Note
from the alumni office
Letter
The academic year is drawing to a close and we have another group of students to welcome to the alumni community. We wish all of our new graduates and other students leaving the College this term, the very best!
from the Head of College
I
am pleased to report that the development of the College on the two campuses is continuing smoothly. The world has changed dramatically since the expansion was announced but despite the current economic crisis the College is in good health and we are continuing to experience a strong level of interest in both campuses of the College. We have finalised the Master Plan for the Dover Campus and aim to begin phase one of the programme of refurbishment and development in June. This will involve the creation of a covered bus park near the boarding houses which will also serve as a play area during the day and provide additional parking for College events. The main part of phase two will consist of the construction of a classroom block on the site of the Middle School Office near the Humanities Block, whilst phase three will focus on the refurbishment of the two original classroom blocks on either side of the tent plaza - we are adamant that we should maintain something of the original character of the College - and the construction of a third block joining the two at the end nearest the boarding houses. Another classroom block will be constructed on the site of the Main Library and High School offices in phase four. The new building will also house the school administration. The final phase will see the complete refurbishment of the Humanities Block. It is our aspiration to complete the whole programme within five years. Across the island, the permanent home for the East Campus at Tampines is on course for the opening of the Infant School in August 2010 and the remainder of the campus in August 2011. The piling work was completed in March and the main contractors moved on site in April to begin construction. Another milestone in the College’s history was recorded in February when the UWCSEA Foundation Board held its first meeting. We are delighted that the following have agreed to be Directors of the Foundation:
Kishore Mahbubani David Chong Gay Chee Cheong Sat Pal Khattar Kirtida Mekhani Charles Ormiston Michelle Sassoon Mary Ann Tsao Zhang Lei
Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (Chair) Founder and Chairman of Portcullis Group of Companies Board Director Hyflux Limited Chairman of Khattar Holdings Director CIS Agriferts Pte Ltd Senior Partner Bain and Co COO Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf President Tsao Foundation Chairman and Chief Investment Officer Hillhouse Capital Management
It is a reflection of the high regard in which the College is held that we have been able to bring together such a talented and committed group of people to serve on the Foundation, which is a key component of our strategy to develop a world class school. With the exception of one person, all the Foundation Board has a connection with the College as an alumnus, a parent or a grandparent of current or former students.
We are extremely grateful to the parents, staff and alumni who have already made donations to the Foundation; one parent generously funding a full scholarship for the next two years for a student from Sierra Leone, and one alumni year group fully funding another.
Julian Whiteley
The website has continued to grow, exceeding the 5,000 member mark in April and we have added some new features including a Mentor page where you can get or be available to give advice about your university, location, career, etc, to other alumni or current students. Please think about signing up to offer your expertise if you haven’t done so already. Information about Reunion 2009 appears on the site as well. We hope to see you there, especially if you are from the classes of 1979, ’89, or ’99. If Reunion 2008 is anything to go by, it will be a great weekend of reacquaintance, reminiscence and fun. Other alumni events being planned around the globe over the next year include New York, Mumbai, Jakarta and London. We’d be happy to advertise anything you are planning as well. The Class of ’78 has proudly achieved its goal of raising enough funds among members of the group, to fully support their own IB scholar for the next two years. This will be the very first fully-alumnisponsored scholarship awarded. I’m sure that the group is looking forward to getting to know the recipient of their scholarship soon. Prapti and I have enjoyed meeting so many alumni who have visited the campus this past year. You are welcome any time. Please stay in touch and remember that if you are changing your contact details in future, please update them with us and/or on the alumni site so that others can remain in touch with you. All the best for the rest of 2009! Regards,
Brenda Whately
Director of Alumni Relations brenda@uwcsea.edu.sg
2009! Graduation
The graduation ceremony of the Class of 2009 was held on 23 May with 289 students of 50 different nationalities becoming the newest members of the UWCSEA alumni community. The guest speaker was Singapore neuroscientist, wheelchair athlete and world record holder Dr William Tan, who delivered an inspiring speech in which he moved the audience with the message that even in the face of adversity, remarkable achievements are possible. Congratulations to the Class of 2009! Please see the alumni site and the next issue of OneºNorth (Dec ‘09) for photos.
OneºNorth June 2009 5
4 OneºNorth June 2009
The purpose of the UWCSEA Foundation is to support the College in achieving its mission and enhance the UWCSEA experience through five key programmes: scholarships, outreach initiatives, staff professional development, capital developments and an endowment. The Foundation has been granted IPC status, the first foundation associated with an International School in Singapore to achieve this. This means that all donations to the Foundation attract generous tax breaks from the government.
I hope you enjoy as much as I have, the stories featured in this issue about what some of our alumni have been up to in their careers, educational pursuits and travels. For those of you missing Singapore food, we have added a recipe provided by one of our alumni for chicken rice, one of the local favourites. Pages eight and nine feature Awards Day, held in April to which some of the Grade 12s wore some very interesting costumes! It was the culmination of three themed dress days during which they were to be seen dressed as superheroes and stereotypes and then anything else that their imagination could come up with.