Amidst the COVID-19 global pandemic where disruptions to academic practices, uncertainty regarding future job prospects, and the urgent need to adapt are rampant, the Department of Malay Studies (MS) decided to honour their BA and graduate students with a virtual graduation celebration. On 25 July 2020, this well-deserving class was invited to a special online celebration to mark the completion of their final lap in this chapter of their academic journeys. Though their formal commencement ceremony was postponed, the Department recognized the momentousness of this exact moment in the students’ journeys and wanted to celebrate it somehow.

The resulting three-hour Zoom-hosted ‘Graduation Celebration’ was a delightful and spirited occasion. It brought together the MS family of staff, students, friends and family, and alumni of the Department. The afternoon’s proceedings were interspersed with music and shaer (poetry) crafted and performed by talented students and faculty. The moving occasion saw the exchange of congratulatory messages and words of appreciation, thereby highlighting the strong feelings of camaraderie among the graduates.

The participation of the alumni members, comprising graduates from various cohorts (going all the way back to more than three decades ago!) was especially heartening. Inspiring alumni with professional experience in various industries shared their stories and reflections on the impact the Department had in shaping their perspectives, and how these perspectives became the foundation from which they navigated their career trajectories. More pertinently, they also spoke of job opportunities ahead amid the economic gloom. 

Prof Yaacob Ibrahim (Engineering '80), Advisor to the President of the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), kick-started the event. A long-time active supporter of the Department, he advised students to take advantage of government-funded capacity building schemes that cater to a wide range of sectors. He also impressed upon them the need for lifelong learning and relearning. Students also had the opportunity to meet Ms Normala Manap (Arts and Social Sciences '82), Senior Associate Director at Duke-NUS Medical School, who shared her rich experiences in the frontlines of teaching and managing social services. She also spoke of myriad opportunities in the growing public health sector — especially in the areas of community and long-term healthcare, which require a deep understanding of people.

The Department was also pleased to welcome back Dr Norshahril Saat (Arts and Social Sciences '08), Senior Fellow at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute who spoke of how MS shaped his passion for teaching and research. He urged students to harness the niche knowledge of the Malays to give back to society through professional development and volunteerism. It was also inspiring to hear from Ms Azizah Zakariah (Arts and Social Sciences '00), a lecturer at Republic Polytechnic, as she shared her appreciation for how MS has shaped her career over the last two decades in the arts and theatre management and production. Students were also pleasantly surprised to be joined by Mr Izwan Othman (Engineering '14), current affairs researcher and news presenter at Berita Mediacorp. Izwan spoke on dynamic developments and traineeships in the media sector.

As the ceremony drew to a close, students were warmly welcomed into the alumni family and were encouraged to continue to enrich and strengthen their bonds with the community.  

Submitted by Assoc Prof Noor Aisha (Law '84).

With the majority of LKYSPP alumni based overseas, LKYSPP’s alumni leaders have an especially important role to play in fostering a sense of community and connection. Therefore, this July, the School convened the Presidents of LKYSPP Alumni Chapters from across the world to connect virtually, share ideas and inspire one another.

On 25 July 2020, 18 Presidents and Vice-Presidents from 17 Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) alumni chapters across the world connected on Zoom at 8pm (Singapore time) for the inaugural LKYSPP Alumni Chapter Presidents’ e-Summit. The Presidents of NUS Alumni Manila Chapter and Toronto Chapter, who are also LKYSPP alumni, attended the Summit too.

Organised by the School’s Alumni Relations Team, this bi-annual e-summit serves as a source of inspiration and new ideas for chapter leaders, as well as a platform for them to seek updates and clarifications from the School. 

Five chapters - Indonesia, Pakistan, Philippines, Shanghai and Vietnam - shared their best practices and provided insightful reviews of their respective chapters’ progress, events and initiatives. Strengthening the bonds within the alumni community and giving back to society were at the heart of many of our alumni chapters’ activities.

Mulya Amri ('16), President of LKYSPP Alumni Indonesia Chapter, shared photos and highlights from the Chapter’s annual event to send off new students to NUS, and welcome new alumni returning from Singapore.

Nadeem Muhammad ('09), President of LKYSPP Alumni Pakistan Chapter, shared the initiatives that the Chapter undertook to engage alumni in the three biggest cities in Pakistan: Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore.

Jamie Duque-Daileg ('16), President of LKYSPP Alumni Philippines Chapter, talked about how the Chapter joined forces with NUS Alumni Manila Chapter to raise approximately PHP 80,000 for the purchase and distribution of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and related medical supplies for the frontline health workers battling Covid-19 in government hospitals around Metropolitan Manila.

Zhu Jianhao ('06), Vice-President of LKYSPP Alumni Shanghai Chapter, spoke about the variety of events the Chapter has organised, from vigorous fundraising activities to active communication and cooperation with Singapore communities, such as the Singapore Consulate in Shanghai, the Singapore Chamber of Commerce and EDB’s Singapore Global Network. As alumni of a policy school, they also contributed to social and economic progress by carrying out academic research on real-world issues and offering policy suggestions to the government.

Philanthropy plays a crucial part in keeping the alumni in Vietnam together. Bui Kim Thuy ('14), President of LKYSPP Alumni Vietnam Chapter, shared with the rest that the Community Library, built and run by the Chapter’s Vice-President Harry Pham ('17), has provided a local disadvantaged community with access to quality education. The Chapter has raised significant support for this project.

LKYSPP's alumni chapters pursue different plans and launch different activities to cater to different needs. However, they are united in working towards the same goals, namely to connect alumni with one another, keep them connected to LKYSPP and NUS, and help them maintain their connection with Singapore.

Submitted by Ms Sun Peiyi.