The AlumNUS Jul-Dec 2025

SCALING CHANGE WITHOUT BORDERS

Raeden

(Yale-NUS ’17)

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A Foundation for the Future

This July brings us dual celebrations: the graduation of the Class of 2025 and 120th anniversary of the National University of Singapore’s founding.

When the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School was established in 1905, it was born from a strong “by the community, for the community” spirit. This ethos has continued to shape what has become NUS, with our newest graduates joining a storied tradition of alumni who have made meaningful contributions to society.

Our Focus article (p.14) pays homage to this legacy, detailing how our community spirit has extended beyond Singapore’s shores, parallel to the University’s growing global stature and reach. From servicelearning programmes in the educational curriculum, to student life, university traditions and alumni impact, we explore the diverse ways the University is shaping the future — both locally and abroad.

We also spotlight some of the objects that illustrate key moments of NUS’ history (p.8) and showcase how the Department of History is reflecting on its own journey through oral history interviews with alumni (p.12).

Other features include career tips for alumni seeking to work abroad (p.22), as well as profiles of several global students and alumni. These range from Sparsh, who is tackling extreme heat in India (p.36), and Ms Zhala Sarmast, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee for her role in the Afghanistan National Women’s Cycling Team (p.32), to Turkey’s first AI ethicist, Dr Cansu Canca (p.26), and Australia’s Mr Raeden Richardson, who recently made his literary debut (p.40).

As always, thank you for reading! Follow us online to stay updated on our latest news, and do write to us at alumnihelpdesk@nus.edu.sg And to the Class of 2025 — congratulations, and welcome to our alumni family! We can’t wait to see where your journey takes you.

Ovidia Lim-Rajaram (Arts & Social Sciences ’89)

Chief Alumni Officer

Bamboobon is a student-led social enterprise that uses bamboo to promote economic empowerment and environmental sustainability in Thailand.

32 Riding Against the Grain

Ms Zhala Sarmast (Yale-NUS ’23) 36 Bringing a ‘Cool Idea’ to Life Sparsh (Year 4, Design and Engineering)

38 Ho Chi Minh City: A Modern-Day Metamorphosis

Ms Jeannie Chan (Arts & Social Sciences ’01) 40 Capturing the Weight of the Unspoken

Mr Raeden Richardson (Yale-NUS ’17)

Book Corner

alumni happenings 48 The AlumNUS Crossword

The AlumNUS clinched the following award at APEX 2024: AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE Magazines, Journals & Tabloids - Print

PAST & P RESEN T

Beyond the stark growth in the number of graduates each year, one of the most notable changes has been the shift from the formal British-style convocation to the more celebratory American-style commencement. With a focus on creating an emotional connection between new alumni and their alma mater, the current ceremony blends past and present traditions to mark the beginning of a new chapter for NUS graduates.

In 1950, the first convocation ceremony of the University of Malaya was held with 69 graduates.

In 2024, close to 16,000 students graduated from NUS over 31 commencement ceremonies.

Photo credit: Raffles College Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore

Celebrating 120 years: NUS flags off anniversary celebrations with

Leading the first group of walkers down the 8km route on Kent Ridge Campus were NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye (right), NUS Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost Professor Aaron Thean (left), together with leaders of the NUS Students’ Union and NUS Students’ Sports Club.

charity

walk A VIBRANT TAPESTRY: 120 years of diversity and excellence at NUS

Kicking off its 120th anniversary with a meaningful cause, NUS organised the NUS120 Charity Hongbao Walk on 8 February, raising more than S$880,000 in support of the NUS Enhanced Financial Aid Scheme. Close to 1,200 students, staff and alumni — along with their families and friends — joined the 8km walk through the Kent Ridge campus.

Speaking at the event, NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye (Science ’85) reflected on the spirit of service that has underpinned the University’s evolution from a modest medical school founded in 1905 to a global university.

“On top of all that we do in our core mission areas of education, research and innovation, there is one important calling that grounds and also guides all of us — and that is to serve our country and community,” said Prof Tan.

The event was the first in a series of NUS120 anniversary celebrations, themed "Celebrating the Past, Shaping the Future", which will continue until June 2026. These include a photo exhibition celebrating life at NUS, and the NUS120 Gala Dinner, as well as thought-provoking lectures by renowned experts and policymakers.

On 16 April, the NUS120: Our Global Story event was held at the Central Library Atrium, bringing together over 700 staff and students in celebration of the University’s cultural diversity. As part of the ongoing NUS120 celebrations, the fiesta paid tribute to the global NUS community — comprising over 120 nationalities — whose collective efforts have shaped the University into a world-class institution.

Participants enjoyed a smorgasbord of foods at an international food bazaar, a variety of dance performances, and workshops from youth organisation Fashion Parade, which included batik, block-printing and Chinese knot-making.

in an intricately designed costume, NUS student Ni Komang

MILESTONE ANNIVERSARIES IN 2025

NUS Medicine: 120 years

NUS Engineering: 70 years

NUS Business School: 60 years

NUS Computing: 50 years

Kent Ridge Hall: 45 years

Duke-NUS Medical School: 20 years

NUS High School: 20 years

Tembusu College: 15 years

Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum: 10 years

For more information on upcoming NUS120 events, visit nus.edu.sg/120th-anniversary

Dressed

Ananda Gayatri performs a fusion dance inspired by Balinese and Bornean traditions.

NUS researchers develop microneedle technology to accelerate diabetic wound healing

NUS Medicine sets up new centre to build pandemic resilience

To enhance global pandemic preparedness and strengthen responses to infectious disease emergencies, the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine officially launched the Centre for Infectious Disease Emergency Response (CIDER) on 10 February 2025.

CIDER will serve as an education and operational hub

for public health professionals and policymakers across Singapore. Internationally, the centre will undertake a wide range of training, teaching and operational initiatives to strengthen capacity for pandemic resilience and infectious disease response, with a long-term vision to foster global health equity.

Researchers at NUS have developed two microneedle technologies that accelerate wound healing by preserving the functions of proteins called growth factors and removing undesirable inflammatory compounds. Led by Assistant Professor Andy Tay (Engineering '14) from the College of Design and Engineering, and the Institute for Health Innovation and Technology, the research team developed innovations that offer the potential for a minimally invasive, pain-free approach to treating various skin conditions such as psoriasis or chronic diabetic wounds. The findings were published in Biomaterials and Advanced Functional Materials in July 2024. The team intends to conduct further studies to explore the potential of the technology and bring it to market.

NUS Singapore History Prize doubles from S$50,000 to S$100,000

The Department of History at the NUS Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences has announced that submissions for the 2027 NUS Singapore History Prize are now open.

Established in 2014 through a generous endowment from an anonymous donor, the Prize has been awarded to fiction and non-fiction books in 2018, 2021 and 2024, with the aim to spur interest in the understanding of Singapore’s history.

The 2027 Prize will, for the first time, recognise a non-print media work through the new ‘Arts and Multimedia’ category. Moving forward, the Prize will alternate between the ‘Books’ and ‘Arts and Multimedia’ categories every three years.

Thanks to a doubling of the endowment by the donor, the prize money will also increase to S$100,000 to inspire more impactful works and submissions in the coming years.

The use of extractive microneedles is a novel concept, according to the NUS research team members

Asst Prof Andy Tay (left) and Dr Le Zhicheng (right).

Prof Dale Fisher, Director of CIDER, and Dr Louisa Sun (MMed [Internal Medicine] ’15, MPH ’23), Deputy Director of CIDER, with the book Infectious Disease Emergencies: Preparedness & Response Photo credit: NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine

NUS alumnae among Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame inductees

Prof Liu Bin (left) was inducted into the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame this year and received the Flame Trophy from Ms Jane Ittogi (middle), Guest-of-Honour and SCWO Patron, accompanied by Dr Seow Yian San (Science ’00, Dentistry ’05, MDS ’12), SCWO President (right).

In 2014, the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations (SCWO) launched the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame to honour trailblazing women who have shaped the nation, pushed boundaries in their fields and paved the way for future generations.

Three NUS alumnae were included among the 2025 inductees:

Professor Liu Bin (Science PhD ’02), NUS Deputy President (Research and Technology)

Professor Ivy Ng (Medicine ’82, MMed ’88), former Group CEO of SingHealth and a member of the Duke-NUS Governing Board

Ms Constance Sheares (Arts & Social Sciences MA ’70), a pioneering art curator and champion of local artists

NUS researchers combine 3D bioprinting with AI to personalise oral soft tissue grafts

A team of researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has developed a method to fabricate personalised gingival (gum) tissue grafts using an innovative combination of 3D bioprinting and artificial intelligence (AI).

Led by Assistant Professor Gopu Sriram (Dentistry PhD '14) from NUS Faculty of Dentistry, the team’s approach presents a more customisable and less invasive alternative to traditional grafting methods, which often involve harvesting tissue from the patient’s mouth — a process that can be both uncomfortable and constrained by the availability of suitable tissue.

The 3D bioprinting and AI-enabled technique has the potential to address key challenges in dental procedures more effectively, such as repairing gum defects caused by periodontal disease or complications from dental implants. For instance, by enabling the precise fabrication of tissue constructs tailored to individual patients, the method can significantly improve treatment outcomes, reduce patient discomfort and minimise the risk of complications, such as infections, during recovery.

The team’s research was published in the journal Advanced Healthcare Materials

on 17 December 2024, and was supported by grants from the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (NAMIC) and National University Health System (NUHS).

Asst Prof Gopu Sriram (left) and Dr Jacob Chew (Dentistry '14, MDS '19) (middle) from the NUS Faculty of Dentistry, together with Prof Dean Ho (right) from the Department of Biomedical Engineering in the College of Design and Engineering.

NUS appoints new member to its Board of Trustees

The National University of Singapore (NUS) has a new Board of Trustees member. Joining the Board on 1 April 2025, Dr Soumya Swaminathan is the former Chief Scientist of the World Health Organization and previously Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research. She is a paediatrician from India and a globally recognised expert in tuberculosis and HIV research. She is now Chairperson at the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) and Principal Advisor to the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme in India.

Yale-NUS College hosts its biggest-ever reunion and looks to its alumni for the

On 15 May, just after graduating its final class, Yale-NUS College held a Time Capsule Ceremony. The community-driven project was a physical representation of all the hard and heart work poured into the College over the last 15 years, gathering institutional items like the Graduation sash, flag and College reports, as well as artworks and publications from faculty, students and alumni.

Two days later, on 17 May, Reunion 2025 was held as the finale event marking Yale-NUS’ closure. Approximately 1,000 attendees — including alumni and current and former staff and faculty — gathered from around the world, signifying the College’s largest reunion to date and a historic moment uniting all eight cohorts.

Capping the Reunion was the Light Ceremony, an ode to the Candlelight Ceremony that occurred annually during Yale-NUS’ orientation for firstyear students. This time, the Light Ceremony was held to mark the closure, with attendees gathered around the Oculus, wrists held high in solidarity for the community.

future

In a speech, incoming Yale-NUS Club President Adriel Yong (Yale-NUS '23) emphasised that the ceremony was a continuation of the Yale-NUS journey, beginning with the Candlelight Ceremony and now closing as “each of us [carries] that light forward”. This symbolises for the College not an end or a goodbye, but a greater community effort to carry forth the principles and beliefs learnt at Yale-NUS, in Asia, for the world.

Reunion 2025 attendees at the Light Ceremony, with their glowingband-clad wrists held up together.

The 1889 Memorandum, published in the Proceedings of the Legislative Council of the Straits Settlements for 1889 and available in NUS Libraries’ Rare Book collection.

A History of NUS in

12

OBJECTS

From lion mascots and dinosaur bones to residential halls and lab innovations, the University’s 120-year legacy comes alive through a series of iconic items, reflecting its evolution into the global institution it is today.

1

ORIGINS OF A MEDICAL SCHOOL

The National University of Singapore (NUS) traces its origins to 1905, when the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School was launched on 3 July of that year. But calls for a medical school in Singapore had begun decades earlier. Within NUS Libraries, the earliest-dated document on the subject is the Memorandum as to the foundation of a Medical School for the Straits Settlements in Singapore, submitted on 16 September 1889 and written by Dr Max F Simon, Acting Principal Medical Officer of the Straits Settlements. Though the proposal faced opposition due to its prohibitive cost and the low demand from students, the turning point came in 1904, when Mr Tan Jiak Kim, a leader within the Chinese community, submitted a petition to the Governor, urging him to consider establishing a medical school. In response, the Governor challenged the community to raise the funding. They did — exceeding the target — and the School opened the following year. Mr Tan’s efforts helped shape the “by the community, for the community” ethos that is integral to NUS today.

2 FROM CREST TO MODERN LOGO

The evolution of the NUS logo mirrors the University's journey from colonial college to world-class institution. Through name changes, mergers and separations, each crest reflected a new chapter. The current identity — adopted in 2001 and made up of a modernised coat of arms and the NUS name style — is rich in meaning: the lion aligns with our national identity, and symbolises courage, integrity and idealism; the open book establishes the University as a portal to a world of knowledge; and the three inter-connected rings reflect NUS’ role in creating, imparting and applying knowledge. They also represent the ideals of a global university — creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship — and how these values reinforce one another.

Raffles College, 1928-1949

University of

1949-1961

KE VII College of Medicine, 1921-1949

Nanyang University, 1955-1980

University of Singapore, 1962-1980

National University of Singapore, 1980-Present

Malaya,

NATURE’S WITNESS TO HISTORY

At the Lower Quadrangle of the NUS Bukit Timah campus, a towering angsana tree, planted shortly after the campus was established in the 1920s, stands as a silent witness to history. This former home of Raffles College and the University of Malaya saw debates on self-rule, nationhood and the shaping of Singapore’s earliest thinkers — some under the shade of this grand tree. For instance, speaking about his time as a young philosophy student, Mr Kishore Mahbubani (Arts & Social Sciences ’71), Distinguished Fellow at the NUS Asia Research Institute, told The AlumNUS in 2022 that there was a “magical aura” about the place. “It was a wonderful campus, very green and welcoming,” he recounted. More than a landmark, the angsana tree reflects NUS’ longstanding tradition of building with nature. Today, that ethos continues with the University’s goal to plant 100,000 trees on campus by 2030 — a target reached halfway by 2024.

HONOURING 11 BRAVE SOULS

4

Tucked in the old College of Medicine Building (the present-day Ministry of Health), a bronze plaque pays tribute to 11 brave King Edward VII College of Medicine students who perished during the Japanese bombardment in World War II — just one day before the British forces formally surrendered Singapore. As recounted in Beyond Degrees, a book that chronicles the history of NUS, the College insisted on holding classes and examinations as the Japanese closed in, with many medical students helping to treat the wounded in hospitals and the Medical Auxiliary Service. Raffles College served as the headquarters for the Service, for which many students and staff volunteered while all academic activity of the College was suspended. Their sacrifices embodied the wartime resilience of the two institutions, which emerged from the war to unite as the University of Malaya in 1949. From the ashes of World War II to the twilight of British rule, the Colleges laid the intellectual foundations of an independent Singapore and a university that would serve a self-governing people. The plaque stands today not just as a memorial, but as a reminder of education’s role in courage, service and nationhood.

UNIVERSITY MACE

If you have attended a graduation ceremony at NUS, chances are you would have seen the university mace leading the procession — a ceremonial torch signifying the light of knowledge and authority. Gifted to the University of Malaya in 1955 by Mr Tan Chin Tuan, a member of the University Court, the ebony and silvergilt mace was fashioned by London jewellers Messrs Mappin and Webb, incorporating the coats of arms of Singapore, the Federation of Malaya and the University of Malaya. Following the split of the University of Malaya in 1962 into two separate entities, the mace became part of the University of Singapore, remaining in ceremonial use by NUS today.

THE KENT RIDGE CAMPUS

A float from the 1985 Rag and Flag Day.

Photo credit: Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore

REMEMBERING RAG DAY

A riot of colour and camaraderie, Rag (Receiving and Giving) Day is etched in the collective memory of generations of NUS students. What began in 1958 as an event where students and staff rallied together to give back to society soon became an annual campus institution: NUS Students’ Union (NUSSU) Rag and Flag Day. After a period of fundraising for charity, students would stage spectacular performances in a show of appreciation to donors for their invaluable support. (In the last 15 years, NUS students have raised close to S$4.6 million in donations in aid of local beneficiaries.)

As awards were given for the best efforts, students poured their hearts into elaborate floats, themed costumes and synchronised performances, often working through the night on campus. Rag was not just a show; it was a rite of passage and a way to bond across faculties and hall rivalries. In those pre-digital days, poster paint, crepe paper and sheer grit brought ideas to life. While its format has evolved, the tradition continues to spark nostalgia and inspire new generations of undergraduates.

The original model of the Kent Ridge campus is a quiet relic of ambition. The model reflects a pivotal moment in NUS history when rapid student growth and limited space at Bukit Timah spurred the bold move to Kent Ridge, a forested hill earmarked in the early 1970s for a modern, integrated campus. Over more than a decade — from the campus’ groundbreaking in 1972 to its completion in 1986 — the University expanded faculty by faculty, bringing science, engineering, medicine, law and the arts together in one space. The detailed model — once used to visualise lecture theatres, hostels and shared spaces — now stands as a nostalgic tribute to that transformation. It marks not just a physical relocation and expansion, but NUS’ evolution into a global institution rooted in Singapore’s postindependence aspirations.

BRIDGING ACADEMIA AND INDUSTRY

With the advent of the knowledge economy, NUS made a pioneering leap into research commercialisation when its first spinoff, SEMICAPS, was founded in 1989. The venture specialised in advanced diagnostic tools for semiconductor failure analysis and was helmed by Professor Jacob Phang from the Faculty of Engineering, a physicistentrepreneur who would later become the first CEO of NUS Enterprise. His dual role symbolised a turning point: the University’s transformation from a traditional academic institution into a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. SEMICAPS’ success laid the groundwork for the hundreds of NUS spinoffs and startups that would follow. Today, NUS Enterprise is known for key initiatives like NUS Overseas Colleges (NOC), BLOCK71 and the Graduate Research Innovation Programme (GRIP), which have become central pillars in Singapore’s startup scene.

9

LiNUS THE LION

Meet LiNUS, the wide-eyed lion mascot with a knowing grin, proudly donning a mortarboard and pawing his way into NUS lore. LiNUS — a clever nod to both the lion and the University — reflects NUS’ spirit of boldness and learning, a modern-day evolution of the University's longstanding lion symbolism. Since his debut in the mid-2000s, LiNUS has appeared everywhere from Rag floats to convocation halls, with his cheerful presence adding warmth to official events and student campaigns. LiNUS even has his own Instagram page!

BEST CAMPUS LIFE

From its opening in the 1920s, Raffles College required students to stay at least one year in a hostel. Today, the integration of living and learning is being reimagined at NUS.

THE PAST LIVES ON

FROM PHYSICAL TO DIGITAL

In 1992, NUS became the first academic institution in the AsiaPacific to introduce smart card technology. With time, students’ ID cards could be used to borrow books, unlock doors, book sports facilities and even pay for Nowadays, to complement plastic cards, the uNivUS app serves as a one-stop-shop for NUS-related information and services. Students can access their digital ID cards, monitor bus timings, reserve library seats, and check exam scores and mark their attendance via the app.

In University Town (UTown), the “NUS: The Best Campus Life” sign alludes to the University’s push to redefine student residential life. From UTown colleges to themed halls, NUS is expanding its residential landscape. The upcoming Acacia College, for instance, integrates artificial intelligence (AI) into its curriculum and community life, while Valour House will centre on sports, leadership and resilience. Both are part of NUS’ broader strategy for holistic education, supported by initiatives like NUSOne, which emphasise life beyond the classroom. Residential colleges today are incubators for values, ideas and interdisciplinary collaboration.

At the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM), dinosaur skeletons stop visitors in their tracks. Their presence on campus nods to a proud legacy of university museums at NUS. For instance, the Medical School’s Pathology Museum was founded in 1907. And in 1955, the University Art Museum was established, laying the foundation for what is now the NUS Museum. Today, students can admire art at the NUS Museum, walk through the rich biodiversity of Southeast Asia at LKCNHM, study medical specimens at the Pathology Museum, and step into Peranakan heritage at the NUS Baba House. More than repositories, these museums are living classrooms, preserving stories of science and society.

LiNUS, as he appeared in the 2000s.

time. Image first appeared in The NUS Story: 100 Years of Heritage. (2006). NUS Museum. Right: The uNivUS app.

LKCNHM celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Photo credit: Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, National University of Singapore.

Beyond the Page

The NUS Department of History presents an exhibition on its own story, told through the voices of its alumni and curated by the NUS History Society.

YOU MADE HISTORY TODAY. In fact, you make history every day. This may sound romantic, but it is literally true — and worth considering as Singapore turns 60 this year. Among the institutions that have witnessed and shaped our story is the National University of Singapore (NUS), which is older than the state itself.

As the University celebrates its 120th anniversary in 2025, the NUS History Society will celebrate its 60th. The Department of History, part of the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences (FASS), reached the same milestone last year. Together, they are marking the moment by reflecting on their shared legacy — as told through the lived experiences of their alumni.

Reflections on the Journey

A new exhibition, opening in August 2025 at the NUS Central Library, is the result of a collaborative oral history project between the History Society and the Department. Undergraduate students are currently interviewing 12 History alumni from the past six decades. The interviews span the alumni’s time at the Department and what happened in their lives after, documenting their experiences as students, historians and citizens across a changing century.

“Oral history allows us to find [and understand] connections between what we have known in the past, and how people remember it,” said Dr Matthias Wong (Arts & Social Sciences ’14), Senior Tutor at the Department of History and a staff member overseeing the project. “[These viewpoints of the alumni] really enrich the way that we understand ourselves as a department, and who we are as students and faculty here at NUS.”

Lived Experiences

Students were instructed in the techniques of conducting oral history interviews by Associate Professor Li Na. As  she explained, the approach helps to illuminate the often inaccessible and personal aspects of human experience. “The consciousness of each human person is totally

Kendra Thaddaeus Tang

Lim Yunn Ro Ariel

Ong Ee Ying

Liu Huiran

Daryl Lee

Saw Yone Yone

Lu Yijing

Dr Matthias Wong

interiorised — known only to that person and inaccessible to any other person… Oral history, through the interview space… brings the interiority of orality out into the public.”

According to the team, their project became a way of collecting and preserving those experiences and memories. What also makes the project special is that the student interviewers are all in the same ‘place’ that the alumni once were, making for a unique type of intergenerational discourse.

Shaping the Past

“For me, the beauty of [the process] is that you get to know somebody on a more personal level. More than just reading a document…it allows you to sympathise and empathise with the [narrators],” said Kendra Thaddaeus Tang, a history and Southeast Asian studies student from the Class of 2028. One alumnus she interviewed studied at NUS in the 1960s and still has a strong passion for Singaporean history. His recollection of his work with history textbooks showed her “how history is something that evolves and changes”.

“We were not there to get historical facts or ask leading questions,” said fellow student interviewer Saw Yone Yone, a political science major from the Class of 2028. “We were trying to [record] the feelings of the narrators about the period of time [that they were relating].”

Assoc Prof Li added that the point was to go beyond merely ‘collecting’ experiences or having productive conversations. “Stories people tell about themselves should be conceived less as documents to be restored but as texts to be read, in which historical consciousness becomes the medium through which oral testimonies present the shape of the past,” she explained.

Exploring the Archives

Complementing the oral interviews, History students — including Liu Huiran, who is pursuing a master’s in the Applied and Public History programme — are also

researching archival records from the Department, including past student journals and magazines, as part of the exhibit.

“Our students’ outputs point to a widening in the ways we do, and understand, history at the Department,” said Dr Wong. “History majors and students from beyond our Department investigate a wide range of historical topics, including food culture, adoption practices, mosquitoes and railroads.”

The exhibition is a key initiative under the new public history programme at the Department. “Through these opportunities to conduct oral interviews and to curate exhibitions, we equip our students with the skills and experience to create historical outputs that speak meaningfully to a wide range of public audiences,” explained Dr Wong.

Weight of Responsibility

The undergraduate members of the History Society certainly understood the weight of the process and its importance in shaping the eventual exhibition.

As Daryl Lee, Vice President of the History Society and a Class of 2026 history and political science student, noted, “We are as old as [the modern state of] Singapore and we would like to capture this moment in time for those who come after us, and also as a moment to reflect on what it means to be a historian at NUS.”

Dr Wong agreed, noting that this was about exploring and contextualising the identity of NUS historians. "It's really a sense-making process — a meaning-making process — and an anniversary is a fantastic opportunity for this project to happen. As we celebrate a milestone, we are thinking about who we are and where we're going.”

The exhibit will be open at NUS Central Library from August through October 2025, and will include artefacts, along with video and audio recordings of the oral history interviews.

The consciousness of each human person is totally interiorised — known only to that person and inaccessible to any other person… Oral history, through the interview space… brings the interiority of orality out into the public.

Associate Professor Li Na

When it comes to giving back, NUS’ commitment has always been strong and true, harking back to the founding aims of the University. In recent years, this heartbeat of compassion for the wider community has become a powerful, global rhythm.

IT

WAS A STRONG SOCIAL IMPETUS THAT LAY BEHIND THE FOUNDING

OF

THE NATIONAL

UNIVERSITY OF

SINGAPORE

(NUS)

IN 1905.

Singapore philanthropist Tan Jiak Kim, who was the first president of the Straits Chinese British Association, gave a personal donation and raised funds to start the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School to train doctors for the community, of which there was a shortage. This school would later become NUS.

In the intervening 120 years, NUS has grown in stature and reach. Today, its glittering list of achievements includes an eighth-place ranking worldwide and first in Asia, according to the QS Word University Rankings; research collaborations with more than 4,000 universities and institutes in 175 countries; and a global alumni body of nearly 390,000, many of whom are leaders making an impact in their professions.

But away from the lights, the University’s mission of serving the community has remained strong and true. In recent years, the collective heart of NUS students and alumni has swelled, propelling service initiatives not just within Singapore but far beyond its borders. When current NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye (Science ’85) launched a new vision for the

University in 2018, he said in his speech, “NUS is a very special institution founded by the community, for the community… This is our vision for NUS, a higher purpose that is deeply rooted in our beginnings.”

GROUND-UP HEART WORK

Up until the early 2000s, giving back was not formalised, but many service projects were initiated ground-up by faculties and students of their own accord. For instance, in the late 1990s, when Associate Professor Daniel Goh (Arts & Social Sciences ’98, MSocSci ’01), NUS Associate Provost (Undergraduate Education), was a sociology undergraduate, he gathered friends to start a tuition programme for children who needed dialysis at the National University Hospital and often had to miss classes.

Law and Medicine were among the first to start faculty-wide service initiatives. In 2005, Law students started the NUS Pro Bono Group to promote access to justice in Singapore. The students run 10 separate projects, supporting specific groups including sexual assault survivors, voluntary welfare organisations and legal clinics that provide free legal advice. As the first and largest student-run pro bono group in Singapore, the group now has over 230 student members, who helped more than 20 beneficiary organisations in the past academic year.

NUS is a very special institution founded by the community, for the community… This is our vision for NUS, a higher purpose that is deeply rooted in our beginnings.

Professor Tan Eng Chye, NUS President

Law student Rebecca Wong, who is graduating in 2027, said, “Ultimately, being part of these clinics has reinforced my desire to pursue a career that balances legal expertise with social responsibility, whether through working with non-profits, in community law or within law firms that are actively engaged in pro bono work, thereby bringing a positive impact to society.”

Then there is the Neighbourhood Health Service (NHS), which was launched in 2008 by a group of medical students to improve the low uptake of health screenings. Working with agencies, including regional health clusters SingHealth and the National Healthcare Group, they rotate through different neighbourhoods — most recently Clementi in 2024 — conducting ‘one-stop shop’ screenings for lower-income residents to check for multiple conditions, follow up with those who have abnormal results and promote general health awareness. Over the past 17 years, they have served more than 7,000 residents across nine districts. “Medical

school has emphasised that medicine involves more than just a clinical perspective,” said NHS Project Director Cheryl Ow, a thirdyear student at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. “Through NHS, I’ve become more attuned to the challenges that low-income residents face in maintaining their health and had the opportunity to innovate NHS initiatives — skills and knowledge that will be valuable in my future practice.”

At a university level, the Day of Service was started in 2016 as a community service movement involving students, staff and alumni. It evolved into NUS Cares in 2022. Activities include distributing hampers to lower-income households, beach clean-ups and more. In 2024, more than 5,000 NUS alumni, students and staff participated in more than 100 community projects under the initiative, helping some 29,000 beneficiaries.

Meanwhile, among the NUS student population, TeachSG was officially launched in 2022 to help children and youths from disadvantaged families through community-

As part of the NUS Pro Bono Group’s outreach, students visited Tampines to educate elderly residents on scam prevention and financial dispute navigation.

NUS Medicine's Neighbourhood Health Service has been reaching out to residents across Singapore for nearly two decades.

based tutoring and mentoring. Within a year, it had recruited close to 1,400 NUS students to mentor nearly 3,100 children and youth beneficiaries.

SERVICE LEARNING IN THE CURRICULUM

Despite the flowering of such initiatives, many of these remained voluntary. When it comes to formally integrating service learning into the NUS curriculum, Assoc Prof Goh said that the first such course — apart from those offered by the Department of Social Work, which was established in 1952 — was started in 2007 by the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. “Service learning was very much emphasised in Singapore at the time, and the universities were tasked to look into it,” said Assoc Prof Goh, who had just joined NUS to teach in 2006.

are now required to complete at least one C&E course as part of their General Education curriculum. TeachSG was also folded into C&E, so students earn credits for their involvement.

Senior Vice Provost (Undergraduate Education) Professor Bernard Tan (Computing ’89, Science MSc ’91, Science PhD ’95) explained why C&E was chosen over other possible areas such as sustainability or design thinking: “In a volatile world where people may face disruptions in work or life, the gap between the haves and the have-nots may widen,” he said. “Given that NUS produces leaders in all walks of life, it is important that our graduates have empathy for the havenots.” He added that research shows young people with early experience in community work are more likely to continue giving back later in life as professionals and leaders.

The C&E courses have gained strong traction, he said, with many students choosing to take more than one required course by using their unrestricted electives. These courses are built around active participation. “The last thing we want is for them to sit in a class and listen to people talk about communities and engagement,” he said, adding that students need to go out and connect directly with those they hope to serve through fieldwork.

CULTIVATING A LISTENING HEART

As part of the Reconnect SeniorsSG course, students meet weekly with seniors, encouraging them to remain active and connected to society.

But the most significant expansion of service learning at NUS came in 2022 with the introduction of Communities and Engagement (C&E) courses such as Reconnect SeniorsSG — where students learn key concepts in volunteerism and then support vulnerable seniors by checking on them regularly, or Assistive Technology for Persons with Disability, during which students work with the community by developing a helpful service, app or other solution.

All undergraduates

What kind of social impact do the students make? Prof Tan stressed that it is not simply about swooping into a community with a ‘superhero mindset’ to apply a perceived

In a volatile world where people may face disruptions in work or life, the gap between the haves and the havenots may widen. Given that NUS produces leaders in all walks of life, it is important that our graduates have empathy for the have-nots.

Professor Bernard Tan, Senior Vice Provost (Undergraduate Education), NUS

NUS Cares is the evolution of the Day of Service, with community service initiatives now carried out throughout the year.

solution for a problem and then leaving in a blaze of lights. Instead, NUS cultivates an attitude of sincerity and humility that starts with learning and listening. “We want our undergrads to not just turn up to act, but to listen, learn and truly serve with an open heart and mind,” said Associate Professor Tan Lai Yong (Medicine ’85, MPA ’13), who taught a course titled Hidden Communities at the College of Alice and Peter Tan, where students interact with and learn from hidden or marginalised communities.

Assoc Prof Tan, often described as a ‘barefoot doctor’ for his 15 years as a medical missionary in Yunnan, China, seeks to instil this spirit of the ‘listening heart’ in students. He stressed that the process of listening, engaging and learning — whether or not a student makes a quantifiable difference or starts a programme — is impactful in itself. “When we visit a community and learn something from them, in a way it also restores their dignity, as they are heard,” said Assoc Prof Tan, who still visits rural communities in Southeast Asia.

SOCIAL IMPACT BEYOND SINGAPORE

We want our undergrads to not just turn up to act, but to listen, learn and truly serve with an open heart and mind.

Like Assoc Prof Tan, more and more NUS students are stepping beyond Singapore’s borders to work with overseas communities. The NUS Pro Bono Group, for instance, collaborates with peers in Thailand and Malaysia. One of its most established initiatives is the Thai-Ed with Love programme, which was started in 2015 with Bangkok’s Thammasat University

Pro Bono Society. In January this year, 25 NUS Law students travelled to the Thai capital to gain a comparative perspective on pro bono work in Thailand and Singapore.

Among the most significant social impact efforts beyond Singapore are the NUS Southeast Asia Friendship Initiative (SFI) and the Impact Experience (IEx) programme — both credit-bearing courses introduced in 2023. SFI sends students from the halls, houses and residential colleges on study trips across Southeast Asia. Since May 2023, more than 1,000 students have joined 50 such trips.

IEx, which is designed primarily for NUS College students but is also open to students from other NUS residential colleges, brings together interdisciplinary teams to work on credit-bearing projects in Year 2 — either in Singapore or within communities in Southeast Asian countries such as Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

“We want our students to go beyond Singapore so they become not only community-minded with an entrepreneurial mindset, but also global citizens who are comfortable with adapting anywhere,” explained Assoc Prof Goh.

Over a two-year period, students return to these locations during their summer or winter breaks to build on their solutions with the local communities — such as helping banana farmers in Thailand improve profit margins, developing fire prevention and response systems in Sabah and optimising coral growth in Bali. Ideally, these projects are continued by the local community even after the students graduate. “The students know that they are not starting two-year projects,” said Assoc Prof Goh.

Associate Professor Tan Lai Yong

In 2020, Assoc Prof Tan Lai Yong (left) spearheaded a pilot project to help defray the university education expenses of migrant workers’ female dependents.

Initiatives such as the Thai-Ed with Love programme have fostered collaboration between NUS Law students and their peers across the ASEAN region.

“These are long-term projects. What the students are doing is seeding solutions for sustained engagement with the communities — [work that] can be carried on even by the next cohort or the communities themselves.”

Not every project succeeds. Many communities face what Assoc Prof Goh calls “wicked” problems — complex challenges with no easy solutions. “But this is part of the experiential learning pedagogy. We want to give students a real-world taste of failure,” he said.

Since 2023, 1,140 students have taken part in IEx. The number has grown each year — from 352 in 2023 to 403 in 2025 — with more students choosing to go overseas. Regional projects now account for 65 per cent of the total number of IEx projects, up from 52 per cent in 2023. The very first IEx project showcase will take place on 17 September this year at the Impact Festival, to be held at UTown.

Given the scale of commitment, NUS will be doubling the credits awarded for IEx, from four to eight units. “The students are doing a lot of work and often want to do more, so we have to give recognition to the time and effort they put in,” said Assoc Prof Goh. He added that the students’ passion for their IEx projects and the impact they make always leaves an impression. “When I see photographs or videos of their projects, or read something — or just watch the students reflecting — I am incredibly moved by what they have done,” he added. “I intend to bring a lot of tissue paper to the Impact Festival!”

Bamboo Power in Thailand

In February 2024, five NUS undergraduates from five different disciplines — physics, political science, economics, computer science and architecture — teamed up to launch a regional social impact project.

Just over a year later, the Bamboobon team’s IEx project in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand — to work with the local community to realise the value of bamboo — has not only led to the creation of a Bamboo Learning Centre, museum, community library and treatment centre, but also earned them the Promise and Potential Award at the NUS x Hult Prize 2025.

The Hult Prize is a global social entrepreneurship competition that challenges students to address the world’s most pressing issues through innovative business ideas.

Phoo Phoo Myint Han, one of the local volunteers, said, “Bamboo is a natural treasure here in Ubon, with its potential to diversify farmers' crop portfolios, boost incomes, and meet the growing global demand for sustainable materials. The opening of a Bamboo Learning Centre and library in Donklangtai village is a significant step toward fostering knowledge, sustainability, and community development.”

The best part? Even after they graduate in 2027, their project may continue. The team is now working with NUS Enterprise to build a

The project helps local communities recognise and unlock the value of

full-fledged social enterprise and is undergoing a three-month incubation at the BLOCK71 Social Impact Hub.

Meanwhile, their Thai community partners are still working to equip local farmers, artisans and enthusiasts with the skills, resources and industry connections to cultivate, treat, create and sell bamboo products.

“We realised that social impact is, first and foremost, about building relationships with the community,” said a team spokesperson.

“Advocating for lifestyle change is immensely difficult, and it all starts with trust. And trust can only be meaningfully fostered through face-to-face interactions.”

IEx group Local Farm Gastronomia created a farm-tofork workshop that allows participants to experience rooftop farming and harvesting, followed by cooking a nutritious meal with the vegetables they harvested.

bamboo.

NUS ALUMNI AMPLIFY

GLOBAL SOCIAL IMPACT

If success in social impact is defined by how alumni maintain a giving mindset and actively develop or support such initiatives after graduation, both in Singapore and globally, then NUS has been tremendously successful. For instance, Mr Win Bo (Engineering MSc ’02) took the initiative to approach the NUS Office of Alumni Relations in 2018 to set up the NUS Alumni Network Yangon. Among its activities, it brings together Myanmar-based NUS alumni to support vulnerable groups through food donations, educational support and healthcare assistance, usually under the NUS Cares umbrella. They run one to two programmes a year and were most recently involved in the Myanmar Earthquake Relief effort. “For overseas alumni, such projects foster a sense of belonging, strengthen bonds within the alumni network, and enable meaningful contributions to the host society,” he said.

Even before the introduction of C&E courses in 2022, many alumni said their time at NUS inspired them to start and grow their own social impact ventures. For Mr Harry Pham Van Anh (MPA ’17), NUS was where he learnt about social policy design, public-private partnerships and systems thinking; visited grassroots organisations to better understand vocational learning and inclusive education; and connected with classmates from around the world with diverse insights. “It was at NUS where I felt empowered to keep going — not just with heart,

It was at NUS where I felt empowered to keep going — not just with heart, but with a sharper, more strategic mind.

Mr Harry Pham Van Anh

but with a sharper, more strategic mind,” said Mr Pham, who started an educationbased social enterprise in Vietnam, the ECO Vietnam Group.

For Ms Nur Hafishah Marsden (Arts & Social Sciences ’05), two humbling realisations struck during her studies on global communities as an NUS history major. “First, I recognised how deeply privileged I was to be born in Singapore. Second, I began to see how so many people’s lives have been shaped by historical forces and decisions far beyond their control — often long before they were even born,” she said. She started the Arden Project in mid-2020 to teach English to students from low-income families in Indonesia, from Primary 1 to university level. Nearly all saw improvement in their exam results, with half scoring above 50 per cent. Ms Hafishah is now on track to open three new centres this year.

Like her, Ms Norkham Souphanouvong (MPA ’08) also has a passion for the power of education. As a country director for Room to Read — a global non-profit for children’s literacy and girls’ education — she spearheads a wide range of educational development programmes in Laos. On how her NUS professors and peers had shaped her outlook, she said, “Their insights into the complexities of social issues and the

The activities carried out by NUS Alumni Network Yangon members seek to support vulnerable groups in Myanmar.

importance of sustainable solutions deepened my commitment to making a tangible impact.”

As for the founders of Wateroam, a combination of NUS’ academic rigour, cultural diversity and an environment that celebrates curiosity, innovation and multidisciplinary collaboration showed them that engineering could serve as a tool for social transformation.

Founded by Mr Vincent Loka (Engineering ’15), Mr Lim Chong Tee (Engineering ’16) and Mr David Pong (Business ’14), the water filtration company has helped roughly 350,000 people across the region gain access to clean water

A Village Girl Breaks the Cycle

When a 12-year-old KhmerVietnamese girl first stepped into Mr Harry Pham Van Anh’s ECO Vietnam Group (EVG) learning centre, she was bucking the trend.

In her village, it was the boys who had the chance to pursue an education. Girls were expected to marry young. But Mr Pham encouraged her to not only explore her Khmer heritage — from its philosophies to traditional dance — but also to study English and STEM subjects to build a better future.

Today, she has made history as the first girl in her village to receive a full scholarship to study at Fulbright University Vietnam.

“Her journey has inspired many others, especially girls, to dream bigger,” said Mr Pham.

Motivated by former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s (HonLLD ’13) belief in the power

of education to transform lives, Mr Pham founded EVG in 2009. His three learning centres in Vietnam offer high-quality, free education to underserved communities, with facilities such as libraries, multipurpose classrooms with laptops and internet access, recycled-material playgrounds and community halls. EVG also drives broader community development: Constructing roads to improve access, building toilets to promote hygiene and installing solar streetlights to ensure safety. Every year, it runs around 30 community projects involving more than 1,000 local and international volunteers (including from NUS), contributing between US$150,000 and US$300,000 in value to rural communities. For his work, Mr Pham recently

over the past decade. Most recently, during the Myanmar earthquake in March, their filters provided a lifeline, supplying safe drinking water to affected communities.

“We believe that the global impact of NUS, its students and alumni serves as a powerful reminder of how education and community commitment can drive meaningful change,” said Mr Lim, reflecting on the social impact of the NUS community. “Witnessing the initiatives of NUS and its alumni reaffirms our belief that our education is not an end in itself but a catalyst for continuous, impactful progress.”

Singaporean students during a Cultural Exchange session at EVG Center 1.

received a certification of merit from the provincial government.

Mr Pham — who continues to give back as a member of the NUS Alumni Advisory Board, NUS Alumni Ambassador in Ho Chi Minh City and President of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy Vietnam Chapter — has

this advice for fellow alumni keen on social impact work: “I have ‘3Ps’ to share. Patience is required as real change takes time. Proactiveness is needed to learn new things and connect with others. Finally, Professionalism is critical, as social impact work is not charity or a short-term activity — it requires seriousness and dedication.”

Ms Nur Hafishah Marsden (3rd from left) empowers children from low-income families in Indonesia.

Wateroam is committed to providing people across the region access to clean water.

A WORLD OF

OPPORTUNITIES

Traverse the globe, and you can find NUS alumni hard at work in more than 100 countries. We asked a few of them what makes the job scene in their cities unique — and what you need to know to enter the market.

LONDON

"The most important approach is to be true to yourself. If you can see and explain yourself in the role / company, then you can answer any question from your potential future employer. Do your research, be aware of your strengths, always be open to learning, and believe in [the importance of being] a team player. Being respectful of diversity and inclusion is key.”

Ms Vicki Yeo (Arts & Social Sciences ’05) Strategy and Partnerships Lead Concave Summit

HONG KONG

“In Hong Kong, the culture is formal, with jackets worn during the weekdays. People work hard, with a focus on professionalism, customer satisfaction and financial success. Weekends are for relaxation.”

Dr Johnny He (Singapore-MIT Alliance ’01) Founder & Partner SinoVest Capital

TOKYO

“In Tokyo, ‘Digital Transformation’ continues to be a trending term across all industries, and individuals with the relevant capabilities are in high demand. Speaking Japanese is still a better-to-have.”

Mr Takumi Kawai (MBA ’14) Partner Centex & Brightz

TORONTO

"I particularly relish the work-life balance in Toronto's job culture. The ‘Right to Disconnect’ law in Ontario protects employees from being pressured to engage in work-related communications outside of regular working hours. In fact, in my workplace, we studiously avoid using WhatsApp for work.”

Ms Billie Lu (Arts & Social Sciences '85) Clinical Research Associate Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

"San Diego is a thriving hub for biotechnology and biopharma industries, providing abundant opportunities for fresh graduates and seasoned professionals to excel in a fast-evolving landscape. Post-COVID-19, the rise of numerous startups has made America's Finest City an even more attractive destination for talent and innovation.”

Ms Mathangi Srinivasan (Engineering ’13) Associate Director – Engineering Illumina

WASHINGTON, DC

"The job market to join international organisations is competitive. In Washington DC, the work culture is professional and candidates are expected to be ready to showcase their technical specialty.”

Dr Cheng Ruijie (Public Policy PhD ’22) Economist The World Bank

Building a Career in the Big Apple — and Beyond

What does it take to make it in global cities like New York? At a recent NUS Be A-Head event, experts shared candid advice on adjusting to new work cultures, growing professional networks and adapting to unfamiliar career landscapes.

Meet the Speakers: Ms Dhanya Balasubramanian (Engineering ’13)

The Director of Digital Engagement & Personalisation at The Wendy’s Company, Ms Dhanya has built a career in retail and food service, leading digital marketing and loyalty programmes. A former civil engineer, she transitioned into business strategy, with roles at Burger King, Uniqlo and Zalora. She also holds an MBA from Columbia University.

Dr Peter Allen

The Managing Director at Allen Strategies, Dr Allen is a seasoned executive coach with experience spanning McKinsey, Google, Standard Chartered Bank and private equity firms. A native New Yorker, he has worked extensively in Singapore and Bangkok, advising leaders in finance, technology and education. He holds a PhD from the University of Chicago and an MBA from Wharton.

Mr Willie Wee (Business ’16)

AT THE RECENT 'BUILDING YOUR GLOBAL CAREER – OPPORTUNITIES & INSIGHTS FROM WORKING OVERSEAS [NEW YORK EDITION]' EVENT, alumni and industry leaders who have lived and worked in New York City shared firsthand insights on breaking into one of the world’s most competitive job markets. Held online on 20 March 2025, the session was moderated by NUS Chief Alumni Officer Ms Ovidia Lim-Rajaram (Arts & Social Sciences ’89) and was part of the NUS Be A-Head seminar series, which brings together established professionals to share career advice and workplace strategies with young alumni and graduating students.

A Customer Success Business Partner at Anaplan, Mr Wee began his career as a Republic of Singapore Navy officer before moving into tech startups in Silicon Valley. He now advises Fortune 500 life sciences companies on enterprise software. An NUS Business School graduate, he relocated to the US during the COVID-19 pandemic and has since worked across the West Coast and New York.

Together, the speakers outlined the challenges of working abroad and shared strategies for career growth.

1. Know Why You Want to Move

Before deciding to work overseas, clarify your motivation — whether it is career progression, broader exposure or a fresh start. Having a specific goal helps you plan better, whether that means pursuing further studies, applying for roles directly or transferring internally within a company. “There is no one way to do this,” said Ms Dhanya. “But I would say never try to change two things at once — either move geographically, switch industries or seek career progression, but do not do all three at the same time.”

2. Make Networking Your Secret Weapon

Online applications are rarely enough. Dr Allen emphasised the power of networking. "Applying [for jobs] online alone is not enough,” he said. “Networking is the key. Check out books like What Colour Is Your Parachute? [by Richard Nelson Bolles] and Your Invisible Network [by Michael Urtuzuástegui Melcher] for strategies.” Mr Wee echoed this, saying that networking is a numbers game. “You have to reach out to a lot of people. Attend networking events, use LinkedIn and find second-degree connections,” he said. “The Singaporean community overseas can also be a big help.” Alumni networks are also a good place to start. Reach out to former classmates and colleagues — many global roles are filled through referrals rather than job listings.

3.

Adapt to a Different Work Culture

Adapting to new workplace norms can ease the transition into an overseas role. This may involve observing how teams operate, adjusting your communication style and finding mentors. Ms Dhanya, who moved from Singapore to New York, shared

how communication styles differ. “I come from an Asian upbringing, where you defer to experience and seek permission before speaking,” she said. “In New York, I had to learn to speak up confidently.” Similarly, Mr Wee found that self-advocacy is equally important. “Americans speak with 100 per cent confidence, even if they’re only 50 per cent sure. We, as Asians, second-guess ourselves,” he said. “The first year I moved, I kept wondering — ‘Is everyone really smarter than me?’ Then I realised, no, they’re just better at speaking up.”

4. Understand Visa Options and Assess Job Offers

Visa requirements can be a major roadblock. Dr Allen encouraged jobseekers to focus on multinational companies with a track record of hiring international employees. “For Singaporeans, there’s an easier work visa (H-1B1) compared to others, but still, the best bet is to join a large multinational company with a history of hiring Singaporeans,” he said. Aside from work permits, evaluate job offers carefully. Watch for potential concerns such as frequent staff changes or vague job descriptions.

5. Stand Out in a Crowded Market

Beyond technical skills, showcasing your personality, interests and leadership experiences can help set you apart. Mr Wee noted that in New York’s competitive job market, having unique experiences on your CV can make a difference. “My CV listed poker, public speaking and competitive sports,” he shared. “One of my interviews turned into a discussion about poker strategy, which helped me land the job.”

6.

Stay Open to Change

Pursuing a global career is not just about getting a foot in the door — it also involves adapting, networking and making considered career decisions. In countries like the US, career paths tend to be fluid. Dr Allen noted that job mobility is common. “People switch careers all the time,” he shared. “I’ve been an academic, a consultant, a Google employee, an executive coach and more.” So, whether you’re eyeing a role in New York or Silicon Valley, understanding these dynamics can help you navigate the move more confidently.

Highlights from the session’s Q&A segment

How do I find a job in the US from overseas?

Applying directly from Singapore is often the toughest route, said Mr Wee. The easiest way is to transfer within your current company or pursue a master’s degree in the US, which provides a student work visa. It also helps to look for companies that have hired Singaporeans before — that increases your chances.

How competitive is the New York job market for fresh graduates?

Extremely competitive, said Dr Allen. Employers often prefer candidates they already know or are from familiar backgrounds. That is why networking is key. Ms Dhanya recommended that graduates consider multinational companies with internal transfer schemes or structured training programmes. Alumni networks are also a valuable resource for a warm introduction.

What are red flags to watch for in job offers?

When evaluating a role, Dr Allen suggested asking why the position is open in the first place. “If it’s a new role due to expansion, that’s great. But if there’s high turnover, it could be a toxic workplace,” he said. Ms Dhanya added that it is important to stay true to yourself. “If you feel like you have to change who you are just to fit in, it might not be the right company for you,” she said.

"In Order to Work with AI, We Must Work on Being Human"

Dr Cansu Canca (Arts & Social Sciences PhD ’12) founded AI Ethics Lab, which brings together philosophers and computer scientists to develop ethical frameworks in artificial intelligence.

WHO SHE IS

Dr Cansu Canca is a philosopher and the Founder and Director of AI Ethics Lab, a pioneer in multidisciplinary research on AI ethics that provides frameworks and advice to practitioners. She works with global bodies such as the World Health Organization and INTERPOL, and has consulted for the US Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services. Since 2021, she has served as a Research Associate Professor in Philosophy and the Director of Responsible AI at Northeastern University in Boston.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) HAS ENTERED INTO THE DECISION-MAKING FRAMEWORKS of many, if not most, industries. While great progress is being made at breakneck speed, one of the key issues that has arisen is the ethics that guide these AI decisions — or the lack thereof. Without the consideration of ethics — whether a decision is good, bad, right or wrong — undesirable consequences could be commonplace.

At just 42, Dr Cansu Canca has carved for herself a unique position as an AI ethicist. Named one of the top thinkers in AI ethics and governance by the World Economic Forum in 2023, she has delivered over 100 talks on the topic at institutions including

Harvard Business School and the United States Department of Justice.

What might surprise some is that the founder of AI Ethics Lab — a research-based consultancy that integrates ethics into AI and creates responsible AI strategies for organisations — is a philosopher. Born in Turkey, she earned her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Philosophy at Boğaziçi University in Istanbul. During her master’s, she conducted research on medical ethics at Osaka University in Japan. “Throughout my education, I always focused on ethics,” she said.

FINDING HER WAY TO SINGAPORE

In 2007 — while exploring where to pursue her PhD — her parents decided on a family holiday in Singapore. “My father was a ship captain, and my

mum travelled with him a lot,” she said. “They spent their first New Year together in Singapore, from 1969 into 1970. Mum would tell me things like, ‘Oh, it was the first place I saw doubledecker buses’, and ‘We went to a great New Year’s party at the Tropicana Hotel, and Louis Armstrong was playing’. It sounded like a fairy tale. So they always wanted to go back.”

Through hearing their tales, Dr Canca fell in love with Singapore. “I really, really loved the city, so I thought ‘Let’s take this NUS thing much more seriously'," she said.

She discovered that NUS offered a PhD programme that was hard to resist, even with scholarship offers from universities around the world. “When I chose Singapore, my mum was like, ‘I’m so glad you’re not going too far’,” she added. “Singapore was much easier for my family when I was a student living there [due to the visa restrictions they would face from nearer countries in Europe]. I loved my education at NUS. It was probably one of the best decisions I made.”

Dr Canca highlighted the “amazing” financial and research support she received from NUS. “I ended up going for research stints at the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva and the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, and all of these were supported by grants from NUS. The philosophy department has really a high-end, worldclass faculty,” she added.

RAISING UP ETHICS IN A WORLD OF AI

Dr Canca described philosophy as “an organised approach to the world’s hard questions. [It entails] organising your thoughts, making them structured and systematic, and going in a direction where you can have some answers."

She emphasised that ethics is fundamental. “How are people treated? Are they suffering? Are they happy? How can we make it better? And finally,

I have always been very drawn to the idea of combining this importance and urgency with philosophy’s very structured and deep thinking process, which leads you to robust answers.

how can we make the life experience better? That is the most fundamental question if you care about anything.”

Her doctoral research at WHO focused on organ transplantation, after which she became a lecturer in Applied Ethics at the University of Hong Kong. There, she designed a medical ethics curriculum and taught bioethics.

Dr Canca is attracted to the urgency of applied ethics. “You have to give answers: there is a patient and there must be a decision about that patient's treatment. For example, who is going to get the kidney? Who is going to get the life support? Who is going to get the vaccination? You don’t have the luxury of thinking about this for centuries; you have to make a decision. You have the moral weight of any action, including inaction,” she described. “I have always been very drawn to the idea of combining this importance and urgency with philosophy’s very structured and deep thinking process, which leads you to robust answers.”

It was while she was at the University of Hong Kong that she noticed how technological tools were being used to make value-based decisions in hospitals — often bluntly. For example, she explained, an AI system predicting which patients need more healthcare might prioritise those who return to the hospital more often. At first glance, this looks objective. But in reality, wealthier people can afford more frequent visits, while lower-income patients might delay care due to the cost. The AI algorithm, if left unchecked, would result in deprioritising patients that need healthcare

Dr Canca at a conference in Istanbul earlier this year.

the most. “So whatever pattern the AI system recognises is really dependent on the data and values encoded in it. If we don’t know that, we miss a whole chunk of the ethical assessment that we make,” Dr Canca said.

This led to her leaving Hong Kong for Cambridge, Massachusetts, to research and affect how AI makes ethical assessments. “I thought [it would be good to go back] to Harvard,” she recalled of her move in 2017. “This town is full of researchers, and I was sure they were working on [the ethics of AI]. But they were not working on it — not in relation to the practice and to the practitioners.”

She also talked to professors at Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), as well as major tech companies, only to learn there was no opportunity to focus on this specific question. So, Dr Canca started her own consultancy, AI Ethics Lab. She went to a café, bought a website, created a logo and started contacting people. “I said, ‘Can we work together? I have nothing to offer, no money — nothing — but we can start working on these research questions, developing papers and workshops to guide the practitioners. And it worked because there were no similar groups — which meant there was no real competition. So if anybody wanted to work on this, I provided the setup.”

The AI Ethics Lab team consists of philosophers and computer scientists — an unconventional combination

Above left: The Mapping is a structured, interactive workshop designed by the AI Ethics Lab to help participants think deeply about ethical problems, evaluate possible outcomes, and decide on ethically viable paths forward. Above: In 2024, Dr Canca was honoured with the Mozilla Rise25 award in the 'Change Agents of AI' category.

that, to Dr Canca, makes perfect sense. She pointed to a precedent in public health ethics: a group of philosophers within a programme called Ethics and Health, who advised on triage decisions during the 2010 Haiti Earthquake. These experts worked together to make extremely difficult ethical decisions that had to be implemented immediately. “So in my mind, that has always been the model,” she explained. “You bring the computer scientists together with the philosophers, and they together make better decisions, because computer scientists know the technical aspects and philosophers know how to determine what is right.”

Her timing was impeccable when she launched AI Ethics Lab in 2017. The following year, the Cambridge Analytica and Facebook scandals — in which personal data belonging to millions of Facebook users was used without consent by Cambridge Analytica to market targeted political messages through AI — heightened awareness of ethical risks in technology. “I was in town, I was available, and I had a very easy-to-find website,” she said. “I was already connected to the academic community here, so I was pulled into different projects, and I pulled in my other collaborators into those different projects.” The lab quickly gained traction, leading to talks, workshops and consultations with companies.

As an early voice in AI ethics, Dr Canca has worked with organisations such as the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice in the US, educating them on the ethical implications of using AI tools. She also collaborates with the World Economic Forum, the United Nations and INTERPOL to develop guidelines for law enforcement, investors and companies on responsible AI innovation.

Although the world is enamoured with AI now, Dr Canca argues that the key to working with the technology lies in strengthening human qualities. “The reality is, in order to work with AI, create better AI systems and be successful in an AI-embedded world, it’s much more important that we work on being human,” she said. “We need to be more creative, more critical in our thinking, and we need to understand the world better. That’s how we can train and control AI better.”

We need to be more creative, more critical in our thinking, and we need to understand the world better. That’s how we can train and control AI better.

A Dedicated Pharmacy Bursary, 10 Years On

“NO

ONE HAS EVER BECOME POOR BY GIVING.”

This quote from Anne Frank was the catalyst that kickstarted Mr Lee JT and Ms Loh PJ’s journey in giving. To commemorate a milestone wedding anniversary in 2015, the couple – both Pharmacy alumni from NUS – established the Lee JT & Loh PJ Pharmacy Bursary to support deserving Pharmacy students in financial need.

Having borrowed to pursue their own tertiary education at NUS, Mr Lee and Ms Loh fully understand the importance of education as a social leveller. Their Bursary, administered under the NUS Science Student Fund (SSF), is currently the only dedicated bursary for NUS Pharmacy students. Over the past decade of its disbursement, the Bursary has created positive impact in the lives of 10 students.

INSPIRING FUTURE PHARMACISTS

For Ms Khang Hui Lin (Science ’24), the Bursary was the key to fulfilling her dreams. Even though she had harboured the desire to be a pharmacist since Secondary 3, she was initially hesitant to apply to university due to her family’s financial challenges. Thanks to the support of the Bursary, she was able to pursue her aspirations and is now working as a pharmacist at the National University Hospital (NUH).

“Just as I have been a recipient of kindness, I am dedicated to extending the same generosity to others in need,” she shared. “I firmly believe that a simple act of kindness creates an endless ripple effect, touching the lives of many.”

CONTRIBUTING TO HEALTHCARE AND BEYOND

Since young, Mr Lee and Ms Loh had already set their minds on working in healthcare. They attribute their strong foundation in the sector to the late Professor Lucy Wan’s mentorship during their formative years, and hope to keep contributing to healthcare in the years to come.

Just as they received strong support from those around them, they

The Pharmacy class T-shirt design during Mr Lee and Ms Loh’s undergraduate days. The couple are proud NUS Pharmacy alumni and are committed to giving back to their alma mater.

want to make a similar difference to students who wish to pursue their aspirations in the field of pharmacy.

“The generosity of donors like Lee JT and Loh PJ has been instrumental in advancing education,” said Professor Giorgia Pastorin, Head of the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. “I am deeply grateful for their continued support for the Department over the past decade, which is truly invaluable and inspires future generations to excel and contribute to the healthcare industry.”

NUS marks its 120th anniversary this year, celebrating its longstanding commitment to nurturing excellence through education. Donors like Mr Lee and Ms Loh, who steadfastly give towards causes they believe in, have played a crucial part in creating this legacy.

As the couple celebrates another nuptial milestone with a recent top-up to their Bursary, they hope that other Pharmacy alumni will be inspired to start their own journey of giving too.

The Lee JT & Loh PJ Pharmacy Bursary has supported 10 financially needy NUS Pharmacy students in the past 10 years.

WHO HE IS

Mr Simranjit Singh is the CEO of Guardant Health AMEA and a leader in precision oncology. As the recipient of the 2024 Outstanding Science Alumni Award, he is helping transform how cancers are diagnosed and treated.

Changing the Game for the Greater Good

Medtech trailblazer Mr Simranjit Singh (Science ’04) has built a career around using his expertise to improve lives.

FOR MR SIMRANJIT SINGH, THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE (NUS) wasn’t just a place to study; it was practically a second home. Long before he became an innovator in cancer detection, he was a little boy roaming the halls of the University, where his mother worked in administration. “She worked there for over 30 years,” Mr Singh recalled. “I’d follow her to the campus on Saturdays, and she would leave me in

the library while she worked. I’d spend hours flipping through books far beyond my age. It was her way of keeping me safe, but it became a space where I started to dream big.”

Mr Singh’s mother never had the chance to attend university herself, having had to leave school to support her family after her own father’s passing. “So when it came to me, she was determined I’d graduate from NUS. Her dream became mine,” said the proud father of three.

SAVING THE WORLD THROUGH SCIENCE

As a young student, Mr Singh gravitated towards science. “I was lucky to have a biology teacher who made science exciting,” he said. “It wasn’t just about memorising facts — it was about applying knowledge to make things better.” This passion deepened at NUS, where he pursued biomedical sciences. “I’ve always been drawn to the practical side of science — finding ways to use it to make life better,” Mr Singh explained.

A pivotal moment came during his first year when Mr Philip Yeo, a pioneer civil servant and key architect of Singapore’s Biopolis, spoke to Mr Singh’s cohort about the future of biomedical science. “He talked about the need to not just do research but to commercialise it. That stuck with me,” Mr Singh shared.

This belief was further crystallised when he joined the NUS Overseas Colleges (NOC) programme at the University of Pennsylvania. There, Mr Singh worked at a biotech startup while taking business courses. “It was lifechanging,” he said. “I learned how startups work, pitched to venture capitalists, and saw the potential to turn scientific ideas into solutions that could impact lives.”

Inspired by the experience, Mr Singh and a fellow NOC participant co-founded their first startup. Focused on developing diagnostic technology, their venture showed early promise, winning accolades from Startup Singapore and the Lee Kuan Yew Business Plan Competition. Yet, the realities of turning an idea into a market-ready product soon set in, and the startup eventually fizzled out due to funding challenges and technical hurdles.

Despite the setback, this experience taught him invaluable lessons in resilience and the complexities of the biotech industry, shaping his approach to future ventures.

REDEFINING DIAGNOSTICS

Mr Singh’s career took him through public service and consulting roles before he joined the clinical research industry. But a turning point came in late 2017, when a health scare shifted his perspective. “The doctors found a growth in my throat. I had to go for a PET scan and then a biopsy. The growth needed to be removed, but the complications from the diagnostic process were worse than expected,” he recalled. “I developed a blood clot in my throat, had to be rushed to the hospital, and it turned into a lot of trauma.”

Science isn’t just about research. It’s about finding ways to make a difference in people’s lives.

Looking back, however, he calls it a moment of serendipity. “That experience made me realise just how invasive and risky traditional biopsy procedures can be for patients,” he said. Shortly after, he encountered Guardant Health, a company pioneering liquid biopsy technology — a revolutionary method that uses blood samples to detect tumour DNA instead of requiring tissue extraction. He joined the company as its Chief Executive Officer for Asia, the Middle East and Africa shortly after.

Using fragments of tumour DNA from blood samples, Guardant’s machine learning algorithms analyse 3.2 billion permutations to identify the tumour’s origin and the genetic mutations driving the cancer. This allows doctors to tailor treatments specifically to the patient’s cancer profile. “We’re like a GPS for cancer therapy,” Mr Singh added, noting that biopsies done through blood tests eliminate the need for tissue biopsies, which can bring complications.

Mapping his journey

2002: Seeds of Innovation Through NUS Overseas Colleges, Mr Singh gains experience in a biotech startup, sparking his passion for turning science into real-world solutions.

2004: Graduation from NUS

Mr Singh fulfils a personal milestone and

his mother’s dream of seeing him graduate from the University.

2005: Public Service

At the National Environment Agency, Mr Singh manages Singapore’s Innovative Environmental Sustainability Fund.

FROM STARTUP TO GLOBAL PLAYER

In recent years, Mr Singh has been spearheading Guardant’s growth into a transformative force in cancer care. Under his leadership, the company introduced its groundbreaking liquid biopsy technology across more than 40 countries, benefiting over 50,000 cancer patients in Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Guardant’s innovations have set global benchmarks. The company became the first to receive approval from Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority, the US Food and Drug Administration and Japan’s Ministry of Health for its comprehensive genomic profiling of solid tumours. “We’ve changed the way cancer is detected, monitored and treated,” Mr Singh said.

Guardant’s tests now cover the full spectrum of cancer care, from early detection to recurrence monitoring and guiding treatment decisions. Most recently, the company launched a blood test for early colorectal cancer detection, which could replace invasive colonoscopies or unpleasant faecal tests. “Early detection is the key to bending the mortality curve for cancer,” Mr Singh said.

COMING FULL CIRCLE

In 2024, Mr Singh received the NUS Outstanding Science Alumni Award, an honour that brought his journey full circle. But for him, the true highlight wasn’t the award itself — it was what it meant for his parents, especially his mother. “When they honoured me with the award, I got the chance to bring my parents,” he said. “That was so special.” For his mother, however, it was more than just a ceremony — it was a homecoming. “A lot of the people there were her old friends, and I think she had the best time.”

Beyond his work at Guardant, Mr Singh remains closely connected to NUS, mentoring students from the Faculty of Science and supporting startups from the NUS Overseas Colleges programme. “I’ve been fortunate to have mentors who shaped my career, and I want to pay it forward,” he said. Reflecting on his journey, he added, “Science isn’t just about research. It’s about finding ways to make a difference in people’s lives. And that’s what keeps me going every day.”

2006-2009: Management Consulting in Healthcare

Mr Singh manages the healthcare division at Frost & Sullivan for Asia Pacific and provides strategic consulting for clients in the region.

2009-2017: IQVIA

He establishes the global business unit for medtech and diagnostics at IQVIA.

2017: Cancer Scare

A personal cancer scare leads him to focus on patient-friendly diagnostic solutions and liquid biopsy technologies.

2024: A Moment of Pride

Mr Singh is recognised with the NUS Outstanding Science Alumni Award for his transformative contributions to precision oncology.

social impact

Riding Against the Grain

Being part of Afghanistan’s National Women’s Cycling Team earned Ms Zhala Sarmast (Yale-NUS ’23) a Nobel Peace Prize nomination. She talks about the struggles and difficulties Afghan women continue to face today.

WHO SHE IS Ms Zhala Sarmast was nominated along with her teammates for the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts in empowering women through sports. Currently a Technical Content and Communications Strategist with SepPure Technologies, she is also a published author with a keen interest in music.

WHEN MS ZHALA SARMAST WAS A YOUNG GIRL IN KABUL, AFGHANISTAN, she attended the kindergarten at her parents’ workplace, the National Radio and Television of Afghanistan (RTA). Her early introduction to cycling came through her father, who would cycle to work with her daily. “He had a small seat at [the] front of the bike [where I would sit],” she recalled. “I have really fond memories of my dad. When he was done with work, we would cycle to get ice cream and then go back home.”

Ms Sarmast lost her father to cancer when she was just five, but she continued to carry the love he had for cycling in her own life. But as she grew older, she found that the sight of a female on a bicycle would draw disapproving looks from strangers. “Decades of conflict have significantly influenced Afghan society,” she explained. “This has contributed to a noticeable tendency toward conservatism among many people in the country, though certainly not all. It was heartbreaking for me to not be able to cycle so easily anymore.”

In 2013, however, Ms Sarmast came across an exhibit for the Afghanistan National Women’s Cycling Team. Intrigued, she struck up a conversation with the team and obtained the telephone number of the coach. But her hopes faced a hurdle in the form of her mother, who cited safety concerns. Eventually, her mother relented on the condition that she stay in constant contact. She started out in the Afghanistan Cycling Federation and joined the under-18 cycling team. After consistently doing well in competitions, she joined the national team and has been part of it since.

The team has participated in countless competitions. This includes races in the many provinces of Afghanistan — where the team would be escorted by police cars to ensure its safety — as well as international competitions and tournaments, including in India, France, Switzerland and elsewhere.

The danger in Afghanistan was particularly acute. “I’ve had teammates who were physically attacked. I, too, was pushed off the bike once,”

she revealed. Another teammate lives with a lifelong spinal injury after a security guard unleashed a dog on her, causing her to fall.

In 2016, the team, which included Ms Sarmast, was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. Ms Sarmast coauthored two books, Redefining the Rules and #MyVoice (Vol. 7), where she discussed the awareness their efforts created. “It was a significant milestone, because it highlighted the challenges that Afghan women were dealing with on a daily basis and the great impact that every action could have,” she explained. “When we joined the cycling team, our purpose, for the most part, was to cycle and to become professional cyclists. But somehow we simultaneously became activists as well."

A TRANSFORMATIVE TIME AT YALE-NUS

Ms Sarmast, the third child of two engineers, attended a summer programme at Yale University, where she met Yale-NUS undergraduates. “That experience gave me a closer look at Yale-NUS — Singapore’s first liberal arts college — and I became deeply interested. The curriculum seemed to be intellectually very engaging, and the community seemed unique – full of bright, driven and talented students. I was also drawn to the interdisciplinary common curriculum, the incredible

There are so many layers to the Yale-NUS experience, and that made it more special.

faculty, and so much more.” She enrolled in Yale-NUS in 2018. She calls her experience at Yale-NUS “transformative”. “It really changed me into a different and, I think, better person,” she shared. “There are so many layers to the Yale-NUS experience, and that made it more special.” Students often enjoyed having informal chats with friendly professors over coffee or a meal. The fact that it was a residential college facilitated friendships as well. “I feel like when we live in a place with a community for four years, it really turns us into a family. The term ‘home away from home’ becomes very fitting.”

Ms Sarmast took full advantage of the many opportunities available to her as an undergraduate. During the summer of 2019, she was part of a research project at the office of former Afghan President Dr Ashraf Ghani, creating a documentary on him and working on his presidential campaign. In subsequent summers, she engaged in a variety of activities: researching ‘Islam and Sexuality’ with Professor Gretchen Head; interning with the BW Group; and working with Professor Stephen Monroe as a Research Assistant on a study exploring whether

qualifications are advantageous to historically marginalised candidates in Afghanistan. In her final year, Ms Sarmast worked with Professor Chan Kiat Hwa on a biochemistry project using peptide hydrogels and attended the Yale Summer Institute in Bioethics.

THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED

She remembers the date the Taliban returned to power: 15 August 2021. She had dislocated her knee and taken two semesters off to recover from the injury back home. “I believe that things happen for a reason. If I [had been] in Singapore, my family would [have been] stuck in Afghanistan. My sister and I played critical roles in managing all paperwork to apply for visas and have our family relocate” she said, adding that by September 2021, her family members had left Afghanistan.

Ms Sarmast calmly described horrific happenings growing up in Afghanistan, whose political instability stretches back decades, predating not only the Taliban, but even the Soviet invasion of the country in 1979. Growing up, she continuously encountered explosions and bombings. In 2014, a suicide bomber came to a concert held by the Afghanistan National Institute of

Ms Sarmast in action in Afghanistan (left) and France (right) as part of her country's National Women's Cycling Team.

The years spent at Yale-NUS proved a socially and intellectually stimulating time for Ms Sarmast.

Music (ANIM), founded by her uncle and the only music school in the country. Fortunately, her uncle survived, though he was badly injured. “Suicide bombings had unfortunately become very normalised,” she said. “There would be an explosion on a road, and within the next hour, people would be going to school and work down the same road.”

For someone that grew up in an artistic family — her grandfather established the first Afghan Symphony Orchestra, her uncle is the first Afghan to earn a PhD in music, and she herself has been a member of ANIM’s Guitar Ensemble — it is painful for her to accept that music is now banned in the country. After the Taliban returned, musical instruments were destroyed in the country, including in her uncle’s music school. “There are times when the Taliban [conduct] house checks unannounced. If instruments are found inside, it can be extremely dangerous,” she said. Her uncle ultimately evacuated his students and moved his school to Portugal.

After years of promoting women’s rights through cycling, it has been a source of heartbreak for Ms Sarmast to see Afghan women being forced to take many steps backwards: women are no longer allowed to work or be seen in public. “Even when they are at home, the curtains must be drawn,” she revealed. As such, members of the cycling team fled Afghanistan, and after many attempts to leave, Ms Sarmast finally

returned to Singapore in 2022 and continued her studies at Yale-NUS. Her most recent race with the team, which still represents the country but is based outside of it, was the Afghan Women’s Road Championship in Aigle, Switzerland the same year.

THE WHEELS KEEP TURNING

Having returned to Singapore to complete her degree, Ms Sarmast chose to stay here, and currently works as a Technical Content Strategist for NUS spinoff SepPure Technologies. Established in 2018, the company specialises in the engineering and manufacturing of hollow fibre membranes for organic solvent nanofiltration. Ms Sarmast is also thinking of pursuing her master’s degree. “I am yet to decide whether I want to do something interdisciplinary, where I can focus both on media and science at the same time, or whether I would want to make my concentration more niche,” she revealed.

What tops Ms Sarmast’s list of goals, however, is to see more of her mother. “My dad passed away about 18 years ago, and I went abroad when I was 16.” Her mother and brother live in Germany, while her sisters live in the US. Afghans face visa issues with many countries, making it hard for the family to reunite. “My mum has been living by herself for several years, so I want to be closer to her,” she shared.

Ms Sarmast is thankful that at least her family has managed to escape, but is mindful of those who have been left behind. “We try our best to contribute, one way or another to people and our families in Afghanistan. But there’s only so much we can do.”

In the meantime, Ms Sarmast has kept up her cycling routine, and is prepared to join the Afghan national team if a significant event comes up. “I do cycle quite a bit in Singapore,” she shared, adding that she recently went for her first ride with the local Matador racing team, and was surprised by the number of cyclists on the roads early in the morning. “[The teams] all start at 5am sharp, and they're pretty much done by 10am after having done some really competitive, long rides,” she observed. “What I struggle with is having to stop at every traffic light, because that kind of negates the whole point of training to some extent! It’s a bit challenging, for sure, but I'm happy that there are still teams that I can train with in Singapore.”

To hear her speak about what she envisages for her future reflects the unquenchable hope Ms Sarmast possesses, despite all she has seen and experienced in her young life. “Growing up in Afghanistan came with so many challenges, but I feel there was always a collective sense of hope in the country that inspired me,” she said. “I always looked at [the] people, and it always gave me hope.”

Ms Sarmast and her colleagues, Dr Mohammad Farahani, Founder and CEO of SepPure Technologies, and Dr Hafiiz Osman, COO of SepPure Technologies.

Ms Sarmast and her colleagues from Zawia Media in Kabul (left) and with former Afghan President Dr. Ashraf Ghani.

LEGACY FUTURE YOUR THEIR

For over 120 years, NUS has thrived because of the commitment and vision of those who share our values—people who believe in the power of education to transform lives and create lasting impact.

The unwavering support of alumni like you has shaped the very foundation of our university, building our campus, fuelling groundbreaking research and opening doors for countless students. Your juniors can pursue their dreams with confidence and reach their fullest potential.

Your generosity is more than just a gift. It is a long-lasting legacy that we can build together for future generations.

If you would like to discuss how you can start your legacy today, please contact Kate Cheong at legacygift@nus.edu.sg or call +65 6516 8000. Here are 3 ways you can make a difference:

Charitable Bequests

Anyone can make a charitable bequest regardless of financial status. Effective after your lifetime, you can leave a specific asset, sum of money, percentage of your estate, or what remains of your estate after you have provided for other beneficiaries.

CPF Monies

Nominate NUS as a beneficiary using a CPF nomination form, available at the CPF Board Office or www.cpf.gov.sg

Insurance Policies

Your family’s future comes first. Once their financial security is ensured, consider naming NUS as a beneficiary of your insurance policy. Alternatively, purchase an insurance policy and name NUS as both the owner and beneficiary.

legacygift@nus.edu.sg www.facebook.com/NUS.Giving

WHO HE IS

Sparsh is an NUS Computer Engineering undergraduate and founder of Incy Tech, which seeks to develop sustainable and affordable eco solutions. In 2022, his invention, a Thermal Floater device, earned him the title of National Runner-Up for India at the prestigious James Dyson Award. In 2023, the project took second for Singapore at the same competition

Bringing a ‘Cool Idea’ to Life

NUS undergraduate Sparsh, (Year 4, Design and Engineering) is tackling extreme heat in Bihar, India, by combining urban environment expertise with affordable climate solutions.

IT’S BEEN SAID THAT “youth is wasted on the young”, but this adage is hardly true for 19-year-old Sparsh. Driven by a desire to create tangible solutions that can have a real impact on people’s lives, the Computer Engineering undergraduate at the National University of Singapore (NUS) has not wasted a single moment in his quest. “I have the curiosity to create things, and seeing people using the things I’ve made is what drives me,” said Sparsh, who was a science student at an Indian senior high school before he pursued his studies at NUS.

For the past four years, Sparsh — who is also the founder of deep-tech startup Incy Tech — has been working on his Thermal Floater invention. This innovative device converts solar energy into electricity while floating on water, showcasing his dedication to creating sustainable and affordable solutions to solve environmental issues.

Most recently, Incy Tech won the Grand Prize of the Impact Accelerator Challenge at CDE Innovation Day 2024 for the Thermal Floater project. Winning the Challenge provided opportunities for the team to connect with industry partners and use the grant money of S$100,000 to develop their prototype further. “We’re currently working on improving the conversion efficiency of the thermal floater, and we hope to pilot and deploy some of the devices by the end of this year,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sparsh’s hometown in Bihar, in northeastern India, faces intense heat stress and heat waves. There are a number of temporary settlements there — built with bamboo, tarpaulin and recycled billboard materials — and these structures trap significant heat, making living conditions extremely challenging. His first-hand experience

Both Sparsh and his mentor Dr Ang Yu Qian share a commitment to addressing the problem of extreme heat faced by people living in informal settlements.

with such conditions fuelled his determination to create innovative solutions to address this problem.

He decided to share the situation in his hometown with Dr Ang Yu Qian (Design and Environment ’13, MSc '16), a Presidential Fellow and Assistant Professor at the NUS Department of Built Environment. The duo first met when Sparsh applied for a design job posting, where he took the opportunity to share his ideas, including his Thermal Floater project, with Dr Ang.

Excited by what he heard, Dr Ang chose to support Sparsh in developing his own project rather than assigning him to existing work. “Sparsh’s ideas were impressive, especially for an undergraduate. Coming from a small town and making it to an international university speaks volumes about his determination and talent,” said Dr Ang.

PUTTING THE PLAN INTO PRACTICE

Sparsh and Dr Ang decided to explore using low-cost insulation materials like radiant barrier foils and Mylar emergency blankets to help keep the homes cooler and reduce heat stress. In May 2024, Sparsh went back to his hometown and coordinated with suppliers across India to purchase large quantities of the materials, a tough task for a youngster.

He also faced other challenges. “There are a lot of cultural nuances as well, because in an experimental setting, we needed some households to have the radiant barrier foil, and some to have the Mylar blankets. Others, meanwhile, did not get anything, allowing us to compare the differences,” he explained. “So, some people were very unhappy.” Sparsh and his father also had to manually install the materials on the roofs of 60 homes across three settlements.

After six months of testing, the radiant barrier foil was found to be much more effective, reducing peak temperatures inside the homes by up to 12°C during the hottest parts of the day.

The

of

“This provided significant relief from the heat, and also helped protect the homes from the rain," he recounted. Sparsh and Dr Ang are now analysing the extensive data they collected to further understand the effectiveness of the interventions. They plan to publish their findings in an academic journal to help inform future efforts to improve thermal comfort in informal settlements. According to Sparsh, the goal is to develop a scalable, cost-effective solution that the residents can easily adopt and potentially take with them as their settlements get relocated.

A SPACE FOR SHAPING INNOVATORS

Sparsh chose to study at NUS for its hands-on, multidisciplinary approach, which stood out from the traditional, textbook-based programmes in India.

As a computer engineering major and student at NUS College, he has found opportunities to work on projects that blend engineering with architecture, materials science and the built environment. “NUS has given me the freedom to explore and apply my skills

in ways I never imagined,” he shared.

Dr Ang, a former NUS Students’ Union (NUSSU) president, highlighted that the University has become increasingly supportive of diverse paths, including entrepreneurship. “The innovation-friendly environment at NUS has evolved, and students here are now on par with, or even surpassing, those at MIT and the University of Cambridge,” noted Dr Ang, who did his postgraduate studies at both.

Working with Sparsh has also been a rewarding experience for Dr Ang. “It has been a joy and a great learning journey for all involved,” he shared, emphasising the value of NUS’ handson, mentorship-driven approach in nurturing future innovators.

Sparsh’s advice to fellow students pursuing innovation is to embrace the challenges. “You’ll face setbacks, criticism, or even a lack of support, but don’t let it get to you. Always believe in yourself,” he shared. His journey is a testament to the power of resilience and a reminder that tackling real-world challenges often leads to the most meaningful innovations.

NUS has given me the freedom to explore and apply my skills in ways I never imagined.

results

Sparsh's heat-resistant barrier foil trial back in his hometown in Bihar.

For close to 15 years, Ms Jeannie Chan has called Vietnam her second home. After graduating, the sociology and European studies major worked in the automotive and oil and gas industries before entering the education business. After a job posting in Vietnam, Ms Chan and her husband co-founded Shichida Vietnam, a specialist in early childhood education, with locations in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Today the couple shuttles between Vietnam and Singapore, where their children attend school.

Ho Chi Minh City: A Modern-Day Metamorphosis

Ms Jeannie Chan (Arts & Social Sciences ’01) speaks to The AlumNUS on the rapid rise of Vietnam’s largest city.

To me, Ho Chi Minh City is unique because it’s ever-evolving. There has been a large influx of global brands and infrastructure development in recent years, but at the same time the city has retained its local charm. And the people are warm, welcoming and sincere.

As a tourist, it’s much easier to get around now than it was 10 years ago. English is increasingly common, and apps like Grab have built-in translations and pictures, so there's less of a language barrier. New highways and the metro system have also increased accessibility.

Immerse yourself in the local culture and food. Key sights to check out include the Saigon Central Post Office and Notre-Dame Cathedral.

To relax after a day of walking, visit a local spa for a manicure, foot rub, or hair and scalp massage.

Go beyond the city by driving along the coastal highway. You can find some of the most beautiful beaches in Vietnam within just a few hours of Ho Chi Minh City, while also seeing signs of modernisation in the form of solar and wind farms along the way. Foreign cars can now also drive into Vietnam, so if you’re adventurous, you can plan a road trip from Singapore!

Photo: Shutterstock

If you are staying for an extended period, I recommend checking out the Thao Dien neighbourhood in District 2. It’s a bit like the Holland Village of Ho Chi Minh City: a lot of expats, very walkable, and filled with art galleries, boutique hotels and shops. Think artisanal gelato, draft beer and poké bowls.

Take home organic fruit chips, nuts, coffee and tea. Also look out for Marou Chocolate, a French artisanal beanto-bar brand that is made in Vietnam using local ingredients. They have nice gift sets and unique flavours. They also have chocolate-tasting workshops if you’re looking for an activity to keep your children entertained!

Maison Marou Flagship Thao Dien, 90 Xuan Thuy, Thao Dien, District 2, HCMC TRY

A SMALL WORLD & A GLOBAL UNIVERSITY

“When I was an undergraduate at NUS, I didn’t have many foreign classmates,” said Ms Chan. “But I realised how much NUS has grown as a global university when I discovered some of the parents at Shichida Vietnam are alumni of the University.”

Don’t be afraid to plan your day around food.

BREAKFAST: Nine out of 10 banh mi vendors will give you a good experience. I also recommend beef pho or bun sua (jellyfish and seafood noodles).

Try: 58 Tran Nao, Phuong An Khanh, Thu Duc, HCMC

LUNCH: I like to take visitors to Quan Bui. They serve homestyle food canteen-style. I also like The Long@Times Square in District 1. The lunch packages are delicious and reasonably priced, at around US$12 per person.

Try: Quan Bui, multiple locations including 03 Tran Ngoc Dien, Thao Dien Ward, Thu Duc, HCMC; or The Long@Times Square, 22-36 Nguyen Hue Boulevard & 57-69F Dong Khoi Street, Ben Nghe Ward, HCMC

DINNER: Given Vietnam's colonial past, it’s easy to find good French food in the city. Great options abound in Districts 1 and 2, but it's best to make reservations.

COFFEE: Vietnamese iced coffee is a must-try. It’s thick, sweet and strong. Do also try the salted coffee (ca phe muoi).

Try: Hue Cafe Roastery, 67B Xuan Thuy, Thao Dien, Thu Duc, HCMC

The revelation came while attending recent NUS Alumni Dinners in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, allowing alumni of NUS to meet and mingle over their common bond.

“It made me appreciate that NUS is a great destination for many in Vietnam to study, before coming back to Vietnam to set up their businesses. This generation is entrepreneurial, wellspoken, well-travelled and impressive,” said Ms Chan. “It made me grateful that there’s such a strong presence of NUS in the country, and that an NUS education is valued here.”

Clockwise from above: Ms Jeannie Chan (second from left) with her family in Vietnam; The Notre-Dame Cathedral; Banh mi is a signature in Vietnam, consisting of a baguette filled with meats and vegetables.

Maison Marou is where visitors will find an exquisite range of chocolate that uses local ingredients.

Photo: Maison Marou

FOR MR RAEDEN RICHARDSON, writing is more than an act of creation — it is one of preservation, an attempt to capture the weight of memory, navigate loss and make sense of the ineffable. His debut novel, The Degenerates, is a raw and unflinching portrayal of grief, longing and human frailty, influenced by his encounters with silence and the struggle to articulate what often resists language.

Born and raised in Melbourne, Mr Richardson remembers a childhood filled with unstructured freedom. “I grew up in the outer suburbs of southeastern Melbourne, in a place called Waverley Park,” he said. “In the early 2000s, there were lots of big housing developments just getting

started — empty lots, vast open spaces that seemed to fill up my mind.” He and his friends roamed freely, sneaking into unfinished construction sites. “We would make up stories and write them, often about serial killers on the loose and this strange wasteland we lived in,” he recalled with a laugh.

His Catholic upbringing also shaped his storytelling. “I was constantly in church, and I wanted to be an altar boy. I was quite devout,” he said. Immersed in biblical stories, he was drawn to the grandeur of Christ’s miracles and the moral struggles of his followers. As Mr Richardson grew older, his engagement with faith evolved, but the imprint of those narratives remained. “I started thinking about how stories record and make sense of suffering, the

Capturing the Weight of the Unspoken

Shaped by faith, loss and wanderlust, the work of author Mr Raeden Richardson (Yale-NUS ’17) searches for meaning in grief and myth.

WHO HE IS

Mr Raeden Richardson is an Australian writer. His debut novel, The Degenerates, is a bold exploration of grief, memory and the limits of language. Shaped by his time at YaleNUS College, his narratives traverse continents and decades, probing fractures of the human condition.

A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, his work has been featured in The Sydney Morning Herald, Griffith Review, Australian literary magazine Kill Your Darlings and New Australian Fiction

passing of time, and the possibilities of myth, art and writing as a way to acknowledge — and maybe redeem — the suffering of a life.”

A STORYTELLER’S GLOBAL CANVAS

Mr Richardson's journey took a decisive turn when he attended Yale-NUS College in Singapore — his first time leaving Australia. Yale-NUS provided an intimate learning environment, one that dismantled traditional academic hierarchies and encouraged students to engage with a truly global intellectual landscape. “Going to Singapore and being a part of Yale-NUS was this incredible opportunity to be uprooted and, at the same time, to be welcomed into a new place,” he said. “It provided me a chance to engage with thinkers, philosophers, writers and artists from around the world.”

During this period, he also faced one of the most difficult moments of his life — the suicide of a friend. “It was my first encounter with loss like that,” he said. “I remember distinctly this tremendous silence that fell across my classmates and within myself, realising that this tool I’d been developing — writing, articulation, specificity — was blunt when it came to things like this in life. It renders your language useless.” That

silence stayed with him, becoming a question that would shape The Degenerates: What happens when language fails?

The novel — which took seven years to complete — is a sprawling, multi-layered narrative of grief, addiction and memory, moving between Melbourne, Mumbai in the 1970s, and New York in 2016. These settings are integral to the novel’s structure, reflecting the characters’ fractured journeys through time and place. It has been compared to Irvine Welsh’s cult classic Trainspotting for its visceral, lyrical intensity, weaving together the grotesque and transcendent.

Reflecting on one of the novel’s key settings, Mr Richardson noted: “One of the beautiful things about Melbourne, if I might be so audacious to say, is that it has this quality of celebrating the battler, the degenerate or the little guy who is flawed in some way. That’s the spirit of the book too — centring on these figures one might not necessarily want to be friends with.”

Some readers have found the flawed nature of his characters unsettling. “I had a friend who was quite troubled by how unlikeable they all were. They do such bad things, they steal things, they lie, they get into trouble.” But that was the point, said Mr Richardson. “These characters might drive you crazy. But they are still worth holding on to, even if they are ruinous in some way.”

THE ROAD TO ACCLAIM

Despite his belief in the work, publication was uncertain. “Although I loved the book dearly and believed in its integrity, I didn’t think it would ever be published because I felt like it was too out there, too much, too unruly,” he said.

Even when it finally found a home with Australian publisher Text Publishing, seeing it in print was surreal. “For years, the book existed in different forms — handwritten notes in a journal, then typed up, double-spaced in a

Far left: Engaging in a dialogue with poet Mr Lawrence Ypil at Yale-NUS.

The cover of Mr Richardson's debut novel, The Degenerates

Left: Mr Richardson with fellow fencers at Yale-NUS.

Word document, then a PDF I printed out,” he recalled.

“But I had never actually held it in two hands as a printed book, flipping through the pages side by side. That was the fullest expression of it, the endpoint of the book, but it still felt strange — like I was looking at it from the outside.”

Since its release, The Degenerates has received critical acclaim. The Guardian called it an “ambitious debut that pulses with life and language”, while Liminal Magazine described it as “brimming with vitality, humour, intelligence and brilliant writing”. Currently, Mr Richardson is already immersed in his next novel, an ambitious historical work set in first-century Rome and Judea.

FUTURE OF STORYTELLING

His advice for aspiring writers is to practise equanimity.

“You’ll write something one day and feel like it’s the most wondrous, exciting, provocative and enchanting thing in the world,” he said. “And the next day, you’ll read the same thing and think it’s so boring, derivative and useless that it should just be thrown out.” He encouraged young writers to resist the pressure to rush. “Being able to shift your relationship with time is very important. You have to slow down. Letting the work develop and cultivate is crucial.”

Looking ahead, Mr Richardson sees exciting challenges for literature in a rapidly evolving world.

“The pressures of artificial intelligence and the ways in which it can, in some ways, imitate conventional storytelling are important,” he said. “It’s exciting because artists and writers will have to shift and constantly be thinking about what makes a human novel distinct from an artificial one.”

Beyond the craft, literature itself serves a deeper purpose. “One of the most exciting things is that people from radically different cultures can come together through their stories,” he said. “It reminds us how tremendously connected the world is.”

Book Corner

NEW FACULTY AND ALUMNI BOOKS

On Making a Difference: The Joyful Journey of an Educationist is the autobiography of Dato’ Tan Boon Lin (Dip Ed ’51, Arts ’55), one of Malaysia’s noted leaders in education. Having come of age during the Japanese Occupation, Dato’ Tan covers a pivotal era in the history of the country, sharing stories of his family, childhood, the mentors who shaped him, and his 36-year career in advancing education in Malaysia.

After 30+ years in the corporate world, Mr YK Png (Science ’85) re-careered as a certified coach and trainer, focusing on purpose over a traditional career. His new book Limitless Possibilities shares lessons and strategies for personal and professional transformation, helping leaders, founders and trainers unlock potential and achieve success.

Mr Richardson sharing his approach to storytelling with high school students in Melbourne.

Alumni enjoyed the Flame & Ferment evening at Ingleside on 23 January, organised by NUS Alumni Relations, where they dined on cuisine from Head Chef Mr Louis Chan and Head Fermentation Specialist Ms Jana Jusman (Science ’18).

NUS Alumni Network Chengdu hosted a Chinese New Year celebration on 11 January, in collaboration with the Singapore Chamber of Commerce in China.

February at Secret Kitchen Melbourne.

Representatives of the NUS Campus Couples Alumni Group presented a cheque to the NUS President at the Celebration of Love and Giving Dinner in February.

NUS Alumni Network Melbourne celebrated the Lunar New Year in grand style on 7

alumni happenings

In February, NUS Alumni Network Manila partnered with the NUS Centre for Future-ready Graduates to welcome 36 undergraduate students as part of the Global Industry Insights (CFG2002) course.

The Law Alumni Mentor Programme (LAMP) 24/25 Mix & Mingle was held on 28 February.

The Faculty of Law Class of 2013 celebrated their 10th Anniversary Reunion on 15 February.

The inaugural NUS Geography Career Day was held on 20 February, featuring eight alumni who shared their job market experiences with current undergraduate and junior college students.

The inaugural gathering of NUS Alumni Network Nanjing was held on 23 March at Xiangshan Lake Park, bringing together over 50 alumni and their families.

Following NUS Alumni Relations’ successful launch of the NUS Innovation Forum (NIF) in 2024, the event was brought to Tokyo (pictured), Shanghai and Beijing in the first half of 2025.

More than 300 Kent Ridge Hall residents, alumni and guests celebrated the Hall’s 45th anniversary on 28 March.

Exco leaders and representatives from across the alumni community came together for the NUS Alumni Network Singapore Bi-annual Meeting on 2 April.

Tembusu College celebrated its 15th anniversary with a gala dinner on 12 April.

The AlumNUS thanks all contributors for the articles and photos in Alumni Happenings, showcasing our vibrant alumni community.

The AlumNUS Crossword

BY JULIAN LIM

What a gone case has

Kopi C siew

Squeeze (out)

Statutory board under the MSE

Pickup truck, in Australia

Blue-tick, say

Frequently

Get ready for a lecture

Movie villain with the cat

Bigglesworth

Perm ___ (high-ranking civil servant, informally)

1967 Dustin Hoffman film, or a hint to the first words of 17-, 28- and 42- Across (congrats, Class of '25!)

57 Its HQ is at 10 Shenton Way

Mencius or Yan Hui

NUS Vice-Chancellor, 1981-2000

Had some rojak

Peppa, George, and family

Add, as a comment

1 'The Winner Takes It All' singers

2 Snakes that can weigh up to 27 kg 3 Formerly

CNB facilities, casually

Connect with

Ego Nwodim's show

Boost

8 Knocks, as a bird on a window

9 Astringent, to local wine drinkers

10 As well as 11 Part of the NUS Alumni Complex 12 Debugged?

13 Lee Tzu Pheng creation 18 Intricately decorated 22 "That's ___ a pity!"

24 Puffy fellow?

25 A neighbouring citizen of one from 23-Across

___ Festival (celebration where bak zhang are eaten)

Starter follower

Wrap around

Podiatrist's concerns

"It was me"

Tough, as NS duties (var.)

Mini burger

Without a hard deadline, slangily

Gets payback for

43 Ingredient that can make an omelette for four

44 Shiseido products

47 Escorted from the door

48 ___ mater

49 Chiang Rai resident

51 Back of the neck

52 Prepare Milo, say

53 It's pitched outside

55 About five ml.

56 Asia Bagus host Najip ___