The AlumNUS Oct-Dec 2014

The

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NUS ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE O C T– D E C 2 0 1 4 / I S S U E 9 9

The

GREAT CHAIN of

DISCOVERY

WORLD-CHANGING ACHIEVEMENTS OF NUS SCIENCE ALUMNI

Contents

First Word

OCT-DEC 2014 ISSUE 99

2 IN THE NEWS 10 COVER STORY OF DISCIPLINE & DESTINY 20 MY WORD A MUSICAL JOURNEY 22 ONCE UPON A MEMORY ONCE UPON A CRAB...

24 CHANGEMAKER MAGIC IS HIS REALITY 26 PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE HOT FOR CHOCOLATE 28 BREAKFAST DIALOGUE MR PIYUSH GUPTA 30 U@LIVE DR YEO SZE LING, MR ZULKIFLI BIN BAHARUDIN 34 ALUMNI HAPPENINGS 44 IN MEMORIAM 45 LOOKBACK 46 CULTURE 48 LAST WORD

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CORRIGENDUM In the Jul-Sep 2014 issue, it was stated in “Making the Arts Work”, that the NUS Arts Festival is sponsored

by ExxonMobil. That is incorrect. It is the ExxonMobil Campus Concerts (EMCC) — the longest running arts outreach programme for the campus, started in 1986 — that is sponsored by ExxonMobil. The NUS Arts Festival began in 2006.

The

ALUM

NUS ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE

ONE OF THE CORE STRENGTHS OF THE FACULTY OF SCIENCE IS ITS CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE, THE ACADEMIC STAFF AIMS VERY HIGH. PROFESSOR ANDREW WEE THYE SHEN FORMER DEAN, FACULTY OF SCIENCE

EDITOR Karin Yeo (Arts and Social Sciences ’97)

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

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Stephanie S Williams - Sivakumar

Copyright 2014 by the National University of Singapore.

All rights reserved. Printed in Singapore by KHL Printing Co Pte Ltd.

ADVISOR Assoc Prof Victor R Savage (Arts and Social Sciences ’72)

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Noreen Kwan PUBLISHING CONSULTANT MediaCorp Pte Ltd

CONTACT US Office of Alumni Relations – National University of Singapore 11 Kent Ridge Drive, Singapore 119244 Tel: (65) 6516-5775 Fax: (65) 6777-2065 Email: oarconnect@nus.edu.sg Website: www.nus.edu.sg/alumnet Facebook: www.facebook.com/nusoar

DEAR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS,

T

he Office of Alumni Relations (OAR) has had an eventful 2014. We have set a momentum for our engagement activities with your enthusiastic support. This year over 1,100 alumni attended our Bukit Timah Homecoming in July and about 4,800 alumni experienced our Kent Ridge Alumni Family Day in August. We also had equally good turn-outs at our

monthly Movies on the House, U@live sessions with the inimitable Viswa, and strong attendance for the Canadian Film Festival in March.

Our NUS Alumni Lifestyle Workshop Series continued with a make-up and fashion workshop which enthralled 200 female alumni, staff and students on 30 July, with sponsorship by Shu Uemura, Robinsons and L’Oréal. Our younger alumni continued to network at our popular Thirsty Thursdays sessions. We look forward to your attendance at our China Film Festival (18 to 21 October at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House). Our Senior Alumni continue to run their monthly tea and chat sessions with lively exchanges.

OAR continues to provide an integrative role for all alumni groups in Schools, Faculties and Halls by supporting the varied activities and bringing them together under one NUS umbrella. We welcome our newest kids on the block – the Lee Kuan Yew School’s Alumni Group which had its inauguration on 1 August. Our alumni Associate Directors meet quarterly and this has strengthened the bonds amongst the Faculties, Schools and Halls.

We have been slowly developing a stronger core group of volunteer alumni who lead our various interest groups and social activities. We had a very successful Investiture Ceremony for our Alumni Class Ambassadors on 24 June; they will help to strengthen and expand Alumni Groups amongst Halls, Faculties and Schools. To strengthen alumni leadership, over 200 alumni leaders attended the annual Alumni Leaders Forum on 13 September. If you would like to join or form an Alumni Group, please let us know.

Our last issue for the year features the many talents of our Science alumni, in celebration of the Faculty’s 85th anniversary. Like other NUS alumni, NUS Science alumni demonstrate their versatility, adaptability and their ability to attain high levels of achievement in academia, politics, business, and government. Our President of Singapore, Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam, hails from the Faculty of Science.

Let me close by wishing all our Hindu and Sikh alumni a Happy Diwali and to all our Christian alumni, a Blessed Christmas. And to everyone, a joyful, healthy and meaningful 2015.

The

ALUM

NUS ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE O C T– D E C 2 0 1 4 / I S S U E 9 9

The

GREAT CHAIN of

DISCOVERY

WORLD-CHANGING ACHIEVEMENTS OF NUS SCIENCE ALUMNI

COVER CONCEPT: Samuel Ng PHOTO: Shutterstock

ASSOC PROF VICTOR R SAVAGE DIRECTOR, NUS OFFICE OF ALUMNI RELATIONS Arts and Social Sciences ’72 OCT–DEC 2014

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IN THE NEWS

BUKIT TIMAH HOMECOMING

NUS – ASIA’S TOP UNIVERSITY AND ND 22 IN THE WORLD The University is among world’s top 10 for academic and employer reputation.

M

OVING UP TWO SPOTS from its 24th

position last year, the National University of Singapore (NUS) is now placed 22nd in the 2014/2015 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings, retaining its position as the top university in Asia.

Ranked the world’s top 10 for academic and employer reputation, the University has retained its ninth position for academic reputation, and clinched the 10th spot worldwide for employer reputation.

In terms of the number of research papers published and citations generated, the University has also improved significantly. Up by four spots from 17th position last year, Arts and Humanities is now placed 13th in the world. The other faculty areas are placed in the following order: Engineering and Technology (7), Life Sciences and Medicine (27), Natural Sciences (13), Social Sciences and Management (9).

Based on academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per faculty, faculty student ratio, and proportions of international students and international faculty, the QS World University Rankings evaluates over 800 universities in the world.

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“We are happy and honoured that NUS is placed again among the very best universities in the world, and top in Asia. I believe that NUS’ strong and growing international reputation reflects our singular focus on nurturing, recruiting and retaining talent, our unrelenting pursuit of excellence and our commitment to creating an environment where our faculty, staff and students can do excellent work of high impact. We will continue to innovate in education and research, so that the University will continue to contribute strongly towards the advancement of Singapore and the wider community in the years to come,” said NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan.

The QS Head of Research Mr Ben Sowter said, “The relentless progress of NUS in our rankings signals a resolute long term strategy, sustainable financial planning, investment in world class facilities and leveraging Singapore’s increasing desirability as a place to be”, adding that the University “has further enhanced its research profile, strengthened its faculty student ratio and resonated more strongly with employers this year.”

“It is heartening that every year, the event at Bukit Timah campus is getting bigger and bigger. It’s a sign of growing commitment to this campus. The fact that more and more [alumni] are coming is a very good sign. Shows that people even as they get older, they have developed deeper links with the institution even though the passage of time has become bigger.”

PROF KISHORE MAHBUBANI (ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ’71), DEAN OF LKY SCHOOL

THE MUCH-LOVED ANNUAL BUKIT TIMAH HOMECOMING, organised by the NUS Office of Alumni Relations, was held this year on 5 July. The event saw more than 1,100 alumni and guests gather at their beloved Bukit Timah Campus for an evening of reminiscence and enjoyment.

Co-hosted by the Faculty of Law and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKY School), this year’s Homecoming also commemorated the 85th anniversaries of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, and the Faculty of Science; the 55th anniversary of Raffles Hall, one of NUS’ oldest halls of residence; the 10th anniversary of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, as well as the 50th anniversary of the Class of 1964. Five large cakes were cut by alumni representatives to celebrate the various anniversaries.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

To view the full results of the 2014/2015 QS World University Rankings, please visit TopUniversities.com/ Rankings2014.

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IN THE NEWS

“The event was interesting.

I enjoyed the outdoor movie the most and also had fun with body painting!”

Prof Chesterman, Dean of the NUS Faculty of Law (far left), with Prof Mahbubani, Dean of LKY School, sharing a lighthearted moment with ‘Cleopatra’ and ‘Marilyn Monroe’.

Guest-of-Honour President Dr Tony Tan (right), with NUS President Prof Tan.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 Guest-of-honour President Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam (Science ’62), graced the occasion with his wife, Mrs Mary Tan (Arts and Social Sciences ’62). VIPs who attended the event included Chairman of the NUS Board of Trustees, Mr Wong Ngit Liong (Engineering ’65); NUS President, Professor Tan Chorh Chuan (Medicine ’83); and NUS senior management.

Prof Tan kicked off the event with an opening speech. “Since last

year’s homecoming, the University has continued to make very strong progress. Our international reputation has gone up but even more importantly, our engagement with our alumni has grown ever stronger.”

Apart from good food and great company, alumni and guests were entertained by a series of performances, from Singapore’s very own Elvis Presley aka Mr William David, to alumni singers and the ‘The All Stars’ band.

“I’m absolutely delighted to welcome back so many people from the rich history that we have on this campus. It’s a great opportunity for people to relive old memories and a great opportunity also for me to learn about the sort of experiences people had here, so that we can improve the experiences of students now and into the future.”

PROF SIMON CHESTERMAN, DEAN, NUS FACULTY OF LAW

Kent Ridge Alumni Family Day

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MS YANG XUE JING (ENGINEERING ’10)

THE NUS UNIVERSITY TOWN BUSTLED with life on 16 August this year when more than 4,800 alumni, students, staff and their families turned up for a day of non-stop fun at the popular annual Kent Ridge Alumni Family Day. Organised by the NUS Office of Alumni Relations, Kent Ridge Alumni Family Day seeks to bring together the NUS community of alumni, students, staff and families for a day of interaction, networking and relationship-building.

Guest-of-honour Mr Wong Ngit Liong (Engineering ’65), Chairman of the NUS Board of Trustees, thanked friends and supporters of NUS for attending the event in his appreciation speech. “This is a great community where families of alumni, students [and] staff are able to gather together to network, to catch up with friends old and new, as well as to celebrate the past year’s achievements.

NUS has become a great university. One of the best in the world! A university which all of us can be very proud of,” Mr Wong said.

Other VIPs who turned up included NUS President, Professor Tan Chorh Chuan (Medicine ’83); Professor Wang Gungwu (Arts ’52) and his wife; Emeritus Professor Edwin Thumboo (Arts ’56); and Vice Provost of Student Life,

Professor Tan Tai Yong (Arts and Social Sciences ’85), and his wife.

Participants enjoyed rag floats display, photo-taking with roving characters from the movies Transformers and Frozen, stage games, performances by award-winning Singaporean musicians, the Lorong Boys and a flash mob dance performed by the students of Temasek Hall and the College of Alice and Peter Tan. The day culminated in an outdoor movie screening of popular children’s movie Frozen and a grand lucky draw.

OCT–DEC 2014

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NUS Alumni-Standard Chartered

GLOBAL CONVERSATIONS

IN THE NEWS

ECONOMIC INTEGRATION VERSUS POLITICAL DISPUTES IN ASIA: WHICH SIDE WILL PREVAIL?

NUS ALUMNI LEADERS FORUM 2014

Professor Tommy Koh (Law ’61) Programme : 11.45am – Registration 14 November 2014, Friday 11.45am – 2pm 12.15pm – Sharing by Prof Tommy Koh The Westin Singapore, Ballroom 1, 12.35pm – Q&A Session Asia Square Tower 2, 1.45pm – Networking Lunch Reception 12 Marina View, Singapore 018961 Moderator : Mr Lim Cheng Teck Chief Executive Officer, ASEAN, Standard Chartered Bank

Date Time Venue

: : :

Global Conversations is an interactive corporate networking event. The discussions will cover a wide range of topics related to the financial services and issues pertaining to the regional and global economy, and foreign policies.

WORLD FUTURE FOUNDATION (WFF) PHD PRIZE BACK FOR THE FOURTH YEAR RUNNING, 2014’s NUS Alumni Leaders’ Forum (ALF) proved to be yet another successful event, providing alumni leaders and volunteers a platform for the exchange of best practices in alumni relations.

Spearheaded by the NUS Alumni Advisory Board and organised by the NUS Office of Alumni Relations, this year’s ALF was graced by guestsof-honour NUS Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost, Professor Tan Eng Chye (Science ’84), and Professor Wang Gungwu (Arts ’52).

The forum attracted 147 alumni leaders, student leaders and volunteers from the NUS Faculties, Halls, Alumni Groups and Overseas Chapters.

Themed NUS Alumnus – Make A Difference, the session comprised three panel discussion groups that included notable speakers like Chairman of the Lien Foundation, Mr Laurence Lien (Business ’00); and Director of the Chuan Thian Poh Community Leadership Programme, Associate Professor Albert Teo (Arts and Social Sciences ’86). Alumni leaders and participants engaged over discussion topics that included new initiatives, challenges and learning points for alumni groups, programmes for engaging overseas alumni and giving back through social service and community engagement.

The forum concluded with a luncheon talk, titled Alumni Angles: Top, Side and Bottom by Prof Wang, at the NUSS Kent Ridge Guild House.

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“[Alumni] should be able to participate in more alumni activities, join alumni groups or form alumni groups. They should also interact and mingle...with other alumni groups, so they can combine resources.

During these interactions, they can share their experiences and also provide mentorship for the new graduates.”

MS MAGDALENE KUEH (ENGINEERING ’84),

FORMER PRESIDENT, ENGINEERING ALUMNI SINGAPORE.

The fifth cohort of 10 winners from NUS and NTU were conferred the WFF PhD Prize in Environmental & Sustainability research in July this year. NUS Vice Provost (Graduate Education), Professor Mohan Kankanhalli said, “This year, the five NUS winners were chosen amongst 164 high quality submissions from PhD candidates. Our students’ achievements reflect NUS’ strength in sustainability research, and we are proud that they have demonstrated passion, creativity and innovativeness in developing multi-disciplinary, sustainable solutions towards solving environmental problems. The Prize provides a timely impetus for these young and talented researchers to continue to contribute towards environmental sustainability.”

Organised Organised by: by:

FREE ADMISSION. Limited seats available.

Please register early to avoid disappointment. Seats will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.

Register at: alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/GCnov14 today. For enquiries, please contact Ms Gabriella Nyam at 6516 5771 or email her at gabriella@nus.edu.sg

U@live is a monthly

one speaker 10 minutes

BOUNDLESS INSPIRATION

speaker series that showcase outstanding members of the NUS community. Apart from having a live audience, U@live will also be

29 OCT 2014

I

WEDNESDAY 7.30PM

Ms Indranee Thurai Rajah

webcasted live through a

Law ’86

dedicated website where

Senior Minister of State Ministry of Law and Education

users can send in real time comments and questions directly to the speakers.

U@live Speaker Series are moderated by Mr Viswa Sadasivan, Chairman of

Established in 2010, the PhD Prize is Singapore’s first-of-its-kind prize to recognise excellence in doctoral-level (PhD) environmental and sustainability research. Winners receive an award of US$10,000 each.

Sponsored Sponsored by: by:

26 NOV 2014

I

WEDNESDAY 7.30PM

Dr Yaacob Ibrahim Engineering ’80

Minister for Communications and Information and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs

the U@live Organising Committee and Member of the NUS Alumni Advisory Board.

Reserve Your Seats Now!

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

OR

Join Us Online!

www.nus.edu.sg/ualive

IN THE NEWS

CLASS AMBASSADORS INVESTITURE SINCE 2008, graduating students appointed by their respective Faculties and Schools have been working closely with the NUS Office of Alumni Relations (OAR) to build class connections. Class Ambassadors help to keep alumni informed of the latest NUS news, provide leadership at alumni reunions and events, as well as share their time and talent by volunteering as mentors for undergraduates. To date, OAR has 1,048 Class Ambassadors helping it

maintain a strong alumni network.

On 27 June this year, OAR held a Class Ambassador Investiture to formally welcome the 2014 Class Ambassadors. The event took place at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House with approximately 100 newlyappointed Class Ambassadors turning up. To begin them on their new role, all participants received a kit comprising contact details of Alumni Groups, Overseas Chapters, and Shaw Foundation Alumni House’s rental rates.

BOOK CORNER TROUBLEMAKER is a collection of Bertha Henson’s (Arts and Social Sciences ’86) columns from her blog, Bertha Harian, as well as the nowdefunct Breakfast Network.

They represent her take on the news of the day, spanning political and social happenings in Singapore from the middle of 2012. Sometimes serious, sometimes hilarious, Bertha brings her own inimitable style to news commentary, raising questions and zooming in on issues that concern the citizenry.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

NUS ALUMNI LIFESTYLE WORKSHOP

THE SECOND IN A SERIES of the NUS Alumni Lifestyle Workshops launched earlier this year, the NUS Alumnae Lifestyle Workshop held on 30 July proved to be a great success with 200 female alumni turning up at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House to learn more about creating positive 8

ALUMNUS

first impressions. Organised by the NUS Office of Alumni Relations in collaboration with Shu Uemura, L’Oréal and Robinsons, professional makeup artists, hairstylists and personal shoppers showed alumni the tips and tricks of creating stylish makeup, unique office style and a lasting impression. Participants were treated to a buffet dinner before the event and some lucky alumni walked away with items from Shu Uemura. The NUS Alumni Lifestyle Workshop series seeks to reach out to NUS alumni from all walks of life with workshops of different natures that cater to alumni’s diverse range of interests. The first in this series was a workshop on art appreciation that brought together alumni art enthusiasts under one roof.

Bertha Henson worked in the Singapore Press Holdings stable of newspapers for 26 years, her last designation being Associate Editor of The Straits Times, Singapore’s national broadsheet.

In 2012, she left the organisation to start her own media consultancy, Newsmakers, and to teach at the National University of Singapore.

She is journalist-in-residence at Tembusu College in NUS. She started blogging at Bertha Harian the day after she left SPH employment.

She still blogs at Bertha Harian.

Troublemaker is available at all select bookstores.

S$28.89 (with GST).

AD

LIFELONG LESSONS

OF

DISCIPLINE & DESTINY

PHOTO GETTY IMAGES

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FOR 85 YEARS, THE FACULTY OF SCIENCE HAS EDUCATED GENERATIONS OF STUDENTS, MANY OF WHOM HAVE GONE ON TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN A SPECTRUM OF INDUSTRIES. THE ALUMNUS TAKES A LOOK AT ITS HISTORY THROUGH THE EYES OF ITS ALUMNI AND FACULTY MEMBERS. BY THERESA TAN

T IS HARD TO IMAGINE the National University of Singapore Faculty of Science today being a single department, but that is exactly how it began: as a department of just three staff members and 10 students in Raffles College in 1929.

The only subjects taught then were Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry.

Today, the Faculty of Science (FoS) is one of the largest in the National University of Singapore, with 4,500 undergraduates, 1,300 graduate students, 500 academic staff members and 300 administrative and support staff members. There are six departments: Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Biological Sciences, Pharmacy, Statistical Studies and Applied Probability; and three programmes: the Special Programme in Science, Food Science and Technology and Computational Biology. A fourth – Environmental studies – is jointly offered by FoS and the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS), and is a multidisciplinary department that involves seven other faculties, including Law and Business.

Each department boasts its own lists of accomplishments, high achievers and outstanding alumni. Each, too, is a continuallyevolving entity – new programmes, initiatives, research projects happen on a regular basis. Collaborations between departments, with other faculties or even universities take place increasingly often, all for the advancement of science and its study.

Departments have even come and gone from FoS as well. For example, the Department of Material Science which was transferred to the Faculty of Engineering in 2005 and renamed Department of Material Science and Engineering. On an even larger scale, what was the Department of Information Systems and Computer Science (DISCS) in FoS became a stand-alone faculty – the School of Computing – in 1998.

This year, FoS turns 85. It has the distinction of being the alma mater of Singapore’s current head of state, President Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam, who graduated with First Class Honours in Physics from FoS in 1962, and later returned to the faculty as a Mathematics

lecturer. FoS alumni can be found in industries as far and wide as banking and fast-moving consumer goods, and from academia to business.

BEING VERSATILE

“Science is very versatile,” says NUS Provost and Deputy President (Academic Affairs), Professor Tan Eng Chye, who was Dean of FoS from 2003 to 2007. “Underpinning Science is critical thinking and logical thinking. This is quite essential in everything. We have alumni in Pharmacy, Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry who are all doing well in their own spheres.

Some are in the sort of careers that you would not imagine a Science grad being in, but I think they are very versatile…because the Science training is good.”

Prof Tan names alumni like Ms Olivia Lum, who graduated from Chemistry in 1986 and is the founder of water treatment company Hyflux, a billion-dollar public-listed company that has earned her a spot on the Forbes Southeast Asia Rich List, and Mr Foo Hee Jug, a 1990 OCT–DEC 2014

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LIFELONG LESSONS returned later to do a part-time MSc in Statistics. “I love Mathematics, particularly abstract algebra; I love the elegance of the proofs and logical thinking; I didn’t need a calculator; just the strength of thought.” His Honours thesis on Operations Research gave him the first taste of using mathematics to solve problems in the real world.

“My Mathematics education in FoS equipped me with a logical turn of mind that was well-suited towards this analytics practice; it was all about framing and solving problems.”

However, he was “also very much into the arts at NUS. I was a semi-professional musician-singer and was involved with producing and performing shows at LT13 in FASS.” This ‘right-brain-leftbrain combination’ proved to be his passport into Citibank’s elite management trainee programme.

“That same combination allowed me to succeed in both creating value (i.e. generating new insights) and realising value (i.e. translating the insights into creative implementations) through analytics,” he explains.

Mr Eric Sandosham

OUT OF THE BOX

Mr Sandosham’s formula for success is one that the Provost has been encouraging with his idea of a grade-free first semester that allows first-year undergraduates to pick up a subject from a different faculty without fear of doing poorly (see Holistic Changes, pg 14). Crossdisciplinary exposure

“WE CAN ADAPT AND SURVIVE IN PRETTY MUCH ANY ENVIRONMENT AND DEAL WITH DIFFERENT RESPONSIBILITIES.”

Mr Daniel Chia

has many benefits, as evidenced by Mr Sandosham’s experience.

Mr Daniel Chia (Science ’03) was in the Food Science and Technology programme at FoS, an Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) Scholar and Professor Ang Kok Peng Scholar.

He is currently Human Resource Manager at Nestle Singapore. His family was not financially well-off, so he is grateful for the “lobangs” presented by the scholarships he received, which enabled him to complete his university education.

He was also offered an internship, and later a full-time job at APB even before he graduated. He worked as a Brewing Technologist and Brewing Team Leader at APB for more than two years before joining Nestle as a soy sauce Production Executive. He was then based in Malaysia as the company’s Manufacturing Specialist for Infant Cereals when he was offered a promotion to Human Resource.

“MY MATHEMATICS EDUCATION IN FoS EQUIPPED ME WITH A LOGICAL TURN OF MIND THAT WAS WELL-SUITED TOWARDS THIS ANALYTICS PRACTICE; IT WAS ALL ABOUT FRAMING AND SOLVING PROBLEMS.” MR ERIC SANDOSHAM (SCIENCE ’95)

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Mr Liak Teng Lit

MR DANIEL CHIA (SCIENCE ’03)

PHOTO OF ERIC SANDOSHAM & LIAK TENG LIT: WILSON PANG; PHOTO OF DANIEL CHIA COURTESY OF NESTLE

Mathematics graduate who became Chief Operating Officer of Singapore General Hospital at age 37.

Mr Eric Sandosham (Science ’95) is a fine example of the diverse sort of graduate that FoS produces. Over 18 years, he rose up the ranks at financial institution Citibank, and now runs Red & White Consulting Partners. The company specialises in helping organisations optimise their financial performance, operations, marketing capabilities and human resource management through the use of analytics and business intelligence.

The 44 year-old, known in Citibank as “the father of the modern data warehouse at Citi Asia Pacific”, was the Managing Director and Head of the Citibank’s Decision Management function for Asia Pacific. He led a team of 330 analysts embedded across 14 countries, whose innovative and extensive business analytics work contributed to 25 per cent of Citi’s consumer bank revenues in the region.

The Outstanding Science Alumnus (2006) majored in Mathematics for his BSc and

“I was surprised when they asked me – no one makes such a career change especially during expatriation,” he recalls. “When I asked my line manager why they would consider a technical guy like me to head the Education and Training team for Malaysia and Singapore, he said it was because of my attributes: I was adaptable, had good people management skills and a problem-solving mindset.”

Today, Mr Chia, 37, is a market education and training pillar leader for Nestle’s Malaysia and Singapore markets, and is a certified trainer and coach specialising in competenciesbuilding. It is a quite a leap from his Food Science background, but Mr Chia points out how it can be an easy one to make.

“Our three or four years’ stay in NUS builds that sort of character in Science graduates,” he explains.

“Through getting group assignments done, completing an experiment and participating in internship programmes, we develop strength of character – we can adapt and survive in pretty much any environment and deal with different responsibilities.”

A PASSION FOR POSITIVE CHANGE

Mr Liak Teng Lit (Science ’77) echoes what Mr Sandosham and Mr Chia have observed about an education in Science. “A Science education – probably more than many other courses – trains us to think logically,” he says. “Living in a more connected world where things seem to get more complicated can be bewildering.

A scientific, logical mind helps to clarify issues.”

Mr Liak is the very example of that scientific, logical mind.

A Pharmacy graduate, he had originally applied for Medical School but was offered Dentistry. He chose

Pharmacy because it was “closer to working in healthcare”. Unlike many other Science alumni, he has spent his entire career in the same field, albeit in various roles. His lifelong mission has been to change the way hospital pharmacy services are provided. “Singapore’s healthcare system went from Third World in the ’60s and ’70s to First World by the late ’80s. I practised pharmacy at SGH and later NUH, which were the most ‘happening’ hospitals in the late ’70s and ’80s,” says the 61 year-old who was named Distinguished Science Alumnus in 2011

by FoS. “We were very much the young idealistic professionals who drove the transformation of healthcare and pharmacy during that period.”

Mr Liak’s next aim was to change the way hospitals were managed – so he spent the next 10 years restructuring management through different roles at major hospitals: he was Operations Manager at the then KK Hospital, Chief Operating Officer at Singapore General Hospital, and Chief Executive Officer at Toa Payoh and Changi General Hospitals.

And now, in his fourth decade in healthcare, his passion is to “shift focus from episodic illness care of body parts to head-to-toe lifelong anticipatory healthcare of whole persons,” says the Cluster Chief Executive Officer of Alexandra Health System (which includes Khoo Teck Phuat Hospital).

“We are providing illness care,” says Mr Liak of the existing system, “but we need to shift to

“WE WERE VERY MUCH THE YOUNG IDEALISTIC PROFESSIONALS WHO DROVE THE TRANSFORMATION OF HEALTHCARE AND PHARMACY DURING THAT PERIOD.” MR LIAK TENG LIT (SCIENCE ’77)

CONTINUED ON PAGE 15 OCT–DEC 2014

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LIFELONG LESSONS Supt Jason Loke

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

HOLISTIC CHANGES

healthcare. We need to move care out of hospitals into the community and homes. The ageing population will force our hand anyway, but technology will enable us to do things in ways that weren’t possible just a few years ago.”

Mr Lam Pin Woon (Science ’83) has experienced the best of both worlds: he has been a maverick like Mr Sandosham and Mr Chia, and a purist like Mr Liak. Mr Lam, who was named Outstanding Science Alumnus in 2005, has served in commercial companies like Quaker Oats and F&N as well as government agencies like the Health Promotion Board (HPB), and companies such as Parkway Health. He is currently a Director of the Allswell Group of companies which distributes the Red Bull energy drink, and develops as well as markets a range of health and wellness products in Singapore and the region.

He considers it fortuitous that he has enjoyed such a diverse portfolio.

“It was a combination of luck, guts and toil,” says Mr Lam. “I have always held the belief that with an open mind, skills and experiences are transportable across industries, sectors – private, public or people – and territories.”

PROFESSOR TAN ENG CHYE (SCIENCE ’85) PROVOST AND DEPUTY PRESIDENT (ACADEMIC AFFAIRS), NUS As NUS’ Provost and Deputy President (Academic Affairs), Prof Tan Eng Chye is the Chief Academic Officer who oversees and drives strategic educational initiatives of critical importance. He speaks to The AlumNUS about the changes he has introduced to enhance the NUS educational experience and the advantages of a broad-based Science education.

CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THE THREE BIG AREAS OF CHANGE? One, how to enhance the NUS learning experience. UTown is one example. Another is the mandatory communications programme (that teaches communication and writing so that one’s ideas and initiatives can be understood by people outside one’s faculty). By this year, it will be compulsory for all freshmen.

Our hope is for more elements of communications and writing to be incorporated and built into the entire four-year curriculum for Science and Engineering.

We are going to implement a new General Education curriculum in 2015.

The idea is to have a more rigorous way

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WHY THIS INITIATIVE AT THIS TIME? We are looking at the skills needed for the 21st century. A few would be communications and writing, critical thinking, ability to work in a team, a global outlook, cross-disciplinary ability and crosscultural competencies.

[This] is what is driving the changes in our educational framework. One important piece is how our students fit into the industry and how can we prepare them to be industry- and future-ready. That is where enhanced industry engagement comes in.

That is why it is important to see the whole set of changes in perspective.

YOU HAVE PUT BROAD-BASED LEARNING INTO SCIENCE WITH THE GRADE-FREE SEMESTER. WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? When I was a Science undergraduate I never realised the importance of Humanities, Psychology and so on. I was only interested in Math and only took Math. I did not care then about what was happening elsewhere in the world. That is fine if you want to be an academic. But if you graduate with a Mathematics degree and you go out into the industry, then it is useful for you to know things outside of Mathematics.

So the immediate area is how Mathematics impacts Science, and how Science impacts Mathematics. That is important. Then, outside of Science, how the Humanities impact the Sciences; how Social Sciences impact Science and viceversa; that is important, too. It is important for all students to learn and appreciate this.

Mr Lam Pin Woon

PHOTO OF JASON LOKE : MENG CHOON; PHOTO OF LAM PIN WOON COURTESY OF MR LAM

TELL US ABOUT THE CHANGES YOU HAVE IMPLEMENTED AS PROVOST. It began with University Town (UTown) (a cluster of Residential Colleges and community spaces offering an intellectual, social and cultural environment through excellence in learning and student engagement). That was just three years ago but it took us a long time to put it together. Finding the right Masters and Fellows to be involved in the college system was the most challenging part.

We are starting the Ridge View Residential College this year. The focus [is more] to expose students to career options.

they would deserve good grades. That is why we should adjust our honours classification to better acknowledge that these are really good students.

‘First Class’, ‘Second Upper’ and ‘Second Lower’ do not quite describe students’ accomplishments, so they are now reclassified as ‘Honours with Highest Distinction’ and ‘Honours with Distinction’ and so on.

These are the three big directions we are pushing in, and these changes need to be seen in a holistic manner.

PHOTO OF PROF TAN ENG CHYE : KELVIN CHIA; INTERVIEW : LIANNE ONG

Prof Tan, 53, has four children — all NUS or to-be NUS undergraduates. He met his wife, a Mathematics major like him, in the Faculty of Science. Before becoming Provost, Prof Tan was Dean of the Faculty of Science.

to introduce broad-based learning to students.

Two, we are building on existing programmes that enhance engagement with industry. We have very good programmes built on internships: we have the NUS Overseas Colleges (NOC), in six locations around the world. We are hoping to increase the number of students. Now there are 150 students involved in NOC every year – we hope to double the number in the next few years.

Starting this year, Engineering and Computing freshmen need to take on a six-month internship in their third year.

We are working with employers to come up with internship experiences for our students. The scale is big: we are talking about 1,500 students from Engineering and 400 from Computing.

We have established Ridge View Residential College to sensitise students and make them career- and future-ready.

We are also repositioning our NUS Career Centre, which will be renamed the Centre for Future-ready Graduates. It now sits as a unit inside the NUS Office of Student Affairs. We are going to take it out and establish it as an independent unit reporting directly to Vice-Provost Professor Chan Eng Soon in the Provost’s office. We hope to reposition it so that it can play a more critical role in engaging the industry and preparing students. I do not want to build expectations too high, though – it is not going to be easy to place 6,500 graduates every year.

The third and last area of change is, how to better-profile our students. That is where the honours classification comes in. Singapore uses an indicator called the cohort participation rate; that is, the proportion of 18-year-olds in Singapore and how many of them would have access to our five local universities.

The rate will hit 30 percent in 2015, and 40 percent by 2020 – amounting to the top 30 percent of our birth cohort. NUS takes in a majority of the students in the top 15 percent of the birth cohort.

If they had gone anywhere in the world,

For the quality of Science graduates that emerges from the Faculty, Mr Lam credits the “dedicated teachers and rigorous curriculum that trains graduates to analyse and solve problems, the fortitude to take on and overcome challenges, and the inquisitiveness to question the status quo.”

Questioning the status quo was what led him to introduce initiatives to fight obesity, promote active ageing and manage chronic diseases as Chief Excutive Officer of HPB from 2005 to 2010. “While the life expectancy of Singaporeans has increased over the years, it is equally important that Singaporeans are healthy in their golden years so as to enjoy good quality of life. It was a humbling experience to work alongside so many dedicated colleagues and to realise that there are many Singaporeans who need a helping hand.”

SOLUTIONS FOR THE REAL WORLD

The Department of Pharmacy, which revamped its curriculum early in 2014, is gearing to produce 240 pharmacists by 2020 to meet the Health Ministry’s Healthcare 2020 initiative. The traditional four-year course has been reduced to three years of lecture-learning and six months of hands-on internship

in the fourth year in institutions such as hospitals and pharmaceutical companies.

Effective real-world application of what one has learned in FoS is what drives personalities like Mr Liak and Mr Lam. The same can be said of Superintendent (Supt) Jason Loke (Science ’97), who is the Assistant Director of the Forensics Department at the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) of the Singapore Police Force (SPF). He joined SPF as an Investigation Officer after graduating with an Honours degree in Biochemistry. Before his current post, he had been head of the Specialised Crime Investigation of CID, head of the Anti-Vice Branch of CID, Commanding Officer of the Geylang Neighbourhood Police Centre, and Head of Corporate Services, among other roles.

Supt Loke, 41, says that his FoS training has served him well in his job. It was hard work and “some luck” that brought him to his present role. “Two important attributes of a scientist are the ability to work hard and remain optimistic, no matter

“I HAVE ALWAYS HELD THE BELIEF THAT WITH AN OPEN MIND, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCES ARE TRANSPORTABLE ACROSS INDUSTRIES, SECTORS – PRIVATE, PUBLIC OR PEOPLE – AND TERRITORIES.” MR LAM PIN WOON (SCIENCE ’83)

OCT–DEC 2014

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LIFELONG LESSONS

Today FoS is a behemoth that is continually-evolving and achieving, both locally and worldwide.

As the Provost points out, “Our Science Faculty is very reputable internationally. If you ask people in other countries about NUS Science Faculty, they would be able to highlight some of our very top people. Our Centre for Quantum Technologies, Mechanobiology Institute, Graphene Research Centre – these produce some of the research that is already well-known in the world.”

Indeed, these Centres have attracted top minds in the various

SUPT JASON LOKE (SCIENCE ’97)

fields to the University, putting Singapore on the world map, says Professor Andrew Wee, former Dean of FoS and current Vice President (University and Global Relations) for NUS. The Graphene Research Centre (GRC) was set up in 2000 and is helmed by renowned physicist Professor Antonio Castro Neto; it was awarded a $50 million grant from the National Research Foundation.

In fact, the development of 2D material is progressing so rapidly – with the discovery of a whole host of materials that have properties mirroring graphene’s – that in July 2015, a new Centre for Advanced 2D Materials, also to be directed by Prof Castro Neto, was announced. Professors from both FoS and the Faculty of Engineering will be leading different areas of research, including Professor Loh Kian Ping, the Head of the Department of Chemistry and Professor Lim Chwee Teck from the Department of Bioengineering.

Prof Wee also names Professor Paul Matsudaira, the Head of Biological Sciences, whose research in Mechanobiology, primarily in the area of

“ONE OF THE CORE STRENGTHS OF THE FACULTY IS ITS CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE, THE ACADEMIC STAFF AIMS VERY HIGH.” PROF ANDREW WEE THYE SHEN

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cell migration on 2D and 3D surfaces, is globally recognised.

Two of FoS’ scientists – out of eight scientists from NUS – were listed in the World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds 2014 list by Thomson Reuters.

They are Professor Huang Dejian from the Department of Chemistry and the late Professor Sodhi Navjot from the Department of Biological Sciences.

This was a list of the global scientists with the most number of “hot” ideas that were quoted in research.

Distinguished Professor Louis Chen is one of FoS’ most lauded Professors of Mathematics.

His research interests include the eponymous Stein-Chen Method of Poisson approximation, which deals with the probability of rare events.

This method is widely applied in many areas including molecular biology and computer science. A Fellow of the Singapore National Academy of Science, Prof Chen has had a distinguished career marked by a host of awards and titles. He was the first Asian to be elected President of the Bernoulli Society for Mathematical Statistics and Probability, a position he served from 1997 to 1999. He was the first East Asian President of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics from 2004 to 2005.

He also served as Vice-President of the International PHOTO OF PROF SHEN ZUOWEI: WILSON PANG

QUEST FOR EXCELLENCE

“AS SCIENTISTS, WE ARE ALWAYS PREPARED TO VENTURE INTO UNCHARTERED WATERS. IT IS THIS PART OF THE TRAINING THAT HELPS ME IN MY CURRENT WORK.”

PHOTO OF PROF ANDREW WEE: TAN KAY HIAN

how things turn out. Although I enjoyed all my previous postings, forensics brought me closer to my first love: the wonderful world of science and its application in criminal investigation,” he explains. “The training provided

by FoS focussed not only on scientific methodology but also logical thinking, and inductive and deductive reasoning – all of which are important in scientific research and policing, including crime scene investigation.”

Using science to solve crime is a popular formula for television shows and movies – Sherlock and CSI are proof – but the reality is that cases are sometimes extremely challenging. “My friend once said to me that as humans, we are always fearful of the unknown. My response to him was as scientists, we are always prepared to venture into unchartered waters. It is this part of the training that helps me in my current work.”

Statistical Institute from 2009 to 2011. A Fellow of the World Academy of Science, Prof Chen was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 2002 and conferred the title of Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques by the French government in 2005 for his services to education.

Another renowned mathematician, the Dean of FoS, Tan Chin Tuan Centennial Professor Shen Zuowei is a world leader in the field of Applied Mathematics.

“I believe that theoretical research should be driven and motivated by applications and applied research should be guided by theory; I enjoy doing research in this manner,” says the Suzhouborn scientist. “I am interested in developing mathematical theories and numerical methods to solve real-life problems.” Prof Shen has developed a theory for redundant systems, especially wavelet frame and Gabor frame, and used it to develop methods in image processing and analysis which have wide applications, such as in biomedical and CT imaging. “I am glad that my work has been recognised internationally at the highest levels,” says Prof Shen, who was invited to speak at the prestigious International Congress of Mathematicians in 2010. He will also speak at the 8th International Congress on Industrial and Applied Mathematics to be held in 2015.

FoS as a whole has played a significant role in driving NUS’ international ranking – the University is ranked 22nd in the world in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings 2014/2015, and number one in Asia in the QS University Rankings Asia 2014. As for FoS’ departments, the department of Pharmacy ranks 12th worldwide, Statistics & Operational Research is seventh, and Mathematics, 13th.

“One of the core strengths of the Faculty is its culture of excellence,” says Prof Wee, 53. “The academic staff aims very high.” He also points out that FoS and NUS have grown in tandem since the early 2000s. “NUS was on the upswing, and structures were put in place, so we saw a rise in rankings across the university and also in the Faculty.” One such structure was the handing over of

administrative duties to professional staff.

“The Vice-Deans and Deans used to do a lot of the non-academic work,” he explains.

“Hence when the Office of Administration took over human resource, finance, corporate communications, we didn’t have to neglect our academic work.”

Both the Provost and Prof Wee himself are fine examples of excellence: Prof Tan was recently awarded a Public Administration Medal (Gold) and Prof Wee, a Public Administration Medal (Silver) at the National Day Awards in August 2014.

GAMECHANGER

Prof Shen Zuowei

Professor Leo Tan Wee Hin (Science ’74) has a long string of awards to his name, including the President’s Award for the Environment in 2012 for his work as Chairman of NParks, and the Ord Nationale du Merite in 2002 from the President of France for his contributions in enhancing cooperation between Singapore and France in the field of Science.

But when asked which of his many awards he values the most, the 69 year-old replies that it is the Faculty of Science Distinguished Science Alumni award. Prof Tan is indeed something of a ‘superman’ not just in the Science fraternity but in the realm of public service, being the recipient of a Public Service Medal and a Public Service Star. A leading figure in environmental progress in Singapore, he worked to get Labrador Park gazetted as a Nature Reserve, promoted and conserved the intertidal shores of Pulau Semakau, and is credited with Gardens By The Bay. Prof Tan is a product of FoS who has gone on to impact society in myriad ways, and he contributes to the University by nurturing more scientists like himself. One example is Professor Peter Ng, the Head of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History

“I AM INTERESTED IN DEVELOPING MATHEMATICAL THEORIES AND NUMERICAL METHODS TO SOLVE REAL-LIFE PROBLEMS.” PROF SHEN ZUOWEI

Museum, with whom he worked for nearly a decade to make the museum happen (see Once Upon A Memory, pg 22).

In 1974, Prof Tan was the first student in FoS to obtain his PhD in Zoology (Marine Biology) – something many tried to dissuade him from doing. “I was offered a place in Canada – I wanted to do tropical marine biology,” he says.

“The Science Faculty was not in a position to offer a PhD. It didn’t have a reputation, although it was a very good undergrad university.”

Despite peers telling him he would be ridiculed, Prof Leo insisted on remaining in FoS, working with a supervisor from the Fisheries Department “We didn’t have the OCT–DEC 2014

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them. Today, it’s called “coral relocation” and his efforts are a precursor to the Underwater World and the SEA Aquarium in Resorts World.

In 1982, Prof Tan left NUS to head the Science Centre which was then regarded as “the dumping ground for people who couldn’t do research,” he recalls. “My training in Science had taught me resilience, which is doing much with little.

Don’t reject something because it seems ugly. I was being given an opportunity.” He gave the job four years – it turned into 10. By the time he left, the museum had seen a million visitors and had become part of the International Council of Museums.

Of the lessons he learned at the Science Centre, he treasures two: humility (“you may be the boss but they know the work”) and budgeting (“I learned to raise money; I learned the art of begging

“THE CHALLENGE FOR THE NEXT 15 YEARS FOR FoS IS: CAN WE CONTINUE TO DRAW THE BETTER BRAINS INTO SCIENCE? IT IS VITAL TO ATTRACT PEOPLE WITH THE RIGHT ATTITUDE AND ABILITY; WE NEED THINKERS AND DOERS.” PROF LEO TAN WEE HIN (SCIENCE ’74)

Prof Leo Tan

and my powers of persuasion grew.”) Looking back , he says with a smile :“I had the best 10 years. Now the Prime Minister calls the Science Centre ‘the jewel’.

The Science Centre gave me a gem wrapped up in a brown envelope: it was not to be scoffed at.”

While he was heading the Science Centre, his beef was with teachers who brought their students there, and then proceeded to the café to relax.

“My friend was at the Institute of Education and I used to tell him, it’s the most terrible thing to have your job, it’s a curse.”

Then Prof Tan was asked to join National Institute of Education (NIE) in 1991. “I was an armchair critic of teachers. Now, I would be in the thick of it. I would know what the real problem was, and I’d have myself to blame if things didn’t change.” He spent 18 years in NIE as Director, teaching teachers and transforming the teaching profession, before retiring from public service in 2008.

That was when he was invited to return to FoS where he works “half-time” now as Director (Special Projects). He admits that one of the conditions for his return was to revive the Raffles Museum, which he used to visit as a student, awed by the suspended skeleton of the whale that was its pièce de résistance.

As a lecturer, Prof Tan says that his greatest accomplishments were not academic. “My students don’t remember me for what I taught them. I treat them as if they are already scientists. I see the future they have, not what they are not today.” Prof Ng is a fruit of this, having met Prof Tan when he was just a junior college student requesting to read a thesis from FoS, and who showed up in Prof Tan’s class four years later.

Today, he says, they are “coconspirators” who have made the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum happen.

THE FUTURE STARTS NOW

Prof Leo Tan says it is time for the next generation of scientists to rise up and run the show.

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PHOTO OF JANE LIM-WEE: WILSON PANG

international standing then, so that is one of the chief progresses in the last 85 years,” he says. Today, FoS boasts 1,300 local and foreign graduate students.

Prof Tan’s initial ambition was to become a sea farmer. “I lived on a kelong for three years, studying the ecology of mussels. The day after I packed the setup and left, the kelong fell into the sea!” he recounts, adding many other such structures suffered the same fate.

“The Economic Development Board gave me a grant to start a business, but I couldn’t get a loan from a bank when they heard how risky it was.”

The sea bed in Singapore waters is too unstable to sustain farming, so he became an academic. While doing his PhD, Prof Tan worked with his supervisor, who was an advisor to the Sentosa Development Council, to create a coral aquarium – transplanting coral from around Raffles Lighthouse to try to grow

PHOTO OF PROF LEO TAN: AIK CHEN

LIFELONG LESSONS “The challenge for the next 15 years for FoS is: can we continue to draw the better brains into Science? Or will they think it’s not as highly-paid as Law or Business? It is vital to attract people with the right attitude and ability; we need thinkers and doers.”

Prof Tan is a big proponent of multidisciplinary study – he designed the undergraduate programme with Professor Paulin Straughan from FASS for the Bachelor of Environment Studies.

“Scientists cannot work in silos,” he says, adding that the strength in generalist programmes like Science and the Arts, is that broad base it builds in the student.

Pride in one’s Faculty is what will drive FoS into a lasting legacy.

“You must be proud of the Faculty you came from. Harvard started 400 years ago: its grads were proud to be from Harvard, and they came back and gave willingly to it. Alumni must be nurtured long before they graduate – I treated my students as alumni from the day they joined the university.”

The Provost, Prof Tan Eng Chye, echoes this. As FoS draws towards its 100th year, his wish is that “it will have vibrant community, staff, students and alumni and other stakeholders who are proud to be part it of.”

Mr Lam is a good example of such a stakeholder. The Distinguished Science Alumnus (2014) and Outstanding Science Alumnus (2005) co-chaired the committee to raise funds for the Lucy and Alfred Wan Pharmacy Fund and made the founding donation to the Pharmacy Bursary Fund. “I’ve been a guest lecturer and then an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Department of Pharmacy for more than 10 years. I make it a point to put aside some time to teach and mentor the young. I’ve always believed in being helpful without expecting anything in return,” he says.

“It is an honour to give back in my small way to FoS, which has given me a well-rounded education, nurtured my sense of curiosity and spirit of enterprise, and shaped my principles and values in life.”

SCIENCE IN BUSINESS MS JANE LIM-WEE

(SCIENCE ’72) CO-OWNER, WEE HOE CHENG CHEMICALS PTE LTD When Ms Lim-Wee had to take over her family’s business, she relied on her training as a chemist to give it a new lease of life.

Ms Jane Lim-Wee (Science ’72) wanted to pursue Medicine but her father convinced her to read Science because it was three years for Science versus seven years in Medicine. “He didn’t need a doctor in the family; he needed me to continue the family business,” she says.

She took up Zoology and Chemistry, an odd mix of subjects by her own admission but her favourite two. Given her hectic 37-hour schedule every week, these classes clashed often: “In Year Two, I did Biochemistry at SGH with the Medical students, and would then hitch a ride back to the Bukit Timah campus for other classes. I was always leaving early on one side and late on another. Sometimes it seemed so futile.”

But the training she received has served her in some ways she could not have imagined. “It made me think and write precisely. I am trained to tabulate facts and points. Consciously or subconsciously, I approach my situation with the same method of analysis, problem-solving or decision making that I used for my experiments in school: Define objective; experiment or method; observation; conclusion.

“I also remember doing Qualitative Analysis where a chemical reaction may be an extended process in which we could end up with 20 or more powder and liquid filtrates. I learnt patience and the importance of clear labelling and concentration, which help me filter facts from meetings with people. This happens daily, when I was a salesperson and now when I conduct business,” she says.

Most significantly, her training kicked in when her father died suddenly in 1981.

“We had just started a contract with HDB to do earthworks at Bukit Batok. So my

husband Hock Boon and I had to continue the project.” After five years, Ms Lim-Wee and her husband, a mechanical engineer, refocussed the business to “better utilise our knowledge and skill sets”.

Today, Wee Hoe Cheng Pte Ltd is a wholesaler, importer, manufacturer and regional stockist of specialty food and chemical ingredients. The early days of changing the business focus were difficult.

“It almost bankrupted us as two of our suppliers sued us for immediate cash payment,” says Ms Lim-Wee, 65. But things turned positive that same year when the company landed a contract in Hong Kong as the regional agency for polyurethane binders for use in magnetic tapes. Her background in Chemistry proved useful in this respect.

“It gave customers the confidence to try our products which required new formulation and methodology, but could achieve savings and improve end-product performance with reduced powder shed.”

Her other major, Zoology, came in useful too, 10 years ago, when there was a major claim against the company due to weevil infestation of a grain product. “I had the idea to send live insect samples to [now Emeritus] Professor Lam Toong Jing, who was my lecturer, to check if they were a tropical species. I even reminded my staff to bring a plastic container with holes and ensure that the insects were live and whole, as their appendages were useful in determination of the species.

“Everything we learn and understand well stays in our head and surfaces when the need arises!” (The claim was later dropped).

Two of her four children — one of whom is an NUS Chemistry Honours graduate who looks after the Indonesian business — have joined the business.

Ms Lim-Wee gives back to her alma mater by “shortlisting 10 percent of FoS admissions by interviews”. An Outstanding Science Alumnus (2005), she says, “We enter FoS to equip ourselves with useful knowledge and training of the mind, and we are open to any and all fields of endeavour thereafter.”

OCT–DEC 2014

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MY WORD

A MUSICAL JOURNEY

and desperate, or lack performance opportunities, or because they do not know the value of their own work.

How does this bode for the future?

Things are slowly changing. I feel it each time I return to Singapore.

The youth are more enthusiastic and better-exposed now, and fringe concert programmes are much more challenging. I’ve a good feeling that the scene will be very different in a couple of years!

What has been a major career highlight?

It is hard to pick just one project.

However, it was a highlight to work with a motion-gesture team from IRCAM (L’ Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique, a leading institute of scientific and musical research in Paris) in 2013. We used motion-capture devices to control electronics in a live performance. It was an ambitious project as I had to do all the programming and composing.

But I love a challenge!

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE A CAREER IN THE ARTS AND ALSO LEAD A CREATIVELY FULFILLING LIFE? 30 YEAR-OLD DIANA SOH, A PARIS-BASED SINGAPOREAN COMPOSER AND GRADUATE OF THE NUS YONG SIEW TOH CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC, SHARES HER EXPERIENCES. BY NIRMALA SIVANATHAN

Tell us about the music you write now.

It can be classified as either contemporary classical or experimental. I am interested in the physicality of sound and the correlation between the visual and sonic realms. I like to use sounds and noises not usually found in commercial music, and explore new ways of using traditional western instruments.

Was the decision to pursue a career in the arts a difficult one to make?

It was never a ‘dream’ for me – all I wanted to do was keep on making music! And eventually, I started getting paid for doing something I love and it became viable for me to live off it. But yes, it was a difficult decision because my parents were initially against the idea. They knew that pursuing a music career meant that I’d have to move overseas eventually. So when my 20

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dad read that NUS was starting a music programme in the early 2000s, he encouraged me to apply. I suspect it was his way of having me close by for a little while longer.

What was your time in the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (YSTCM) like?

I was in the pioneer batch. Things were only starting to take shape so we had to be flexible and inventive.

It is important to know that having a career in the arts and having an artistically-fulfilling life are two different things. Either way, the traits inculcated in me during my time at NUS – such as flexibility, resilience and drive – are important ones.

When did you leave Singapore and why?

I left in 2007 to pursue my PhD in Music Composition and Theory at the University at Buffalo in the United States. It offered me a straight PhD. This allowed me to be on a fellowship as well as a scholarship, so I could focus all of my energy on compositional studies.

What does Singapore lack for aspiring professional composers?

There are no perfect situations in any country! Some countries just have a

longer history and have worked out how to better support their composers.

That being said, Singapore does not have the cultural infrastructure to support local composers yet. To put it bluntly, there is no market for art music.

How does being based in Europe help your career?

Europe remains the centre for contemporary music creation.

There is enough money and cultural infrastructure here, and the audiences are very informed and appreciative of new concert experiences. Composers can also live off their craft here, and I am really blessed to be able to do so.

Is there something missing in terms of quality?

Local music is not exciting enough.

Most local composers want to play it safe because they are afraid of losing their audiences or making mistakes.

They then write what I call ‘middle ground’ music… [To me] It is music without integrity. Also, the standard of work in Singapore is not as high, mainly because of a lack of exposure to a wider musical palette.

Could this be due to financial considerations?

There is also very little financial support for art music, admittedly. If there is financial support, it usually comes with the price: “Please write me something Asian or with a Singaporean identity.” Many groups in Singapore also still ask or expect composers to compose for free or for little. And many composers do it too – either because they are young

What do you think can or should be done to raise the standard locally?

A lot has changed since I was a student.

Now I see many visiting composers with great careers guest lecturing at

PHOTO COURTESY OF DIANA SOH

What is your background in music? And when did you write your first piece?

I started piano lessons when I was four and began singing in a choir at 13. Later in my teens, I began individual vocal training. I was always improvising and making up melodies but I remember forgetting to get a birthday present for my mum when I was 14. So I wrote her a song.

I suppose you could count that as the first piece I ever composed!

Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Music and other institutions. There is the School of the Arts, Singapore which has a great programme. There are also Music Elective Programmes being offered at many secondary schools. However, most music educators in Singapore stop at early 20th century music because they themselves do not know the 21st century canon any better. That needs to change because we are leaving out a hundred years of recent history where the most varied styles, techniques and ideas have come about. This limits the students’ imagination and skill sets, and is a problem that can be traced to the teachers. So, I would say that some teachers in Singapore need to be (re) educated. Also concert programming needs to be more exciting. The youth should be exposed to quality contemporary music at all levels of their education.

the French film director Bertrand Bonello. The film [is slated to] be screened at cinemas as well as at the George Centre Pompidou Museum in Paris during September and October.

I am also currently working on a piece for a Belgian/Italian duo, a quartet for a Swiss group, and an orchestral piece for the Orchestre de Bretagne. In the next three to five years, I see myself still composing away. However, my husband and I are expecting our first child in January 2015, so that will totally change the ball game!

What would you say to others who are considering a classical music career?

Do it only if you cannot live without your art.

And your plans for 2014 and beyond?

I have just completed a project with

THE TRAITS INCULCATED IN ME DURING MY TIME AT NUS – SUCH AS FLEXIBILITY, RESILIENCE AND DRIVE – ARE IMPORTANT ONES. OCT–DEC 2014

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ONCE UPON A MEMORY

ONCE UPON A CRAB...

HEAD OF THE UPCOMING LEE KONG CHIAN NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, PROFESSOR PETER NG (SCIENCE ‘83) ALMOST NEVER BECAME AN ACADEMIC.

P

BY THERESA TAN

ROFESSOR PETER NG, 55, is the man who will head the highlyanticipated Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, which is slated to open in 2015 at NUS University Town.

The idea of a Southeast Asian natural museum was birthed in 2005

by Professor Tommy Koh, then the Chairman of the National Heritage Board. He approached Professor Leo Tan, now the Director for Special Projects for NUS, and Prof Ng, but resources – an estimated S$35m to build a museum – were lacking. But as the environmental sentiments on the ground were growing in the 2000s, says Prof Ng, the idea gained traction.

It also gained a S$10m gift from an anonymous donor in 2008.

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“It was the poisoned chalice,” says Prof Ng, then Director of the Natural History Museum’s predecessor, the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research. “S$10m is not enough to build a museum, but S$10m is not peanuts. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back.” Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, the University’s President, gave Prof Tan and Prof Ng an incentive: they would have a piece of land for the museum if they could raise S$25m in six months.

“Leo is an optimist,” says Prof Ng. “He said, ‘We will try.’ The rest? We even got money for the [skeletons of the] three dinosaurs [Apollonia and Twinky, a mother and child pair, and Prince, from Utah].”

“All donations come with a matching grant, and Prof Tan Chorh Chuan, who is a man with great foresight, let us keep those endowments to ensure we have financial autonomy.”

But Prof Ng is quick to emphasise that he does not plan to head the museum for long. His plan is to stablise operations in a year or two, and return to his first love: the study of crabs.

As a first year student at NUS Science faculty, he wanted to rear lobster babies "just for the fun of it,” he says. His professors – Head of Biology Professor Dennis “Paddy” Murphy and Prof Leo Tan – humoured him.

IT’S ALWAYS GREAT FUN TO SEE THINGS THAT BLOW YOUR MIND.

ALMOST NEVER MADE IT

Prof Ng is known worldwide as the “most prolific Decapod Taxonomist”, but the irony is, he was not meant to pursue his PhD at all. He was on a Public Service Commission scholarship and, upon graduation with a Science degree in 1983, was headed for a career as a schoolteacher.

“I was bonded to the Teaching Service, and I asked if I could do a PhD, and the answer was no!” he recalls. But the self-proclaimed “troublemaker” experienced a serendipitous turn of events when he entered teaching.

A Raffles Institution alumnus, he was posted to River Valley High School for six years. The principal then, Mrs Leong Fun Chin, wanted him to strengthen the school’s Science performance and "allowed me to turn things upside down,” he said.

He was the first teacher to take a secondary school class to the rainforest in Malaysia.

When he asked Mrs Leong for permission to pursue his PhD while teaching, she gave him the green light. Prof Ng obtained his PhD in the biology of crabs in 1989, and entered an academic career at the University, researching crabs.

His pursuit of crabs began accidentally. Set on lobster study, Prof Ng had written to a world expert on lobsters, Professor Lipke Holthuis from the world-famous Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie in Leiden, Holland.

The Dutch academic sent him a big envelope containing his studies, but wrote a “very encouraging note” to suggest that the younger man study crabs instead, since lobsters had been well-studied but not crabs, and the two species are similar. “So I started playing with crabs. And he was right, they were more fun; there were more kinds of them.”

Prof Ng was interested in rearing them to study their behaviour and structure. The Dutch professor agreed to help him, as locally, nobody had done research into crabs.

The first species of crab Prof Ng discovered was from Pulau Tioman in 1984. After studying it for a few months, he shared his findings with the Dutch professor, who affirmed it was indeed a new species. The first animal one finds and records is special, Prof Ng admits, adding that now as he looks back on that paper on the Johora Tiomanensis, he laughs at its simplicity, calling it a “boring name”.

In the last few years, Prof Ng has, with his teams and students, discovered “several hundred” species of crabs. “It’s always great fun to see things that blow your mind, which tells you that our planet is horribly, poorly explored.

“Regularly, you see some really cool critters; nature always surprises you. It’s the surprise that’s fun,” he says.

DISCOVERED!

PLEISTICANTHOIDES CAMERONI “A deep sea crab from over 600m deep collected off Vanuatu.

My friend Bertrand Richer de Forges and I named it as it was shortly after we read about his descent to the deepest bowels of the ocean and we wanted to honour him for the feat.”

PTEROMAJA MAKLAYI “Named it from Papua New Guinea – a strange crab from its frontal view. It was a new genus and new species outright, and one of the weirdest crabs I have found. Named it with my research fellow from TMSI, Arthur Anker.”

CHIROMANTES GARFUNKEL “Worked on this with my old friend Peter Davie (Australia) – a new species from Christmas Island. We wanted to highlight its wonderful bright yellow eyes … then the song ‘Bright Eyes’ came to our minds at the same time – the theme song from the movie Watership Down, sung by Art Garfunkel. And voila! – we had the species, named.”

OCT–DEC 2014

23

CHANGEMAKER

MAGIC IS HIS REALITY J C SUM (ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ’00) HAS CHANGED THE FACE OF MAGIC IN SINGAPORE AND ASIA. BY WANDA TAN

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year at Victoria Junior College. By the time Mr Sum enrolled in the National University of Singapore (NUS), he was working as much as he was studying. “Actually it was the show bookings I was getting that forced me to have very good time management and discipline, so that I could finish my assignments and tutorial preps [and also] practise and perform my shows,” he says.

In 1998, while at NUS, Mr Sum set up his magic production company Concept:Magic. He graduated in 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, with a double major in English Language and Sociology and a minor in Philosophy. He could have pursued a fourth Honours year, but turned it down to focus on his burgeoning career. “Financially it

made sense for me to continue with my business upon completing my third year, so going full-time was a natural progression as opposed to a giant leap of faith.”

Clearly, his entrepreneurial instincts have paid off for this highly-regarded illusionist and businessman. Through Concept:Magic, Mr Sum not only produces magic shows to be performed at corporate events, on television programmes, on board luxury cruise liners and at festivals in Singapore and abroad, he also manages a roster of artistes.

Chief among them is Singapore’s ‘Magic Babe’ Ning, a former protégéturned-regular stage partner and now an acclaimed magician in her own right.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JC SUM

I

T’S NO ILLUSION THAT Mr J C Sum – born Sum Jan-Chung – has made waves in the world of magic.

So far, the illusionist has staged more than 3,500 shows in over 30 countries. He performs 80 to 100 shows a year worldwide and also creates his own illusions. Who can forget his 2007 live mega-stunt when, in front of more than 9,000 people, he teleported himself from the ground to the rooftop of a 50storey skyscraper at Raffles Place in just five seconds?

Mr Sum, 37, has been fascinated with magic ever since he was a child, and cites illusionists David Copperfield and Franz Harary as major influences.

His appetite for the art was whetted after he received a magic set for his 12th birthday and bought himself a magic book around the same time. The more the young J C learned about the secrets and tricks behind seemingly-simple illusions, the more in awe he grew of the ingenuity and inventiveness required. What began as a hobby soon turned into a lifelong passion.

Before he was even 17, he scored his first professional gig – earning S$80 at a children’s party – while in his first

When asked to name a particularly memorable show, Mr Sum singles out his 2011 and 2012 appearances with Ning on the French television series Le Plus Grand Cabaret du Monde, one of the most prestigious variety shows in the world. “Ning and I are proud to be the first and only Singapore artistes to perform on the show – twice,” he says.

Not content with inventing and performing his own illusions, Mr Sum has also developed secondary streams of revenue to supplement his performance earnings. He has written 10 books and produced several DVDs on illusion design.

He has also established an online presence by launching IllusionBooks.com, a one-stop resource site for illusionists, and BackstageBusiness. wordpress.com, a blog in which he gives insights to performing artistes on how to be commercially successful.

The various platforms also allow Mr Sum to give back to the arts community. He says, “I have consistently pushed to make the performance of illusions more modern. I have advocated that illusionists stop using dated choreography and presentations through my books, websites and performances.”

Indeed, his original, cutting-edge illusions have been featured by professional magicians in countries that include the United States and Japan.

In 2009, Mr Sum made history when he became the first Singaporean to win a Merlin Award – the socalled ‘Oscars of magic’ – for ‘Most Original Illusionist’ from the International Magicians Society. More recently, he and Ning both received the ‘Patrons of Magic’ and ‘Outstanding Achievement and Contribution to Magic’ awards in 2012 and 2013, respectively, from the Singapore chapter of the International

THE SHOW BOOKINGS I WAS GETTING FORCED ME TO HAVE VERY GOOD TIME MANAGEMENT AND DISCIPLINE, SO THAT I COULD FINISH MY ASSIGNMENTS AND TUTORIAL PREPS, PRACTISE AND PERFORM MY SHOWS.

Brotherhood of Magicians.

He is grateful to his parents – especially his father – for supporting him throughout his career. “My dad’s insights and advice on the business aspect of what I do, culled from his years of experience in the corporate world, have been invaluable,” he says.

Mr Sum also credits his university education for equipping him with the skills needed to become a successful magician.

“English Language is very useful for writing modules for business and electronic media, and for contextualising languages in communication.

“Sociology is the study and understanding of how and why people as a group think, react and act a certain way. This is very useful when designing performances for different international audiences.

You want to be able to anticipate and analyse why they respond and react in a certain way so you can adjust and modify your performances accordingly.

“Lastly, Philosophy is about critical and lateral thinking, logic, problem-solving and putting forth arguments. These cognitive skills help push the envelope for one’s creativity, especially in an esoteric field like magic.”

And thanks to Mr Sum, Singapore’s magic scene has come a long way over the last few decades.

“When I first started [performing commercially], there were only three professional magicians in Singapore, all of whom performed only at shows for children.

“I was the first local magician to perform exclusively for adults and tried to bring a more sophisticated edge to magic in Singapore. Today, [there are] almost three dozen performing magicians in Singapore, with almost half that number making a full-time income from magic. While most still perform for general audiences, such as kids’ and family shows, dinner-and-dance events, etc., the standard is much higher than before.

“I like to think that I helped raise the mainstream perception of local magic and raised the standard of magic from what it was before.”

OCT–DEC 2014

25

PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE

S

IXTEEN YEARS AGO, the first

Awfully Chocolate store opened along a little alley in Katong. Customers did not have a choice – the counter store only offered one kind of chocolate cake. And no, you could not buy a slice or two. It had to be the whole cake or nothing.

Audacious? Perhaps. But the strategy paid off for its four founders, one of which is NUS alumnus Lyn Lee. Today, Awfully Chocolate has 10 outlets across Singapore and is also in eight cities in the region including Hong Kong and Shanghai. These offer an extensive list of chocolate desserts – tarts, ice-cream, crepes, truffles, and chocolate beverages.

Plus, of course the original whole chocolate cake which remains a bestseller to this day.

The cake was created after a year of weekend experimenting to get it just right for local taste buds. “A European or an American would prefer their [chocolate] cakes to be rich and rather decadent.

Here we like a light taste so we can eat it with tea or coffee – at least I do!” says Ms Lee, 41.

Awfully Chocolate’s true recipe for success could be Ms Lee just trusting her gut instinct and holding firm to what she just really wants to sell. “I have

no interest in desserts that look like grand sculptures but taste horrible, nor do I want to sell what’s considered trendy or popular. I just wanted to offer something that people would want to keep going back for,” she says.

There are more than 12 types of chocolate desserts on offer in each of her stores, but despite “a very capable baking and creative team”, no item appears on the menu before passing Ms Lee’s taste test. She knows exactly what goes into each dessert too – the names of ingredients roll easily off her tongue should curious customers want to know. “We use only one kind of chocolate, which we created ourselves, in the whole chocolate cake. But other desserts are usually made with an intricate blend of Belgium chocolate and other types of chocolate including French and Swiss,” she discloses.

Time and circumstances were on her side when the business started. “We were very lucky to have started this business in 1998 when the business environment was a lot more conducive. It has given us room to feel our way through, experiment and hone our business strategies.”

Present day challenges include high rental costs and restrictions on foreign staff.

“The current business climate can hamper dreams, especially those of bright-eyed youths, of turning ideas into something tangible. It kills the freedom to be creative and enterprising. That just doesn’t seem right,” says Ms Lee who left her job at a law firm to pursue her chocolate dream.

“The lawyer in me comes up every now and then,” she says with a chuckle. A cause she is “fighting” and will keep pursuing like a “crazy crusader” (as she deems herself to be at times), is the welfare of her staff and of others who work in malls.

“I find it absolutely ridiculous that the management of most malls do not switch on the airconditioning for just half an hour prior to opening hours [for the benefit of] tenants [and workers] preparing to get their shops, café and restaurants up and running,” she says. “It’s unkind and I will continue talking about it until something is done.” Her “battle plan” involves rounding up signatures from other tenants for a petition, and getting into repeated discussions with the mall management.

Regard for employees extends to their career growth as well.

The latter has resulted in the opening of restaurant Everything With Fries in 2009 (it now has three outlets across Singapore), as well as a vintage-themed café Sinpopo at Joo Chiat Road. Both were proposed, set up and now run by some of Ms Lee’s more entrepreneurial staff, under the guidance and

IT’S BEEN A GREAT JOURNEY AS WE CONTINUE TO LEARN AND TRY TO GROW THIS BUSINESS. I AM DEFINITELY IN MY ELEMENT.

A BASIC INGREDIENT FOR THE CONTINUED SUCCESS OF CHOCOLATE CHAIN AWFULLY CHOCOLATE IS THE UNFLAGGING PASSION OF ITS CO-FOUNDER LYN LEE (LAW ’96). BY FAIROZA MANSOR

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PHOTO BY MARK LEE

HOT FOR CHOCOLATE

sponsorship of herself and her partners.

“I encourage staff who have a business idea to propose it. Together we’ll discuss its potential and viability,” says Ms Lee. “I’m very happy and proud of how [some of them have] stepped up, made these projects their own and turned their ideas into reality.”

This constant desire to tap into a potential idea is what keeps Ms Lee, a mother of three children aged nine, 10 and 13, going. With her partners, she is looking into developing fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) under the Awfully Chocolate brand, to be sold in supermarkets or convenience stores. Market research and initial groundwork to explore the viability of this expansion involves frequent overseas trips, to Switzerland primarily, where Ms Lee is hoping to set up a factory to manufacture the new product line.

“With this FMCG, we aren’t targeting Singapore or the surrounding region, but the world’s largest chocolate consumption markets which are the United Kingdom and Europe,” she says.

“It’s been a great journey as we continue to learn and try to grow this business. The push feels natural for me especially as I’ve always loved chocolates, and everyone who knows me, knows that I’m a chocoholic. I am definitely in my element.”

OCT–DEC 2014

27

NUS ALUMNI-GREAT EASTERN LIFE BREAKFAST DIALOGUE

IF YOU TAKE A RISK THAT DOESN’T WORK OUT, ACCEPT AND LEARN FROM YOUR FAILURE AND RE-PLOT YOUR ACTION PLAN.

SIX STEPS TO GREATNESS

How young professionals can proactively manage their careers was the focus of the talk given by DBS Group head honcho Piyush Gupta.

BY WANDA TAN

BS BANK IS VERY MUCH a women’s business.

In fact, women make up about 50 to 60 percent of the overall intake in the financial services industry, although there is a massive dropout among women in their 30s [because many of them give up their jobs to become homemakers once they have children].”

This admission by Mr Piyush Gupta, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Director of DBS Group, may have come as a surprise to the 100-odd National University of Singapore (NUS) young alumni and undergraduates who were at the recent NUS Alumni Breakfast Dialogue. The event – which featured Mr Gupta as the guest speaker – was held on 29 August 2014 at The National University of Singapore Society’s Suntec City Guild House.

Although not an NUS alumnus himself, Mr Gupta, 54, has forged close ties with NUS since joining DBS in 2009. For instance, the bank makes a contribution to the University’s bursary fund for needy students each time alumni spend on their DBS NUS Alumni Credit Cards. DBS also routinely hires a large number of fresh NUS graduates, many of whom were at the dialogue session.

Under Mr Gupta’s leadership, DBS has grown from strength to strength over the last five years.

By overhauling its corporate culture from a bureaucratic, state-runtype organisation to one with an entrepreneurial bent, Mr Gupta has helped the bank achieve steady growth in revenue and market share.

In fact, DBS posted a record full-year net profit of S$3.5 billion in 2013, and is now Southeast Asia’s largest financial services group with assets “

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D

of over S$400 billion.

In a nod to Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg’s famous book Lean In, Mr Gupta’s talk was titled “‘Leaning In’ Is Not Just A Woman’s Agenda”.

As exhorted in Ms Sandberg’s book, he noted that women can and do occupy important roles at DBS. A case in point is Ms Eng-Kwok Seat Moey, Head of DBS’ Capital Markets Group.

But, Mr Gupta said, the idea of ‘leaning in’ is not gender-specific to women. Rather, everyone – male or female – should step up to the plate and take the initiative to ensure a successful career.

To help young professionals in their endeavours, Mr Gupta laid out a six-point plan of action based on his own experiences in the corporate world. “The first step involves plotting and planning,” he said. “You need to have a broad sense of what you would like to be doing in your 40s or 50s, and then work your way back from that. Let’s say you want to become the CEO of a company. Ask yourself, ‘What job should I have now to reach my objective? What job should I have next to add value to my long-term career plan?’”

After all, Mr Gupta was not made CEO of DBS out of nowhere. Prior to that, the former Indian nationalturned-Singapore citizen had spent 27 years rising through the ranks of Citibank. He began his career in 1982 as a Management Trainee at Citibank India and went on to hold more than 20 different roles in various Asian countries, culminating in his 2008 appointment as Citibank’s CEO in Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

Second, one should “network with a purpose”. Mr Gupta explained, “People generally give jobs to people they know, not because of nepotism or favouritism but because they feel more comfortable dealing with someone they already know.

It’s not about making friends, but winning respect.”

It was through networking that he landed his first of many overseas postings. Whilst serving as Chief of Staff to the Head of Citibank India in the late 1980s, Mr Gupta made a conscious effort to connect with colleagues in different countries.

This wider pool of contacts eventually led to his 1991 move

to Singapore as Chief of Staff to Citibank Asia’s Head.

Third is the idea of coat-tailing.

“Much like networking, coat-tailing tends to have negative connotations.

But I consider it similar to mentoring, provided you align yourself with a good boss,” said Mr Gupta, who had followed his boss in climbing up Citibank’s corporate ladder and now mentors potential successors at DBS. The fourth point relates to the need to have one’s ‘elevator pitch’ ready, or the ability to make a positive impact on one’s superiors within a short space of time. The key is to keep perspective and carry a ‘big picture’ conversation. “You must be able to step back and understand the big picture, as well as reflect on your role in it.”

The fifth requirement for a successful career is the ‘Triple E’ concept – experience, exposure and education. In particular, Mr Gupta touched on the valuable experience and exposure garnered throughout

his time at Citibank. “Working with different people in different countries on a variety of subject matters helped to boost my visibility among senior managers in the company.”

Lastly, one should have an appetite for risk and be willing to step out of one’s comfort zone.

Mr Gupta’s revamp of DBS’ corporate culture was a daunting undertaking, but one that has clearly paid off.

With an eye on the future, he is also spearheading a push into digital banking by launching customerfriendly technologies such as mobile applications.

Of course, not all risks are rewarded. “In 2000, I quit Citigroup to start up a dot-com company together with a media house in India. But after one year, I pulled the plug and went back to Citigroup,” he said. “If you take a risk that doesn’t work out, you need to accept and learn from your failure and replot your action plan. Sometimes this involves [temporarily] taking backward steps.”

PUTTING WORDS INTO PRACTICE Here’s what some participants had to say about the Breakfast Dialogue: “Listening to Mr Gupta made me realise that it’s up to me to shape my own career. After all, nobody cares about my career more than I do!”

Ms Roseline Li, a Master of Computing student.

“I will use Mr Gupta’s six points to help me progress in my career from now on. I wish I’d known about them earlier!”

Mr Kelvin Han, a Master of Technology in Knowledge Engineering graduate who now works in risk management.

Let's

showing

Admission is FREE Venue: Shaw Foundation Alumni House Time: 7.30pm Register at: www.nus.edu.sg/alumnet

For enquiries, please contact Mr Kyaw Win Shwe at kyawwinshwe@nus.edu.sg or 6516 5769.

27 November 2014

(PG-13)

Chill Out!

U@LIVE

ONE SPEAKER. 10 MINUTES. BOUNDLESS INSPIRATION. U@live is our monthly guest speaker series that showcase NUS alumni who have a passion for making a difference. Hosted by Alumni Advisory Board member and veteran TV presenter Mr Viswa Sadasivan (Arts and Social Sciences ‘83) at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House, the one-hour session is also streamed live on the U@live website. To register for future U@live events, visit www.nus.edu.sg/ualive.

MY IMPAIRMENT, LIKE IT OR NOT, IS A PART OF ME SO I HAVE TO ACCEPT IT.

DR YEO SZE LING (SCIENCE ’01)

NO STOPPING HER

Seeing may be believing but not being able to see has not stopped A*STAR research scientist Dr Yeo Sze Ling from believing in herself.

@live moderator Mr Viswa Sadasivan, who has been hosting the programme since 2011, was moved to call the session with Dr Yeo Sze Ling “the most inspirational one” ever. The night’s speaker however looked slightly abashed and even jittery as she stood before the fullcapacity audience.

Definitely not the typical seasoned public speaker that U@live usually presents, the visually-impaired Dr Yeo joked that she might activate the text-tospeech feature on her laptop to do the talking, should the butterflies in her stomach get the better of her.

But Dr Yeo need not have worried. She had everyone’s full

U

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attention. And all she did was relate her life story thus far. The soft-spoken 36 year-old took her audience back to when at four, her parents were told that she had glaucoma, a condition that causes damage to the eye’s optic nerve. The diagnosis, she said, seemed at that time harder for her parents to accept than it was for the young girl.

But growing up, the young Dr Yeo felt self-conscious when with the help of a cane, she navigated her way around, especially to school and back home. “I’d always imagine people staring at me,” she said, clearly disconcerted by the memory.

“So everyone, please use your vision wisely; don’t just stare at people who are different from you.” Her latter

sentence had the audience erupting with laughter.

The education Dr Yeo received was from both special needs and mainstream schools. She attended the School for the Visually Handicapped (now known as Lighthouse School) where she took her PSLE, then Bedok South Secondary School and Serangoon Junior College before enrolling in the National University of Singapore (NUS).

In 2001, Dr Yeo, a middle child with an older brother and a younger sister, graduated with first class honours in Mathematics. She received her PhD in Mathematics in 2006 on an A*STAR scholarship.

Currently an adjunct assistant professor at Nanyang Technological University, Dr Yeo’s decision to go on to university was not an easy one to make. “I was led to believe – from society and even television shows – that being visually impaired meant I was destined for jobs [such as being] a masseuse or a telephone operator, so there was no need to get a degree,” she said. “I asked myself what [going to university would] lead to, and if I [wanted] to go through all the trouble?” Eventually, Dr Yeo opted for a tertiary education, but not without doubt and apprehension.

“I was warned that in university, the students would be self-centred.

[They] would hog library resources, [that] no one would help me. But thankfully, they were not like that at all. I was so blessed,” she said.

For every module of her studies, there was always someone to help her along, especially to read notes or textbook excerpts aloud. Dr Yeo would also record lecture sessions, which she would then transcribe into Braille.

That was how she got through eight years of university life and three thesis submissions – a feat she considers to be a miracle. But for all Dr Yeo’s achievements and accolades – which include the Singapore Youth Award 2012,

and a mention in Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s National Day Rally 2013 speech – she maintains that she is far from exceptional. She attributes her accomplishments to friends, family members and volunteers. And although there have been instances which have left an indelible impression, an anecdote that has stuck out the most for Dr Yeo was when a tutor in the junior college she attended learnt Braille so that he could draw up the Statistical Tables (a chart of Mathematical formulas) and teach those to her.

But there have been nay-sayers too. “I think it’s normal for people to say that the road is going to be difficult for someone like me, but I feel that I don’t need to be reminded of the things I cannot do,” she told her audience. A self-professed introvert, she prefers finding ways to circumvent or manage challenges that arise. “But I also realise that people are not being discouraging out of ill-intention, they just cannot imagine being without sight. For a visually-impaired person

to support herself is [a] bonus, not what’s expected; that’s the general perception of the society at-large.”

When a member of the audience asked if society in Singapore and the Government should do more for people with disabilities, Dr Yeo’s reply was that society is still maturing, and there is still room for improvement. The lack of government policy specially formulated for the visually-impaired has interestingly enough, worked well for her, Dr Yeo said. She cited China and Taiwan, which she has visited, as countries with such policies in place to help the blind to be “experts” in the massage and music industry.

“So although there might not be a policy to help me, I’m thankful also that there’s no policy to stop me from doing what I enjoy, and so I could pursue Maths.”

But the mindset that had to change was ultimately hers. “My impairment, like it or not, is a part

of me so I have to accept it. Everyone has their shortcomings, some more obvious than others. Rather than allowing the shortcoming to be a hindrance, I’ve learnt to challenge myself to overcome this obstacle and not just choose the convenient way out,” said Dr Yeo, who currently mentors five blind students at junior college and polytechnic level.

“There is a tendency to group all visually-impaired people together, as if we are all driven by the same thing. The last thing I want is for people to assume that all visuallyimpaired people are keen on and should do Maths.

“Blind or not, we all have different interest and passions,” she said. The session ended with a standing ovation, with some in the audience moved to tears.

BY FAIROZA MANSOR DR YEO SPOKE ON 28 MAY 2014.

U@LIVE MR ZULKIFLI BIN BAHARUDIN (DESIGN AND ENVIRONMENT — REAL ESTATE ‘84)

THE ‘ANTI-HERO’ HERO Mr Zulkifli Bin Baharudin, Chairman of Indo-Trans Corporation, believes that reaching out to those in need should stem from a sense of moral obligation. ormer Chairman of Mercy Relief Mr Zulkifli Bin Baharudin signalled very early into his passionate address that he had not returned to his alma mater, as the speaker of this U@live session, to be a crowd-pleaser. The audience members did not seem to mind his opinionated assertiveness – they, in fact, appeared to expect no less from Mr Zulkifli, now Chairman of Indo-Trans Corporation, a logistics and supply chain

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WHAT’S LIFE IF YOU CAN ONLY PLAN FOR SOMETHING YOU CAN ACHIEVE? HOW THEN CAN YOU TRANSFORM AS AN ORGANISATION, AND AS A NATION, IF YOU STAY WITHIN YOUR COMFORT ZONE? 32

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company. And Mr Zulkifli – who is also an Independent Director of Singapore Post Limited, Ascott Residence Trust Management Limited, and data centre company Securus – disclosed that throughout his varied career, he has never been interested in being the popular guy.

Of his days at Mercy Relief as its first chairman, when the humanitarian charity organisation was still in its infancy, Mr Zulkifli said he is certain that the four employees under his management

then were not fond of him.

It could be that he was constantly reminding them that being paid staff did not make them “heroes”.

Not one to mince his words, Mr Zulkifli proceeded to point out that as a society, we must not think we have done exceedingly well just because we do what is right and good. “That would be an impediment to greatness. We would be preventing ourselves from being exceptional and as a result, be our biggest enemy,” he said.

Harsh? Perhaps, but this stern advice comes from a personal principle that having wealth or financial stability brings responsibilities to help those in need. “We help not to feel good but because it is our duty to help,” said Mr Zulkifli, who was awarded the Public Service Medal in 2005 and Public Service Star Medal in 2011. In the context of Mercy Relief, Singapore – as a developed nation – and its people need to automatically reach out and assist its neighbours when they are in trouble such as when they are hit by natural disasters.

For any humanitarian or charity organisation to excel, it needs to move beyond bureaucracy and not be trapped by it, Mr Zulkifli said, expressing a disdain for organisational structures which place trust only in those at the top of the hierarchy. “If we don’t trust every member in the team, we can’t empower him or her – whether a leader or a volunteer – to be great, and a great organisation depends on members who want to do extraordinary things,” he said emphatically. In his opinion, Singapore needs to work towards a more trust-based structure.

Another quality trait that Mr Zulkifli strongly advocates is having the courage to take risks and not be content with navigating within set boundaries.

A self-professed risk-taker who rocks the boat sometimes when he makes a decision that unnerves his colleagues – like when he transformed Mercy Relief from a Muslim-only group to an allinclusive organisation – Mr Zulkifli said Singaporeans need to be brave to fail and to do things they have

never done before. He asked, “What’s life if you can only plan for something you can achieve? How then can you transform as an organisation and as a nation, if you stay within your comfort zone?”

The slightly sombre, pensive atmosphere in the auditorium then turned into a lively debate when moderator Mr Viswa Sadasivan challenged Mr Zulkifli with this: “You make [the concept of reaching out from a sense of duty] sound like an obligation, but shouldn’t we help our neighbours simply because it’s the right thing to do?”

While Mr Zulkifli agreed with the notion [that providing assistance to our neighbours is the right thing to do], he emphasised that Singaporeans should not adhere to what is deemed “right” out of guilt or to feel good.

“As a country we are bound by a collective moral obligation to do all we can to provide aid to our neighbours when they are in need, and so we should be driven by this obligation,” he said, asserting that

Singapore, although an island, cannot exist alone.

Currently Singapore’s NonResident Ambassador to the Republic of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, Mr Zulkifli went on to share that people he meets overseas appear to respect Singapore for what it has achieved, but do not admire it. This, to him, is a problem.

“So we do good in order to be admired?” challenged Mr Viswa.

“For projecting the right values, yes, and not just respected as the wealthy kid on the block,” was Mr Zulkifli’s response.

Responding to Mr Zulkifli’s views on the limitations of a bureaucracy and how it can cause one to underachieve, audience member and Director of the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Office of Alumni Relations, Associate Professor Victor R Savage, said he could commiserate.

Most Singaporeans have been raised based on a Confucian system

– not questioning the rules that have been set. “Even among the students, there is a culture of conformity. And I too find myself encouraging them to not simply subscribe to the standard textbook answers, but to argue those theories if they have an opposing viewpoint,” said Assoc Prof Savage, who is from the university’s Department of Geography, highlighting the unwillingness of Singaporeans to veer away from a tried and tested structure in the context of the university.

Mr Zulkifli is grateful to NUS for his education but he left with a word of advice – that no amount of education can prepare anyone for the challenges ahead if he or she is not tackling the future with fearlessness.

BY FAIROZA MANSOR MR ZULKIFLI BIN BAHARUDIN SPOKE ON 27 AUGUST 2014.

NUS Alumni-Great Eastern Life

BREAKFAST DIALOGUE Andrew Kwan Rotary ASME ‘Entrepreneur of the Year - 2004’

Serial entrepreneur and founder of Commonwealth Capital Group.

His portfolio spans Singapore’s largest Italian QSR chain ‘Pastamania®’, Helvetican themed ‘SwissBake®’ cafés, authentic American ‘NYC Bagel Factory®’ as well as food production entities ‘SwissTreats’ and ‘Zac Meats & Poultry’.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP: A VIEW FROM THE TRENCHES

The talk is a no holds barred account of the triumphs and tribulations experienced by an entrepreneur. It attempts to demystify the romance of starting one’s own business, the realities of what it takes to scale the heights of one’s aspirations and the rewards that might come along the way.

12 November 2014 (Wednesday), 7.30am Marina Mandarin Ballroom (Level 1) Students – S$10 , Alumni – S$20

is the oldest and most established life insurance group in

Singapore and Malaysia, with operations also in Indonesia, Vietnam and Brunei, as well as a joint-venture in China and a representative office in Myanmar.

Named Life Insurance Company of the Year by Asia Insurance Review in 2011 and 2013, it has been rated “AA-” by Standard and Poor’s since 2010, one of the highest among Asian life insurance companies.

Register at: alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/BDnov14

PROGRAMME 7.30am Breakfast & Networking 8.30am Sharing by Mr Andrew Kwan Q&A Session (Moderated by Assoc Prof Tan Tin Wee) 9.45am End Organised by:

This session will be moderated by: Associate Professor Tan Tin Wee, Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS For enquiries, please contact Ms Lin Shushan at 65166428 or email her at shushan@nus.edu.sg

Sponsored by:

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS GIVING

GETTING LESSONS FROM THE WORLD’S BEST CLASSROOM

A GIFT TO REMEMBER

Mr Benny Lee (Business ’76) hopes to give NUS students a headstart on expanding their horizons in a globalised world.

Happy times at NUS inspired Mr Foo Check Woei (Business ’90) and Ms Theresa Tan (Business ’90) to pay it forward.

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ALUMNUS

a gift to bursaries in support of financially-disadvantaged students.

Alumni such as Mr Foo and Ms Tan find this initiative interesting and refreshing and have been spreading the word to their friends to generate more awareness for the Fund. To them, it is also a more direct way of giving back “as we know specifically how the money

Are you a campus couple?

Would you like to support the NUS Campus Couples Bursary Fund? For more information about the NUS Campus Couples Bursary Fund, or to make a gift, please contact kjyeo@alumni.nus.edu.sg

“WE HOPE OUR BURSARY WILL HELP A STUDENT WITH FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES TO ACHIEVE HIS OR HER GOALS AND BE ABLE TO HAVE A FULFILLING UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE.” MR FOO CHECK WOEI

will be used to help the next generation”.

In addition to celebrating a successful marriage as a campus couple, the gift is also dedicated to their two sons. “The boys are the best gifts to us and like all parents, we are very thankful for the joys they bring to our lives.”

The couple also wanted to instill an important value in their children. “We feel that the gift is a good ‘pay it forward’ message to pass along to our two boys. It will remind them to never forget the breaks we have been given in our youth and we should give back by creating opportunities for generations to come,” says Mr Foo. “Though our Bursary is small by today’s standards, we hope that it will make a difference to a student with financial difficulties to achieve his or her educational goals and be able to have a fulfilling university experience.”

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ILLUSTRATION: GETTY IMAGES

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For their special 20th wedding anniversary celebrations, Mr Foo Check Woei (Business ’90) and Ms Theresa Tan (Business ’90) went on a romantic trip to Spain. But a trip down memory lane was far more significant, when they made a gift to the National University of Singapore Campus Couple Bursary Fund. Giving back as a Campus Couple took them back to the time they lovingly shared while studying at the NUS Business School.

“We knew each other from our BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration) days since the first year but only became a couple in our third year when we both stayed at Temasek Hall,” reminisces Mr Foo. He remembers fondly the friendships and bonds forged during those years. “Among the guys, we called ourselves the ‘Oysters’ group. My wife became buddies with the other ‘Oysters’, and through all the fun times we had hanging out together, we eventually fell for each other. We, the ‘Oysters’ and our wives ‘Oysterettes’ remain extremely close friends to this day,” he shares.

The NUS Campus Couple Bursary Fund is part of an alumniled NUS Alumni Bursary Fund Campaign which encourages couples who met on campus to make

The NUSBSAA Student ccording to Experience Fund was set up in 2011 Mr Benny Lee to allow undergraduate students (Business ’76), facing financial difficulty to go a National on exchange programmes with University prestigious partner universities and of Singapore help them defray overseas expenses Business School such as costs of accommodation (NUSBS) alumnus, travelling at and daily necessities. the age of 20 is a totally different Having gone on two internaexperience from travelling at 40. tional programmes during his More importantly, travelling as a undergraduate days at the NUS university student on an exchange Business School, Mr Lee is programme makes an invaluable difference to one’s education.

“GETTING THAT PRECIOUS And because he CHANCE TO SEE THE WORLD believes so deeply in the value of a cross-cul- WHEN STUDYING AT THE tural experience, the former President of the UNIVERSITY CAN OPEN EYES THAT NO TRADITIONAL NUS Business School Alumni Association CLASSROOM TEACHING CAN.” (NUSBSAA) not only MR BENNY LEE started the NUSBSAA convinced that time spent abroad Student Experience Fund, he also can broaden young minds. He had made a generous gift to the Fund the rare privilege to be exposed to to ensure that more students can the culture of Japan when he was expand their horizons.

“It is important for Singaporean one of two students from the NUS Business School to be awarded a students to see our little red dot in Japan Airlines Scholarship to spend the global context – being a small country with all the challenges this a semester at Sophia University in Tokyo. engenders. It is crucial for them to “We were stumped by how realise, even at a young age, how advanced Japan was at that time the world is truly our oyster with compared to Singapore. And seeing which we must do business to surhow polite and civil they were with vive! Getting that precious chance one another, whether at home or in to see the world, when studying at the subway, was also eye-opening the University, can open eyes that for many of us from Southeast no traditional classroom teaching Asia. It really made us sit up and can,” he expresses.

take notice and, of course being the good students we all were, debate on how we could change Singapore to achieve such a high level of social cohesion,” he reflects.

Doing a market research project at Caterpillar Far East in Hong Kong while on the Aiesec International programme led Mr Lee to his present career in international marketing, something he is still engaged in after 37 years.

“The two experiences made a deep impact on me and I felt that students who qualify for exchange programmes should not be deprived of doing so despite being financially-challenged,” he says.

The businessman attributes his successful career in international marketing (he has since set up his own business in advising and managing the distribution networks of major American manufacturers in the Asia Pacific region) to “the seeds of interest planted during his NUS undergraduate days” and hopes that more alumni will give back to their alma mater.

“I'm truly blessed by the opportunities I had at NUS and I hope students will treasure the For information on making a once-in-agift to NUS, please contact 1800-DEVELOP lifetime op(1800-338-3567) or email: portunities askdvo@nus.edu.sg presented If you have a story to to them,” share, please contact he adds. whatsyourstory@nus.edu.sg OCT–DEC 2014

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ALUMNI HAPPENINGS EVENTS

NUS MBA EXPLORE SINGAPORE TOUR AND NETWORKING DINNER

Jointly organised by the MBA Alumni – NUS and the Global Alumni Network Office (GANO), the annual NUS MBA Explore Singapore Tour and Networking Dinner was held on 31 July 2014.

The day began with the Explore city tour when MBA students were introduced to Singapore. This was followed by a networking dinner at the NUS Business School’s Mochtar Riady Building. It was an evening that saw an encouraging turnout of 200 students and alumni who mingled and networked through the night over dinner and drinks.

Ms Ng Pheck Choo (Business ’84), Director, NUS Business School GANO

FASS Mentorship and Family Host Programme Combined Dinner The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) held a combined annual dinner for the Mentorship and My FASS Family Host Programmes on 20 August 2014. This year, the Mentorship Programme enters its 9th cycle with A light moment, with FASS Dean Prof Brenda Yeoh (second from right), 65 alumni career interacting with alumni, staff and students. mentors guiding 97 students; the Host Programme enters its 6th cycle with 33 Hosts befriending 63 international students.

Alumnus Chanthirasekar Kalimuthu (Arts and Social Sciences ’08) finds his mentees very aspirational and wishes to “make a difference” in shaping their perceptions of the working world. For Ng Qiu Rong, a mentee, the dinner provided a “wonderful opportunity” to interact with friends from FASS and also FASS alumni. More importantly, FASS alumni mentors can share their experiences in the working world and guide mentees on what working life is all about.

For someone who has been overseas for a few summer and exchange programmes, alumnus Pam Chia (Arts and Social Sciences ’12) from the Host Programme recognises the difficulty of “[being] alone in a foreign country”, and hopes to make students feel at home.

NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, External Relations and Student Life Team 36

ALUMNUS

FASS COMMENCEMENT CELEBRATIONS 2014 With Commencement in July, departments in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) organised celebrations to mark graduating students’ achievements and welcome them into the FASS Alumni family.

Some departments held quizzes and even treated graduates to a session of poetry reading.

Graduates also took the opportunity to showcase their talents with performances and video montages. The History Department held its famous customary event – Mad Hatters! – with graduates sporting interesting hats.

Faculty members from the Geography Department mingled with happy parents and family members of graduates over canapes and drinks. Each commencing student was given a 2014 Geography class umbrella, a symbol of the Department’s sheltering presence over every alumnus.

Dean’s Office, NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Celebrating Words: A Symposium of Poetry Readings

by ELL Alumni and Friends It was a gathering of an all-star cast of Singapore poets and writers at the recent Celebrating Words: A Symposium of Poetry Readings

by English Language and Literature (ELL) alumni and friends. With guests including Emeritus Professor Edwin Thumboo and author and poet Mr Felix Cheong, the event was a celebration of ELL’s literary scene and offered proof of the vibrancy and creativity of Singapore’s literary minds.

Held on 23 August 2014 in NUS, in celebration of the 85th Anniversary of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, the event saw three panel sessions where the poets shared their experiences and answered questions from approximately 200 eager

students and members of the public.

The 14 prominent poets, all alumni and friends closely associated with the Department of ELL, were Mr Felix Cheong (Arts and Social Sciences ’90); Mr Elangovan and Dr Gwee Li Sui (Arts and Social Sciences ’95); Ms Heng Siok Tian (Arts and Social Sciences ’86); Mr Aaron Lee and Dr Lee Tzu Pheng (Arts and Social Sciences ’68); Dr Oliver Seet (Arts and Social Sciences ’60); Dr Kirpal Singh (Arts and Social Sciences ’72); Mr Paul Tan (Arts and Social Sciences ’95); Emeritus Prof Thumboo (Arts ’56); Mr Eric Valles and Dr Cyril Wong (Arts and Social Sciences ’02); Mr Wong Phui Nam (Arts and Social Sciences ’59); and

Mr Yong Shu Hoong (Computing ’90).

Summing up the event, Mr Tan said that it was very meaningful to come back to NUS and to see familiar and friendly faces.

“I hope NUS, especially ELL, will continue to engage and include the Singapore writers, many of whom trace their formative writing years to the department and who are more than willing to give back.”

Ms Sue-Ann Tan, NUS Literary Society

MEM TRIP TO KOTA KINABALU

The History Department’s Mad Hatters event.

LKYSPP SINGAPORE ALUMNI CHAPTER KICKOFF

To better appreciate nature and understand eco-tourism, MSc in Environmental Management (MEM) alumni organised a five-day trip to Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia in May 2014. Five MEM alumni and students were part of the 20 nature-loving participants for this trip.

Two months of intensive training, hiking at the Bukit Timah and the MacRitchie Reservoir trails prepared participants for the challenge. Apart from the climb, participants trailed the mangrove forests of the Kota Kinabalu Wetlands and took a cruise along the Mengkakong river estuary at sunset. They also witnessed the lifestyle and culture of the indigenous water gypsy tribes.

The trip challenged participants’ willpower and highlighted the importance of safeguarding the environment for future generations.

Ms Zhang Wen (MEM ’13) and Mr Bu Fan (MEM ’04)

More than 80 Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) alumni and students gathered at College Green on 1 August 2014 as part of the Singapore Alumni Chapter kickoff, which coincided with the School’s 10th Anniversary celebrations.

Addressing the crowd, NUS Office of Alumni Relations Director, Associate Professor Victor R Savage shared anecdotes of the rich personal relations established when he was a student at the old Bukit Timah campus and encouraged all present to take advantage of the NUS and LKY School alumni support services. The Singapore Alumni Chapter committee comprises Mr Bernard Oh (LKYSPP ’11), President; Mr Kevin Teh (LKYSPP ’10), Vice President; Ms Eti Bhasker (LKYSPP ’10), Treasurer; and Mr Jonathan Lee (LKYSPP ’10), Secretary.

Mr Bernard Oh (LKYSPP ‘11)

MEM alumni Albert Sin (MEM ’05) (left), and Bu Fan (MEM ’04) tackle Mount Kinabalu in the name of loving nature.

EUSOFF HALL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION’S AGM WITH A TWIST About 60 alumni and residents of Eusoff Hall were present at the Eusoff Hall Alumni Association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Durian Fest on 2 August 2014. They were treated to a feast of tropical fruits such as longans, mangosteens, rambutans, freshlychilled coconuts as well as Mao Shan Wang and D24 durians.

Dinner was followed by the AGM. Outgoing President Mr Vijay Liew (Arts and Social Sciences ’10) presented the introduction and reported that support was sought for the new changes to the administrative reorganisation of the Alumni Association.

Mr Guy Ming Wayne (Engineering ’10)

The event was attended by almost 200 students from schools and universities, as well as members of the public.

OCT–DEC 2014

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ALUMNI HAPPENINGS EVENTS

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS REUNIONS

Faculty of Dentistry’s 85th Anniversary Gala Dinner The 85th Anniversary celebrations of the Faculty of Dentistry culminated in a gala dinner organised by the Faculty at the Pan Pacific Hotel on 30 August 2014.

Guest-of-Honour Mr Heng Swee Keat, Minister for Education, graced the event.

Other distinguished guests included Mr Wong Ngit Liong (Engineering ’65), Chairman of the NUS Board of Trustees (BOT); Professor Tan Chorh Chuan (Medicine ’83), NUS President; and Professor John Wong (Medicine ’81), Chief Executive, National University Health System.

Apart from entertaining performances that captivated the audience, a total of 12 cakes were cut to celebrate the 5th year anniversaries of classes present.

The evening also saw Prof Tan and Minister Heng presenting medals, scholarships and Long Service awards to deserving recipients.

To commemorate the 85th Anniversary, two paintings depicting the College of Medicine building by renowned artist Mr Ong Kim Seng was put up for sale, with proceeds going to the Faculty’s Development Fund. The Class of ’85 raised a total of S$102,000 to purchase the oil painting. The water-colour painting was auctioned to the highest combined bid of S$85,000 by Mr Wong and Prof Tan. The Class of ’85, Mr Wong and Prof Tan extended their philanthropic spirit by donating the respective paintings

REUNION OF ENGLISH LITERATURE CLASS OF 2014

On 3 July 2014, NUS English Literature graduates of the Class of 2014 came together for a night of reminiscing and celebration at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House.

The event and venue were sponsored by the NUS English Language and Literature Department and the NUS Office of Alumni Relations. The atmosphere was heartfelt, with alumni wishing one another the very best for the future while feasting on delicious fare.

Mr Yip Guanhui (Arts and Social Sciences ’14)

Guest-of-Honour and distinguished guests join hands to cut the Faculty’s birthday cake.

From left to right: Prof John Wong (Medicine ’81), Chief Executive, National University Health System; Prof Tan Eng Chye (Science ’85), NUS Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost; Mr Wong Ngit Liong (Engineering ’65), Chairman, NUS Board of Trustees; Mr Heng Swee Keat, Minister for Education; Assoc Prof Grace Ong (Dentistry ’79), Dean, Faculty of Dentistry; Assoc Prof Keson Tan (Dentistry ’85); and NUS President Prof Tan Chorh Chuan (Medicine ‘83).

to the Faculty. A letter from an anonymous donor who had pledged S$250,000 to the Faculty’s Endowment Fund was read by the Dean, who conveyed the message of an alumnus appreciative of the Faculty’s contributions, towards his/her current achievement.

Mr David Lee (Arts and Social Sciences ’94)

Class of 2014 English Literature alumni enjoying their first reunion.

MEDICAL DINNER 2014

THIRSTY THURSDAYS

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS ANNOUNCEMENTS

NUS CHINESE STUDIES ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Founded in 2001, the NUS Chinese Studies Alumni Association organises and coordinates various activities with its alma mater for alumni, students and faculty.

Apart from on-campus activities with other NUS alumni groups, the Association organises off-campus activities such as monthly morning walks and the occasional overseas trip. Recent months have seen trips to Batam, Tangat and MacRitchie Reservoir.

The Association actively recruits new graduates while appealing also to long-lost alumni to get in touch with them. The Chinese Studies Alumni Association can be reached through the Chinese Studies Department link at www.fas.nus.edu.sg/chs/eng/outreach/ alumni.html.

NUS COMPUTING CELEBRATES COMPUTING THROUGH THE AGES To commemorate its 100002 (16th) anniversary, the School of Computing (SoC) invites all DCS/ DISCS/SoC alumni and friends to its Gala Dinner on 24 October 2014.

Join your SoC classmates and professors to celebrate 16 Years of Computing Power.

Reminisce the good times, rekindle friendships, network More information on the event and with your seniors in the registration can be industry and connect with found at gala2014. comp.nus.edu.sg current students!

VALENTINE’S NIGHT WITH NUS CAMPUS COUPLES ALUMNI GROUP Members of the Medical Class of 1964

Member of the Class of ’85 posing beside the oil painting with Chairman, NUS Board of Trustees, Mr Wong Ngit Leong (fifth from left) and artist Mr Ong Kim Seng (sixth from left).

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ALUMNUS

2014 Class Ambassadors had a chance to make new friends when the NUS Office of Alumni Relations (OAR) welcomed more than 100 of these soon-to-be alumni on 19 June this year at OAR’s popular Thirsty Thursdays event. Held at The Mad Poet Gastrobar, these new Class Ambassadors got to know one another better over good food and fine wine.

The first Medical Dinner was held at Marina Mandarin on 3 July 2004, a decade ago. The commemorative event is a reminder of the day Singapore’s first medical school was established as the Straits Settlement and Federated Malay States Government Medical School in 1905. It was also the start of a tradition for graduating classes to get together to celebrate their five years as students in the Medical School.

This year’s dinner not only included graduating students but members of four alumni classes as well, who came back to celebrate their milestone years with the School. The Medical Classes of ’84, ’69, ’64 and ’59 celebrated their milestone anniversaries of 30, 45, 50 and 55 years respectively, and everyone had a great time reconnecting with fellow classmates, seniors and juniors.

Dean’s Office, NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine

To celebrate Valentine’s day, The NUS Campus Couples Alumni Group invites all campus couples who have met on campus to come together to commemorate their marriage. Five couples from each Hall and Faculty RSVP to are invited to form a table campuscouples@ alumni.nus.edu.sg by of 10, and to join in this celebration to reminisce and 30 December 2014.

A VIP campus couple share their love stories on will be invited to 13 February 2015 at the NUSS grace the event as Kent Ridge Guild Hall.

Guests-of-Honour.

OCT–DEC 2014

39

Your complimentary AlumNUS Card entitles you to a host of benefits and privileges!

For AlumNUS Card application and to find out more about the latest privileges and promotions, log on to alumnet.nus.edu.sg/alumnuscard.

NUS OFFICE OF ALUMNI RELATIONS

Enjoy 15% discount off venue rates for event bookings at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House Venue booking: T 6516 7700 E sfahvenues@nus.edu.sg

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Terms and Conditions apply. The NUS Office of Alumni Relations and the AlumNUS Card merchants reserve the right to amend the terms and conditions governing the offers at anytime. All information is correct at press time.

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS OVERSEAS CHAPTERS

London Overseas Chapter Celebrates Singapore’s National Day

Alumni from the NUS London Overseas Chapter gathered at Westminster Abbey on 8 August 2014 to celebrate Singapore’s 49th year of Independence.

KUCHING OVERSEAS CHAPTER REUNION

XIAMEN OVERSEAS CHAPTER The NUS Alumni Group (AG) Network is a collective of 58 groups from faculties/schools, halls and varied interests. Each group caters to NUS alumni and aims to enrich their lives and strengthen ties among them through social and professional activities.

Alumni from the NUS Xiamen Overseas Chapter gathered at Shangri-La Hotel, Xiamen on 22 August 2014 to celebrate Singapore’s 49th birthday.

A group of NUS alumni from the NUS Kuching Overseas Chapter, along with their families, gathered at Santubong Resort Hotel on 19 July 2014 for a reunion.

It was a fruitful weekend as alumni reconnected over great food and discussed business networking plans with one another.

Mr Ambrose Tan (Arts and Social Sciences ’85), Member, NUS Kuching Overseas Chapter Committee

SHANGHAI OVERSEAS CHAPTER

NEW DELHI OVERSEAS CHAPTER REUNION The NUS New Delhi Overseas Chapter met on 26 July 2014.

The event was held at a newly-opened whisky bar called Dramz.

Alumni connected with new friends and reconnected with old contacts. Theatre group Kaivlya Plays performed a number of impromptu activities to entertain the alumni participants.

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Alumni from the NUS Shanghai Overseas Chapter gathered at the JW Marriott Hotel at Tomorrow Square in Shanghai on 8 August 2014, to celebrate Singapore’s 49th year of Independence.

IN MEMORIAM

LOOKBACK

A tribute to

A LEARNING CURVE

Mr Koe Khoon Poh ON 14 JULY 2014, the NUS alumni community learned of the passing of a friend; an inspirational and extraordinary man, Mr Koe Khoon Poh. The late Mr Koe’s work and life have helped and touched many around him, and will continue to do so even today.

Mr Koe graduated from the School of Pharmacy, University of Singapore in 1966. He founded ICM Pharma Pte Ltd and its related group of companies in 1970.

Over the subsequent four decades, Mr Koe transformed this trading enterprise into a top pharmaceutical products manufacturer in Singapore. He was awarded many prestigious awards and accolades for his outstanding contributions to society, including Entrepreneur of the Year (2008), the Singapore Prestige Brand Award (2009), and the Enterprise 50 Award (2009). In 2011, Mr Koe received the NUS Faculty of Science’s Distinguished Science Alumni Award and more recently, the Gold Medal Award from the Alumni Association

(2013) and the NUS Distinguished Alumni Service Award (2013).

Mr Koe was actively and passionately involved with the Pharmacy profession; he served as the President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore (PSS) for four terms (1979 to 1981 and 1991 to 1993) and was conferred Fellow of the PSS in 1986. He also helped shape the Pharmacy profession by serving selflessly in many pharmacy and health-related committees, and giving generously to numerous healthrelated community projects, both locally and overseas.

Despite his illustrious career, Mr Koe remained a humble man with a strong affinity for NUS and its alumni. He served tirelessly as a member of the NUS Alumni Advisory Board since 2009, and as the Chairman of the Medical Alumni Association Southern Branch for two terms in 2009/2010 and in 2011/2012.

During his term, he helped raise huge funds for numerous charities and worthy causes, notably securing S$1 million for the Chee Phui Hung Bursary Fund, which is administered by NUS for the benefit of deserving Medical, Dental and Pharmacy students. To date, this Bursary has enabled eight students to pursue their dreams and aspirations.

Mr Koe remained active and committed to alumni, even during his later years when his health started failing.

Former Head of Department for English, Mr Maurice Baker talks about his autobiography The Accidental Diplomat.

BY THERESA TAN

prevailed at the time in terms of our political thinking and strategy. As for my personal life, I felt it would be good to take a candid approach as long as it was not within the offensive boundaries of the Censorship Board and did not offend my dear wife when all was divulged!

The AlumNUS: You call yourself “The Accidental Diplomat”.

However, it appears you were more than well-equipped for your role and adjusted to it quickly and smoothly.

What do you think it was about your personality and/or the fact you were a teacher of English and later, University Professor of Literature that served you well during your diplomatic missions?

Mr Maurice Baker: The key thing that helped me was the fact that I was as a rookie diplomat, willing to listen to the advice of senior diplomats particularly in my first posting.

It did help that with some of the diplomats that I subsequently met as well as ministers in the countries like the Philippines, that we shared a common love for literature and literary works which often helped “break the ice”. I believe that this made things easier to discuss and helped me in the learning curve through the years.

“ Maurice Baker is from my generation and his autobiography reflects the life and times that I went through. ” Lee Kuan Yew

The Accidental Diplomat

HAVE A VISION, BE DIFFERENT AND GO FOR IT! WORK HARD, PERSEVERE AND BE PRAGMATIC. TREAT ALL SETBACKS AS PART OF [YOUR] LEARNING PROCESS. KOE KHOON POH 44

ALUMNUS

The Autobiography of

Maurice Baker

:RUOG 6FLHQWLÀF

The Accidental Diplomat is published by World Scientific and retails for S$28 (paperback) and S$48 (hardcover) (before GST) in select bookstores.

You are very candid in your book — about past lovers, about personal relationships between political heads. Did you selfcensor while you were writing this book? Why or why not?

There was no need to selfcensor too much other than to be “diplomatic” in putting forth some ideas that

Having been ambassador to India, Nepal, Malaysia and the Philippines — in which of these countries did you face the most difficulty, and why?

I think India, being the first posting, was the most difficult as it was the start of the learning curve of diplomacy for the newly-independent Singapore. Our foreign office was not fully conversant with diplomatic protocol and how to budget for foreign missions and cost of living etc.. One must remember that up until that time, Malaysia had done all the diplomatic representation and so it was a fresh start off the starting blocks for Singapore as well as its new ambassadors. So having to manage diplomacy, family life and cost of overseas living all at once was a great challenge for me.

You wrote in your book that “it is a great pity that in a highly competitive setting many schools have dropped literature simply because it is very difficult to score such high marks as in mathematics or scientific subjects. Literature deals with life — the joy and sorrow of love, the virtues and vices of men. But all this seems of little account in Singapore these days.” If you could, what would you do to change this?

Well, I think the obsession with scholastic achievements and grades has left the benefits of the life stories that literature has to offer well behind. There is little that one can do to change this as it is in the hands of the educators to see its benefits.

FOREIGN MUSINGS Mr Maurice Baker’s

winsome lyrical style that reflects his deep love for literature — punctuated with sharp and unapologetic witticisms — makes this volume a tremendously enjoyable read. The story begins in 1942 when his English father had gone into internment during the Japanese Occupation. The reader is taken through Mr Baker’s exciting years as a teenager — from his first sexual encounter, an experience he paints by way of a John Donne poem — to the moment he found his father at the end of the Japanese Occupation.

Among the friends of his youth was Mr Lee Kuan Yew, who would later usher Singapore into independence. Although this book largely covers Mr Baker’s diplomatic career, some of his liveliest writing happens on the pages where he talks about being a teacher. One of his first postings upon returning from the United Kingdom was to Victoria School as an English teacher.

His most famous student was Sunny Ang, who was sentenced to death in 1965 for killing his girlfriend during a dive trip for her insurance money. Mr Baker remembers him as “intelligent, above average in studies… He had an enigmatic smile.”

Mr Baker also has fond memories of NUS’ predecessor, Raffles College, where he was a student before the Occupation.

In 1955 he returned as a lecturer. He even takes on issues that still draw a certain amount of criticism today, such as the ratio of expatriate lecturers to local lecturers. He returned for six short years from 1971 to 1977 to head the Department of English as an Associate Professor.

However, as time passes, many more of the younger generation will rise to prominence without even reading or acknowledging the lessons from great writers, and as this trend continues, fewer people will see the need for the humanities and its “stories of life”. Will our current school generation remember Shakespeare in 50 years’ time?

Perhaps not in Singapore.

OCT–DEC 2014

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LANXESS SNYO Classic 2014

CULTURE

THE RIGHT NOTES Fans of classical music will have Above: Shut Up And Dance — A Dancer’s Journey

NUSS – YSTCM Music Appreciation Series

MOZART AND COMPANY: A REVOLUTIONARY START-UP (1783-84)

not to be missed.

TALES

By NUS Chinese Orchestra 8pm, 7 October 2014 (Tuesday), UCC Theatre “Just one”, says the grandfather as he coaxed his grandson to sleep. ”Once upon a time”… the grandfather begins his mesmerising tales from Chinese folklore.

The young boy is now captivated, he wants more from this dreamy and imaginative landscape where everything seems so magical and possible.

Tales will evoke your imagination through suspenseful chamber pieces performed by members of the NUS Chinese Orchestra interwoven with the retelling of stories handed down to us from our ancestors.

ENCOUNTER

By NUS Chinese Drama 8pm, 15 October 2014 (Wednesday), UCC Dance Studio Cultural differences. Are they all it takes to cause a rift between people?

In Encounter, NUS Chinese Drama looks at how conflicts are created by culture and history using “Reversible Theatre”, a form that shows that there are different causes for every problem.

Come and watch how situations and 46

ALUMNUS

7pm, 15 October 2014 (Wednesday), Suntec City Guild House Fee applicable. For more information and registration, please visit www.nuss.org.sg or call Delphina Tan at 6586 3774.

Mozart’s move permanently to Vienna in the early 1780s sparked not only a period of compositional creativity but also in him a new way of thinking about the position and role of a musician in society. This presentation explores some of the issues Mozart faced as a newly married entrepreneur starting up, by exploring the consequences of his development as evident in movements from two ensemble works from the period, the Piano Concerto in Eb, K449 and the Quintet for Piano & Winds, K452 performed by students from YSTCM.

Martin Söderberg

society can be changed, if only one single thing was different in the story.

UN VIAJE MUSICAL — A MUSICAL JOURNEY With Pianist Martin Söderberg (Spain) 8pm, 22 October 2014 (Wednesday), UCC Theatre Journey through Spain and Latin America with Spanish pianist Martin Söderberg through this fresh presentation of classical piano music.

Experience the fiery passion of Latino infused pieces. Söderberg is your tour guide on this jaunt, pointing out the wonders of each piece, inviting “travellers” past the barrier of just notes into a more complete, meaningful and satisfying listening experience.

Un Viaje Musical is an educational and fun ride that will keep audiences fully entertained throughout the trip.

Performances by CFA Arts Groups

SHUT UP AND DANCE — A DANCER’S JOURNEY

By NUS Dance Blast!

8pm, 12 October 2014 (Sunday), UCC Hall S$22, S$20 Email suad.ticketing@gmail.com for ticket enquiries The Shut Up And Dance series is NUS Dance Blast!’s biannual production aimed at presenting the freshest talents in dance and choreography discovered and groomed in NUS. Under the artistic direction of Resident Choreographer Patrick Loo, each production is a delightful showcase of different forms of street dance and hip-hop pulled together with a special theme each year.

Encounter

This year, Shut Up And Dance — A Dancer’s Journey follows the separate but intertwined lives of three young and talented dancers and the joys and frustrations they encounter in their drive to pursue their passion in dance.

Told entirely through the language of popping, locking, funk and jazz, more than 120 dancers will take to the stage a show which will have audiences cheering and energised.

Shut Up And Dance — A Dancer’s Journey also features NTU’s MJ, SMU’s Eurythemix and BreakinNUS as well as the dedicated alumni of NUS Dance Blast!

NUS Centre For the Arts University Cultural Centre 50 Kent Ridge Crescent National University of Singapore Singapore 119279 Tel: [65] 6516 2492 Fax: [65] 6778 1956 Nearest MRT: Clementi, Kent Ridge Website: www.nus.edu.sg/cfa Email: cfamarketing@nus.edu.sg Facebook: www.facebook.com/NUSCFA Twitter: www.twitter.com/NUSCFA

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

Please visit www.cfa.nus.edu.sg for updates.

ExxonMobil Campus Concerts Free Admission Tickets available at the door (on a first-come-first-served basis) one hour before showtime. The audience capacity at University Cultural Centre Theatre (UCC) is 400. Limited to two tickets per patron.

much to look forward to in the months ahead.

Homecoming Series

MELVYN TAN & CONSERVATORY STRINGS: ALL ABOUT MOZART MELVYN TAN, piano CONSERVATORY STRINGS with LESLIE TAN, cello MOZART Piano Concerto No. 12 in A major, K414 (chamber version) MOZART Divertissement No. 1 in D major, K136 MOZART Piano Concerto No. 9 in E-flat major, K271

7.30pm, 21 October 2014 (Tuesday), Conservatory Concert Hall Internationally-renowned pianist Melvyn Tan will lead the Conservatory strings in a night of Mozart. Beginning and ending with two of Mozart’s highly regarded piano concertos, performed on the fortepiano and the modern piano, the concert also presents one of Mozart’s well-loved divertimento.

This evening, indulge yourself in classical works rich and distinct in their ingenuity and egalitarianism.

Melvyn Tan

Conservatory Orchestra Series

EROICA!

GÁBOR TAKÁCS-NAGY, conductor WANG QIYING, piano BEETHOVEN Egmont Overture RACHMANINOV Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor, Op. 1 BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55, “Eroica”

7.30pm, 14 November 2014 (Friday), Victoria Concert Hall Tickets at S$15 from SISTIC Renowned musician Gábor TakácsNagy, founder of the esteemed Takacs Quartet and music director of the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra and Manchester Camerata is the Conservatory’s Ong Teng Cheong Professor of Music 2014. He will conduct Beethoven’s dramatic Egmont Overture, Op. 84 and the Eroica Symphony. The concert also features Wang Qiying, prizewinner of the Conservatory Concerto Competition 2014 performing Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 1. Join the Conservatory Orchestra as it performs for the first time in the newly-reopened Victoria Concert Hall.

Faculty Recital Series

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

KERIM VERGAZOV, piano IGOR YUZEFOVICH, violin GUENNADI MOUZYKA double bass

7.30pm, 21 November 2014 (Friday), Conservatory Concert Hall Accompanying Russia's rich diversity is their long history of music. Ornamented by folk songs, sacred music, local ritual music and highlighted by the rise of nationalism and 20th century music,

Bernard Lanskey

Gábor Takács-Nagy

Russian music dominates a significant position till today. This evening, we present to you a variety of popular Russian favourites, be sure to catch this showcase of pieces from silvery tunes of arias to broadway musicals.

LANXESS SNYO Classic 2014 presents:

“MUSICAL VIRTUOSOS”!

NATALIE CLEIN, cello, guest soloist JASON LAI, guest conductor IN COLLABORATION WITH YONG SIEW TOH CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC SAINT-SAËNS Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 33 FAURÉ Élégie for cello and orchestra, Op. 24

7.30pm, 27 November 2014 (Thursday), Esplanade Concert Hall Tickets at $9 from SISTIC Be dazzled by acclaimed British virtuoso cellist Natalie Clein in SaintSaëns’ Cello Concerto No. 1 and Faure's Élégie, accompanied by young virtuosos from the Singapore National Youth Orchestra.

The concert opens with the dashing music of The Roman Carnival orchestrating Berlioz’s brightest colours and closes with Carmen Suite

by Bizet, the Parisienne composer and piano virtuoso.

Held in collaboration with the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, following a weeklong orchestral camp hosted by the Conservatory, guest conductor Jason Lai leads the orchestra in an all-French programme, promising a delightful evening of great musical élan!

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

Please visit www.music.nus.edu.sg for updates.

ON WITH THE SHOW! Mesmerising performances

Tales

OCT–DEC 2014

47

LAST WORD

THE NUS FACULTY OF SCIENCE has had a busy year

innovating and researching ways to a better life for us all.

Here are some:

TURNING LIGHT INTO MOTION A TEAM LED BY AN NUS PROFESSOR HAS UNRAVELLED THE CHEMICAL REACTION RESPONSIBLE FOR PROPELLING MICROSCOPIC CRYSTALS OVER DISTANCES UP TO HUNDREDS OF TIMES THEIR OWN SIZE WHEN EXPOSED TO UV LIGHT. THIS RARE PHENOMENON MIGHT PROVIDE A NEW WAY TO HARNESS LIGHT TO POWER DEVICES.

GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF PARKINSON’S

Researchers have created the first highly-sensitive small molecule fluorescence probe which can quickly determine an individual’s risk for Parkinson’s disease. This paves the way for the development of cheaper, non-invasive technologies and devices to help monitor the risk and progression of the degenerative disease.

48

ALUMNUS

Dates to REMEMBER

Researchers have developed the first fluorescent sensor to detect the “date rape” drug GHB. When the sensor is mixed with a GHB-spiked beverage, the concoction soon changes colour. It is hoped that this breakthrough will help to prevent drugfacilitated sexual assaults.

OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER 2014

OCTOBER

18, 20 & 21 OCT SAT, MON & TUE China Film Festival 2014

ADMINISTERING PAINLESS COLLAGEN INJECTIONS

8pm, Shaw Foundation Alumni House Register at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/cnff2014 Enquiries: Ms Gabriella Nyam at gabriella@nus.edu.sg

An NUS team has invented a new way to administer collagen injections or the painkiller lidocaine. Using an adhesive topped with microscopic needles, collagen or lidocaine are delivered into the skin painlessly – a boon for patients with diabetes or cancer in home-care settings, or for cosmetic purposes.

29 OCT WED U@LIVE featuring Ms Indranee Thurai Rajah 7.30pm, Shaw Foundation Alumni House Register at www.nus.edu.sg/alumnet Enquiries: Ms Josephine Chow at josephine@nus.edu.sg

30 OCT THU Senior Alumni Tea and Chat 4pm, Shaw Foundation Alumni House Enquiries: Ms Irene See at irenesee@nus.edu.sg

OPENING THE DOOR TO SMALLER, BETTER THINGS

Scientists have developed a technique that will shed light on the properties that arise when materials are combined. Scientists can now more easily tweak the resultant properties, opening doors to enhanced solar cells, superconductors and storage drives.

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

DISCOVERY

EXPOSING DATE RAPE DRUG IN SECONDS

IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK

A Year of

ALUMNI EVENTS

NOVEMBER 12 NOV WED NUS AlumniGreat Eastern Life Breakfast Dialogue with Mr Andrew Kwan

7.30am, Marina Mandarin Hotel Ballroom, Level 1 Register at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/BDnov14 Enquiries: Ms Lin Shushan at shushan@nus.edu.sg

14 NOV FRI NUS AlumniStandard Chartered Global Conversations with Professor Tommy Koh 11.45am, The Westin Singapore, Ballroom 1, Asia Square Tower 2 Register at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/GCnov14 Enquiries: Ms Gabriella Nyam at gabriella@nus.edu.sg

20 NOV THU Thirsty Thursdays NUS PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION ACT (PDPA) 2 JANUARY 2014 In line with Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) Do Not Call (DNC) Registry, you may indicate your preference for receiving marketing messages from NUS on your Singapore telephone number via the various methods.

If you wish to make changes to your preference, you can update at https://myaces.nus.edu.sg/DNC/index.do.

2 JULY 2014 In view of Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), the NUS Office of Alumni Relations would like to inform you that NUS will continue to engage you as an alumnus through the following ways: • Providing you information about the University and alumni-related initiatives and activities.

• Sending you invitations to NUS- and alumni-related events.

• Requesting you to update alumni information.

• Sending you invitations to participate in alumni surveys.

• Sending you alumni-related communication collaterals.

If you wish to withdraw your consent to be contacted, please visit https://myaces.nus.edu.sg/PSR/index.do.

6.30pm, iDarts Halo Register at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/TT2011 Enquiries: Ms Gabriella Nyam at gabriella@nus.edu.sg

26 NOV WED U@LIVE featuring Dr Yaacob Ibrahim 7.30pm, Shaw Foundation Alumni House Register at www.nus.edu.sg/alumnet Enquiries: Ms Josephine Chow at josephine@nus.edu.sg

27 NOV THU Senior Alumni Tea and Chat 4pm, Shaw Foundation Alumni House Enquiries: Ms Irene See at irenesee@nus.edu.sg

27 NOV THU MOVIES ON THE HOUSE The Hobbit – The Desolation of Smaug (PG13/VIOLENCE) 7.30pm, Shaw Foundation Alumni House Register at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/MMnov14 Enquiries: Mr Kyaw Win Shwe at kyawwinshwe@nus.edu.sg

7 Ways to be an active

As an NUS alumnus, there are many ways to stay connected to your alma mater. Here are 7 ways to get you started!

!

ttend an Office of Alumni Relations (OAR) event.

Come network with fellow alumni at any of these popular and often complimentary OAR events.

NUS has over 55 Alumni Groups and over 15 Overseas Chapters. Join a group today to stay in touch and build closer ties with fellow alumni and the University.

ead or join an alumni group. sse your AlumNUS Card.

C Check out exclusive offers and benefits for alumni at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/alumnuscard

ake your way down to the Shaw Foundation Alumni House!

Your Home on Campus and an ideal meeting place for alumni events, seminars, reunions and gatherings.

urture the giving spirit in you.

Step up to the role of class ambassador or come home to volunteer as an alumni mentor for the undergraduates. Find out how at www.nus.edu.sg/alumnet

pdate your contact details with us!

Stay connected to NUS. Update your contact information with us at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/updatemyparticulars

tay connected through our numerous communication platforms!

• Read the quarterly magazine — The AlumNUS — that gives you the latest on NUS and our alumni community at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/alumnusmagazine • Check out AlumNET at www.nus.edu.sg/alumnet, your one-stop alumni web resource!

Download AlumNET from Google Play or Apple Store to view upcoming alumni events!

• Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nusoar • Enjoy AlumMAIL, your NUS Lifelong Email Account.

www.nus.edu.sg/alumnet