The National University of Singapore (NUS) Alumni Manila Chapter hosted their first major in-person gathering in 2023 entitled “Sundowner Cocktails and Sendoff for Singapore Ambassador to the Philippines, Mr Gerard Ho” at the Long Bar, Raffles Hotel, Makati City, Metro Manila. Twenty-five (25) alumni were present in the gathering representing seven (7) faculties and schools, including those from the Arts and Social Sciences, Business, Computing, Design and Environment, Public Policy, Science, and Medicine. Ambassador Gerard Ho was accompanied in the sendoff by Deputy Chief of Mission and Counsellor Pan Jingxuan and Second Secretary (Political) Amanda Cheah. The short programme started at 6:00 pm. Chapter Chairperson Mr Richard Tan (Public Policy ’13) welcomed all participants and guests, introduced the new chapter officers for the term 2023/24, and shared a short vision and plans for 2023. Each member present then gave a very short introduction of themselves. Vice Chairperson Mr Nestor Precioso (Science ’06) then read the chapter’s message of thanks to Ambassador Gerard Ho (Arts and Social Sciences ’97) and initiated a toast to wish him all the best in his new role. The Ambassador then thanked everyone in attendance for their good wishes. Mr Tan then gave the chapter’s token of appreciation to the Ambassador. Afterward, a short statement was given by Ms Ruby Liu, Area Director of the Singapore Tourism Board in the Philippines. Cocktails and networking continued until 7:30 pm, with everyone enjoying the company of fellow alumni, Long Bar’s Singapore Sling, and a combination of Singapore and Filipino samplers featuring chicken satay, chili crab spring roll, char kway teow, chicken inasal, and sisig.

The Chengdu Chapter of NUS Overseas Alumni gathered for a long-awaited bonding lunch on the 16th of April 2023. This was the first event for the chapter after three years, and the excitement among the alumni was palpable. The Singapore Consulate General of Chengdu was invited to attend the gathering, making the event even more special. The event was a resounding success, and the feedback from the alumni was overwhelmingly positive. They were glad that the gathering was organised, as it gave them an opportunity to reconnect with NUS. The NUS logo hanging on the wall was a hit among the alumni, who took photos with it as a background and posted them on social media. The presence of the Consulate General and members of Singcham allowed the alumni to widen their networking. Singcham members gave speeches on the plans of the chamber going forward, which was informative and engaging. More than five alumni volunteered to share their professional experiences and talk about their life after returning to Chengdu. This was one of the key highlights of the lunch, as it gave the alumni an opportunity to get to know each other. The food served was also a hit among the alumni, as nothing brings back fond memories of Singapore and NUS like Singaporean food. Overall, the event was a great success, and the alumni left feeling reconnected with NUS and each other.