NUS Alumni Office - AlumNUS Magazine 2012apr

ALUMNUSTheAPR–JUN 2012 // ISSUE 89ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE

PG28 SINGAPORE’S CREATIVE SCENE: WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

NUS IN DAVOS NUS President Prof Tan Chorh Chuan and other NUS fraternity at the 42nd World Economic Forum

LAUNCH OF OUR JAKARTA CHAPTERA testament to the growing presence and identity of alumni in the region

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3583

The pioneering efforts of NUS alumni in harnessing our most precious resource

Water

ADVISOR Assoc Prof Lim Meng Kin, Medicine ’74 EDITORYvette Thomasz, Arts and Social Sciences ’89 PUBLISHING CONSULTANT MediaCorp Pte Ltd

Contact usOffice of Alumni RelationsNational University of Singapore 11 Kent Ridge DriveSingapore 119244Tel: +65 6516 5775 Email: [email protected]

The

Art Direction: Neo Aik Sing

Contents APRIL–JUNE 2012 ISSUE 89

10

ALUMNUSTheAPR–JUN 2012 // ISSUE 89ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE

PG28 SINGAPORE’S CREATIVE SCENE: WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

NUS IN DAVOS NUS President Prof Tan Chorh Chuan and other NUS fraternity at the 42nd World Economic Forum

LAUNCH OF OUR JAKARTA CHAPTERA testament to the growing presence and identity of alumni in the region

ISS

N: 0

129-

3583

The pioneering efforts of NUS alumni in harnessing our most precious resource

rts of NUS alumni in

Water

Cover.indd 1 22/03/2012 6:43 PM

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.nus.edu.sg/alumnet.

Copyright 2012 by the National University of

Singapore. All rights reserved.

Printed in Singapore by KHL Printing Co Pte Ltd.

1First Word

2In The News

10Cover Story

Tackling Water Stress

16In Memoriam

Dr Toh Chin Chye, Dr Andrew Chew and Dr Khoo Oon Teik

18Alumni Scene

Values, Morals and the Decision-Making Process; Staying On the Fast Track

22Pursuit Of Excellence

A Woman for All Seasons

24My Word

Designing for Tomorrow

26Spotlight

Building Businesses for Greater Good

28Feature

Exploring Creativity in Singapore

30Changemaker

No Stone Unturned

32U@Live

Featuring Mr Philip Yeo and Mr S R Nathan

36Alumni Happenings

42Culture

46Class Notes

48Last Word

4

28

30

1APR–JUN 2012

First Word

F ollowing the re-launch of this magazine in January, we received a resounding vote of confidence from you, our readers, with some even writing in from afar. Thank you all for your feedback and support; we love to hear from you

and will do our best to make every issue special. Few global challenges of our time are as critical to

humanity’s survival as water, and in this issue’s cover story, we feature alumni who are truly making a difference

through groundbreaking solutions and technologies, in areas ranging from water conservation and reclamation to mitigating the effects of climate change.

In this issue, we also pay tribute to three larger-than-life alumni whose contributions to NUS have laid the groundwork for our current achievements. The late Dr Toh Chin Chye, Dr Andrew Chew and Dr Khoo Oon Teik are shining examples of

devotion to duty and dedication to public service.The Chinese idiom 饮水思原 (yin shui si yuan, or when

drinking water, remember the source) springs to mind: Our alumni have long been our greatest source of strength and I trust you will find many in these (and future) pages who inspire, challenge and edify.

“Our alumni have long been our greatest source

of strength and I trust you will find many in

these and future pages who inspire, challenge

and edify.”

Assoc Prof Lim Meng Kin, Director, NUS Office of Alumni Relations

What is the responsibility of busi-nesses towards society? And how can business leaders collaborate and lead in creating value for all stakeholders?

These were two of the critical issues discussed by leaders, including NUS President Prof Tan Chorh Chuan at the brainstorming session on ‘Business, Governance and Leadership: New Pressures and Realities’ held during the 42nd World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

The session was one of many centred around the theme of this year’s WEF meeting, which was held from 25 to 29 January, ‘The Great Transformation: Shaping New Models’. Thought leaders from around the world came together to define their vision of the future and to align stakeholders to that vision.

WEF was a busy time for Prof Tan, who facilitated three ses-sions: ‘Leveraging Human-Machine Collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University’, ‘From Concept to Commerce with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’ and ‘What If All Known Antibiotics Lost Their Effectiveness?’

Prof Tan is an eminent medical professional who served as Director of Medical Services at the Ministry of Health from 2000 to 2004, during which he was responsible for the medical response to the SARS epidemic in 2003. At WEF, he introduced the session enti-tled ‘New Models of Healthcare with the National University of Singapore’ during the IdeasLab session.

Four presenters from NUS took cen-trestage at this session: Prof John Wong, Vice Provost (Academic Medicine) and Isabel Chan Professor in Medical Sciences; Prof Wong Tien Yin, Head of the Department of Ophthalmology and Director of the Singapore Eye Research Institute; Prof Chua Kee Chaing, Head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering; and Assoc Prof Chong Yap Seng from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

The team addressed topics such

Prof John Wong (right) with Dr Richard T Pascale from the University of Oxford

as ‘Nature’s Experiments: Developing Personalised Cancer Therapy’, in which they spoke on ethnic differences in cancer behaviour and response, and ‘Putting Women and Children First in Our Fight Against Obesity and Diabetes’, in which the effects of the prenatal environment on obesity and diabetes were discussed.

Another Singapore thought leader and a familiar face at the WEF was the Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Prof Kishore Mahbubani.

Prof Mahbubani moderated two sessions, ‘ASEAN: Collaboration through Connectivity’ and ‘The Future of American Power in the 21st Century’. He also spoke at the session ‘Pundits, Professors and their Predictions’.

He was among 21 world-renowned leaders selected to share their in-sights on the single most important transformation that will occur in the 21st century.

I N T H E N E W S

NUS participates in the 42nd World Economic Forum.

DISCUSSIONS IN DAVOS

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At a session called ‘An Insight, An Idea with Kishore Mahbubani’, Prof Mahbubani, author of the book The New Asian Hemisphere: The Irresistible Shift of Global Power to the East, said: “The main idea I put across was that even though power was shifting to Asia, the West should not be alarmed by this shift of power. The Asian states want to work with the Western states to create a stable and prosperous global order that would benefit both the East and West.” He noted that the rise in anxiety among policymakers and populations in the West over the power shift to Asia poses the threat of protectionism. It is therefore imperative that Asians start providing more global leadership.

Prof Mahbubani said that the Davos forum was probably the most influential non-governmental meeting in the international arena, attended by thousands of the most influential people in the world. Singapore’s presence at Davos through NUS is significant in its contribution to meaningful discussions that have a global impact.

“The Asian states want to work with the Western states to create a stable and prosperous global order that would benefit both the East and West.”Prof Kishore Mahbubani, Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy

Prof Tan Chorh Chuan

Prof Kishore Mahbubani moderated two sessions at WEF

Prof Chua Kee Chaing

Assoc Prof Chong Yap Seng (right), and Prof Wong Tien Yin at Davos

2 ALUMNUS 3APR–JUN 2012

I N T H E N E W SI N T H E N E W S

A six-month trial is underway to help alleviate MRT train congestion during peak periods – commuters are offered incentives to encourage them to travel during off-peak periods.

The study is being conducted jointly by researchers from the National University of Singapore and Stanford University, and led by Prof Balaji Prabhakar from Stanford University, Assoc Prof Mehul Motani and Prof Chua Kee Chaing of the NUS Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, together with Stanford PhD student Ms Naini Gomes.

Commuters participating in the study can earn credits on their travels. Those who take the train during regular hours and peak hours on weekdays will earn one credit per kilometre traveled. However, those who travel during the morning shoulder peak periods – from 6.30am to 7.30am and 8.30am to 9.30am on weekdays – will earn three credits. These points can be redeemed for prizes and monetary rewards.

Prof Prabhakar explained that, “If the load in crowded trains [is] reduced by 10 per cent, then congestion measures, such as occupancy and the sense of crowdedness, would reduce significantly. By balancing the occupancy of trains across peak and off-peak times, a more efficient use can

A joint trial by NUS and Stanford University aims to improve the crowding situation on MRT trains.

OFF-PEAK, ON TARGET

be made of the transit system while increasing passenger comfort.”

Assoc Prof Motani believes that the reward system will be an incentive for commuters to avoid the crowded peak periods, and will therefore serve to improve commuters’ riding experience given shorter waits and reduced total travel time.

Prof Chua added that if the trial proves to be successful, this approach may also be applied to other areas such as energy consumption, water conservation, health and wellness.

The project is modeled after a successful effort involving 40,000 commuters in Bangalore, India.

Researchers from Stanford University used a similar incentive system to change commuting patterns. By the end of the six-month programme, the number of off-peak commuters had increased by about 20 per cent.

The Singapore study is part of a larger effort by the Land Transport Authority to explore “travel demand management” to ease peak period congestion.

Some 20,000 commuters are needed for the study. Those who want to take part can sign up through the ‘Incentives for Singapore’s Commuters’ (INSINC) website, www.insinc.sg.

Project leaders Prof Balaji Prabhakar of Stanford University (centre), Assoc Prof Mehul Motani (left) and Prof Chua Kee Chaing of NUS’ Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

The National University of Singapore recently received a S$30 million donation from one of Indonesia’s most renowned tycoons, Dr Tahir, the owner of Mayapada Group.

A GIFT OF MILLIONS

car dealership. He then moved into the garment business and in 1990, started Bank Mayapada.

The bank has since become one of the largest privately-held banks in Indonesia. The Mayapada empire also spans duty-free shops, property and hospitals.

On his latest contribution, Dr Tahir said he wants to continue in the indomitable spirit of the pioneers of Nantah who set up the University in 1956, not only with large donations from Chinese business leaders like Tan Lark Sye but also with those from the working class.

“The pioneers thought about the future generations,” he said. “That is precious. I want my children to be a blessing to the people, to be righteous and caring.”

In the December edition of Forbes Indonesia, Dr Tahir was named the country’s 15th richest man; he is said to be worth US$1.4 billion (S$1.8 billion).

He is married to Rosy Riady, who is the daughter of Mr Mochtar Riady, patriarch of the Lippo Group conglomerate.

The amount is the largest that the University has received from an international alumnus. It will go to the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine to advance research and education. And with a government matching grant included, the School is expected to receive a total sum of S$75 million.

NUS President Prof Tan Chorh Chuan said of Dr Tahir, “As an alumni donor of the University, Dr Tahir inspires us with his passionate belief in the University’s ability to influence the future and positively impact the lives around us.”

This is not the first time that the philanthropist (Class of 1976) has made a contribution to NUS. Between 2006 and 2011, he donated a total of S$3 million to the University for scholarships and bursaries.

A great supporter of education, the Indonesian-born Singapore permanent resident has also donated millions to various institutions in his home country and to the University of California, Berkeley, the alma mater of his three daughters.

He hopes his actions will inspire other alumni and friends to do the same.

Dr Tahir was not born into wealth but came from humble beginnings. Born into a working class family in Surabaya, Indonesia, his father ran a fabric shop while his mother was a pedicab driver.

In his youth, he enrolled in a medical school in Taiwan but was forced to quit due to his father’s poor health. He later came to Singapore to study business at Nanyang University, and returned home after completing his studies to start a

“The pioneers thought about the future generations. That is precious. I want my children to be a blessing to the people, to be righteous and caring.”Dr Tahir, who recently donated S$30m to NUSP

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Few occasions demonstrate the enduring ties between NUS and our alumni better than the founding of a new chapter. On 23 February, the University was proud to welcome the NUS alumni community in Jakarta into our global family.

Among the 150 alumni who gathered to celebrate the launch of our latest chapter were many leading lights in their respective fields. Also lending his support to the occasion was the Ambassador of Singapore to Indonesia, His Excellency Mr Ashok Kumar Mirpuri (Arts and Social Sciences ‘83) and his wife, Mrs Gouri Mirpuri (Arts and Social Sciences ‘83, ‘85).

Before the assembly, NUS President Prof Tan Chorh Chuan and Mr Pery Irawan, Chairman of the Jakarta chapter, announced the

NUS LAUNCHES JAKARTA CHAPTER

The NUS Overseas Alumni Chapter in Jakarta Committee:CHAIRMAN

Mr Pery Irawan, Public Policy ‘10

SECRETARY

Ms Dewi Suyenti Tio, Computing ‘05 ,

Arts and Social Sciences ‘09

TREASURER

Ms Dyah Maharani Irmasari, Arts and

Social Sciences ‘10

PROGRAMME COORDINATOR

Mr Mudarwi, Systems Science ‘09

MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR

Ms Pepita Gunawan, Arts and Social

Sciences ‘03, Business ‘09


A QUANTUM LEAP FOR CLOUD COMPUTING

able to understand what they are looking at because it would appear completely random.

The research, which has been published in top-tier journal Science, was conducted by the Centre for Quantum Technologies (CQT) at NUS and a team of scientists from Austria, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Dr Joseph Fitzsimons at the CQT said, “Unless there is a fundamental mistake in the present understanding of physics, the ‘blindness’ is perfect. There is no way to attack it.”

Scientist Anne Broadbent from the Institute for Quantum Computing in Canada, a researcher involved in the project, claims that it is “impossible to break.”

“The cloud receives random stuff, garbage basically, but it is able to process it in a way that is meaningful for the user,” she said.

Scientists have been trying to develop quantum computers that are believed to revolutionise information processing in the future. But some believe that like today’s supercomputers, they will be limited to a few specialised facilities around the world.

If this breakthrough lives up to its projections, quantum physics will enable remote users of such facilities to send and receive private data that is protected from prying eyes.

Other researchers involved in the study came from the Vienna Center for Quantum Science and Technology at the University of Vienna and the Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information in Austria; the University of Edinburgh, UK; and the University of Waterloo in Canada.

Quantum physics may just be the answer to secure cloud computing. With the rising popularity of cloud computing – the sharing of resources, software and information over the Internet – security is a growing concern.

But that might be a non-issue now that an international team of researchers, including some from NUS, has demonstrated that perfectly secure cloud computing is possible by combining the power of quantum computing with the security of quantum cryptography, a way of sending secret messages that cannot be decoded.

The breakthrough uses what is called “blind quantum computing” which allows users to encrypt their data so well that even the computer doesn’t know what it’s processing. This ensures that the users’ data remains private.

Using the tools of mathematics, the researchers have developed a computer code that can encrypt data in particles of light, which can then be transmitted over long distances.

It is reportedly so secure that even eavesdroppers would not be

Jakarta chapter Chairman Pery Irawan (left) striking a gong together with NUS President Prof Tan Chorh Chuan to inaugurate the new chapter

Guests at the launch included many leading lights in their respective fields

NUS’ 16th Overseas Alumni Chapter is launched in Jakarta, Indonesia.

launch by striking a resounding note on a Javanese gong. An alumnus of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Pak Irawan now serves as a senior administrator with the Secretariat of the Vice President of Indonesia. Addressing the guests, he spoke about the promise of higher education and its ability to bring about positive change.

“Indonesia now has over 2,600 NUS alumni in significant fields all over the country,” he said, “[and] studying at NUS has made us much more confident in serving Indonesia.”

With the establishment of our Overseas Alumni Chapter in Jakarta, NUS now has 16 chapters in cities across the world.

Fears about the security of cloud computing may be quelled, thanks to quantum physics.



Students entering tertiary education have even greater choices now.

NEW DEGREE PROGRAMMES AT NUS

Those about to become undergraduates now have a wider choice of degrees to pursue, with the establishment of new degree programmes in Law and Environmental Studies.

NUS Law School has partnered one of Asia’s leading institutions, China’s Tsinghua University, to enable students to earn degrees from both institutions.

Singapore’s liberal arts college, the Yale-NUS College, has also announced two new programmes in law and environmental studies.

In the tie-up with Tsinghua University, law school students of both universities who have completed the first three years of studies, will have the opportunity to study in the other institution for at least a year.

Under the programme, both law schools will select five candidates from each institution. Upon completion of the programme, participants will receive an LLB (Bachelor of Laws) degree from their home institution and an LLM (Master of Laws) degree from the partner institution.

Prof Wang Zhenmin, Dean of the Tsinghua University’s Law School remarked, “It is often said that the 21st

century belongs to Asia. The realisation of this dream depends largely on how disputes are resolved and wars are averted. Many disputes among nations were resolved by soldiers. We hope that disputes in the 21st century could be peaceably resolved by lawyers and advocates.”

He believes that the partnership has profound implications for the legal profession and that it will provide a platform for both universities to contribute to the continuing development of law and order, as well as peace.

Prof Stephen Girvin, Vice-Dean of Research and International Programmes at NUS Law School explained, “These important programmes add significantly to our suite of joint degree programmes with other leading law schools. These new programmes will allow NUS law students to obtain two law degrees, giving them the opportunity to broaden their legal education in a unique way. Such opportunities, particularly with a top Chinese law school, are especially important in the globalised world we live in.”

He added that these programmes will provide participating students with not only excellent networking opportunities, but also tremendous exposure to Chinese legal practitioners. These will deepen the students’

understanding of Chinese law – an integral consideration for doing business with Asia’s most populous nation and largest economy.

The new programmes at the Yale-NUS College will be in addition to its four-year honours degree programmes in Arts or Science.

In law, selected students can enroll in a five-year double degree programme in arts and law which integrates humanities, sciences and the social sciences with professional legal training.

Upon completion of studies in law, students will be awarded a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree from the Yale-NUS College and a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) degree from the NUS Faculty of Law.

Also, students can pursue a master’s degree in environmental studies from Yale University after completing their four-year bachelor’s degree. They will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) or Bachelor of Science (Honours) degrees from Yale-NUS and a Master of Environmental Science or Master of Environmental Management degree from Yale University after five years of study.

Prof Lily Kong, Acting Executive Vice-President of Academic Affairs at Yale-NUS College said: “We are introducing these two new degrees because we think there is intrinsic value in marrying the liberal arts with the two disciplinary areas – Law and Environmental studies.”

“These degrees are there as additions, as augmentations. But they are not necessary in order for students to be hired. And the best evidence of that is really the very many internship opportunities from companies around the world who have stepped forward because they have recognised the value of these graduates.”

The liberal arts college, a collaboration between NUS and the prestigious Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, US, will open its doors in August 2013.

“It is often said that the 21st century

belongs to Asia. The realisation

of this dream depends largely on

how disputes are resolved and wars

are averted.”Prof Wang Zhenmin, Dean of the Tsinghua University’s Law School

The website for NUS alumni now sports a fresh new look.

AlumNET GETS A FACELIFT

With alumni’s needs and wants in mind, the Office of Alumni Relations (OAR) has refreshed the look of its website AlumNET (www.nus.edu.sg/alumnet).

Web users will discover a clean new design and greater functionality at their fingertips. Highlights and upcoming events are clearly sign-posted on the homepage.

Ms Poon Sern Yin, Head of Information Management for OAR, explained that the website design was improved to “be more alumni-centric.”

“The new design offers better consolidation in terms of areas of alumni interest – upcoming events, ways of volunteering, connecting with faculties and schools, and latest news and information,” she said.

The new design is neater both in terms of layout and content. It also offers better navigation in terms of locating specific information about OAR, ways of staying connected, programmes and privileges for alumni.

Alumni across the globe are encouraged to get active through this new design. “The new design also supports dedicated websites for overseas alumni chapters as well as local alumni groups, whereby events and news posted on these dedicated websites are integrated with the main AlumNET site. Each dedicated website bears a consistent appearance with the main AlumNET site, giving the NUS alumni branding a very holistic look-and-feel,” said Ms Poon.

Recalling our alumni highlights for 2011 and looking ahead to a great year with our partners.

“THANK YOU” FOR A GREAT YEAR

A celebration of the ties that bind, and a gesture of appreciation to partners and friends – these were the themes of the Office of Alumni Relations’ (OAR) annual Chinese New Year Appreciation Lunch. Held at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House on 6 February, the high-spirited affair saw NUS’ extended alumni family come together to affirm their bonds to the University.

As always, it was our alumni – representing many different schools and eras in NUS’ history – who took the spotlight. Also gracing the event were members of the Alumni Advisory Board as well as senior representatives of the various faculties, schools and administrative offices.

Kicking off the occasion with much fanfare was the traditional lion dance performance. This was followed by a review of 2011 milestones and highlights by OAR Director Assoc Prof Lim Meng Kin. “Many of our successful signature events have been driven by our alumni,” he noted.

This was also the sentiment expressed by NUS President Prof Tan

Chorh Chuan, the Guest of Honour for the event. After updating the assembly on the latest University initiatives, including NUS’ recent involvement at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, he closed with an expression of gratitude to alumni.

“Our University’s continued rapid progress can only be sustained if we have the support and encouragement of the entire NUS community of faculty, staff, students, alumni and supporters,” said Prof Tan. “I deeply appreciate our many alumni and friends for giving generously of their time and talent, as well as providing financial support, for numerous important causes throughout our University.”

Following his address, Prof Tan and Assoc Prof Lim launched the AlumNET website, NUS’ revamped one-stop alumni support platform. With numerous new services and features, it marks another step forward in OAR’s mission to better engage alumni – and a great start to the Year of the Dragon.


that by 2080, half the world’s population will have no access to clean water.

The World Water Vision Report of 2010 states that “the crisis is not about having too little water to satisfy our needs. It is a crisis of managing water so badly that billions of people – and the environment – suffer badly.”

Beyond the social and physical threats posed by the water crisis, another large problem looms: a growing lack of water resources will exacerbate existing tensions between users who share sources, both on a national and an international scale.

There are more than 260 river basins in the world that are shared by two or more countries, and any major project on the part of any one party without the agreement or cooperation of the other(s) will lead to political conflict.

As the former Vice President (Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development) of the World Bank, Ismail Serageldin, said in 1995, “Many of the wars this century were about oil, but those of the next century will be over water.”

An island of calm?Singapore is held as one of the world’s success stories when it comes to managing water resources. A World Bank Analytical and Advisory

Assistance Program paper, Dealing with Water Scarcity in Singapore: Institutions, Strategies, and Enforcement (2006), reads:

From the 1980s to 1990s Singapore made tremendous efforts to create a comprehensive environmental management system, including water supply, control of river pollution, establishment of well-planned industrial estates, and a world-class urban sanitation system for the whole island. More recently, the Singapore government has made “sustainable water supply” the main target of water management, and a series of initiatives and actions has been undertaken. Singapore has achieved remarkable progress in water resource management based primarily on urban catchment management and water reuse. Its experience is valuable for other countries and cities facing threats to the quality and quantity of their water supplies.

The paper identified political will, in-tegration of institutions towards this goal, public education, enforcement of legislation and the use of advanced technology as the five key factors in Singapore’s creditable water policy.

NUS is a microcosm of this reality: the topic of water is one that is being studied and researched across faculties, including the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, the

“Water, water, everywhere,

And all the boards did shrink;

Water, water, everywhere,

Nor any drop to drink.”

water-related diseases.The world is facing water

stress, a situation caused by an imbalance between water use and water resources. Water stress spells the deterioration of fresh water resources, both in terms of quantity and quality. Humans are generating more wastewater now than ever in the history of the world. This not only reduces the amount of water available for agricultural and industrial use, but also adversely affects ecosystems in the oceans — and the problem continues to escalate as the global population grows.

According to the United Nations, half the world will be living in areas facing high water stress by the year 2030. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates

This stanza from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem, The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner, holds true for the world’s water

crisis today. While certain regions of the world such as East Africa saw its worst drought and famine in 60 years in the summer of 2011, other cities experienced extraordi-narily wet weather in late 2011 to early 2012 – hail in Melbourne in the middle of summer; floods in Bangkok; heavy rains and flooding in Queensland; and of course, flash floods in Singapore.

According to the World Water Council, 1.1 billion people live without clean drinking water and two million people die every year – with 3,900 children succumbing daily – from preventable


C O V E R S T O R Y

Tackling Water

Floods and droughts plague the world today, and it has been estimated by the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change that by 2080, half the world will face a severe lack of clean water. Four distinguished alumni share their experiences with this vital resource. By Theresa Tan

S T R E S S

C O V E R S T O R Y

School of Design and Environment, and the Faculty of Engineering, as well as the Institute of Water Policy at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, which was specifically set up in 2008 to study ways to deal with this global issue.

Who can stop the rain?But even the shining example that is Singapore has had its share of water woes of late. Heavy and sustained downpour resulted in flooding in the central part of Singapore, particu-larly the Orchard Road area. Stores located on the lower ground level of Wheelock Place were beset by knee-deep amounts of rainwater which destroyed retail stock and furniture and put an abrupt stop to all busi-ness transactions. Earlier this year, with flood barriers installed, the same stores experienced “ponding” when water was trapped between the stores

and the barriers, forming a pool.Understandably, Singapore’s

drainage system was called into question. Theories ran rampant: “How come we never got such flooding issues before Ion Orchard was built?”; “Is the Marina Barrage the problem, since water doesn’t get out quickly enough?”; “What happened to Stamford Canal?” (It turned out that Stamford Canal, which runs underground, was indeed choked, but this was only a small part of the whole issue.)

Assoc Prof Wong Poh Poh (Arts and Social Sciences ’66, ’69) – eminent geographer, expert on coastlines, and the only Singaporean on the IPCC which shared the Nobel Peace Prize 2007 with former US Vice President Al Gore – attributes the rise in the incidences of extreme weather conditions to global warming: “Extreme weather events

held for 22 years out of his 41 years with Mindef.

At his entertaining yet thought-provoking seminar, Prof Lui explained that throughout Singapore’s history, ensuring a steady source of clean water has been a major national concern, given the island-state’s lack of natural resources.

However, he says that Singapore now needs a place to store excess water from the abundance of rain to prepare for a time of drought. The number of reservoirs in the country has risen to 17, but they still appear to be insufficient in harnessing the abundance of rain Singapore has been experiencing.

Prof Lui’s belief is that “if we can capture water, we can solve our shortage issue.”

Alarming as the recent heavy downpours have been to Singaporeans, the reality is also that the last 50 years have registered the lowest rainfall over a hundred-year period.

“Our dry months are drier, our

wet months are wetter,” summarised Prof Lui. One solution therefore appears to be harvesting water during the wet months.

Mr Tan Gee Paw (Engineering ’67, ’71) the Chairman of the Public Utilities Board (PUB) and the man considered by most to be the Master Architect of Singapore’s water supply, points out that “harvesting rainwater from local catchments has always been a pillar of Singapore’s water sustainability strategy.”

Mr Tan says the challenge, however, is how to collect and store the abundant rainfall that we receive given the limited land we have in Singapore.

Today, two-thirds of Singapore have been turned into water catchment areas, with 17 reservoirs, 32 rivers and a network of more than 3,200km of drains and canals to collect and store the rainwater.

“We will continue to explore alternatives to expand our local catchment storage capacity, and implement such alternatives when it becomes economically viable and

technically feasible to do so,” says Mr Tan.

But collecting rainwater cannot be the only solution. “Ensuring water sustainability is crucial to Singapore’s success,” he says. “With water demand expected to double in the next 50 years, we are planning ahead to meet our needs in the long-term.

“Singapore’s NEWater and desalination capacity can currently meet 30 per cent and 10 per cent of water needs respectively. A second and larger desalination plant is currently being built. When completed in 2013, it will add another 70mgd (millions of gallons per day) to our desalination portfolio.

“By 2060, we plan to triple our current NEWater capacity and expand our desalination capacity such that they meet 50 per cent and 30 per cent of future demand respectively,” says Mr Tan.

Turn the tideGlobal warming, water misman-agement and the poor quality and

“If we can capture water, we can solve our shortage issue.”

are likely to become more numerous as long as the level of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide, is increasing. Scientists believe that the planet passed the safety limit for atmospheric carbon dioxide at 350ppm (parts per million) in 1988; we are now at 393ppm at the beginning of 2012,” says Assoc Prof Wong.

What Singapore has been experiencing is the result of such environmental damage.

“All these changes in weather will bring more rainfall and sometimes more intense rainfall; the monsoon seasons may be less distinct. For example, the northeast monsoon may not be distinctly very wet; and possible spells of dry weather with high temperatures may also be experienced,” explains Assoc Prof Wong.

Harnessing the beastProf Lui Pao Chuen (Science ’65) the Advisor to the National Research Foundation in the Prime Minister’s Office, has found evidence to support the fact that Singapore has indeed, as Assoc Prof Wong says, been experi-encing intense rainfall and greater amounts of rain.

In the last 30 years, the annual rainfall in Singapore has increased from 2,000mm to 2,600mm, and the maximum amount of rainfall observed in 60 minutes at one of the 28 weather stations of the Meteorological Service of Singapore has increased from 90mm to 120mm.

“Singapore’s drainage system was built to accommodate 80mm of rain in 60 minutes, hence despite all PUB’s efforts to improve our drainage system, Singaporeans have witnessed more floods,” explained Prof Lui at a Senior Alumni tea session on 26 January 2012.

Prof Lui, who graduated from NUS in 1965 with a degree in Physics, has held a long list of important positions and titles during his career. Notably, he was Singapore’s first Chief Defence Scientist, a post he

Prof Lui Pao Chuen, the Advisor to the National Research Foundation in the Prime Minister’s Off ice

Assoc Prof Wong Poh Poh, an eminent geographer and coastlines expert

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“All these changes in weather will bring more rainfall and sometimes more intense rainfall; the monsoon seasons may be less distinct.”


C O V E R S T O R Y

desalination plants in China, Algeria and Oman.

Ms Lum – an NUS alumna from the Faculty of Science and a former member of the NUS Board of Trustees – has a global vision for cost- and energy-effective clean water solutions. She has shared, at a session conducted by Singapore’s Economic Development Board, that countries should “leverage technological breakthroughs on a large scale. Urban communities will have to seek innovative solutions to their water needs by leveraging on technology and by tapping on non-traditional sources of water such as seawater and wastewater.”

Hyflux has spearheaded the use of membrane technology. “Increasingly membrane technology has proven to be cost-effective for seawater desalination and is used in water treatment and recycling,” Ms Lum says. “The adoption of

Chairman of PUB Tan Gee Paw is widely recognised as the Master Architect of Singapore’s water supply. He speaks to AlumNUS on the evolution of the country’s water resources.

THE MASTER PLAN FOR SINGAPORE’S WATER

When we became an independent nation in 1965, we were very

much dependent on imported water. We had a burgeoning population living on an island of about 650 sq km, surrounded by seawater, and lacking natural aquifers and land to collect and store rainwater. Older Singaporeans will remember the early days of water rationing when there were extended dry spells.

The first significant step towards the long-term planning of our water resources began in 1971. We did the first Water Master Plan for Singapore, looking ahead over the next 50 years and more. We recognised that rainfall alone would not be sufficient and, though the technology was not commercially available, we included the use of reclaimed used water treated to potable water standards (what we know today as NEWater) and seawater desalting. One drop of water can be used repeatedly, thus enhancing the limited yields of our local reservoirs. For the short term, we proposed the development of unprotected water catchments in Kranji, Western Catchments and Bedok, provided the pollutive pig farms and squatter colonies were phased out.

By the year 2001, the catchments identified in the first Water Master Plan had been implemented, the Singapore River/Kallang Basin catchments had

been cleaned up and NEWater, using improved membrane technology at reduced costs, had been successfully tested at our Bedok pilot plant. With new water treatment technologies, we now include the Marina (central city) water catchments and the Punggol/Serangoon water catchments, raising our total water catchments to 67 per cent of our land area.

The new challenge now is how to tap the remaining 33 per cent of our land area, keep our catchments clean and keep abreast with new technologies.

To capture the remaining land area for water catchments, we developed a unique plant that can handle water of variable salinity so that we can treat tidal water at the mouth of small streams without building expensive dams. We now have the capability to tap up to 90 per cent of our land area as water catchments.

However, keeping the catchments clean becomes a matter of paramount importance. This is our second new challenge. Our traditional way of only law enforcement and public campaigns is unsustainable when almost all of Singapore becomes a water catchment. Hence we decided on a new approach: to beautify our water ways with recreational parks under our Active, Beautiful and Clean Waters programme,

and invite the people to come and enjoy the water parks. This instils in them a love for clean water and the need to keep our catchments clean.

The third new challenge is to face the rising cost of energy with new energy-efficient water treatment technologies. Today, we are one of the global hubs for water R&D with local and foreign centres actively pursuing a whole range of research work.”

“The adoption of membrane systems

also yields other environmental

benefits, such as energy efficiency,

lower use of chemicals in the

treatment process and a smaller

[carbon] footprint.”Ms Olivia Lum, founder of Hyf lux

quantity of water supply all combine to make up a huge problem that cannot be solved easily.

Assoc Prof Wong explains that “global warming disrupts water flow patterns through floods, droughts and storms – all these can reduce the availability of drinking water”.

Despite increased public awareness and efforts to reduce the effects of global warming, it is Assoc Prof Wong’s opinion that there is little positive impact on the water crisis.

“Basically population increase is outstripping the gains made to the water situation,” he explains. “In some cases, global warming is aggravating the water problem in vital economic activities, such as agriculture or livestock rearing. In other cases, the water supply, like river water, is getting polluted because of human activities.

“The sea level is increasing now and its future rise is inevitable. Even with strict mitigation measures imposed immediately, there is a very long time lag before the sea

Mr Tan Gee Paw is lauded as the Master Architect of Singapore’s water supply

level stops rising. Thus, adaptation is inevitable and should start now. Coastal water resources will be affected by salt intrusion as a result of the rising sea level.”

To begin tackling the problem, says Assoc Prof Wong, “you need to take measures to reduce flooding, inundation, salt intrusion into coastal aquifers and reservoirs and have enough reservoirs to hold water. Desalination is one other measure to consider but there are issues related to environmental impact and cost-effectiveness when it comes to converting seawater to fresh water.”

TrailblazersFounded by Ms Olivia Lum (Science ’85, ’86) in 1989, Hyflux Ltd is the company that launched the water and fluid treatment industry in Singapore. Today, Hyflux is a major player in providing solutions to the region’s need for clean water, and also plays an important role in Singapore’s long-term plans to be self-sufficient in water. Besides Singapore, Hyflux has also developed

Packed ice in Antarctica. With rising global temperatures, a big concern is the melting of the polar ice caps. The resulting rise in sea levels is potentially catastrophic for low-lying coastal communities around the world

membrane systems also yields other environmental benefits, such as energy efficiency, lower use of chemicals in the treatment process and a smaller [carbon] footprint.”

Singapore’s NEWater plant, set up by the PUB in 2002, recycles wastewater using a dual membrane process. The result is high-purity water that is used for industrial purposes and is fit for drinking. To combat the increase of wastewater, NEWater also produces non-potable water, thus reducing the demand on Singapore’s reservoirs for such water.

Singapore’s aim is to be self-sufficient in water by 2061 when the second of two agreements to buy water from Johor expires. In the face of climate change and the growing water crisis, it is girding itself with a multi-pronged approach to water management, from growing its water sources and recycling to conservancy and promoting the responsible use of water.

In the words of Assoc Prof Wong: “Nations decline because of political failure, environmental disaster or technological obsolescence. Climate change should never become a reason.”

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I N M E M O R I A M

It was with sadness that I learnt of the passing of Dr Toh Chin Chye on

3 February 2012. Many young people today may not know the extent to which Dr Toh helped to found modern Singapore and steer it through our difficult early years. His dedication to our nation lives on in all that he accomplished; indeed, this University owes as much to Dr Toh as the rest of Singapore does.

As Vice-Chancellor of the University of Singapore from 1968 to 1975, Dr Toh established many of the principles that define NUS today. His abiding vision for the University was that it must be a vital part of our nation’s develop-ment, and this lives on in the new ideas, knowledge and solutions that NUS continues to generate.

Dr Toh was born on 10 December 1921 in Perak. He read for a Diploma in Science at Raffles College in the 1940s, attaining his doctorate in Physiology in London. Upon returning to Singapore in 1953, Dr Toh joined the University of Singapore’s College of Medicine as a Reader in Physiology.

Dr Toh’s political career and contributions to Singapore are well-documented. Besides helping to lay the foundations for modern Singapore, he also played a key role in establishing those shining symbols of our nationhood – our national flag and anthem.

During his tenure as Vice-Chancellor, Dr Toh not only established the University’s Kent Ridge campus and the National University Hospital, he also founded

The sad news of the death of Dr Andrew Chew Guan Khuan, Pro-Chancellor of the

National University of Singapore, on 29 February was followed barely a week later by the demise of Dr Khoo Oon Teik, founder of the National Kidney Foundation, on 5 March.

Dr Chew graduated from the King Edward VII College of Medicine, which preceded NUS, with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery in 1955.

He was Medical Superintendent in key hospitals including Tan Tock Seng Hospital and Singapore General Hospital (SGH) before he was promoted to Director of Medical Services in 1977 and Permanent Secretary in 1978.

His 52 years of contribution to Singapore’s Public Service became his greatest legacy. Appointed

Head of the Civil Service from 1984 to 1994, he served concurrently as Permanent Secretary of the Public Service Commission in the Ministry of Finance and Permanent Secretary (Special Duties) in the Prime Minister’s Office. Among the initiatives he started was the Public Service Commission Scholarship (PSC), which identifies young talents with the potential to become leaders in public service.

His retirement only marked the next phase of his many contributions. He served as Chairman of the Central Provident Fund from 1994 to 1998, and PSC Chairman from 1998 to 2008.

Dr Chew’s accolades and awards are too numerous to list, but notably, he was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Gold) in 1975, the Meritorious Service Medal in 1994 and the Distinguished Service Order in 2002. Most recently in 2008, he was conferred the Order of Nila Utama (Second Class).

Upon Dr Chew’s retirement as PSC Chairman in 2008, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said to him: “Your contributions to Singapore have been

ABOUT PROFESSOR LIM PINProfessor Lim Pin served as Vice-Chancellor of NUS from 1981 to 2000. Under his leadership, NUS developed into an institution known for its academic research, teaching excellence and policy influence. Prof Lim began his career at the University of Singapore in 1966 and later headed its Department of Medicine. He is currently University Professor at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS as well as Emeritus and Senior Consultant at the Endocrinology Department of the National University Hospital.

* Source of Dr Toh’s quote: National Heritage Board Archives. Speech by Dr Toh Chin Chye, Vice-Chancellor, University of Singapore at Convocation Ceremony on 5 August 1972 at the then National Theatre.

the Faculties of Engineering and Architecture (programmes that had previously been offered at the poly-technic level). To promote a broader range of ideas and talents, the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences was also significantly enhanced. Faculty members were further encouraged to share their expertise and skills by serving with statutory boards and civic organisations.

After stepping down as Vice-Chancellor in 1975, Dr Toh continued to serve in Cabinet with distinction. He was succeeded first by Dr Kwan Sai Kheong and then by Dr Tony Tan. In 1981, I was privileged to assume the role of Vice-Chancellor and in executing my responsibilities, I aspired to the examples of those who came before me. Let us continue to honour Dr Toh by pursuing the values that he held so dear – excellence, learning and public service.

a tribute to

By Professor Lim Pin

DR TOH CHIN CHYE DR ANDREW CHEW GUAN KHUAN( 1 9 2 9 – 2 0 1 2 )

DR KHOO OON TEIK( 1 9 2 1 – 2 0 1 2 )

( 1 9 2 1 – 2 0 1 2 )

“We like to think that the University is a partner in Singapore’s development… To succeed, we have to be ourselves and not a faithful copy of some unsuccessful model. For in the final analysis, it is the people of Singapore who will judge the relevance of the University in our own society.”

Dr Toh Chin Chye at the convocation ceremony for the University of Singapore, 5 August 1972

The University remembers two remarkable medical alumni.

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Dr Khoo Oon TeikDr Andrew Chew Guan Khuan

singularly outstanding. We have a high-quality Singapore Public Service today which is admired across the world, because of the exacting standards placed on identifying, selecting and developing talent…You exemplify the best traditions of the Public Service and have done Singapore proud.”

Since 1996, Dr Chew had served as the Pro-Chancellor of NUS. In a tribute to him, NUS President Prof Tan Chorh Chuan said, “He was a constant and well-liked figure at our events, and the University has benefited greatly from his support and encouragement. We will miss his presence deeply.”

Dr Chew, 82, died of heart failure. On 5 March, nephrologist Dr Khoo Oon Teik,

founder of the National Kidney Foundation, passed away at the age of 91 after a long illness.

Dr Khoo was born in Penang, Malaysia, where he attended the Anglo-Chinese School. He entered the King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore in 1937. The Japanese invasion of Malaya and Singapore in 1941 interrupted his studies, but it didn’t stop him from serving in the medical field. During the Battle of Singapore, Dr Khoo was in charge of deploying senior medical students to operating theatres at SGH. After the British surrender in 1942, Dr Khoo became a medical officer in Penang, and was made to work on the “Death Railway” between Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand.

After World War II, Dr Khoo resumed his medical studies and earned his Licentiate in Medicine and Surgery in 1947. Further to that, he received his Master of Medicine from the University of Malaya and became a member of the Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1952.

In 1948, Dr Khoo started the Skin and Leprosy Clinic at SGH, but it was his work in the renal area that proved the most significant, earning him the title, “Father of Nephrology.” In 1961, Dr Khoo became the Director of SGH’s Renal Unit and was responsible for establishing the hospital’s first Intensive Care Unit and Renal Dialysis and Coronary Care Unit (in 1964 and 1967 respectively). He was appointed Professor of Clinical Medicine at the then University of Singapore in 1965.

Dr Khoo was a founding member of the Academy of Medicine, which he served as Master from 1964 to 1967. He was also a founding member of the Association of Physicians of Malaya and the Singapore Dermatological Society, and the Society’s president from 1960 to 1975. Aside from his medical appointments, he was also Master of King Edward VII Hall of Residence in NUS.

Dr Khoo was honoured by NUS in 1999 with the creation of the Khoo Oon Teik Professorship in Nephrology.


A L U M N I S C E N E

VALUES, MORALS AND THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESSA course titled ‘What is the Right Thing to Do?’, organised by the Senior Alumni Group, dissected the idea of moral and ethical behaviour against a framework of different disciplines and industries. By Yeo Zhi Qi

thought-provoking discus-sions on social morality across various fields and aspects.

Alumni present, which included health and social service professionals, law-yers, and policymakers, were challenged to re-examine their own value systems and to consider how they might react differently to a situa-tion given new considerations.

Over three weeks, Dr Swan took the participants through discussions of ethical behaviour in differ-ent fields and industries: community and family, economics and finance, law and international rela-tions, the media, and health and medicine.

Freedom of expression proved to be one of the most engaging topics for the group. Quoting English thinker John Stuart Mill’s harm principle, which reads “the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilised community, against his will, is to pre-vent harm to others,” Dr Swan asked his audi-ence if there should be limits on one’s freedom to express oneself.

Discussing the instances during which one’s opinion may defame another individual – in this day and age, a veritable minefield – the realisation hit home for the participants that various seem-ingly harmless forms of expression, be it a Facebook comment, a blog post, a coffee shop conversation or an article in the papers, could breach someone’s privacy, or tarnish someone’s reputation.

A distinction was drawn between giving an opinion and passing judgment. While the former qualifies a remark by basing it on one’s value and belief systems, the latter makes a statement as if it is a fact.

In this digital age, Dr Swan asked if have we re-gressed from wanting to express ourselves freely to living in constant fear of having to make politically correct statements that would not incur the wrath of any group. Or has freedom of expression become so important that our values and opinions must be publicised at all cost?

Underlying the whole course is the question of how values are taught or caught. We pick up our values from our family, school and religious bodies,

as well as the media and other forms of popular culture. But with autonomy and freedom of choice being increasingly prized, Dr Swan asked if it is possible to teach values that are neutral. Can these values be shared by all in a diverse society?

On a macro level, shared values are promoted to maintain peace in a multi-ethnic, multi-religious society. On a micro level, the individual attempts to fit into socially-acceptable definitions of “nuclear family” or “marriage”.

Dr Swan left his audience not with a concrete definition of “right” and “wrong”, but with the consideration of a society in which a set of general and abstract rules frame one’s life, and yet are open enough to allow for new forms and frameworks of thought.

But with autonomy and freedom of choice being increasingly prized, Dr Swan asked if it is possible to teach values that are neutral. Can these values be shared by all in a diverse society?

In a society where increasingly, the individual identity is prized above collective group identity, freedom of

expression has become a “right” that the 21st century individual expects and values. But are there or should there be limits to freedom of expression?

That was one of the questions raised in a six-session course organised by the Senior Alumni Group of the National University of Singapore. Titled ‘What is the Right Thing to Do?’, the series was conducted by Dr Kyle Swan, Assistant Professor at the Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, between 13 February and 2 March. He led participants through some

Dr Kyle Swan, Assistant Professor at the Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

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All over the world, women are entering the workforce at a pace almost equal to men.

Women now hold half of all jobs in the United States; about two in five American homes are supported by female breadwinners.

In Singapore, the employment rate for women aged between 25 and 54 reached a record high of 73 per cent last year (2011), compared to 69 per cent in 2009, according to the Ministry of Manpower.

Despite the growing presence of women in the workplace, many struggle to hold on to their careers after having children, unlike men who continue to scale the career ladder.

Intrigued by this disparity, American professor Dr Mary Ann Mason began doing research on how family formation affects the fast-track careers of both men and women in fields like academia, law, science, medicine and the corporate world.

She was in Singapore in January to share her insights on how women can successfully juggle their family

and career at a NUS workshop, ‘Mothers on the Fast Track’, organised under the University’s Greater Good Series.

Dr Mason’s interest stemmed from her own experience at the University of California, Berkeley, where she was the first woman dean of the Graduate Division between 2000 and 2007.

At UC Berkeley, about half of its graduate students are women. But within the faculty, only 26 per cent of those on the tenure-track are women. Women with children are more likely to slide into the trapdoor of second-tier jobs like adjunct professors, which some consider a dead end, as Dr Mason pointed out. The structural reason, she noted, is that our society is still operating on a “male clock”.

But Dr Mason, now a professor and co-director of the Berkeley Center on Economics & Family Security at the School of Law, UC Berkeley, believes it is possible for women to mesh work and family life successfully.

“It’s not without difficulty, but it’s achievable,” Dr Mason told AlumNUS. “When you add a child, it’s going to be somewhat disruptive. The goal is to make it as flexible as possible and to make it possible to continue your life as you would like to live it, with

A L U M N I S C E N E

STAYING ON THE FAST TRACK

the support of your workplace and partner.” In Singapore, families have access to relatively cheap domestic help, which, Dr Mason notes, should make the juggling act for mothers easier.

In 2007, she co-wrote a book called Mothers On the Fast Track: How a New Generation Can Balance Family and Careers, with her daughter Eve Mason Ekman. To her surprise, many of the women she interviewed cited having a supportive husband as the key to their success.

“It’s not that their husbands changed the diapers half the time or cooked the meals or took leave, but [to] the husband, [the woman’s] career was as important as their own. So the women had the

courage to do what they wanted to do,” she said.Dr Mason is married to Dr Paul Ekman, a world-

renowned expert in emotional research and non-verbal communication and a Professor Emeritus at the University of California, San Francisco.

Dr Mason emphasised the need for women to stay in the game. “Almost everyone is derailed by the birth of a child. There’ll be a period of time in which women slow down or drop out entirely. But if they want to continue in that game, they have to stay in touch or continue to work part-time,” said the mother of two adult children.

“Think in the long frame, have a 40-year plan and just don’t give up, because giving up and losing contact with your professional network will sort of guarantee you’ll never have a chance to get back to what you really wanted to do,” she added.

For mothers to balance their family and work effectively, family-friendly measures should also be promoted in the workplace. Using data collected from her university, Dr Mason managed to convince its management to accommodate family needs to the tenure-track. Now, both male and female professors get time off teaching after having babies. “We are trying to attract and retain the best and brightest. It’s a loss if we don’t take advantage of the talented workforce that we have,” she said.

Dr Mason advises women to have a life plan. “Most women don’t think about the fact that their life will go into different phases,” she said. “Just try to be strategic, keep your confidence and stay in the game. You’re still a very smart woman who has been on the fast-track before.”

Dr Mary Ann Mason

Women tend to put a pause on their career after starting a family but American professor Dr Mary Ann Mason says it does not have to be this way. She shares her views at an NUS workshop attended by alumni, donors and friends of NUS. By Jamie Ee

20 ALUMNUS

Stardust MemoriesIt’s time again for NUS’ signature alumni event at our Bukit Timah campus! Meet old friends under the stars and enjoy a cocktail reception, dinner and performances by fellow alumni. Relive memories of your campus days. This year, we’ll be celebrating the 50th anniversary of our Class of ’62.

Welcome home, alumni!

Register at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/AD2012For enquiries, contact Ms Charmaine Ong at 6516 6428 or email [email protected]

Bukit Timah Campus

Reunite at

Sunday, 8 July 2012 NUS Bukit Timah Campus, Lower Quadrangle, 5.30pm to 9.30pm

If the image of the white-coat-ed scientist is indeed a clichéd one, then there is definitely

nothing clichéd about Jenny Wee.A Dean’s List student who

graduated with first class honours in Microbiology from the Faculty of Science in 2000, Ms Wee went on to pursue a post-graduate diploma in education. Her first job was teaching biology and chemistry at Pasir Ris Secondary School.

But entrepreneurship seems to be where the mother of three – James, 9; Ashley, 6; and Isaac, 4 – naturally excels in. She currently runs two businesses and makes time to serve on various committees.

After the birth of her first child in 2003, Ms Wee, whose husband is a partner in an audit firm, decided to stop full-time work. She began shar-ing her parenting experience online to help other new mothers – that became the start of her business life.

“I started BayB Supplies, a parenting portal with a storefront, in March 2004. It is a website for first-time parents to get information,” she explains. “I wanted to promote ‘motherhood without tears’.”

Ms Wee, who nursed her children for over 20 months each, found baby slings useful but unfashionable. So she decided to produce the BayB Sling, a colourful, embroidered baby carrier that allows a baby to sleep and the mother to nurse without

Jenny Wee (Science ’00) doesn’t give up a good business opportunity when she sees one. By Theresa Tan

A WOMAN FOR ALL SEASONS

P U R S U I T O F E X C E L L E N C E

interrupting the daily schedule. BayB Sling was soon being distrib-uted to shops in Singapore and across Asia.

Within a year, BayB Supplies had over 5,000 members, and Ms Wee sold off the website and baby sling business for S$80,000, after just 18 months.

In 2008, when her third child was born, she imported Chinese story books and sold them to pre-schools and primary schools. “I found that the best way to get kids to love the language is through picture books,” she says. She specialised in translat-ed versions of best-selling children’s books like The Gruffalo and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Today, her sister runs this business.

Having cut her teeth on home-based ventures, Ms Wee next opened a beauty salon, in 2009.

“I started Manicured by Nails & Brows, my nail bar, without much planning,” she admits. “There was a shop space available at the mall next to my condominium, and I felt it was a good business to do because there were no other competing nail bars.”

Manicured’s selling point is its standard of hygiene. “Manicured rides on my microbiology background,” she explains. “Hygiene is our top priority, and all the staff are trained by me.”

Buying over a neighbour’s salon

business last year, Ms Wee then expanded to hair services by starting Tresses by Nails & Brows.

She spent her childhood helping out at her parents’ businesses, which included a dog food de-livery service, a fish farm and Petmart, a pet shop.

“My parents always encouraged my siblings and I to start our own businesses. Actually, I hated the idea because as a child, I had to field phone calls for dog food deliveries and help out in the retail shop every day after school. That shop was where I studied for my ‘O’ levels through univer-sity. I had no social life!”

Clearly, the early training helped. “All my busi-nesses were making money quite early,” she says, adding that they are all low-cost models.

“I use the money earned to invest in the next company. I am just blessed with ample opportuni-ties and I don’t give up a good business opportuni-ty when I spot one,” she says by way of explaining her success.

Ms Wee, 35, also serves as a councillor in the South West Community Development Council, and is also on the committee for ladiesnetwork.org.sg, an online networking site for working women. ‘To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven,’” she says of her life’s philosophy, quoting from the Book of Ecclesiastes. “No matter what season I am in, in my life, as long as I do my best in every season, it’s enough.” P

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“No matter what season I am in, in my life, as long as I do my best in every season, it’s enough.”Jenny Wee, home-based entrepreneur

22 ALUMNUS

NUS’ signature alumni event at the Kent Ridge campus returns with our biggest edition yet! Enjoy an all-ages concert and campus tours as well as performances and activities for children (and the young at heart). Come discover the buzz at NUS’ coolest living and learning space, UTown. Welcome home, alumni!

Register at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/AD2012For enquiries, contact Ms Ramy at 6516 3594 or email [email protected]

Join Us At

Saturday, 28 July 2012 Town Green @ University Town4.30pm to 9.30pm

M Y W O R D

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innovatively, plan intelligently and manage efficiently, while being keenly aware of the inter-connectedness of domains of knowledge. It is our mis-sion that they become well-equipped to operate sensitively and effectively in the global context, and to address the most pressing issues of our time.

WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF

“DESIGN”?

“Design” is both a verb and a noun, both a process and a product of that process. To me, it is a creative and holistic problem-solving process. It solves problems and creates value.

HOW DOES ENVIRONMENT FIGURE

IN DESIGN?

The influence of design is pervasive. Design influences our environment from the immediate environment to the general. An energy-efficient, well-designed light brings cheer to its surroundings at minimal cost, while a well-planned city has a smaller carbon footprint, is sustainable, convenient and more liveable.

With regard to global warming and the environmental agenda, the built environment stands in the frontline: about half of the green-house gas emissions come from industries, building uses and trans-portation. Buildings are arguably the objects with the longest life cycle: some buildings from more than 1,200 years ago are still around.

Therefore, if we get our buildings and cities right, we are part of the solution and not the problem. I have always advocated the combination of ingenious design, appropriate tech-nology and responsible behaviour.

Architecture and Building graduates deal with the first two: ensuring that cities and buildings are intelligently-designed and that their performance is enhanced further by appropriate technology.

Real Estate graduates to a certain extent deal with the third: respon-sible behaviour in the development (supply) and purchase (demand) of environmentally-sound real estate will ensure that the new building stocks are sustainable. Building owners can also be incentivised to retrofit existing buildings, especially given the long life cycle of real estate.

APART FROM AN EXCITING

CURRICULUM, THE STUDENTS AT

SDE ENJOY GREAT INTERNATIONAL

EXPOSURE. TELL US ABOUT THAT.

About 15 years ago we started our stu-dent exchange programme to create opportunities for our students to spend a semester or a year at a partner university overseas. From a handful of partner universities, the programme now includes a much larger slate of

Prof Heng Chye Kiang, the Dean of School of Design and Environment

top global universities. Not only are our students exposed to other teachers and modes of teaching, they also gain international experience, cultural exposure, even some working experi-ence through internship. As much as 70 per cent of our students in the Architecture programme have benefit-ted from such overseas programmes.

The graduate programme in urban design was set up in 1997. Right from the first cohort, we intro-duced an international component, bringing our students to work with local authorities on urban design pro-posals for the town or city concerned. This 10-day-long overseas workshop has since become an important feature of the programme. Over the years, we have worked with the local governments of Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Indonesia, China, Macau and South Korea.

WHAT ARE SDE’S GREATEST

ACHIEVEMENTS?

Till today, SDE is the only tertiary institution that produces architects, landscape architects, urban design-ers, building and real estate profes-sionals. Founded in 1958, its history parallels that of modern Singapore. From practising mainly in Singapore, our graduates now have projects all over the world. Our nation’s physi-cal development and cityscape, held in great esteem internationally, is a testament to our graduates’ collective contribution. That, perhaps, is SDE’s greatest achievement. WHAT ARE THE REAL ESTATE

CHALLENGES FOR SINGAPORE’S

TARGET POPULATION OF 6.5

MILLION PEOPLE?

We will need to find space for another 1.3 million people to live, work and play in. The equivalent of another four new towns the size of Punggol have to be built to accommodate some additional 350,000 apartments. More land is also required for the real estate needed for work and play. The challenges are therefore considerable given the rather limited size of our city-state.

DESI

GNING

PROF HENG CHYE KIANG, DEAN OF THE SCHOOL OF DESIGN AND ENVIRONMENT, GIVES HIS TAKE ON DESIGN AS A RAPIDLY EVOLVING ENTITY AND SINGAPORE’S LAND CHALLENGES. By Theresa Tan

Even before “design” and “environment” became the trendy terms they are today, Prof Heng Chye Kiang, Dean of

the School of Design and Environment (SDE), had been shaping future designers, architects, urban designers and real estate professionals to be innovative and environmentally sound in their approach to creating living spaces.

As a faculty member for 19 years and Dean of SDE for the last five, Prof Heng has taken what was the former School of Architecture, Building and Real Estate and turned it into a School with “wider intellectual ambition and concerns, going beyond the built environ-ment, the building and the city,” as he puts it.

In tandem with the evolving fields of

FOR TOMORROWdesign and the environment, SDE offers a spec-trum of courses and introduces new specialisa-tions when the need or demand arises, such as the Master of Architecture (M Arch) in Design Technology and Management (introduced in 2004 and renamed Design Technology and Sustainability or DTS in 2008), the first of its kind in Asia. It also launched the Master of Landscape Architecture in 2008. The School is now preparing to launch the Master of Urban Planning.

“At SDE, we are constantly scanning the horizon to identify future challenges and op-portunities that our graduates will face,” says Prof Heng, who is also a sought-after urban planning consultant – he has consulted on projects in China, Vietnam and the Maldives. Prof Heng is also a Board Member of the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore and Jurong Town Corporation, and a renowned researcher in Chinese architecture.

WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR THIS FACULTY

AND ITS STUDENTS?

I would like to see SDE become a leading insti-tution for the study and research of sustainable design and management of our environment. I would like to see in our students the abil-ity to think critically, design creatively and

“I have always advocated the

combination of ingenious

design, appropriate

technology and responsible behaviour.”


S P O T L I G H T

the NUS Entrepreneurship Centre, a division of NUS Enterprise. It was launched in 2011 to promote and in-cubate local innovation-based social businesses that have the potential to generate scaleable and sustainable social impact.

Aside from the boot camp, the week included a forum for corporate leaders and three public lectures by Prof Yunus, widely acknowledged as the father of microfinance and social businesses.

Prof Yunus’ ideas have helped to inspire the current wave of businesses with a conscience. “One problem that Heels Academy wants to address is the lack of employment opportunities for the visually-impaired,” explained Ms Lye.

“The average unemployment rate based on global statistics for the visually-impaired stands at about 75 per cent.”

In addressing this inequality, Heels Academy seeks to provide on-the-job skills training as well as income and job-matching services with prospective employers.

In order to ensure sustainability, the business operates on a profit plough-back model. Part of what cus-tomers spend supports the monthly wages of the visually-impaired staff, while the rest is reinvested into the business. Ms Lye and her partners also have a vision to subsidise franchisee set-up costs for other entrepreneurs to replicate Heels Academy’s model to help their own local communities.

Her favourite part of the

experience was “meeting fellow entrepreneurs with a heart. And it definitely was a thrill to meet and learn in person from the ‘Gandhi’ [Prof Yunus] of social business too!”

Ms Lye will work full-time on Heels Academy after she and Mr Yeo graduate in May.

Another social business, Silk & Parchment, is based on the fair trade concept popularised by The Body Shop. Helmed by the duo of Yvonne Koh, 31, and her secondary school classmate Clarissa Lau, 32, it hopes to use cultural heritage to fuel econom-ic and social development in Asian countries such as Laos and Indonesia.

Formed in November 2011, Silk & Parchment launched its e-commerce website in March. “Skilled artisans in impoverished parts of Southeast Asia do not have access to markets and do not know which designs sell well in urban cities,” explained Ms Koh, who majors in South East Asian Studies at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

“Silk & Parchment hopes to em-power these artisans and help them secure a brighter future for their families, one with access to a support network that encourages personal financial management, education,

“Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to choose what height your heels came in?” That

was the question that led Alicia Lye, a 23-year-old student from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences to start up her fashion business with two friends.

The idea for Heels Academy was born out of many a woman’s love-hate relationship with high heels.

“It’s so difficult to find a pair of heels we really like that comes in our desired height. And that was exactly what Heels Academy set out to do; to make customisable heels,” said Ms Lye.

There is a social thrust to the

business as well – by hiring and training visually-impaired individu-als to make the shoes, Heels Academy provides employment to a marginal-ised demographic in society.

Through this business, Ms Lye, with her teammates – ex-colleague Fannie Kue, an MBA graduate cur-rently running an apparel wholesale business in Thailand, and Roger Yeo, a final year Industrial Design student from NUS – hope to use fashion to challenge common misconceptions that the visually-impaired are inca-pable of doing things that sighted people can.

Heels Academy was one of the participating businesses at the recent

health and holistic development.”Explaining the origins of the business, Ms Koh

said, “My partner and I have an interest in South East Asian history and culture. When I travelled around the region, I fell in love with textile art. As I talked to village artisans across South East Asia, I thought they deserved a fair wage for the beautiful work they do. Much of the material used to make the silk, cotton and paper products is grown and harvested using time-honoured techniques, so the business will also help to preserve a traditional way of life.”

Success factors identified for long-term growth include the development of skill sets in supply chain management, retail management, new media, marketing and quality control.

Ms Koh added, “The boot camp was an eye-opening experience which reinforced our passion and aspirations. The mentors were very approacha-ble and helpful, giving us ideas on how to scale our project and innovate in terms of design. The lesson we learned was to dare to think big, and then execute wisely. No matter what, there’s always a risk; business, whether social or for-profit, runs on similar fundamental principles.”

Mr Reitz has high hopes for the partnership between GCL and NUS. “I really hope that we can incubate as many social businesses as possible in

Singapore. In my hometown Wiesbaden, which is one of the richest cities in Germany, we discovered with our political leaders and the business com-munity that social business is necessary there as well.

“Let’s demonstrate this in Singapore, and from Singapore take it to neighboring coun-tries in the region. In the next five years, hopefully NUS will be the social business hub of South East Asia.”

Participants at the Social Business Boot Camp by GCL@NUS

Hans Reitz, co-founder and managing director of GCL@NUS

Yvonne Koh (left) and Clarissa Lau of Silk & Parchment

Social Business Boot Camp, which attracted nearly 60 individuals.

Targeted at alumni and undergraduates who are social entrepreneurs with existing social ventures or business ideas, the boot camp was conducted on 20 and 21 February at the Kent Ridge Guild House. It aimed to provide hands-on train-ing to help participants develop their ideas into sustainable and scaleable business plans.

At the end of the boot camp, six teams were shortlisted to present their ideas to a panel of social business experts and investors led by Nobel Peace Prize winner and founder of the Grameen Bank, Prof Muhammad Yunus.

It was a chance for the aspiring social busi-ness entrepreneurs to learn from the best. Besides Prof Yunus, the panel featured director of the NUS Entrepreneurship Centre, Prof Wong Poh Kam; Entrepreneur-in-Residence of the Grameen Creative Lab@National University of Singapore (GCL@NUS) Jack Sim; and Mr Hans Reitz, founder and creative director of Grameen Creative Lab.

“You could feel that they were full of com-passion and empathy for people in need, and they came up with great ideas,” said Mr Reitz of the participants.

The boot camp was part of Social Business Week 2012, which ran from 20 to 23 February. Organised by GCL@NUS, it is an annual event by

BUILDING BUSINESSES FOR GREATER GOOD The first ever Social Business Boot Camp by Grameen Creative Labs@NUS drew young social entrepreneurs seeking to mix business with social good. By Yong Yung Shin

Six teams presented their ideas to a panel of social business experts and investors led by Nobel Peace Prize winner and founder of the Grameen Bank, Prof Muhammad Yunus


Creativity is generated by the multiplicity of the mind we bring to bear on what we contemplate. That multiplicity is

patently richest in a multicultural setting, with each component contributing its accumulated insights, nuances, processes i.e. the whole calculus of its

content. This is Singapore. The tremendous creative advantage she offers will blossom exponentially as we generate faith and confidence.

she felt stirred by injustice and the plight of underdogs in society. “I’ve always wanted to change the world with my writing. This may be very idealistic but as T S Eliot once said, ‘if we have no ideas, we have nothing’.”

Dr Lee raised the idea that writing can both be spiritual and creative. “In my religion, God created the world with words. He literally spoke creation into being. Likewise, I believe that writers create something with words that goes beyond its tex-tual boundaries. The more authentic a writer is, the more powerfully these words will reach out to readers,” she proposed.

Director and scriptwriter Mr Vadi also saw the need to tell stories for noble motives: to pass down values and to learn more about differ-ent cultures. “I always try to bring ‘Singaporeanness’ into the plays I write because I believe it helps to unite communities and get people to reflect on their values. When we get people to think about things, they become better people,” he explained.

After a short tea break, four FASS faculty members who are each con-ducting research on different issues relating to creativity, shared ideas from their studies. In ‘Creativity, Interdisciplinarity and the New Relevance of the Arts’, Professor Lonce Wyse from the Department of Communications and New Media presented the idea that the collabora-tive creative efforts of the art and sci-ence worlds could lead to interesting output such as the Camera Lucida, a three-dimensional sonic observatory where music is converted into visible light using sonoluminescence.

Assoc Prof Maria Kozhevnikov from the Department of Psychology delved into the nature of creativity itself in her talk, ‘The Relationship between Different Dimensions of Creativity and Visualisation’. She presented the idea that there are different types of creativity – those inclined to the arts would tend to have object visualisation, while those inclined to the sciences would tend to have spatial visualisation. It was particularly interesting when Assoc Prof Kozhevnikov presented illustrations from her “artistic” and “scientific” research subjects – the disparity in the drawings were entertainingly startling.

Next, Dr John DiMoia from the Department of History presented creativity from a local context with his presentation, ‘Attracting Minds and Assets: Examining “Scientific Creativity” in Singapore’. Using the history of Stanford University and the establishment of Silicon Valley as an analogy, he proposed several possible conditions to encourage scientific creativity in Singapore and make it the creative technological hub that it has always strived to be.

It was a stimulating afternoon of critique, discussion and reflec-tion during the Creativity In Singapore symposium

that took place on 17 February 2012. This event was organised by Singapore Research Nexus (SRN), a local research reposi-tory initiated by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) in 2011. Recently, a Creative Works database was added to the SRN repository with literary works written by FASS faculty and students.

Such a development prompted the production of a documentary by Dr Gwee Li Sui titled Creative Writers Engaging the Social, which was screened at the beginning of the symposium. In the 40-minute video,

four Singaporean writers, all FASS alumni – Dr Lee Tzu Pheng, Mr Ting Kheng Siong, Mr Vadi PVSS and Ms Rasiah Halil – shared how the crea-tive craft of writing helped them con-nect to the world around them. “It is essentially their search for what it means to be human in this

society through the beauty of

in Singapore

exploring

Illu

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tio

n:

Get

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ages

Assoc Prof Ho Kong Chong from the Department of Sociology continued this thread of examining what constitutes a creative environ-ment with the final presentation, ‘Creativity at the Margins: Place and Production in Singapore’. He looked specifically at creative media profes-sionals in Singapore and at their tendency to set up living or working spaces in shophouses located at Little India and Geylang. Besides affordable rent in these red light district areas, Dr Ho postulated that such “crea-tives” flock to these places because the environment presents a more provocative, complex and diverse side of Singapore – favourable condi-tions for developing an individual’s creative process.

The seminar gave the topic of creativity the open-ended treatment

that it deserved with the wide spectrum of topics it

covered, and the honest discussions that fol-lowed the Q&A ses-sions. Undoubtedly, this symposium

left the attendees with plenty to ponder

about… and more to get creative with.

writing,” said Dr Gwee. The insights from

these writers proved fas-cinating. According to Mr

Ting, the Vice President of the Singapore Association of

Writers, “one can’t get rich through literature in Singapore, but it is literature that has the potential to present new perspectives and change the future.” For Malay poet-writer Ms Rasiah, her itch to write began when

Assoc Prof Ho postulated that such “creatives” flock to Little India and Geylang because the environment presents a more provocative, complex and diverse side of Singapore.

- Prof Edwin Thumboo on creativity

Assoc Prof Ho Kong Chong

Far from being simply a trait of artistic individuals, creativity

crosses disciplines and platforms, according

to four Arts and Social Sciences alumni.

By Melanie Lee

28 ALUMNUS

C H A N G E M A K E R

namely mailing lists and blogs, to rally friends and volunteers to ponder solutions to issues, and to effect change.

“Being an ecologist has been beneficial – it helps me serve as advocate and facilitator for the many causes and interests that I’m involved with,” he says. “Ecology conveys a systems view of looking at things. This is critical to solving problems and making changes, as it exposes you to the many factors you need to examine to address an issue or to make a change.”

After working as a researcher for 10 years at the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, Mr Sivasothi went into teaching in 2007. Teaching has allowed him to mould the next generation of biology gradu-ates, whom he feels, for all their enthusiasm and eagerness, need proper guidance.

“Our students have had very sheltered upbringings in controlled environments,” he explains. “This isn’t conducive when you are trying to learn about ecology and environ-mental biology. So I’ve had to make changes to how students are taught biological science. We’ve gone about structuring a flexible, nurturing and fluid learning environment: we give them open-ended missions; we instruct them to go out and deal with uncontrolled environments, and we create opportunities for them to experiment.”

While Mr Sivasothi and his colleagues have taken a laissez faire approach to learning university-level ecology, he says they constantly face the drawbacks of Singapore’s education system.

“Honestly speaking, the students are always tired,” he says. “NUS is still relatively new to the modular system – during my time we only had to sit for a semester-end exam; that meant we had time to learn, explore

and experiment and make mistakes. The trouble with this [modular system] is that the students always have an assignment deadline every few days. So they’re only always concerned about grades and getting through assignments, and aren’t too bothered about having philosophical discussions.”

But this lecturer is nothing if not inventive. He counters the aforesaid limitation by inducing a stimulating, creative and conversa-tional learning environment for his students. “I requested for wireless microphones, and I use that while teaching,” he explains. “I engage and interact with my students and get them to converse and communicate their thoughts and ideas – there’s no ‘wrong’ answer; your opinion is your opinion.” He also appreciates being handed complete academic freedom to run a gamut of differing approach-es to teaching.

Although he is now a teacher, Mr Sivasothi still keeps close tabs on the goings-on at the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research. After all, exciting times await the museum as it morphs into the much-anticipated Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (NHM) in 2014.

“The most popular of all the Smithsonian museums at the National Mall in Washington D.C. is the Natural History Museum – by a mile! It goes to show how much people love nature and biology, and a museum of this nature is always going to be entertaining and

exciting,” he projects.“If you have a decent, well-run fa-

cility, people will flock there in num-bers and hopefully we can integrate the programmes with what’s being done at school. There is definitely a dearth of biodiversity and ecology in our education system. They learn about vertebrates and insects at pri-mary school and not much else after that in the biodiversity field.

“So much so that you have students turning up at university and asking, ‘What is a barnacle?’ It’s pretty tough to do biology if you’ve not seen or learned about plants and animals. Hopefully, the NHM will change all that.”

Mr Sivasothi adds that if he has the skills and is passionate about something, he will always try and change the things that are lacking. “If our libraries were bad, I’d be an activ-ist for reading and books, but our libraries are phenomenal, so I don’t need to get involved in that sphere,” is the example he gives.

The multi-hyphenate also con-ducts regular “tours” or outings, one of the most popular being the annual walk along the Southern Ridges to commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of Pasir Panjang on 13 and 14 February 1942. For him, it’s the perfect opportunity to marry his passion for history with his expertise on biodiversity, as the walk takes in one of the most ecologically sophisti-cated corners of the island.

Mr Sivasothi is also the local coordinator for the International Coastal Cleanup. He leads groups of volunteers to clean up coasts and catalogue their finds.

The fortysomething, who is mar-ried without children, champions the “Get out there and do it” approach. To him, this is life’s most important lesson. “Do something!” he exhorts. “If you don’t, then what’s the point? No point regretting it later.”

Ph

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by

Ken

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o

NO STONE UNTURNEDChange is a constant that N Sivasothi (Science ’92, ’97), a biodiversity lecturer at the Faculty of Science, thrives on. By Jen Sie Yin

N Sivasothi wears many hats. A known blogger who goes by the handle

Otterman, Siva is an biodiversity instructor at the National University of Singapore, a rabid cycling enthusiast, a history buff, a committed environmentalist and a devoted cat owner – to name just a few of his personas. Describing this multi-faceted polymath is no easy feat.

When asked what, if any, the common thread running through his myriad interests is, Mr Sivasothi says it is being a good communicator. “I like communicating, explaining and expressing myself,” he says. “My personality is that of facilitator: I can accommodate many viewpoints, and that helps when trying to find solutions.”

To Mr Sivasothi, impatience is a virtue. If something needs fixing or addressing, he gets his hands dirty to set the problem right. He has a long record of using technology,

“Do something! If you don’t, then what’s the point? No point regretting it later.”N Sivasothi, a biodiversity instructor at the National University of Singapore


The year was 1998, when the then-chairman of the Singapore Economic Development Board Mr Philip Yeo sparked a heated

controversy by publicly naming the holders of government scholarships who had broken their scholarship bonds. It triggered a furore among Singaporeans, who felt the move chal-lenged their rights as native citizens.

At his speech at the monthly U@live forum at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House, Mr Yeo, the chairperson of SPRING Singapore, is put in the hot seat by forum moderator Viswa Sadasivan after he gives a brief introduction. For all his

Life is not about taking the easiest way out, says the man who helped to pioneer, among others, the growth of Singapore’s chemical and biomedical sciences industries.

achievements, Mr Yeo is not without his fair share of detractors.

In 1990, he was posted to Indonesia to help its government develop an industrial township in Batam. This was in sync with Singapore’s early stage of regionalisa-tion when it started to share its town-planning and industry development expertise with other cities.

With the successful develop-ment of the Batamindo Industrial Park, Mr Yeo spearheaded the next few industrial township projects, including Bangalore International Tech Park in India, Wuxi-Singapore Industrial Park and China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park in China, and Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park in Vietnam. In total, more than a million

Then there was the infamous ex-change with a Member of Parliament who questioned his “name-and-shame” decision – a move that led Mr Yeo to ask him to resign.

Mr Yeo asks his U@live audience rhetorically, “If you ask for a scholar-ship from me, and yet have the audac-ity to say that you will encourage your child to break [a] bond, doesn’t it show a wrong value system?”

The issue of an entitlement mentality among Singaporeans is then raised, and Mr Yeo is asked to explain his well-publicised opinion that Singapore’s younger genera-tion is unwilling to work hard to get what they believe they’re entitled to. In response, Mr Yeo highlights that what worries him is the trend that youths are eschewing “hard” subjects such as engineering and science for “soft” ones.

Mr Yeo, 65, who holds a Master’s Degree in systems engineering from NUS and an M.B.A. from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, then explains that the younger generation needs to under-stand and appreciate that Singapore was built by people who “took the ‘hard stuff’,” building the nation into the economic entity it is today. On the other hand, he admits that there are also young Singaporeans who have worked overseas and returned to their homeland with a greater sense of appreciation for what the pioneers

U @ L I V E

have achieved.When the question-

and-answer session begins, Mr Yeo is asked where the competitive edge of the Singapore engineer lies, to which he remarks that it stems from the quality education they have re-ceived since young, in relation to their foreign counterparts. The only problem is that they are impatient to scale the corporate ladder. “It’s not that our guys are no good; it’s that they are impatient to be manag-ers,” he explains.

On his approach to challenges, Mr Yeo emphasises that life is not about taking the easiest way out: “In everything we do, we need to look beyond the convenience factor.” As an example, he recounts the limitations faced when he was working on the industrial park project in Bangalore. Many parties, his col-leagues included, complained about the distance – an hour-long drive from the city, but Mr Yeo saw instead the possibilities for expansion, given the size of the area. He circumvented the problem by chartering buses, and today “the city has come nearer to us. If I had listened to the others and stayed in the city where it is crammed

to the edge, we would not have ex-panded as much.”

Through the hour-long session, Mr Yeo shows himself to be a man of audacity, and more importantly, integrity. As Mr Sadasivan concludes, while his opinions may not necessar-ily have resonated with every person in the room, it is clear that his motiva-tions are noble and on the right track, given the immense value Mr Yeo has contributed through his work – namely the creation of quality jobs both overseas and in Singapore. By Yong Yung Shin

Philip Yeo spoke on 18 January.

direct jobs were created.As the first chairman of the

National Computer Board from 1981 to 1987, he was a key figure in formulat-ing and championing Singapore’s first national computerisation plan to bring the nation into the information age. Additionally, he helped pioneer the growth of Singapore’s semiconduc-tor, chemical and biomedical sciences industries.

For anyone who has never met Mr Yeo in person, the first 30 minutes of the evening immediately establishes him as a no-holds-barred, straight-talking personality with a strong set of convictions. When the subject of the naming of the scholarship bond-break-ers is broached, the father-of-two reiter-ates his stand without apology: that a recipient of a government scholarship is under a moral obligation to serve his country upon his graduation, and that it is not merely a contractual agree-ment that can be broken like any other.

P hilip Yeo, Engineering ‘74

BREAKING BARRIERS

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.

ONE SPEAKER. 10 MINUTES. BOUNDLESS INSPIRATION.

What worries Philip Yeo (right), is the trend that youths are eschewing “hard” subjects such as engineering and science

Philip Yeo

“In everything we do, we need to

look beyond the convenience factor.”


U @ L I V E

There is not an empty seat on the evening of 8 February at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House. Little wonder: Mr S R Nathan is

the featured speaker at U@live. Last August, he stepped down from office as the sixth President of Singapore, having served two terms in office – from September 1999 to August 2011.

There is an air of curious anticipa-tion in the auditorium as attendees settle down to hear from the man who rose from a young hawker assistant to become Singapore’s longest-serving President.

Mr Nathan, now 87, was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He had spent the early years of his childhood in Muar, Johor, with his two older brothers and grandparents. When a financial crisis drove his father, a lawyer’s clerk, to commit suicide, Mr Nathan returned to Singapore for his primary

school education.During the Japanese Occupation

of Singapore during World War II, he worked for the Japanese as a translator. It was a life he describes as “one with unanticipated de-velopments; I had an unexpected childhood during the Japanese Occupation, and help came often from unexpected quarters.”

The one lesson he learned, having lived through those times, is this: “Whether we are rich or poor, young or old, we have the potential to survive adversity; for those who went through the Occupation, we learned to survive extreme adver-sity. The human spirit is so strong.”

After the end of World War II, at the encourage-ment of his teachers, Mr Nathan took a hiatus from his job as a clerk at the Public Works Department

to pursue his studies. With the assist-ance of a yearly bursary worth S$2,000 from Shell, he graduated from the University of Malaya with a Diploma in Social Studies in 1954, attain-ing a distinction. He was one of the eight undergraduates in the pioneer group of Social Work students at the university.

Starting his career in the Singapore Civil Service as a medical social worker in 1955, he was subse-quently made the Seamen’s Welfare Officer – he had to mediate between disgruntled seamen and the various organisations they had complaints against. It was not an easy job. “I was not appreciated by my bosses and my

LESSONS OF THE HEARTIn his journey to the Istana, the most important lesson learnt by the man who started out as a hawker assistant has been the need to be tolerant, and to have compassion.

S R Nathan, Arts & Social Sciences ‘54

constituents, but yet I had to carry out my mission,” he recalls. His strong sense of duty served him well. When Singapore became independent in 1965, Mr Nathan was transferred to the Foreign Ministry.

“At university, I learned to learn,” he says. More importantly, univer-sity taught him that no one should be written off, and he mingled with people from different walks of life, both younger and older. “Each one is endowed with his or her own abilities; it’s only a matter of finding them. We must believe that every person has something to contribute.”

It was perhaps this lesson of the heart that laid the foundation for Mr Nathan’s extensive charity work in his capacity as President several decades later. In 2000, he founded the President’s Challenge, a series of community-based fundraising events for charity; between 2000 and 2011, more than S$100 mil-lion was raised for more than 500 beneficiary organisations.

Listening to Mr Nathan, one gets the sense that, more than anything, it was sheer grit that guided the founding fathers of Singapore during her formative years. “There was tension during those early years. We had labour unrest, Communist

threats, and we had to make friends even though we did not know how to do it. Sometimes we had to muster the courage to say ‘no’ when faced with intimidation from diplomats. We had to be clear what the national interest was.”

Then, on a nostalgic note, he adds, “[The founding fathers’] passion for Singapore was something you had to feel. When we engaged with inter-locutors and everybody was question-ing whether we would survive, the way they carried out a conversation and moulded their views to reach the intended recipients were lessons no university could have taught.”

The rather sensitive topic about salary is broached when moderator Viswa Sadasivan asks if his million-dollar salary as Singapore’s president distanced him from the realities of life. Mr Nathan responds that it is not a fair question, as it was not some-thing he had asked for. “I was looking forward to retirement; I had my apprehensions. My public life did not involve much engagement with the heartlands, but I decided that what-ever it may be, I will do all I can.”

When asked by the audience which events gave him the most satisfaction in his formal capacity as President, his reply is this: “Not when

S R Nathan taking the time to sign autographs

“Each one is endowed with his or her own abilities; it’s only a matter of finding them. We must believe that every person has something to contribute.”

I’m the guest-of-honour, because that’s really just a performance. It’s when I am interacting with the people – be it at gatherings or when I meet somebody at East Coast Park – when I’m not on show.”

An NUS student then asks if Mr Nathan had always felt that he was destined for something big, and if he had any further ambitions at the present point of his life, to which he answered with candid self-deprecation, eliciting much laughter from the audience. “I was a hawker assistant; I thought that was going to be my life. Then the war came and changed everything. I had no ambition, things just came my way. I’m 87, in the winter of my life; with no more springs ahead, what other ambition can I have?” muses the father of two and grandfather of three.

As the evening draws to a close, Mr Nathan’s last words for the audience echoes his life’s message. “Be tolerant, accept that all of us, like our fingers, are not equal. Don’t expect others to be like you. Show compassion where it’s necessary.” By Yong Yung Shin

S R Nathan spoke on 8 February.

S R Nathan


A L U M N I H A P P E N I N G S

On 17 January, three compelling points of view on business leadership were offered at the Forum on Practical Corporate Governance: Realities, Challenges, Independence. Organised by MBA Alumni – NUS and the NUS Business School’s Centre for Corporate Governance, the session saw three speakers sharing their ideas: Mr John Lim, Chairman of the Singapore

“Change the game” – this was the message delivered by Mr Allen Lew, CEO of SingTel, at the CEO Breakfast Talk organised by the NUS Business School Alumni Association. Held on 20 October 2011, the lively session drew

ALUMNI ACTIVITIES

On 8 January, a group of intrepid runners comprising alumni, staff and students took to the starting line of the Bizad Charity Run 2012. On hand to flag them off was MG (NS) Chan Chun Sing, Acting Minister for the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, and Minister of State for the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts. The NUS Business School Alumni Association, the NUS BizAd Club and the Masters Club organised this year’s run and fun fair which attracted 500 participants and helped raise S$40,000 for five beneficiaries: Students Care Service (represented by the Community Chest), Assumption Pathway School, the New Charis Mission, Willing Hearts and the NUS Business School Alumni Association Student Experience Fund.

Running for a Cause

Good Governance

Smooth Sailing for Senior Alumni In February, 42 Senior Alumni and their friends took to the Straits of Malacca for a cruise on the Royal Caribbean liner, Legend of the Sea. The alumni sailed from Singapore to Port Klang, Malaysia before dropping anchor at Phuket, Thailand. Highlights of the cruise included great food, nightly concerts and lively dialogue sessions.

close to 130 participants who gleaned lessons on how SingTel has coped and thrived in a fast-paced multimedia playing field.

Mr Lew reviewed technological trends and showed how SingTel adapted through five factors – Strategy, People, Innovation, Customers and Execution.

Institute of Directors; Mr Adrian Chan, Senior Partner and Head of Corporate, Lee & Lee; and Assoc Prof Lawrence Loh of the NUS Business School’s Centre for Governance, Institutions and Organisations. Given current debates about the subject, the forum served as a timely reminder of the need for basic principles related to good business leadership.

Media Savvy

16 March 2012 saw the largest gather-ing ever of alumni living in Hong Kong over cocktails and dinner. The gathering of 150 included alumni from 11 facul-ties, joined by a good representation of NUS staff from the various faculties, schools and halls. The latter were in Hong Kong to attend the CASE (Council for the Advancement and Support of Education) Asia-Pacific Advancement Conference from 14 to 16 March. Among the guests at the networking event were Singapore’s Consul-General to Hong Kong, Dr Ker Sin Tze (Business ’66) and his wife, Ms Lee Lok Peng (Pharmacy ’77); Chairman of the CASE Board of Trustees, Mr Paul Sheff; CASE President, Mr John Lippincott; and Prof Lee Shiu Hung (Medicine ’63) who is currently with the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The good mix of alumni, young and senior, made for a warm atmosphere of friendly interactions and interesting conversations.

The gathering was organised by the Overseas Alumni Chapter in Hong Kong and the NUS Office of Alumni Relations. The Hong Kong chapter is among four chapters in China including Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai.

At the CASE conference, Mr Yeo Keng Joon (Science ’73, Business ’85), former Member of NUS’ Alumni Advisory Board and Past President of the NUS Business School Alumni Association spoke as part of a panel on ‘The Volunteer Viewpoint: Perspectives from the Front Line.’ Also at the confer-ence was Assoc Prof Lim Meng Kin (Medicine ’74), Director of the NUS Office of Alumni Relations, who spoke about “Catalytic Leadership” and its relevance to alumni engagement.

The friendly atmosphere at the gathering provided the perfect close to a conference dedicated to strengthen-ing the ties between graduates and their alma mater.

The Largest Gathering of Alumni in Hong Kong

The Business Class

(From left) Mr Yeo Keng Joon (Science ’73, Business ’85); Assoc Prof Lim Meng Kin (Director, NUS Office of Alumni Relations); Prof Lee Shiu Hung (Medicine ’63); Dr Ker Sin Tze (Business ’66) and Mr Wong Peng Meng (Associate Director, NUS Office of Alumni Relations)



Over a fact-filled morning in January, members of the Senior Alumni group learnt more about the latest developments at NUS’ Faculty of Science. First stop on their tour was the Physics Demonstration Laboratory where Assoc Prof Sow Chorng Haur gave a hands-on display of physics in action. Following a talk with the Dean of Science, Prof Andrew Wee, the senior alumni went to the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research to learn more about its fantastic zoological collec-tion. Last stop on the tour was the Centre for Remote Imaging, Sensing and Processing (CRISP). A briefing by CRISP Director, Assoc Prof Liew Soon Chin, saw the group getting a crash course in how satellite images aid scientists in their research.

2012 will see Dunearn Road Hostels celebrating their 60th anniversary and Sheares Hall, its 30th anniversary. Sheares Hall will be organising a series of events throughout the year with the theme ‘Looking to the Past, Paying Forward: DRH/Sheares Hall 60th/30th Anniversary Celebrations’. Tickets for selected events will be sold in aid of a local charity organisation, while a golf tournament will be held in July to raise funds for the Dunearn Road Hostels/Sheares Hall Alumni Scholarship and Bursary Fund. The events at a glance:

For more information, please contact Dr Colin Tan at Tel: 6516 7352 or [email protected].

Senior Alumni on a Science Trail

Dunearn Road Hostels and Sheares Hall Give Back

Tradition Prevails in Kuching A 15-year-old tradition of gathering for Chinese New Year continued with the Kuching CNY Alumni Lunch on 26 January. The alumni are from Kuching, and they returned home from their overseas jobs to be with their families for the festive season.

(Seated from left) Lee Khee Chuan, Moh Ung Thai, Wee Boon Liang, Tan Beng Chong, Hiu Kuan Fah, Paul Kho (Standing from left) Ambrose Tan, Poh Chin Sing, Chong Tak Ling, Chua Yan Heng, Tan Siak Kwang, Soo Hua MingTokyo Chapter Elects Committee

Alumni graduating over a 29-year period from 1982 to 2011 gathered for the NUS Tokyo Alumni Dinner, aptly held at a Singapore restaurant in Tokyo, on 27 January. The 14 alumni used the occasion to elect the Committee members of the Tokyo Alumni Chapter. Mr Tetsuya Fujimoto was elected Chairman with Mr Azami, Mr Yoshida, Mr Shibamoto and Ms Kato as committee members.

Chairman of the Tokyo Alumni Chapter, Mr Tetsuya Fujimoto (third from right) was elected at the gathering.

ALUMNI ACTIVITIES

New Additions to the UK GatheringThe UK Chapter’s annual Chinese New Year gathering saw the addition of a new “dragon” to the family, His Excellency Mr T Jasudasen, High Commissioner of Singapore to the United Kingdom and Ireland. The sporting Mr Jasudasen turned up in an NUS T-shirt, mingled with old classmates and made new friends. Another addition was a table of young Singaporeans who began their undergraduate studies in the UK. The gather-ing of an auspicious group of 88 friends and family made for a good exchange of information and culture.

Australian ReunionOn 3 March, 80 NUS alumni in Perth, Australia, came together to share their memories of days past. With typical under-statement and wit, Mr Thomas Goh, Chairman of the Perth chapter, reported that one of the reasons for the excellent re-sponse was, “Time – we are alive and well, [and] can spare an evening.” Demonstrating the depth of the University’s roots in Australia, guests included University of Singapore alumni, in addition to more recent graduates of NUS. Dedication, high spirits and many bottles of fine wine (courtesy of the chapter’s committee members) ensured that the evening was one to remember. Here’s a belated “cheers” to our friends in Perth.

Kiwi SpiritAt a gathering in Auckland on 3 March, friendships, both old and new, were the order of the day. Amid much talk and good food, close to 30 alumni and their guests shared memories of their school days. Non-Singaporean friends were also posed a formidable challenge – make sense of flavourful phrases of SHE (Singaporean Home English). Kia ora koutou katoa to our friends in New Zealand!

The Engineering Class ’82 Celebrates their 30th Anniversary

Coming Home for Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering “Exams”

It was an unusual homecoming by the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Firstly, it was held on 11-11-11. And, the first of its kind, the event was organised around an “examination” theme. Held at the auditorium at the University Hall, 200 staff and alumni sat through a slide presentation that took them down memory lane. Next, they filled out a survey on the “equation of state” of the gathering and even a mock quiz. Alumni were equipped with classroom “click-ers” with which they responded to the on-the-spot quiz which, draw-ing much laughter at the responses. Custom designed mementos – an alumni baseball cap, car decal and the exam “question paper” were also distributed at the gathering. The evening was graced by Assoc Prof Teo Wah Koon, a former head of the department, and current Head of Department, Prof Lee Jim Yang.

REUNIONS

Over the last 30 years, the Engineering Class of ’82 has celebrated three milestone anniver-saries — in their 10th, 20th and 25th year. This year, they celebrated their 30th anniversary in style on 1 January 2012. About 150 lecturers, alumni and student

bursary recipients gathered for the reunion at the Guild House in Kent Ridge, NUS, rated as a resounding success after two years of planning and gathering their classmates’ contact details, led by Angie Ng, the Chairperson of the Organising Committee. Team spirit was high with many generous classmates stepping forward to help finance the dinner, defray costs and sponsor door gifts and prizes.

More importantly, the class gave out 13 bursaries to students. The class set up the Engineering Class of 1982 Bursary Endowed Fund in 2009, reaching their target of S$250,000 within one month of its launch. To date, the Fund has raised S$337,782, and with matching grants, the fund stands in excess of S$675,000. This will go towards funding 13 bursaries annually.

High Commissioner Mr T Jesudasen, Law ’77 (second from left) and Mrs Patricia Jesudasen (extreme left) with Dr Tan Peng Guan, Dentistry ’70 and Margaret Tan

Coming Together in ChengduA chilly Saturday evening, spent in the warmth of friendship – that was the experience of our Chengdu alumni in January. Close to 20 alumni, friends and guests attended this special occasion, which was held the week before the Lunar New Year. Our warmest wishes to you all for the Dragon Year.

Village GetawayFor 11 members of the NUS Economics Alumni Club, a trip in February delivered on the promise of friendship and camaraderie – and much more. They chose the coastal village of Kukup in Johor, Malaysia, for their inaugural trip for a weekend of sun, seafood and solidarity. Memorable moments included writing wishes on paper lanterns and sending them into the night sky, as well as watching spectacular sunsets.

Sheares Concert 7 April 2012 (Saturday)

Charity Golf Event1 6 July 2012 (Friday)

Night Cycling October 2012

Anniversary Dinner Celebration2 19 October 2012 (Friday)

1 In aid of the DRH/Sheares Hall Alumni Scholarship and Bursary Fund.2 In aid of a local charity.38 ALUMNUS 39APR–JUN 2012


The Union House Kakis rang in 2012 in style with another high-spirited gathering. Regulars of the Student Union House at NUS’ Bukit Timah campus during the 1970s, the Kakis (Class of ’72) celebrated 40 years of friendship with their traditional reunion on the first Saturday of the New Year. Organiser and Kaki-in-Chief,

Archie Ong, reported that 78 alumni attended (with four “out-right pontengers due to receive detention class”). A good time was had by all. The Kakis will also be glad to learn that liquid refreshments that survived the reunion will next be met at the Mid-Year Madness event (also at the Bukit Timah Guild House). Onward, Class of ’72!

Homecoming at the School of Computing It was a merry band of alumni who returned to their faculty for homecoming at the NUS School of Computing on 14 January 2012. Among the highlights were a tour of University Town (or U-Town), a host of family-friendly activities and an address by Assoc Prof Tan Tiow Seng, Vice Dean of the School of Computing, who spoke about the latest achievements by the faculty and students. The President of the

Computing Alumni Association, Mr Oliver Tian, shared that the Association’s website had been revamped and invited Computing alumni to a range of new activities on the cards. Networking sessions are held every third Wednesday of the month. For more information, do send an email to [email protected]. Computing alumni can expect even more chances to come together in 2012. Stay tuned.

Engineering and Economics Come Together Fifty alumni from the NUS Engineering Alumni Singapore and the NUS Economics Alumni came together to celebrate Chinese New Year over lunch on 14 January 2012.

USP ‘Lohei’ LunchAlumni of the University Scholars Programme’s (USP) Lunar New Year ‘Lohei’ lunch on 4 February 2012 drew 50 alumni, staff, current students, fac-ulty members and the Director of USP, Prof John Richardson, at USP’s new residential college. The alumni were introduced to the new University Town and how it will benefit students.

Nursing Students and Alumni Welcome the Dragon Year Together The NUS Nursing Alumni celebrated their first Chinese New Year gathering with the Nursing Subclub comprising undergraduates of the Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies on 10 February 2012. This marks the start of a mentorship programme between the two clubs.


GIVING BACK

For more information on making a gift to NUS, please call Ms Ho Yuen Kwan at 6516 5755 or email [email protected]

Chew Wen Xuan (left) with friends

“The Bursary has not just been of great help financially, it has also motivated me to do even better than before, and realise my ambition of making the world a safer and better place through Engineering,” said Chew Wen Xuan, a second-year Faculty of Engineering student, and recipient of the Eng @ 82 - Yeoh Oon Teng Bursary.

The bursary is part of the Engineering Class of 1982 Bursary Endowed Fund. In 2010, the class

The Gift that Keeps on Giving More than 40 years ago, Ms Gan Guat Ching was able to enter the University of Singapore, thanks to a gift of $300 that she received from a priest. It was a gift that was to reap a rich harvest. Ms Gan went on to have a successful career as a civil servant and educator. Today, in her 60s, she is helping to further many a young student’s dream by supporting bursaries and scholarships at her alma mater. The Gan Eng Teck and Maria Tan Ah Ho Bursary, named after her parents, and the Gan Guat Ching Medical Scholarship have helped 17 NUS students so far.

And what of the priest, who had dug into his savings to help the young student? He was Father Domingos Lam,

who went on to become the first Chinese-born Bishop of the Diocese of Macau. As Ms Gan later learnt, Father Lam had been saving up to help his sister build a house.

“I never forgot his kindness,” said Ms Gan. “Later, when I started receiving the PSC Merit Bursary at the University of Singapore, I tried to return the money to him but he declined.”

“The gift helped me through four years of tertiary education and I want to return to society the blessings I received,” added Ms Gan.

Darren Liu Hao Quan, a third-year Chemical Engineering student, is receiving the Gan Eng Teck and Maria Tan Ah Ho Bursary. He said, “It has been very help-ful. I can cut down on the hours I spend giving tuition to support myself and focus on my studies.”

Ms Gan graduated with an Honours degree in Economics. She remembers vividly studying history with Prof Wong Lin Ken, who became Minister of Home Affairs in 1970, and participating in the Annual Float event, field trips and being a member of the University Choir, as well as the Economics and Geography societies.

“Education is a good way to lift people out of the vicious cycle of poverty. By making a gift to the University, you can help generations of students long after you are gone. It is a good legacy to leave behind,” said Ms Gan.

Of her parents and their generous spirit, she said, “They were always stepping up to look after widowed aunts and their children, as well as other family mem-bers in financial trouble. Every Sunday, they would invite elderly relatives over for lunch and dinner.”

“I have two hopes for the recipients of my gift: they should look after their parents and not forget the less fortunate.”

came together and raised more than S$330,000. The Bursary Fund is the first at the Faculty of Engineering to offer sub-naming opportunities. Sub-naming allows individual donors who are a part of a collective gift of S$250,000 or more to create bursaries in the name of some-one by making a minimum contribution of S$25,000.

Mr Steven Yeoh, whose gift in his father’s name enabled the Eng @ 82 - Yeoh Oon Teng Bursary, said, “I hope the Bursary recipients do their best in their studies and career, and pass on the goodness they have received when they become successful.”

At the heart of Class Gifts lie strong friendships and warm memories of university days. The Engineering Class of ’82 came together once again, this time for their 30th anniversary, held in January 2012.

The Engineering Bursary that Inspires Goodness

As the latest community-centred programme from the NUS Society (NUSS), Transport Connect allows you to help the needy and elderly by volunteering as drivers and/or caregivers. Among NUSS’ partners for this very worthy programme are the Centre for Enabled

Living, Changi General Hospital, Connect Centre, the Kidney Dialysis Foundation, Tata Consultancy Services, Webvisions and NUS’ Office of Alumni Relations. Set for launch in June, Transport Connect is already prepping its first group of volunteers. To learn how you too can make a difference, check out www.nusstransportconnect.sg.

You Care, We Connect!

Ms Gan Guat Ching (centre) at her graduation

Union House Rules

REUNIONS


Family IntimaciesUntil 8 April, NUS Museum Free admissionThis exhibition is a visual documentation of Edwin Low’s global family. While the project serves as a tribute to the family, it also brings to light the different themes of memory, place and identity. Using photography as medium of discourse, this exhibition features family portraits captured within different homes as well as old photographs, each telling different stories across time, space and memory. This exhibition explores the personal and conceptual facets of what makes up our idea of the family, both in the present and the act of remembering.

C U LT U R E

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

CLASSICAL AND CONTEMPORARY

Vancouver Piano Ensemble in Concert 11 April, 8pm, UCC Theatre Each hailing from different countries and soloists in their own right, members of the Vancouver Piano Ensemble share a passion for the beautiful, rarely performed music of the multi-piano genre. From Rossini to Liszt, von Suppé to Saint-Saëns, the Ensemble will play original and classical works for up to two pianos. The evening includes a guest performance by NUS Piano Ensemble with works by Shostakovich and Mozart. (See page 44)

Free admission.Tickets are available at the door on a first-come-first-served basis one hour before show-time.

Capturing the Straits Until 31 July, NUS Baba House* Free admissionThis exhibition brings together paintings of the Straits Settlements by Charles Dyce, a resident of Singapore in the 1840s, as well as postcard views of Malacca dating to the early half of the 20th century. Together, these provide a window into the production and reception of landscapes in colonial Malaya and shows an evolving regard of Malaya as a transformative space. Visits are by appointment, and visitors are required to sign up in advance for heritage tours which fall on Mondays (2pm–3pm) and Thursdays (10am–11am). Visit www.nus.edu.sg/museum/baba for details.

Camping and Tramping Through the Colonial Archive: The Museum in Malaya Until 2 December, NUS Museum Free admissionThis exhibition is inspired by a 19th-century document compiled by a British officer describing the field work and travails of his time with the colonial office in Malaya. It traces the rise of the Museum in British Malaya. Writings and artefacts have been mobilised from the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research (NUS), Asian Civilisations Museum, National Museum of Singapore, National Library Board Singapore, Singapore Press Holdings, Singapore National Archives, NUS Museum and the Ivan Polunin and Mohammad Din Mohammad collections.

* NUS Baba House, 157 Neil Road, Singapore 088883, Tel: 6227 5731

For more information, go to www.nus.edu.sg/cfa for updates.

Unplugged Sessions by Natalie Hiong 13 April, 7pm, Starbucks Café @ Yusof Ishak House, NUS Upcoming chanteuse Natalie Hiong performs chart hits and original songs from her EP Little Heart, which chronicles a young woman’s journey through love’s ups and downs. Through jazz- and rock-influenced pop, Natalie’s soft, elegant melodies and upbeat, head-bopping tracks portray a youthful, optimistic view of the world as seen through the eyes of a timeless romantic.

Dive into history this spring as NUS Museum and NUS Baba House bring you various exhibitions that provide glimpses into Singapore’s colonial

past. Check out Capturing the Straits at NUS Baba House — a collection of paintings from the mid-19th century and postcards of Malacca from early 20th century — before browsing the various writings and artefacts related to the rise of the Museum in British Malaya at the NUS Museum. Other highlights this quarter include the Vancouver Piano Ensemble’s unusual multi-piano concert — featuring NUS law alumna Lee Chin Yen — and a chance to hear rising star Natalie Hiong perform songs from her latest EP.

Sculpting Life: The Ng Eng Teng CollectionOngoing, NUS Museum Free admissionNg Eng Teng (1934–2001) was a painter and potter by training but he is most recognised for his sculptural pieces featuring humanist themes. NUS Museum has more than 1,000 of Ng’s works including sketches, paintings, maquettes, sculptures, figurines and pottery. An archival display-cum-exhibition, the presentation is divided into three sections exploring a range of biographical, stylistic and thematic interests.

Ways of Seeing Chinese ArtOngoing, NUS Museum Free admissionThis exhibition features more than 200 objects including ceramics, jades and bronzes from the Lee Kong Chian collection, and presents a comprehensive history of Chinese ceramic art. It includes more than 100 ceramic pieces dating from prehistory to the early 20th century, representing wares produced by major kilns in China. For more information, go to www.nus.edu.sg/museum.

FLING

Family Intimacies

Capturing the Straits


C U LT U R E

This April, two internationally-renowned conductors make their way to Singapore to lead the Conservatory Orchestra and the Conservatory New Music Ensemble in two concerts featuring music by classical greats and modern masters.

MAESTROS AT THE YONG SIEW TOH CONSERVATORY

Scottish Light and Russian Darkness 12 April, 7.30pm, Esplanade Concert Hall Tickets at S$15 from SISTICMark Wigglesworth will guest conduct the Conservatory Orchestra in its annual concert featuring Shostakovich’s Festive Overture, Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy Op. 46 and Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique Symphony. Wigglesworth is the Ong Teng Cheong Visiting Professor of Music 2011/2012 and has also served as Associate Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. The Guardian newspaper has hailed Wigglesworth’s conducting as “wonderfully poised, timelessly spacious”. Head of Violin Studies, Zuo Jun, will also make an appearance.

Beyond Colours 7 April, 7.30pm, Esplanade Recital Studio Tickets at S$20/S$15 from SISTICLast in Singapore for the Singapore Arts Festival in 2008, French conductor Diego Masson returns to Singapore to conduct the Conservatory New Music Ensemble. Highlights include Iannis Xenakis’ Thalleïn — literally “to sprout” — a piece that alludes to the sonic blossoming of different instrumental textures; Toshio Hosokawa’s Interim, Two Tributes by Colin Matthews, as well as Singaporean composer Ho Chee Kong’s unfolding narration in Shades of Oil Lamps. Masson is one of the world’s leading exponents of 20th and 21st century music. He has regularly conducted the London Sinfonietta and has appeared with Ensemble Modern, Musik Fabrik, Ensemble Alternance, Klangforum Wien, Composers Ensemble and Birmingham Contemporary Music Group.

What influenced you the most to become a pianist? My father started me on piano lessons when I was six. At age 12, I was fortunate enough to have Mr Lee Kum Sing as my piano teacher. He has been the head of the Piano Department at the Vancouver Academy of Music since 1971, and also sits on the panel of jurists for a number of international piano competitions. I really grew to love the piano under Mr Lee.

What spurred you to co-found the Vancouver Piano Ensemble? The vast majority of pianists perform solo, but playing solo can be a very lonely occupation. [German pianist and co-founder] Winfried Rompf and I used to get together, from time to time, to sight-read and play piano duos – two pianos, four hands. In the process, we did some research and realised there was a fair bit of music out there that had been written for multiple pianists and multiple pianos, just waiting to be discovered and performed. So we contacted two other pianists, Amanda Chan and Dorothy Uytengsu, and thus the Vancouver Piano Ensemble was born. The composition of the group has changed slightly since its founding. Amanda Chan is still with us, but is unable to come touring with us for the Singapore concert.

What has been your most memorable performance – so far – as a pianist? Our most memorable performances have been in northern China. [In these parts], there is no etiquette that requires

Lee Chin Yen (Law ’72), returns to Singapore in April for a performance with the Vancouver Piano Ensemble. She tells AlumNUS what spurred her to co-found the ensemble. By Elisabeth Lee

the audience to be quiet during a performance. People were eating, cell phones were ringing, and children would run to the front of the stage. After the concert, the audience would rush onstage with programmes, tickets and whatever else they can find to get our autographs. In a number of provinces, heating of their vast concert halls are regulated by date, regardless of actual weather conditions, and there were a few concerts that had to be performed when we were absolutely frozen. We would run between pieces backstage to warm up for a few seconds in our heavy coats before discarding them and dash-ing back onstage to play the next piece! What do you look forward to most about coming back to Singapore for performances? Meeting up with relatives and old school friends, and eating local fruits and hawker food! You “have a taste for living dangerously.” Can you tell us a little more? After decades of stressful legal work, I retired recently. The first thing I did was to do a tandem sky-dive. I have since been to Iceland where I climbed a volcanic crater, ate “fermented” shark, whale steak and puffin.

After the Singapore concert, I will be heading for Chiang Mai, where I will be washing an elephant. In September, I will be going to the Galapagos to mingle with iguanas, giant tortoises and blue-footed boobies. The planning and dreaming continues on…

A KEY LOVE

Lee Chin Yen (second from left)

44 ALUMNUS

About U@live:U@live is a monthly speaker series that showcases outstanding members of the NUS community. Apart

from having a live audience, U@live is also webcast live through a dedicated website where users can send

in real time comments and questions directly to the speakers.

Science ’02

Upcoming Speakers7:30pm, 25 April 2012

Throughout a distinguished career in research, education and public service, Professor Leo Tan has been a vocal advocate for the environmental cause. Indeed, many of his public policy initiatives have helped to define Singapore’s reputation as a Garden City. Professor Tan’s latest ventures include Project Semakau, a three-year research programme with the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, and the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, set to open in 2014 with Singapore’s very first permanent exhibit of dinosaur fossils. Come discover what this pioneering environmentalist has to say about Singapore’s “green” future.

7:30pm, 23 May 2012

7:30pm, 13 June 2012

As the Founder and Executive Director of the animal rights group ACRES, Mr Louis Ng has been instrumental in helping to change the public conversation on how animals should be treated. Having received his Bachelor of Science in Biology, Mr Ng went on to complete his Master of Science in Primate Conservation at Oxford Brookes University. In 2011, he was one of the inaugural recipients of the Yahoo! Singapore 9 award, an honour that recognises those who have made significant contributions on their chosen fields.

Science ’69 and ’74 (PhD)

Arts and Social Sciences ’01In 2010, Mr Alvan Yap travelled to East Timor as part of a Singapore International Foundation (SIF) programme to aid the hearing impaired. Over the course of a year, Mr Yap, who is hearing impaired himself, helped develop a standard curriculum for local educators. Upon his return to Singapore, he worked with the SIF and The Arts House on ‘A Year in Timor’, an exhibition of his photographs. Mr Yap will speak about his experiences in a very special U@live session; his photographs will also be on display as part of Montage 2012, a week-long celebration of the photographic arts, with exhibitions and workshops at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House.

Join us Online!www.nus.edu.sg/ualive

Reserve your seat now!Attend the show live at Shaw Foundation Alumni House

Register at www.nus.edu.sg/ualiveOR




Science ’02



7:30pm, 23 May 2012

7:30pm, 13 June 2012










Science ’02



7:30pm, 23 May 2012

7:30pm, 13 June 2012







L A S T W O R D

We are a new country with 40 years of nationhood. The only element of nationhood we have is our geography; we don’t have a

common culture, language, history [or] religion. And out of all this, we’re trying to forge something. The younger generation today is like the Pilgrim Fathers, having just landed. My generation has provided the landing space; the land ahead is yours and you have to mould it; build on it. You have to ask yourselves,

‘Why am I here? Why have I come?’ Our existence is not pre-ordained; our prosperity is not pre-ordained. What is here today can be gone tomorrow. The moulding of that nation is your responsibility.

Mr S R Nathan at the U@live forum on 8 February 2012, in response to a query about his vision for Singapore and his message to its youth

48 ALUMNUS

Stay connected throughwww.nus.edu.sg/alumnet

Visit our new website to be updatedon the latest alumni happenings.

Or drop us an email at [email protected]

NUS Alumni Office - AlumNUS Magazine 2012apr

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