Download PDF - NewsHub - National University of Singapore

MARCH 2012
A Publication of National University of Singapore
A celebration
of talents &
contributions

Passion in public service
Former NUS Chancellor Mr S R Nathan, Singapore’s
longest serving President, was in public service
for more than 50 years, and remains till today a
strong advocate of duty and service to the nation.
Sharing his life experiences at NUS’ U@live forum
on 8 February 2012, he related with conviction
one lesson he had learnt from his university days,
namely, that no one should be written off.
Considering the context of Singapore, where the
community was brought together by geography
rather than a common culture, language and
history, he said that his generation provided the
landing space and the younger generation was
like the pilgrim fathers having just landed. For
them, he had this message: “The land ahead is
yours and you have to mould it. You have to build
on it and you have to ask yourself, ‘Why am I
here? Why have we come?’ … The moulding of
that nation is your responsibility.”
Among other views and stories he shared, he
also answered questions on his presidency and
personal philosophies. When asked about his idea
of good leadership, he said: “I would certainly
like to see leaders who are committed to the
progress of their community, who are prepared to
engage the community, and uplift it and bring it
forward.”
Mr Nathan in good spirits at U@live
He believed that each person is endowed with a set
of abilities and will have something to contribute.
He told the audience, “All of us, like our fingers,
are not equal. Don’t expect others to be like you.
Tolerate the differences. Show compassion where
it’s necessary. Your duty is to uplift people.”
Mr Nathan, NUS’ 8th Chancellor, was among the
pioneer batch of eight social work students at the
University of Malaya, which later became NUS. As
an active alumnus of the University, he continues
to support its activities and engage students
through gracing events like U@live.
U@live, organised by NUS alumni and the Office
of Alumni Relations and hosted by Mr Viswa
Sadasivan, is a monthly forum featuring
outstanding members of the NUS community
who have been an inspiration in their passion and
dedication to the betterment of society.
At the end of the day, the beneficiaries of what you do are people
at all levels of society. … That is the attraction of public service.
– Mr Nathan
NUS Career Fair a hit with students
and employers
Held on 2 and 8 February this year, the NUS Career
Fair saw over 9,000 students in attendance and
drew a record number of 176 employers across
various sectors. Among the participating companies
were 54 first-timers which included brand names
such as Google, Coca-Cola and Charles & Keith.
The employers were looking to fill a broad range
of openings, from professional employment to
internships and research scholarships.
with 26 NUS scholars. This new programme,
designed for top talents and aspiring leaders, seeks
to impart leadership principles and skills through
experiential learning, self-initiated projects and
mentorship by industry leaders and practitioners.
The NUS Career Fair is organised by the University’s
Career Centre and Office of Student Affairs.
KNOWLEDGE ENTERPRISE
2
Noting the increased interest in NUS’ Career Fair
among employers and continued strong demand
for NUS graduates in the job market, Vice Provost
(Student Life) Professor Tan Tai Yong said: “We
are greatly encouraged to know that employers
view our fresh graduates as strategic hires in
rejuvenating their current workforce, and a
pipeline for future managerial roles.”
At the Fair’s opening ceremony, Prof Tan spoke on
the University’s talent development programme
and highlighted a new initiative, the NUS Future
Leaders Programme, piloted in the last semester
NUS Career Fair 2012 attracted many popular brands on a
lookout for fresh talents

Celebrating a multidimensional
NUS experience
All 83 nominees of the NUS Student Achievement
Awards (SAA) 2012 which took place on
17 February were winners already. They had all
tasted success in their endeavours, learnt much
from their voluntary or competitive experiences,
and made significant impact on their community.
Every one of them is a shining example of the
rich and dynamic multidimensional varsity life
at NUS.
Citing the diverse activities offered by the
University which encourage informal learning
and talent development beyond a classroom
environment, NUS Deputy President (Academic
Affairs) and Provost Professor Tan Eng Chye
said at the awards ceremony that “it reflects
our strong belief that preparing future ready
candidates extends beyond the academic sphere.”
He added that students who had taken advantage of
such learning opportunities would develop desired
qualities of mind and character, namely, resilience,
teamwork, confidence, interpersonal and leadership
skills, which would prepare them well for a fulfilling
life and career.
The celebration of student talents and contributions
outside the academic curriculum at the 7th SAA
organised by the Office of Student Affairs was
made more exciting this year with the results being
revealed only at the ceremony itself. Before an
expectant crowd of some 600 students, staff and
supporters, a total of 21 group and 12 individual
winners were announced, and greeted by
thunderous applause from the audience. These 33
winners came from across three award categories:
Competitions, Community Projects and Distinguished
Leadership. They were joined by 14 merit winners
and about 60 societies and interest groups who
received Special Achievements certificates. Special
Commendation awards were also presented to the
NUS Students’ Union and 17 participating bodies of
Rag and Flag 2011.
Thanking the award recipients and nominees for
their efforts, sacrifices and contributions, Dean
of Students Associate Professor Tan Teck Koon
expressed that the University is immensely proud
of them and urged everyone to look beyond the
recognition – to keep up their good work and
continue to enjoy the satisfaction that comes from
pursuing and accomplishing what they believe in.
Prof Tan Eng Chye (left) presenting the award to Alvin Lim,
the only individual winner in the Competitions category
The WorldMUN Singapore 2011 Host Team, one of the
winning groups in the Community Projects category
Some SAA 2012 winners …
Competitions
• Alvin Lim Shan Jia
Winner of the Traders Trophy Competition
(Singapore) who represented the nation in the
worldwide finals.
• NUS FSAE 2011 team
Produced the most well-designed race car
beating 121 international teams at the Formula
Society of Automotive Engineers competition in
Michigan.
Community Projects
• WorldMUN Singapore 2011 Host Team
Co-organised the first World Model United
Nations Conference in Southeast Asia along with
Harvard University students. The conference saw
over 2,000 participants from 60 cities around the
world.
• NUS Students’ Union Students Against
Violation of the Earth (NUSSU SAVE)
Champion of green initiatives around campus
such as recycling, tree-planting and energysaving
projects.
• Eusoff Voluntary Corps
Fosters effective community volunteerism among
Eusoff Hall residents through offering practical
help to the elderly in low income homes, giving
tuition to residents of a children’s home, and
providing life skills training to the mentally
disabled.
Distinguished Leadership
• Dominic Lim Wan Xian
Singapore’s representative to the UNESCO Asian
Youth Forum held in Gwangju, Korea, who is
involved in various national youth committees.
Founded and leads the SPLAT! community arts
movement which now has a volunteer pool of
about 800 people, including youths-at-risk and
ex-youth offenders.
• Mah Yi Xin
Project Director of the Kent Ridge Ministerial
Forum in April 2011 which featured Singapore
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. One of the
four delegates who represented Singapore in
the ASEAN-China Youth Leaders’ Symposium in
Phnom Penh, Cambodia, last June.
MARCH 2012
3

KNOWLEDGE ENTERPRISE
ACCOLADES
NUS MBA maintains 23rd placing in the
world
NUS Business School’s Master of Business
Administration (MBA) programme has once again
been placed 23rd in the world by the closely
watched Financial Times (FT) Global MBA Rankings
2012. It has retained this spot, the highest ranking
attained by a Singapore university, for the second
year running.
The School also achieved exceptional results
in several categories. Post-MBA salaries of its
graduates increased by 185% over pre-MBA
salaries, showing the high value derived from this
MBA. The School also maintained its 9th placing
globally for its graduates’ international mobility,
which reflects worldwide demand from employers
for NUS MBA graduates.
Said the School’s Dean, Stephen Riady
Distinguished Professor Bernard Yeung: “These
rankings are a recognition that the NUS Business
School continues to meet the needs of our
students and employers, while providing a
rigorous education. We shall continue to strive
to be a business school that produces impactful
ideas, graduates who are well-received, and allrounded
business leaders with an understanding
and appreciation of Asia.”
The NUS Executive MBA also fared well in the FT
Rankings, with the School’s Asia-Pacific EMBA
ranked 19th and its double degree with the
University of California Los Angeles at 9th place.
Business students ace case competitions
NUS Business School had multiple reasons to
celebrate, with successive wins clinched by its
student teams at recent case competitions.
Undergraduates Lin Xun, Peh Che Min, Endi
Asmira and Goh Aik Joon formed a formidable
team against the other participants from 11
internationally renowned business schools vying
for the University of Auckland’s Champions
Trophy in February 2012. The foursome from NUS
came in first in all four rounds of the competition
and finally took home the winning trophy.
Garnering the most votes from the audience, they
also received the People’s Choice Award.
Their win was exceptional as the participating
teams had all clinched top awards at various
international case competitions, which qualified
them for the event. The NUS team had won the
Copenhagen Business School Case Competition
and finished among the top three in the
Scotiabank and NUS-DBS International Case
Competitions. Winning this Champions Trophy
thus made the team the winner of winners!
Student teams representing NUS Business School
at the fifth University Investment Research
Competition and CaseIT 2012 also did extremely
well. Team REI, comprising Alvin Lim, Amanda
Lai, Chong Li Yue, Mervyn Yee and Timothy Koh,
emerged as the national champion for the former
event, last won by NUS too. Each team member
received a CFA scholarship and an opportunity to
participate in the Asia-Pacific Regional Finals in
Hong Kong.
Business students Kenneth Heng and Yuan Yi,
together with Aalok Chhabria from the School
of Computing, also did NUS proud as the first
runners-up in Case IT 2012. Held in Canada,
CaseIT is an annual competition with a strong
Management Information Systems focus, designed
to find the best and brightest in strategic IT case
analysis.
(From left) Goh
Aik Joon, Prof
Sai Yayavaram
(faculty advisor),
Lin Xun, Peh Che
Min and Endi
Asmira bearing
the Champions
Trophy and the
People’s Choice
Award (far right)
4

NUSNNI Director receives prestigious
George E Pake Prize
Professor Thirumalai Venkatesan,
Director of the NUS Nanoscience
and Nanotechnology Initiative and
NanoCore, has been awarded the 2012
George E Pake Prize from the American
Physical Society (APS). He received this
prize at the APS March 2012 meeting
in Boston, Massachusetts, US, in
recognition of his exemplary scientific
career in research, industrial leadership,
and guidance of new generations of
physicist in the creation of new ventures
by innovation.
ACCOLADES
Among the world’s top 100 most
cited physicists, Prof Venkatesan has
published over 500 papers in the field
of oxide films and hetero structures. He
is well-known as a pioneer in oxide electronics and
inventor of the pulsed laser deposition process.
Neocera, a company he founded in 1989, is now
recognised globally for PLD systems and magnetic
field imaging magma systems. He has also helped
many of his students and researchers to set up
companies.
Prof Venkatesan (left) receiving the prize certificate from Stanford
University Professor Robert Byer, Chairman of the APS Prize Committee
Endowed by the Xerox Corporation in 1983, the
George E Pake Prize was established to recognise
and encourage outstanding physicists for their
research accomplishments and leadership in
developing the industry. Among its recipients were
many highly acclaimed physicists, including Nobel
Laureate and former Bell Labs President Arno Allan
Penzias.
• Provost’s Chair Professor Deng Yongheng, also
NUS Institute of Real Estate Studies Director,
was elected the Second Vice President of the
American Real Estate and Urban Economics
Association (AREUEA). AREUEA is the world’s
leading academic association in the field of real
estate finance and
urban economics.
Prof Deng is the first Asian
Second Vice President of
AREUEA
Prof Deng is the first
person outside of
North America to
assume this position
in the 48 years of
AREUEA’s history.
This election
reflected growing
awareness of Asia
as a new global
economic centre as
well as a recognition
of NUS’ leading
role in real estate
education, finance and urban economics
research.
Said Prof Deng: “This is a challenging period
for the global economy and real estate
markets, and I look forward to raising greater
international interest on vital issues relating to
real estate and urban development in Asia and
around the world. The next few years will be
a time of major paradigm shifts as the world
explores new models of growth, development
and sustainability. I hope a multidisciplinary
approach, which NUS excels in, would offer
distinctive insights into matters of such great
complexity.”
• Mechanobiology Institute Director Michael
Sheetz, Distinguished Professor at the NUS
Department of Biological Sciences and William R
Kenan Junior Professor at Columbia University,
will be presented with the 11th annual Wiley
Prize in Biomedical Sciences at Rockefeller
University, New York, in April 2012. He will be
sharing the award with Professor James Spudich
from Stanford University
and Professor Ronald
Vale from University of
California, San Francisco.
The threesome were
recognised for explaining
how cargo is moved by
molecular motors along
two different systems of
tracks within cells.
The Wiley Prize in
Biomedical Sciences
Prof Sheetz received the
recognises contributions prestigious Wiley Prize in
that have opened new Biomedical Sciences
fields of research or advanced novel concepts
or their applications in a particular biomedical
discipline. Five Nobel Prize winners for Physiology
or Medicine are among its distinguished list of
past recipients.
• NUS Associate Provost for Undergraduate
Education and Professor of Information Systems
Bernard Tan received the coveted Fellow Award
from the Association for Information Systems
based in Georgia, US. He was honoured for his
high professional and personal integrity. Prof
Tan is also a Distinguished Honorary Professor at
Fudan University and guest professor at Renmin
University in China.
MARCH 2012
5

World’s first malaria diagnosis using
graphene transistor
A cross-disciplinary team at NUS created an
efficient device for malaria detection using
graphene transistor in a microfluidic channel. The
team comprising Professor Loh Kian Ping from
the Department of Chemistry and NUS Graphene
Research Centre, Ms Priscilla Ang from the NUS
Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and
Engineering, Professor Lim Chwee Teck from the
Departments of Bioengineering and Mechanical
Engineering and his former research fellow, Dr Li
Ang published a paper on this research in Nano
Letters.
Malaria detection commonly relies on microscopy
and antibody staining procedures, which require
specialised training and may incur human error,
resulting in misdiagnosis. Such measurements are
also insensitive to changes in individual cells, given
the non-uniformity of cellular morphology in a
large population of cells.
The team’s method overcomes these problems
by enabling individual malaria-infected red
blood cells to be discerned visually and detected
electrically without fluorescent staining. They
can detect change in cell surface charge at the
single cell level through a “flow-catch-release”
sensing device which exploits the characteristics
of both malaria-infected cells and the sensitivity
of graphene to its local charge environment.
Ms Ang said: “Our method will produce more
accurate results as only malaria infected red
cells adhere to the graphene coated with biorecognition
proteins. As long as one diseased
cell is detected, we know the person has been
infected.”
Their fast, simple and less labour intensive
method can also be used to obtain a statistical
percentage count of the infected cells as the
population of infected and healthy cells flow
through the graphene transistors in a microfluidic
channel. This is important for clinicians to gauge
the severity of the infection.
KNOWLEDGE ENTERPRISE
Why some spiders self-castrate when
mating
Desperate situations call for extreme measures. The
threat of death could be a key reason why some
spiders break off their palps, or sexual organs, in
the course of mating. Studying a species of orbweb
spider known as Nephilengys malabarensis,
Associate Professor Li Daiqin from the NUS
Department of Biological Sciences and his research
team uncovered strong grounds for such selfmutilation.
Male spiders, being much smaller than their
female counterparts, often risk being eaten up
by their partners during copulation. To escape
from their partners, a common measure is to
break off the tip of their palp. But some spider
species go to the extent of severing the entire
palp, which leave biologists
befuddled, as the eunuchs
with damaged or severed palps
are both functionally sterile.
Besides, entire emasculation
is unnecessary for effective
plugging into the female
genitals.
What advantage can be gained
then from their extreme action?
Assoc Prof Li and his team found
the answer from mating trials
they set up between 25 pairs
of virgin spiders, which left 22
male spiders with their palps
completely severed and three
with partially damaged genitals.
They dissected the females to
extract their reproductive organs and counted the
sperm present there as well as in the used palp.
The results demonstrated that a totally severed
palp prevents females from re-mating and
facilitates continuous sperm transfer. The remote
copulation both prolongs the transfer duration and
increases the amount of transferred sperm, thus
enhancing the eunuch’s fertilisation success and
paternity.
The researchers shared their findings in the
February issue of Biology Letters. They believe that
remote copulation may have evolved as a male
adaptation to sexual cannibalism and femaleenforced
short copulation durations.
The sexually cannibalistic female orb-web spider
Photo: Li Daiqin
6

Tribute to Dr Toh Chin Chye
Former Deputy Prime Minister
and University of Singapore
Vice-Chancellor, Dr Toh
Chin Chye, passed away on
3 February 2012 at the age
of 90. Dr Toh, a key pioneer
of modern Singapore, was
the founding Chairman of
the nation’s ruling party. He
was Minister for Science and
Technology from 1968 to
1975 and Minister for Health
from 1975 to 1981.
Dr Toh’s long association with
NUS dated back to the 1940s
when he read for a Diploma
in Science at Raffles College.
He later joined the University
of Singapore’s Department
of Physiology in 1953 after
obtaining his doctorate from
the National Institute for Medical Research in
London. Dr Toh eventually became the University’s
Vice-Chancellor from 1968 to 1975.
Dr Toh was instrumental in establishing the
Faculties of Engineering and Architecture, areas of
study previously offered by Singapore Polytechnic.
He also launched the Faculty of Arts and Social
Dr Toh Chin Chye, former Vice-Chancellor of
the University of Singapore
In remembrance of Dr Andrew Chew
One of NUS’ long-serving Pro-Chancellors, Dr Andrew Chew Guan
Khuan, passed away on 29 February 2012. He was 82 years old.
Said NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan: “Dr Chew had been
our Pro-Chancellor since 1996, and was much respected within the
NUS community. He was a constant, and well-liked, figure at our
events and the University has benefitted greatly from his support and
encouragement. We will miss his presence deeply.”
An alumnus of NUS’ predecessor institution, the University of Malaya,
Dr Chew graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of
Surgery (MBBS) in 1955.
He subsequently joined Singapore’s Ministry of Health as a Medical
Officer, and rose through the ranks from Medical Superintendent
at various hospitals to Director of Medical Services in 1977 and the
ministry’s Permanent Secretary in 1978.
Dr Chew held many prominent leadership roles throughout his
52 years in the civil service. He was concurrently Permanent
Secretary of the Public Service Division in the Prime Minister’s
Office and Head of the Civil Service for 10 years. He also
served as Chairman of the Central Provident Fund Board
(1994 to 1998), Chairman of the Public Service Commission
(PSC) (1998 to 2008), and was member of the Presidential
Council for Minority Rights.
Photo: The Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings Ltd
Sciences to promote the
flow of talent and ideas
across a larger community.
Under his leadership, faculty
members were encouraged
to serve on statutory boards
and extend their service
to the nation. Dr Toh also
initiated the University’s
relocation from various
campuses to its current
home at Kent Ridge.
“As Vice-Chancellor, he
re-oriented the institution
to become a national
university, free of its colonial
past and ready to support
the needs of our nationbuilding,
and our education
and development goals,”
said Singapore Prime
Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his eulogy for Dr Toh.
NUS Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and
Provost Professor Tan Eng Chye said: “Dr Toh
had laid a strong foundation for the University,
a legacy that has contributed towards the
transformation of NUS, and higher education in
Singapore.”
Paying tribute to Dr Chew upon his retirement as PSC
Chairman in 2008, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
commended him for having exemplified the best traditions of
the public service and done the nation proud. He described
Dr Chew’s contributions to Singapore as “singularly
outstanding”, and gave recognition to the instrumental role
Dr Chew had played in creating a high-quality Singapore
Public Service that is today admired across the world.
The late NUS Pro-Chancellor Dr Andrew Chew
MARCH 2012
7

Love Through Lenses
Four students from the NUS-LEAD programme
sought to promote intergenerational family
bonding through their community project,
“Love Through Lenses”. They brought together
different groups in the local community to put up
a photography exhibition on the topic at Tampines
Central Community Club from 18 to 20 February.
Prior to the exhibition, the students had organised
a photography workshop for 11 youths from
the Tampines Ville Residents’ Committee Youth
Chapter, where they were taught basic DSLR
photography skills by award-winning photographer
Mr Willy Foo. Putting their knowledge and skills
(From left) NUS scholars Idris Woo, Cheryl Tay, Lubin Tan
and Hen Yi Xuan who organised “Love Through Lenses”
into practice, the youths captured various shots
around the island, accompanied by facilitators from
the Hwa Chong Photographic Society and NUS.
A selection of the photographs taken were then
showcased at the “Love Through Lenses” exhibition.
Throughout the project, they received invaluable
help and support from SPLAT!, a community arts
movement directed at reintegrating youths-at-risk
into society. SPLAT! was founded by NUS social work
student, Dominic Lim.
Singapore Minister for Education Mr Heng Swee
Keat, who was also an Advisor to Tampines
Grassroots Organisations, graced the exhibition’s
launch. Speaking at the event, he said that “Love
Through Lenses” was a very meaningful project as it
involved youths and adults sharing skills and values,
and promoted the need for intergenerational
family bonding. In the face of many changes
and challenges in Singapore’s social landscape,
he underscored the importance of a spirit of
responsibility and community which he felt the
project amply demonstrated.
The NUS-LEAD Programme, introduced by the NUS
Career Centre and Office of Admissions, aims to
develop NUS scholars into well-rounded leaders in
society through leadership training which includes
a hands-on project with a Voluntary Welfare
Organisation.
KDF gift enables diabetes research to
make headway
KNOWLEDGE ENTERPRISE
8
It’s a small team with a big dream – to find a cell
or gene therapy for diabetes, which affects over 10
per cent of the Singapore adult population, and
is a key cause of severe kidney disease requiring
dialysis.
Supported by a gift from the Kidney Dialysis
Foundation (KDF), NUS researchers Dr Gan Shu Uin
and Professor Lee Kok Oon, under the leadership of
a pioneer in organ transplantation, Sir Roy Calne,
recently achieved some surprising success in their
search for a gene and cell therapy for diabetes:
using human cells to treat diabetes in mice.
The NUS team has been collaborating with
Professor M Ghoneim from the University of
Mansoura in Egypt and Professor Kon Oi Lian
from the National Cancer Centre Singapore. Prof
Ghoneim’s team in Egypt is the first to demonstrate
the use of human cells to cure diabetes in mice.
KNOWLEDGE ENTERPRISE n MARCH 2012 VOLUME 11 NO. 08
Editor: Fua Lee Na
Distribution Manager: Matthew Seah
Office of Corporate Relations, National University of Singapore
University Hall, Lee Kong Chian Wing UHL#05-03, 21 Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119077
Tel: (65) 6601 1341 Fax: (65) 6775 6386 E-mail: Knowledge_Enterprise@nus.edu.sg Website: newshub.nus.edu.sg
ISSN 0219-614X Company Registration Number: 200604346E
Moving forward, the team intends to treat diabetic
dogs and hopefully, move towards a possible
treatment for human beings.
Sir Roy said: “If we can cure a diabetic dog, I think
that the argument for clinical trials for people
would be very strong.”
The study involving dogs will be carried out in
collaboration with veterinarian Dr Robert Foale,
who is an expert in diabetes in dogs, and Professor
Andrew Lever from the University of Cambridge.
The gift from KDF has been the lifeblood of this
project. With KDF pledging their support for
another three years, the team is gearing up to
enter the next phase of their research, with dogs.
As Prof Lee said, “This was an unusual approach
and without the gift, it would have been dead
long ago.”
To know more about making a gift to NUS, please call Ms Ho Yuen Kwan at 6516 5755 or
email askdvo@nus.edu.sg
Cover photo: Education Minister Mr Heng Swee Keat (centre) with two new graduates.