"Across Space and Time" was the theme for the NUS Geography Majors Tea 2021 as two alumni from the Department of Geography, spanning both space and time, were invited as guest speakers. Mr Christopher Soh (Arts and Social Sciences ’14) returned to the department to talk to students about his career achievements in both the public and private sector in Singapore, while Mr Kelman Chiang (Arts and Social Sciences ’16), currently based in San Francisco, joined the audience via Zoom.

Physical distance notwithstanding, the students and faculty members who attended the event were enlightened by Mr Soh and Mr Chiang's insights on working in Singapore and abroad; as well as the differences between the civil sector and the corporate world. Mr Soh is currently a Senior Associate at KPMG Singapore dealing with Sustainability Services, while Mr Chiang is a Product Analyst with Postmates Inc.

Since the late 1990s, the Department of Geography has invited outstanding alumni to speak at either the Geography Career Talk or the Geography Majors Tea. After the 2021 Geography Majors Tea, an undergraduate commented, “it is most inspiring to hear alumni talk about how their [education in geography] has literally brought them across space and time.”

Submitted by Associate Professor Chang Tou Chuang.

Music Cities Convention (MCC) is the biggest global musical event that explores the use and importance of music in the development of cities all around the world, featuring talks and presentations on topics such as global music city policies, economic development, health, technology, education and so on. The first Canadian and 10th global edition of MCC was livestreamed from Calgary and Edmonton, Canada, with international speakers joining remotely from over 15 countries in six continents, including Singapore. This year was themed “Scaling Up Music Cities: Cultivating the Future of Alberta”.

Ms Eileen Chai (Science ’01), co-founder of 3AM Music Collective (3amMC) and Strings For Kindness (SFK), was invited to speak at the convention. Her presentation on “Empowering the Youth and Promoting Mental Health with Music", highlighted the role of music in spreading awareness and acceptance of mental health conditions. Through music, 3amMC was able to raise awareness and remove stigmas attached to mental health conditions. She also shared the importance of having an empathetic ear. When speaking to members of the public, 3amMC members, who are not professionally-trained counsellors, encourage without dishing out advices. Her initiatives have also helped empower youths and educate listeners on what someone with depression and anxiety experiences, as they transit during the healing process. With more confidence, the young musician could now make her own creative choices on how she uses music, to give back or pass forward this new strength of empowerment, to other people.

Virtual attendees appreciated Ms Chai’s illuminating sharing session, which concluded with a pre-recorded performance by the SFK and The Violin Travels, where Ms Chai’s original composition, "Everything Is Possible".

Submitted by Ms Eileen Chai (Science ’01).

If you are keen to find out more about the Chai360 Music Ecosystem or to collaborate, please reach out to Ms Eileen Chai at Chai360sg@gmail.com.