The “Last Lecture” Dinner – Becoming All You’re Meant To Be

In keeping with the upcoming season of art festivals in Hong Kong, we held an art jam cum dinner at Artjamming Studio. It was a balmy evening and we sat outdoors on a patio amidst the industrial buildings of Wong Chuk Hang in the south of Hong Kong. We ordered some food from HoHon Eatery. To get better value from our small budget, we did the food pick-up ourselves, ordered wine from a wine cellar, and bought chocolates, cheese and pate from the store. This allowed us to have a sumptuous spread. The artjamming session was very educational as the instructor is an architect who is passionate about art and painting and has a unique way of teaching complete beginners, which she calls “building a pizza”. Everyone had plenty to eat and drink, ended up with a piece of art they could take home (most chose to paint a tote bag which they could use!), and made some new friends. Overall, a successful event given the many thank you messages I received after the event!

Submitted by Diana Ng (Arts and Social Sciences '91) 

Over the span of ten weeks from mid-January to end March 2024, a group of ten alumni gathered weekly in a classroom at NUS College (NUSC).

Guided by Professor Philip Holden and co-facilitator Bianca Tham (Arts and Social Sciences + USP ’17), we embarked on a self-exploratory journey through the Guided Autobiography (GAB) class. GAB is a practice that helps participants reflect on and re-story their lives in a supportive environment. Each week, participants delved into themed writing exercises by drawing upon memories or past experiences, and subsequently sharing their stories with the group.

Started in 2022, this was the third run of the GAB class organised by NUSC, which is open to alumni participants from NUSC, the University Scholars Programme (USP), and Yale-NUS.

Initially drawn to GAB with the intention to reflect, process my past and gain perspective into my life, I found myself enriched beyond measure by the ten-week class. Themes such as “major branching points in life”, “family”, “life’s work”, “health and well-being”, “gender identity”, “navigating differences” and “death and dying”, led me to explore a different window in my past each passing week. The reading aloud of stories was unexpectedly therapeutic and cathartic. Listening to the stories shared by the group also provided me a window into their life, fostering a deeper appreciation of the diverse journeys of others. Often, the class was filled with joy and laughter, sometimes grief and tears, but mostly it was a strong and trusted circle of support, affirmation, appreciation and connectedness.

I am grateful to NUSC and the Alumni Relations team for organising the class, and most of all, to Prof Holden and Bianca for volunteering their time; skillfully and thoughtfully bringing the group of alumni together; enabling us to review our life; rediscover our strengths; reaffirm our values and chart a purposeful way forward. Indeed, GAB was a transformative journey for us, in the full alumni spirit of continuous learning and growth, no less!

Submitted by Yvonne Ng (Science + USP '05)

Time has flown by since our days at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and East China University of Political Science and Law (ECUPL); we have journeyed together, hand in hand, chasing our dreams. It is amazing to see our fellow alumni thriving in their careers across the globe and excelling in their fields.

With the LLM International Business Law (IBL) programme marking its 20th anniversary milestone this year, a celebration was held at Changning Campus of ECUPL on 10 March 2024, thanks to the initiative of the IBL Alumni Committee.

This event could not have been successfully organised without the generous contribution from a number of law firms where fellow alumni are currenting working. More than 100 alumni took part in this event in person and a few alumni joined up virtually. Prof Stephen Phua and Prof CT Kuan from NUS, as well as Prof Yang Yanping, Prof Yang Zhongxiao, Prof Shao Jun, Associate Prof Li Na, Associate Prof Peng Xu, and Associate Prof Shi Xiangrui from ECUPL, graced the event.

It is worth highlighting that a presentation on Cross-border Investment by the current batch of IBL students was included at the end of the event to showcase the skills they learned from the programme. Let us look forward to the next 20 years of the IBL programme.

By Charles Guo, IBL Class of 2010

The Lunar New Year Dinner Event, held on 17 February 2024 and organised by the NUS Alumni Melbourne Chapter Committee, was a vibrant celebration of cultural diversity, unity, and the spirit of the Lunar New Year. We ushered in the Wood Dragon Year, signifying power, vitality and nurturing qualities of the wood element.

Hosted at the Fu House in Forest Hill, the event brought together 85 NUS alumni, staff, family and friends from Victoria, interstate and internationally to celebrate this auspicious time of the year with joy and festivity. The evening commenced with a captivating lion dance involving our very own alumni members – led by Miss Cynthia Chua (Engineering '12), her husband Wenda Tan (NUS Alumni Partner), Dr Zoe Hernstadt (NUS Alumni Partner) and our committee member, Mr Guo Qi Pei (Engineering '11). It kickstarted the joyous mood for the evening, wishing all attendees a prosperous new year.

The centrepiece of the event was undoubtedly the exquisite array of gourmet cuisine. Traditional dishes such as Lou Yu Sheng, Buddha Jump Over the Wall, fried turbot, Chinese-style beef tenderloin, garlic pork ribs, seafood tofu hotpot and lemon chicken were amongst the many sumptuous dishes served crafted to tantalise the taste buds and evoke the flavours of the season.

Throughout the evening, many guests from individual tables, including Mr Peter Koh (Science '87) and Dr Edna Yeo (Science '93), initiated Yum Seng cheers. There were six lucky draw prizes consisting of three traditional food hampers, and generous vouchers from Crown, Peninsula Hot Springs and Endota Spa. The team from NUS Medicine also brought along beautifully designed red packets as souvenirs for the attendees. These activities fostered a sense of camaraderie and provided attendees with memorable experiences to cherish.

This year we had the generous sponsorship and involvement of the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine as our main sponsor of the event, with three very special staff members, Mr Luke Siah (Senior Assistant Director, NUS Medicine Dean's Office), Miss Wai Mun Phoon (Manager, NUS Medicine Alumni Relations) and Mr Jay Kaelash (Director, NUS Medicine Dean's Office) in attendance. This event was also a landmark year where we extended the invitation to Dr Daniel James (Medicine '77) and Dr Mei Wee (Medicine ‘77), who are living interstate in South Australia. We also had distinguished Dr Tan Sri Mani Jegathesan (Medicine ‘67), who lives between Malaysia and Singapore, and is often referred to as the Flying Doctor of Malaysia for his athletic achievements in Asia.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all attendees, lion dancers, committee members, NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and the NUS Office of Alumni Relations for their time, effort and sponsorship that all contributed to the success of this memorable event. Together, we look forward to ushering in 2024 filled with prosperity, happiness, and goodwill towards all.

The NUS alumni chapter in Chengdu, in collaboration with SINGCHAM (Singapore Chamber of Commerce), organised a memorable Chinese New Year celebration on 27 January 2024, at the Shangri-La Hotel in Chengdu. The response exceeded expectations as our alumni brought their families, resulting in a vibrant gathering of 50 alumni and their loved ones. The Singapore Consulate General for Chengdu graced the occasion as the Guest of Honour.

The evening unfolded with the mesmerising performance of a lion dance, setting an auspicious tone for the Year of the Dragon. This was followed by a speech delivered by the Consulate General. Prior to the commencement of the dinner, a traditional Singaporean-style Lao Yusheng was served, adding a flavorful Singapore touch to the festivities.

Alumni feedback was overwhelmingly positive for various reasons. Beyond the joy of reuniting with fellow alumni, the CNY dinner provided an excellent platform for networking with SINGCHAM members. The evening's programme, featuring our Consulate General and vibrant cultural performances, further elevated the experience. The timing was also ideal, held two weeks before Lunar New Year, ensuring many alumni could participate amidst their holiday plans.

Gratitude was extended to the NUS Office of Alumni Relations for their invaluable support and sponsorship, ensuring the celebration was a memorable highlight for the Chengdu chapter.

The NUS Alumni Overseas Chapter Manila hosted the first-ever Cocktails and Connections, a networking event for NUS Business School Alumni members, at the La Latina restaurant, Greenbelt 5, Makati City, Metro Manila.

It was the first-ever faculty subgroup gathering in Manila, which had been in the plans since the inception of the chapter. Twenty-one NUS Business School alumni were joined by 22 NUS alumni from other faculties and schools (Arts and Social Sciences, Computing, Design and Environment, Public Policy, Science, Engineering, Medicine, and Law) who actively attended the chapter’s gatherings in 2023. Also present at the event were seven special guests from the Harvard Club of the Philippines.

Registration and cocktails commenced at 6:00 pm, followed by a short programme which started around 7:00 pm. Chapter Chairperson Mr Richard Tan (Public Policy ’13) provided an overview of the chapter’s activities for 2024, including the upcoming NUS Innovation Forum to be held for the first time in Manila in May. He also thanked the NUS Office of Alumni Relations (OAR) for their generous sponsorship of the event. The event’s special guest, Mr Pan Jingxuan, Deputy Chief of Mission and Counsellor of the Singapore Embassy to the Philippines, arrived around 7:30 pm. Mr. Tan and Chapter Vice-Chairperson Mr Nestor Precioso (Science ’06) organised a short toast in his honor, thanked him for the Embassy’s continuous support of the chapter, and wished him well, as he will be embarking on a new post in March.

Special NUS giveaways were distributed to all NUS alumni present. Guests enjoyed various Latin American dishes for dinner such as milanesa, paella de kubina Chilena, lomo saltado and salmon Tikin Xic. Guests stayed well beyond the 9:00 pm end of the programme, enjoying the opportunity to catch up with old friends and expand their personal and professional network.

Prepared by: Nestor Precioso, Science’06

Thanks to the generous support of the NUS Office of Alumni Relations, the NUS Alumni Overseas Chapter Xiamen (hereafter “Xiamen Chapter”) recently held its 2024 New Year Reception. This year, Xiamen Chapter creatively organised receptions in three major cities-Fuzhou, Xiamen and Hangzhou. Around 70 alumni took part in the receptions. Xiamen alumni had a dinner at a Hakka restaurant, tasted special northern Fujian food, and prepared New Year gifts for alumni. Xiamen Chapter successfully reached out to 30 or so new alumni through the receptions. Other than good food, a technological and cultural tour was also initiated in Hangzhou by Vice Chairman Dr You Mingliang and Dr Xu Luang. Some 20 alumni and family members paid a visit to Uniview (a leader of AloT solutions worldwide) and Xixing Ancient Town. It’s worth highlighting that a few alumni from Singapore, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Zhangzhou, Nanjing and Quanzhou purposely flew or took the bullet train to attend the receptions.

Despite a full day of drizzling rain, the Karaoke Night held on 9 December 2023 at KBox Melbourne was an absolute hit, leaving attendees with memories of a night filled with music, laughter, and camaraderie.

The event, organised by the NUS Alumni Overseas Chapter Melbourne, aimed to provide a platform for members to showcase their singing talents, foster community spirit, and create an enjoyable and entertaining atmosphere. The event featured a diverse range of songs spanning various genres and decades. Participants enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to sing their favourite tunes, creating an inclusive and engaging musical experience for everyone.

We witnessed a myriad of energetic and passionate performances throughout the night. From soulful ballads to upbeat pop hits, participants showcased their vocal prowess and entertained the audience with their unique styles. Veteran professional Singer Dr Raymond Wong (Architecture ‘81) easily blew us away with his pitch perfect voice in different languages. The interactive nature of the event contributed to its success. We enjoyed the performances and welcomed new members Ms Cynthia Chua (Engineering ‘12) and Ms Sharon Seah (Engineering ‘94) . They have been in Australia for several years and but this was their first time joining an NUS Alumni event in Melbourne.

Never too shy to sing, we took turns with the microphone while nibbling on finger food, dim sums and mini-pizzas with beverages, creating an electric atmosphere of support and encouragement. The highlight of the event would have to be group sing-along songs with YMCA when everyone stood in unison and danced to the rhythm.

Attendee feedback was overwhelmingly positive. The Karaoke Night was a resounding success, bringing people together for a night of music, fun, and camaraderie. The event successfully achieved its goal of fostering members’ spirit and providing a platform for musical expression.

“This event was great fun and interactive, something different from the usual sit-down dinners we have,” said Ms Audrey Sim (Arts and Social Science ’96).

“I never knew there was an NUS Alumni chapter in Melbourne; I [would] like to attend more of these events to get to know more like-minded people,” said Ms Sharon Seah (Engineering ‘94)

“What a rare opportunity to get time off from my kids; thank you for organising this event!” added Ms Cynthia Chua (Engineering ’12).