, a fourthyear Business major, served in key roles in the Hall. He was Publicity Chair of the Hall Amenities Committee, a member of both the Hall Badminton and Floorball teams, a beatboxer in the Hall’s a cappella group, and was crowned Mr. Sheares at the annual Dinner and Dance. Joel is a fourthyear Arts major. He served as the Hall’s Director for External Affairs and Captain of the Hall’s Sepak Takraw team, as well as Publicity Chair for the Hall’s External Relations Committee. For the second year running, Sheares Hall also awarded 15 sub-named bursaries to needy residents. The Scholarships and Bursaries were funded by the Dunearn Road Hostels/ Sheares Hall Alumni Scholarship and Bursary Fund. This endowment fund was started by Dunearn Road Hostels alumni Seah Cheng San and Deborah Ong in 2009, with $365,000 raised. With matching from the Singapore Government, the fund now stands at close to $800,000.

JAN-MAR 2012

C U LT U R E

Solo/ Duet by T.H.E Dance Company

The Great East Japan Earthquake and nuclear emergency was the biggest tragedy to rock Asia last year. This is perhaps why two dance companies are using the event and the reactions of people all over the region as inspiration for their pieces premiering at the 2012 NUS Arts Festival (NAF). Modern dance outfit NUS Dance Synergy conveys the devastating moments of the aftermath of the tsunami in Hereafter, a piece that follows the panic and desperation felt by the survivors as they attempt to restore their lives to normalcy. T.H.E Dance Company’s series of solos and duets offer glimpses into the lives of residents in Asia as they go through events that include the recent Japanese earthquake and tsunami. Themed to the hustle and bustle of vibrant Asian cities, this year’s NAF takes audiences on a whirlwind

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journey around Asia through dance, theatre, music and film. The line-up includes shows by NUS arts groups such as NUS Chinese Drama, NUS Wind Symphony and NUS Electronic Music Lab covering a range of topics like the aforementioned Japanese tragedy to broader issues like the blurring of boundaries between the East and West. Kicking things off is a concert by Indian classical music virtuoso Dr L. Subramaniam and the NUS Indian Instrumental Ensemble. An original composition by Dr Subramaniam, The Singapore Story tells through music, the story of the country’s growth and rapid modernisation. Another collaboration is between NUS Stage and Checkpoint Theatre. Titled City Night Songs, the multidisciplinary piece conceived by acclaimed playwright Huzir Sulaiman has students and professionals write and perform interlinked stories and

songs about the urban landscape. A much-anticipated festival highlight is the restaging of godeatgod by The Necessary Stage (TNS). The third showing of the play is part of the NUS Arts Festival Homecoming Series in conjunction with TNS’ 25th Anniversary. A twist on the phrase ‘dog eat dog’, godeatgod features an ensemble cast struggling to make sense of a post 9/11 world. The play was first staged in 2002 and 2007, and is TNS’ most toured show to date. The annual NAF sees NUS students and mentors from the industry present original and updated works to the public. This year’s festival includes five new pieces of dance, theatre and music by NUS students groomed by industry practitioners as well as four concerts and live music gigs performed by four music groups from the NUS Centre For the Arts. The 2012 NUS Arts Festival is from 9–25 March 2012. Ticket sales start on 13 Jan from SISTIC.

Mark your calendar for the next instalment of the ExxonMobil Campus Concert (EMCC)

The Hungry Stones

City Night Songs Checkpoint Theatre with NUS Stage 10 and 11 Mar, 8pm, UCC Theatre Tickets at $23 and $16 In its third year in collaboration with the NUS Arts Festival, Checkpoint Theatre presents a multidisciplinary performance that addresses the city at dusk. Directed by veteran playwright and dramaturg Huzir Sulaiman, City Night Songs is a compelling piece of devised theatre where an ensemble of professionals and NUS students write and perform interlinked stories and songs to illustrate the urban landscape.

The world renowned Vancouver Piano Ensemble (VPE) is taking the stage at the University Cultural Centre Theatre on 11 April as part of the 2012 ExxonMobil Campus Concerts (EMCC). Be entranced as VPE members and chamber music artists perform classical and contemporary scores in multiple-player piano recitals. Also part of the biannual concert series is the Fiesta Rondalla. The celebration of Spanish music presented by NUS Rondalla will serenade music lovers with renditions of lively folk and popular music arrangements played on stringed instruments like mandolins, double basses, octavinas and lauds. If dance is more your thing, you can look forward to the annual Evocation showcase presented by the NUS Dance Ensemble where budding talents are known to push boundaries and explore new themes and dance forms. From ballet and jazz to modern and hip hop, the concert stars NUS’ most promising dancers performing original works conceived by up-andcoming choreographers. As a free-admission outreach programme, EMCC is an initiative by ExxonMobil and the NUS Centre For the Arts that brings together budding performers and professional artists.

Asian Waves: The Changing Face of Asia

Photo: Matthew G. Johnson

The 2012 NUS Arts Festival is a feast for the senses with music, dance and theatre showings to pique just about any artistic appetite. Here are some highlights.

FESTIVAL LINE-UP

The Singapore Story Dr L. Subramaniam with the NUS Indian Instrumental Ensemble 9 Mar, 8pm, UCC Hall Tickets at $28, $23 and $16 The story of Singapore is told through a series of scores composed by Dr L. Subramaniam. Rasa is Sanskrit for the essential mental and emotional state and nava is used to denote the number nine. Thus, this concert explores the nine emotional states of Indian art and aesthetics. With guest violinist Ambi Subramaniam.

NUS Arts Festival

A CELEBRATION OF MUSIC AND DANCE

The Hungry Stones Raka Maitra with NUS Indian Dance 9 and 10 Mar, 8pm, UCC Dance Studio Tickets at $13 Inspired by a short story written by Rabindranath Tagore about a man who comes upon the ruins of a palace harem, this piece weaves dance, music and art installations as it explores the themes of isolation, confinement and the roles of women in post-modern Asian societies.

Asian Waves: The Changing Face of Asia NUS Guitar Ensemble 11 Mar, 8 pm, UCC Hall Tickets at $19 and $16 Featuring original works by Dr Robert Casteels, Balraj Gopal and Chua Jon Lin, this concert by NUS Guitar Ensemble explores how the complex interactions between culture and technology, commerce and politics are revolutionising Asian music and the rest of the world. The concert also features well-loved numbers arranged specially for the Niibori Guitar Ensemble.

Fiesta Rondalla by NUS Rondalla 28 Feb, 8pm, UCC Theatre Evocation 2012 by NUS Dance Ensemble 28 and 29 Mar, 8pm, UCC Theatre Vancouver Piano Ensemble 11 Apr, 8pm, UCC Theatre Free admission. Tickets available at the door on a first-come-first-served basis one hour before show time.

JAN-MAR 2012

C U LT U R E Photo: Irenaeus Herwindo

The Hive NUS Electronic Music Lab 14 Mar, 8pm, UCC Dance Studio Tickets at $13 This concert explores the nature of Asian cities as distinctive communities with a common value through a series of original soundscapes and digital music.

The Boy Inside Wang Liansheng in collaboration with Alvin Tan and Low Xu Hao 16 Mar, 8pm; 17 Mar, 3pm and 8pm, UCC Dance Studio Tickets at $16 Winning the third prize of the 2007 Singapore Young Dramatist Award as part of Theatrework’s Writers’ Laboratory programme, Wang Liansheng is a talent to watch. His play deals with issues of what it means to be ‘perfect’ and the fine line between childhood and adulthood. This dramatised reading of The Boy Inside marks a first-time collaboration between the young playwright, Alvin Tan and Low Xu Hao.

Soirée 2012

Photo: JK Light Capture

Soirée 2012 NUS Harmonica Orchestra 16 Mar, 8pm, UCC Hall Tickets at $19 and $16 Singapore’s only harmonica orchestra presents a new interpretation of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly. Together with a humming chorus and featured soloists, NUS Harmonica Orchestra retells the story of a Japanese geisha who falls in love with an American soldier, along with other works. Solo/Duet T.H.E Dance Company 16 and 17 Mar, 8pm, UCC Theatre Tickets at $23 and $16 Three choreographers from across Asia—Wu Yi-San from Taiwan, Davit from Indonesia and Jeffrey Tan from Singapore— take inspiration from recent Asian events and everyday experiences to present glimpses into the lives of Asian urbanites through energetic and expressive solo and duet pieces.

East Meets East: Going Regional in a Global World TM Hoffman and Friends 18 Mar, 8pm, UCC Dance Studio Tickets at $16 Trained in classical piano, Japanese shakuhachi flute, classical Hindustani vocal music and tabla and Javanese gamelan, TM Hoffman is a pioneer in intra-Asian music. Discover the sublime synthesis of Indian and Japanese music in this workshop and performance featuring the music maverick and his associates.

Funeral《中式葬礼》 NUS Chinese Drama 21 Mar, 8pm, UCC Theatre Tickets at $19 and $16 A touching story about saying goodbye to a loved one, Funeral explores whether the ceremonies are grand farewells to the deceased or symbolic atonement of regrets and guilt for the living. The play brings together a talented group of students and established theatre practitioner Li Xie and director Zelda Ng. Performed in Mandarin with English subtitles.

InTempo 2012: In the Asian Tempo, Celebrating Asian Cities

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godeatgod The Necessary Stage 24 and 25 Mar, 8pm, UCC Theatre Tickets at $23 and $16 NUS alum and founder of The Necessary Stage, Alvin Tan, directs the third staging of godeatgod, a layered response to events taking place in the post 9/11 world. Told in vignettes by a cast of characters, the play seeks to unearth the dishonesties, power struggles, corruption and egos that have widened the gap between the rich and poor.

Hereafter

Photo: Jasmine How Photography

Hereafter NUS Dance Synergy 25 Mar, 8pm, UCC Hall Tickets at $19 and $16 NUS Dance Synergy presents a piece that conveys the devastation of Japan’s 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Alternating between mourning for the victims and carrying out damage control, dancers portray panic and desperation felt by the survivors as they attempt to rebuild their lives.

NUS Wind Symphony 18 Mar, 8pm, UCC Hall Tickets at $19 and $16

NUS Wind Symphony examines how the definition of ‘home’ has changed due to shifts in cultural identity, through its repertoire of classical scores by Asian composers. Compositions include Yellow River Concerto, Northern Mother Earth and Variations On A Korean Folksong.

For a complete listing, please go to www.nusartsfestival.com Photo: JK Light Capture

Face to Face II 13 x 8 22 and 23 Mar, 8pm, UCC Dance Studio Tickets at $13 An initiative by NUS Centre For the Arts and T.H.E Dance Company, Face to Face is the result of a mentorship programme that took two budding choreographers through a composition journey over 13 weeks.

A MUSICAL FEAST AT THE YONG SIEW TOH CONSERVATORY The 5th Singapore Chamber Music Festival offers something for music lovers of all stripes. New Zealand Chamber Soloists Recital 10 Jan, 7:30pm, Conservatory Concert Hall The New Zealand Chamber Soloists takes to the stage to perform classical and modern scores by Babajanian, Brahms and upcoming New Zealand composers.

Wind Jazz 17 Feb, 12:30pm, Asian Civilisations Museum Shaw Foundation Foyer The Conservatory wind chamber ensemble performs popular works by Gerswhin, Debussy, Tim Jansa and Claude Bolling at this lunchtime recital.

Australian Brass Quintet and the Conservatory Brass 13 Jan, 7:30pm, Conservatory Concert Hall Join the Australian Brass Quintet in an uplifting evening concert featuring classical, jazz and contemporary arrangements. The performance closes with a joint recital with the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Brass.

Conservatory Brass Chamber Concert 5 Mar, 7:30pm, Conservatory Concert Hall Enjoy an evening of rousing performances by the Conservatory’s brass quintet and trombone.

Southern Cross Soloists Recital 21 Jan, 7:30pm, Conservatory Concert Hall This evening’s recital by the Southern Cross Soloists, one of Australia’s most successful and widely respected chamber ensembles, is in collaboration with Conservatory faculty’s Albert Tiu together with violin and voice students in special arrangements of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 14, Saint-Saens’ Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso and Bach’s Cantata 159. A Chamber Music Concert With Central Conservatory Of Music Beijing 28 Jan, 7:30pm, Conservatory Concert Hall Following a week-long residency with the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, students from the Central Conservatory of Music Beijing take the stage in a concert of classical hits and popular scores. Conservatory Brass 3 February, 12:30pm, Asian Civilisations Museum Shaw Foundation Foyer For a lunch break with a difference, kick back and enjoy this afternoon performance by the Conservatory’s brass quintets at the Asian Civilisations Museum. Ang Mo Faux 8 Feb, 7:30pm, Conservatory Foyer Enjoy the synthesis of improvised music and electroacoustics in this progressive performance that borrows influences from various world cultures, experimental music and the European avant-garde movement.

Wind Chamber Evening: Youthful Miniatures 16 Mar, 7:30pm, Conservatory Concert Hall The Conservatory’s wind section presents an atmospheric performance featuring scores by Beethoven, Janá ek, Debussy, Carl Nielsen and contemporary composer, Tim Jansa. The Chamber Players in Concert: A Serenade, a Sinfonia and a Suite 24 Mar, 7:30pm, Conservatory Concert Hall This concert brings together the Conservatory’s head of vocal studies, Alan Bennett, and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s principal horn, Han Chang Chou, to perform Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings. Chamber players will also perform the young Mendelssohn’s brilliant String Sinfonia No. 10 and the ever-popular Holberg Suite by Edvard Grieg. Rhodes Piano Trio 27 Mar, 7:30pm, Conservatory Concert Hall Join the acclaimed Rhodes Piano Trio in an intimate concert of popular works by classical and contemporary composers. Stirring Strings: An Evening with T’ang Quartet and Students 31 Mar, 7:30pm, Conservatory Concert Hall The T’ang Quartet and their students present an evening of passionate and intense string chamber works for sextets, octets and more. Discover the imagination, emotions and intense romanticism of Borodin, Strauss and Shostakovich, as well as the Holberg Suite for string orchestra by Grieg. The 5th Singapore Chamber Music Festival is on from 10 Jan – 31 Mar. For more information on ticketing and schedules, visit www.music.nus.edu.sg.

JAN-MAR 2012

high CommiSSion oF Canada and nuS oFFiCe oF alumni RelationS jointly pReSent

Canadian

BaCk ByR populad deman

Film FoRum 2012 24 – 29 maRCh

27 maRCh 2012, tueSday, 8pm

inCendieS 131 min / Rating: to Be adViSed (please refer to the website www.alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/CFF2012 for more information.)

The story opens in Quebec, where Arab-Canadian twins Jeanne and Simon are meeting with a notary, Jean Lebel, following the death of their mother, Nawal. Lebel employed Nawal as a secretary and she, in turn, made him the executor of her unorthodox will. It included a pair of letters and the instructions that Jeanne must deliver one of them to their father, while Simon takes the other to their brother. The twins were confused, since they’d been led to believe their father, whom they have never known, died in their Middle Eastern homeland. Also, their mother had never told them she had another son. Now they must travel back to Lebanon to find them both - a journey into a dark and terrible past.

Shaw Foundation alumni houSe

28 maRCh 2012, wedneSday, 8pm the FoRum SeekS to ShowCaSe the VeRy BeSt oF Canadian FilmS FRom VaRiouS genReS.

the SweateR 10min / animated ShoRt / Rating: pg

FRee admiSSion. to ReSeRVe youR SeatS pleaSe RegiSteR online at www.alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/cff2012 enjoy a BuFFet ReCeption on opening night, 24 maRCh. Canadian Food and SnaCkS aRe on Sale thRoughout the Film FoRum.

24 maRCh 2012, SatuRday, 8pm

SeduCing dR. lewiS / la gRande SéduCtion 108 min / Rating: m18

St. Marie-La-Mauderne is a tiny fishing village in which some may call The Middle of Nowhere. For eight years, the locals had stood in line for weekly welfare checks, wearing patched sweaters and glum expressions, and remembering the good old days when the catch was good, the fishermen were proud, and life seemed a lot more magical. Then one day, a chance at salvation: a small company wanted to build a factory on the island, but only if a full-time doctor lives in St. Marie. The situation seemed hopeless until a young doctor in Montreal had an unfortunate incident with a traffic cop and found himself on a boat to the faraway village. But the question is how to convince handsome, young, urbane Dr. Lewis to stay on this dreary little spot on the map? As it turned out, the answer lies in just a bit of seductive subterfuge--along with a tapped phone, a hastily assembled cricket team, and something called Festival de Beef Stroganoff.

26 maRCh 2012, monday, 8pm

one week

94 min / Rating: pg When confronted with his mortality, Ben Tyler impulsively bought a vintage motorcycle and set off on a road trip that started in Toronto and ended up on Vancouver Island in the town of Tofino. Humourous, profound and extremely moving, One Week uses the Great Canadian landscape as the backdrop to the story of a man and his life’s journey. In search of himself, he finds out what makes this country and his life, so beautiful.

In this animated short film, Roch Carrier recounts the most mortifying moment of his childhood. At a time when all his friends worshipped Maurice “Rocket” Richard and wore his number 9 Montreal Canadians hockey jersey, the boy was mistakenly sent a Toronto Maple Leaf jersey from Eaton’s. Unable to convince his mother to send it back, he must face his friends wearing the colours of the opposing team. This short film, based on the book “The Hockey Sweater”, is a National Film Board classic that appeals to hockey lovers of all ages.

Bon Cop Bad Cop

116 min / Rating: m18-Sexual SCene When a body is found hanging on top of the sign demarcating the Ontario-Quebec border, police officers from both Canadian provinces must join forces to solve the murder. David Bouchard is a rule-bending, francophone detective from Sûreté du Québec, while Martin Ward is a by-thebook anglophone Ontario Provincial Police detective. The bilingual detectives must resolve their professional and cultural differences as well as their bigotry and prejudices, joining forces to disclose the identity of the Tattoo Killer, a deranged serial-killer who is killing the managers of various hockey teams.

29 maRCh 2012, thuRSday, 8pm

BaRney’S VeRSion

134 min / Rating: nC16

Based on Mordecai Richler’s prize-winning comic novel - Barney’s Version is the warm, wise, and witty story of Barney Panofsky, a seemingly ordinary man who lives an extraordinary life. A candid confessional, told from Barney’s point of view, the film spans four decades and two continents, taking us through the different acts of his unusual history. There is his first wife, Clara (Rachelle Lefevre), a flame-haired, flagrantly unfaithful free spirit with whom Barney briefly lives “La Vie de Bohème” in Rome. His second wife is a wealthy Jewish Princess who shops and talks incessantly, barely noticing that Barney is not listening. And it was at their lavish wedding that Barney met and pursued, Miriam, his third wife, the mother of his two children, and his true love. With his father, Izzy (Dustin Hoffman) as his sidekick, Barney takes us through the many highs and lows, of his long and colourful life.

a BlackBerry smartphone One BlackBerry® smartphone will be given away by lucky dip each night.