On 15 June 2020, staff and students gathered online for an afternoon of activities to celebrate various talents and a sense of kampung spirit in the close-knit university community.
The event started with NUS Business School undergraduate and social media influencer Ms Vanessa Ho sharing about the care given to recovering migrant workers during their temporary stay at the Community Recovery Facility at Prince George’s Park Residences. Some of the activities included work-out videos created by students to help keep them active.
In the ‘Ask Me Anything’ session, moderated by Dean of Students Associate Professor Leong Ching, NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye shared his personal interest in hiking, his arduous trek through the Gobi Desert with NUS staff, students and alumni, and his intention to hike up Mount Kinabalu. He also recounted his early teaching experiences at NUS as a mathematics professor, and considered that if he was an undergraduate student in current times, mathematics would still be a study of choice, “In addition to mathematics, I would also like to learn more about humanities and the social sciences,” mused Prof Tan.
The line-up of ‘NUS OK’ activities showcased the wide-ranging and little-known talents among staff. Professor David Tan from the Faculty of Law gave insider tips on fashion and portrait photography drawn from his professional experience working with international artistes such as Maggie Cheung and Kit Chan. The mixology session, featuring Associate Professor Kevin Tan from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, introduced the 'Penicillin G’ and ‘Placebo’ mocktails which can be easily concocted at home and enjoyed during hot weather.
‘NUS OK’ concluded with vibrant vocal and dance performances, along with a cooking demonstration that brought out the University’s kampung spirit. The virtual event provided a sense of social cohesion and encouragement in the community, as Singapore moves towards the next phase of coping with uncertainties arising from the pandemic situation.