ALUMNI HAPPENINGS
Village Getaway ALUMNI ACTIVITIES
For 11 members of the NUS Economics Alumni Club, a trip in February delivered on the promise of friendship and camaraderie – and much more. They chose the coastal village of Kukup in Johor, Malaysia, for their inaugural trip for a weekend of sun, seafood and solidarity. Memorable moments included writing wishes on paper lanterns and sending them into the night sky, as well as watching spectacular sunsets.
Senior Alumni on a Science Trail
Dunearn Road Hostels and Sheares Hall Give Back
Over a fact-filled morning in January, members of the Senior Alumni group learnt more about the latest developments at NUS’ Faculty of Science. First stop on their tour was the Physics Demonstration Laboratory where Assoc Prof Sow Chorng Haur gave a hands-on display of physics in action. Following a talk with the Dean of Science, Prof Andrew Wee, the senior alumni went to the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research to learn more about its fantastic zoological collection. Last stop on the tour was the Centre for Remote Imaging, Sensing and Processing (CRISP). A briefing by CRISP Director, Assoc Prof Liew Soon Chin, saw the group getting a crash course in how satellite images aid scientists in their research.
2012 will see Dunearn Road Hostels celebrating their 60th anniversary and Sheares Hall, its 30th anniversary. Sheares Hall will be organising a series of events throughout the year with the theme ‘Looking to the Past, Paying Forward: DRH/Sheares Hall 60th/30th Anniversary Celebrations’. Tickets for selected events will be sold in aid of a local charity organisation, while a golf tournament will be held in July to raise funds for the Dunearn Road Hostels/Sheares Hall Alumni Scholarship and Bursary Fund. The events at a glance: Sheares Concert
7 April 2012 (Saturday)
Charity Golf Event1
6 July 2012 (Friday)
Night Cycling
October 2012
Anniversary Dinner Celebration
Chairman of the Tokyo Alumni Chapter, Mr Tetsuya Fujimoto (third from right) was elected at the gathering.
A chilly Saturday evening, spent in the warmth of friendship – that was the experience of our Chengdu alumni in January. Close to 20 alumni, friends and guests attended this special occasion, which was held the week before the Lunar New Year. Our warmest wishes to you all for the Dragon Year.
Tokyo Chapter Elects Committee Alumni graduating over a 29-year period from 1982 to 2011 gathered for the NUS Tokyo Alumni Dinner, aptly held at a Singapore restaurant in Tokyo, on 27 January. The 14 alumni used the occasion to elect the Committee members of the Tokyo Alumni Chapter. Mr Tetsuya Fujimoto was elected Chairman with Mr Azami, Mr Yoshida, Mr Shibamoto and Ms Kato as committee members. 1
ALUMNUS
19 October 2012 (Friday)
For more information, please contact Dr Colin Tan at Tel: 6516 7352 or colintan@nus.edu.sg.
Coming Together in Chengdu
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High Commissioner Mr T Jesudasen, Law ’77 (second from left) and Mrs Patricia Jesudasen (extreme left) with Dr Tan Peng Guan, Dentistry ’70 and Margaret Tan
New Additions to the UK Gathering The UK Chapter’s annual Chinese New Year gathering saw the addition of a new “dragon” to the family, His Excellency Mr T Jasudasen, High Commissioner of Singapore to the United Kingdom and Ireland. The sporting Mr Jasudasen turned up in an NUS T-shirt, mingled with old classmates and made new friends. Another addition was a table of young Singaporeans who began their undergraduate studies in the UK. The gathering of an auspicious group of 88 friends and family made for a good exchange of information and culture.
Australian Reunion On 3 March, 80 NUS alumni in Perth, Australia, came together to share their memories of days past. With typical understatement and wit, Mr Thomas Goh, Chairman of the Perth chapter, reported that one of the reasons for the excellent response was, “Time – we are alive and well, [and] can spare an evening.” Demonstrating the depth of the University’s roots in Australia, guests included University of Singapore alumni, in addition to more recent graduates of NUS. Dedication, high spirits and many bottles of fine wine (courtesy of the chapter’s committee members) ensured that the evening was one to remember. Here’s a belated “cheers” to our friends in Perth.
(Seated from left) Lee Khee Chuan, Moh Ung Thai, Wee Boon Liang, Tan Beng Chong, Hiu Kuan Fah, Paul Kho (Standing from left) Ambrose Tan, Poh Chin Sing, Chong Tak Ling, Chua Yan Heng, Tan Siak Kwang, Soo Hua Ming
Tradition Prevails in Kuching A 15-year-old tradition of gathering for Chinese New Year continued with the Kuching CNY Alumni Lunch on 26 January. The alumni are from Kuching, and they returned home from their overseas jobs to be with their families for the festive season.
In aid of the DRH/Sheares Hall Alumni Scholarship and Bursary Fund. In aid of a local charity.
REUNIONS
Coming Home for Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering “Exams”
Kiwi Spirit At a gathering in Auckland on 3 March, friendships, both old and new, were the order of the day. Amid much talk and good food, close to 30 alumni and their guests shared memories of their school days. Non-Singaporean friends were also posed a formidable challenge – make sense of flavourful phrases of SHE (Singaporean Home English). Kia ora koutou katoa to our friends in New Zealand!
It was an unusual homecoming by the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Firstly, it was held on 11-11-11. And, the first of its kind, the event was organised around an “examination” theme. Held at the auditorium at the University Hall, 200 staff and alumni sat through a slide presentation that took them down memory lane. Next, they filled out a survey on the “equation of state” of the gathering and even a mock quiz. Alumni were equipped with classroom “clickers” with which they responded to the on-the-spot quiz which, drawing much laughter at the responses. Custom designed mementos – an alumni baseball cap, car decal and the exam “question paper” were also distributed at the gathering. The evening was graced by Assoc Prof Teo Wah Koon, a former head of the department, and current Head of Department, Prof Lee Jim Yang.
The Engineering Class ’82 Celebrates their 30th Anniversary Over the last 30 years, the Engineering Class of ’82 has celebrated three milestone anniversaries — in their 10th, 20th and 25th year. This year, they celebrated their 30th anniversary in style on 1 January 2012. About 150 lecturers, alumni and student bursary recipients gathered for the reunion at the Guild House in Kent Ridge, NUS, rated as a resounding success after two years of planning and gathering their classmates’ contact details, led by Angie Ng, the Chairperson of the Organising Committee. Team spirit was high with many generous classmates stepping forward to help finance the dinner, defray costs and sponsor door gifts and prizes. More importantly, the class gave out 13 bursaries to students. The class set up the Engineering Class of 1982 Bursary Endowed Fund in 2009, reaching their target of S$250,000 within one month of its launch. To date, the Fund has raised S$337,782, and with matching grants, the fund stands in excess of S$675,000. This will go towards funding 13 bursaries annually. APR–JUN 2012
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