SPOTLIGHT ON... LSE Alumni Association of
Singapore Brief history In September 1973, the LSE Alumni Association of Singapore (LSEAAS) was formally registered as a society with the Registry of Societies in Singapore. In the past 37 years, some 1,800 Singaporeans have passed through Houghton Street and LSE. The LSEAAS has seen its ups and downs over the years. In 2002, the LSEAAS in Singapore experienced a revival in leadership which has carried on till the present day.
Our mission The LSEAAS is an active society that provides various platforms for our members to network, gain knowledge and relive their memories of studying at LSE. The LSEAAS continues a proud tradition of facilitating and organising intellectual and social events that are educational and entertaining – a means to maintain our links with the School and alumni here in Singapore. At our events, there is always the familiar LSE spirit of discussion, debate and drinks! The LSEAAS is also the platform from which the Singapore LSE Trust was launched in 2004 to fund Singaporeans with financial needs to pursue their dream of studying at the School. The Trust is a registered charity and Institute of a Public Character, affording donors tax benefits when making donations. Excluding the matching by the UK government, and as of 31 August
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2010, more than S$500,000 has been raised, enabling the establishment of eight scholarships, at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.
Communication Reaching out through various channels is of utmost importance to the LSEAAS, given the diverse demographic spread and choices available to alumni. The LSEAAS therefore recently boosted its website (www.lsesingapore.com), keeps its presence on Houghton Street Online updated, and has a Facebook group.
Events 2010 has been a bumper year! More than 300 alumni have attended the four academic lectures (Lord Meghnad Desai, Professor Christopher Coker, Dr Razeen Sally, and Professor Danny Quah) and three social events (Bon Voyage Reception, Chinese New Year Special ‘Lo Hei’ Lunch Celebration, and Endowed Fund Launch Dinner). These events have kept the alumni warm and the committee busy – with more to come for the last quarter of 2010.
Networks The LSEAAS is an active member of the ‘Distinguished Universities Alumni League’, which comprises distinguished American and British universities, and the ‘British Alumni’, the umbrella body for
alumni of UK universities in Singapore. We link with these ‘Friends of the LSEAAS’ on a number of events, thereby creating a more vibrant networking and socialising scene. The LSEAAS also maintains close links with other LSE alumni groups in Southeast Asia.
Membership model We invite alumni to sign up as paid members to keep abreast of the latest academic, social and professional networking events. All alumni on the mailing list get our email newsletter, and members receive priority booking and discounted rates for our events. Lifetime membership includes additional benefits of preferential rates and ‘first invites’ for special events. There is also an Associate Membership category for non-alumni who wish to join the LSEAAS to partake in events. We have more than 120 paid up members as of September 2010, including more than 75 lifetime members. We invite Singapore
based alumni to sign up and join us via www.lsesingapore.com
Committee The LSEAAS is run by an elected committee of 14 alumni. Elections are held every spring and the AGM is a surprisingly popular event, perhaps due to the interesting locations and great food made available to members! Two or three young(er) alumni are encouraged to join the committee at each AGM to introduce fresh ideas and energy, and many hardworking incumbents are encouraged to stay on to lend their advice, input and time, and to lend stability to the team.
Getting involved If you are Singapore based and keen to expand your network and play your part in keeping the alumni flame burning brightly in Singapore, please do contact us via www.lsesingapore.com. The success of the LSEAAS is entirely dependent on volunteers and we warmly invite new volunteers to come on board!