On Earth Day (22 April), five Master of Science (Environmental Management) (MEM) alumni and Associate Professor Lye Lin-Heng (Chair, Progamme Management Committee, MEM Programme) gathered on Bantayan, a little island near Cebu, Philippines. They were there with many other green enthusiasts, to celebrate the reopening of the School of the SEA (Sea and Earth Advocates) after it was destroyed by Typhoon Haiyan in 2013.

The group was invited by its founder, the famous environmental attorney Mr Antonio Oposa Jr., whose milestone case fought in the name of future generations against the Filipino government is a compulsory study for all MEM students.

At SEA, “waste” is sought to be deleted from their lexicon. Organic matter is turned into compost, sewage is channelled into the soil as fertiliser; while non-biodegradable items are ground into tiny fragments, and mixed with cement and water to be used as construction material. Rainwater is collected and vegetables are grown. The School of the SEA is simple, basic and well-connected with nature — a place that walks the talk.

It was a great opportunity for the group to interact and exchange ideas, experiences and opinions with other guests from all over the world of diverse backgrounds. It was heart-warming to see SEA rebuilt after a catastrophe, bringing together people with a common cause, showing support for the quest for sustainability.

The NUS Entrepreneurial Village was established to nurture an active and engaged entrepreneurial NUS community.

The Village creates a platform for both entrepreneurs and mentors. Alumni and student entrepreneurs get access to illustrious mentors for funding, advice and business partnerships; and mentors get to learn about frontier businesses from young entrepreneurs and start-ups, as well as to nurture NUS “juniors” and invest in those with potential.

A highly successful pitching-cum- networking event was held on 7 April, where 11 start-ups from diverse industries ranging from F&B, Events, Healthcare and Human Resource were invited to pitch. One of them even dialled in from California while on the NUS Overseas Colleges programme.

Mr Tong Hsien Hui (Engineering ’98), Deputy Head of Investments at SGInnovate; Mr Wong Sang Wuoh, Associate Director at NUS Enterprise; Mr Yeo Keng Joon (MBA ’85), Managing Partner of Global Biotech Singapore; Mr Edward Ta (Business ’87), Director of Cargill Asia Pacific; and Mr Zhao Dexin (Engineering ’14), Chairman of the SAFRA Entrepreneur’s Club were among those who attended the event as mentors.

The event gave start-ups the opportunity to connect with mentors, who were generous in providing feedback, and were willing to follow-up with the start-ups.

Ms Kat Neo (Science ’07), Co-Founder of Timeliss, shared, “This is a great initiative by NUS Entrepreneurial Village. It is a good start because in the US, having start-ups pitch to alumni really help to jump-start funding rounds. Not just to hone our pitching skills, but also build up on our relationships with alumni whom we could learn from. I would certainly look forward to going through this journey again.”