AlumNUS | April - June 2011
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The Gift of Hindsight Alumni Invest in the Next Generation as Mentors What is the next best thing to saving years on your own learning curve? Saving it for others. Claire Ban (Arts and Social Sciences, ’07), after almost four years in the working world, felt a restless stirring to stretch her hand out a little further to share her insights. She explained, “I want to help my juniors think a little deeper, a little further and a little differently about life after university.” NUS Alumni Dragonboat team members came together with friends and supporters from other teams for a memorial row in remembrance of the late Mr Adrian Lee.
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The Last Lap: In Memory of Mr Adrian Lee
Renewing Bonds in the New Year
NUS Alumni Dragonboat Team members, as well as members from other teams, gathered together to row as one, in remembrance of a dear friend and alumni team member, the late Mr Adrian Lee Yang Kwang, who passed away on 1 January 2010. Mr Lee was in the NUS Dragonboat Team from 1999 to 2003 and was one of the founders of the NUS Alumni Dragonboat Team. The memorial row brought back fond memories of Adrian who played a big role in motivating members to persevere. 70 friends and supporters from three different teams turned up on 2 January 2011 to row alongside one another – not in competition, but with the common aim to remember a man who inspired and united many with his ardent pursuit of and love for the sport.
FASS Alumni Celebrate Ties in the Year of the Rabbit
By Angela Pan, (Science, ’03)
(From left to right) Assoc Prof Paulin Straughan, Mrs Tan Suan Imm, and Dean Prof Brenda Yeoh ushering in the Year of the Rabbit at the FASS ‘Lo-hei’ lunch.
Arts and Social Sciences alumni from across the years gathered for a reunion to usher in the Year of the Rabbit. Mrs Tan Suan Imm (Arts and Social Sciences, ’60), Dean of the Faculty of the Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) Professor Brenda Yeoh and Associate Professor Paulin Straughan (Arts and Social Sciences, ’85) kick-started the ‘Lo Hei’ lunch for 60 alumni, faculty members and friends of the faculty with a gong. Angeline Tang (Arts and Social Sciences, ’96), a graduate in European Studies, currently working for LesConcierges, Inc. / AXA Assistance as their Partnership Marketing Manager for the Asia Pacific, feels that FASS has instilled in her the qualities of trust, appreciation, imagination and contribution. Eric Chen (Arts and Social Sciences, ’09) feels that his education in FASS has given him the capacity to integrate various vantage points and apply this multi-disciplinary knowledge to real-world problems. Eric, who graduated with a degree in Economics, is an Associate with the structured finance team at BNP Paribas. The strong FASS alumni network found themselves in the good company of Matthew Quek (Arts and Social Sciences, ’02), a History teacher and the first Ministry of Education Idol winner in 2004, who sang a range of English and Chinese songs, and Archie Ong (Arts and Social Sciences, ’73), a mentor to many younger alumni such as Eric. As Eric aptly puts it, “Such an event strengthens the alumni network of FASS.”
When a group of NUS Economics alumni launched a mentorship programme for undergraduates, Claire immediately signed up as a mentor. She shared, “I have always felt strongly about giving back. If I could turn back the clock and become an undergraduate again, I would have seized every opportunity to understand and prepare better for the world out there.” Claire works in the logistics and supply chain industry and now shares the benefits of her work experience with three economics undergraduates. The five-month-old NUS Economics Alumni Mentorship Programme, launched in collaboration with undergraduates from the NUS Economics Society, has 20 undergraduates and nine alumni mentors from banking, energy, government, shipping, and transport.
Dr Lee Soo Ann, Chairman of the NUS Economics Alumni and senior fellow at the Department of Economics, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences said, “In the university setting, students appreciate advice on the paths they could pursue after graduation. However, they may not be familiar with the avenues they can tap into to access such guidance. The mentorship programme bridges the gap between these students and alumni, who are often very enthusiastic about giving back to the University as mentors.”
If you are an economics graduate and would like to help out in the mentorship programme, please email NUS Economics Alumni at: escbox8@nus.edu.sg
Calling for Volunteers – Rag Day 2011 It’s a Rag Day not to be missed! We’re heading down to Marina Bay for the festivities and we need a team to help create the Alumni Float for this historical event.
Engineering Alu mni Network on Facebook The NUS Engineering Alumni Network is now available on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/NUSEngineering-Alumni-Network/ 169630006391270. We hope this new platform will be a place our alumni can call home. Connect with your alma mater and reconnect with your classmates, share ideas, interests and insights here! Over time, we will offer more information and activities that are meaningful to you. Come and join us!
This year, each participating body will be allocated a charity through a balloting system. Along with preparing the floats and performances, we get to spend some time with our charities and get them to join in the fun! If you’re interested in volunteering with us as a director/designer/dancer/actor (or anything else you can think of!) contact Ms. Josephine Chow (HYPERLINK “mailto:josephine@nus.edu.sg” josephine@nus.edu.sg) for more information. Registration Deadline: 15 May 2011
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