Nov 2004 - Nanyang Technological University
Nov 2004 - Nanyang Technological University
Nov 2004 - Nanyang Technological University
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July - <strong>Nov</strong> ʻ04 | Issue 01<br />
Co<br />
A semesterly publication<br />
- A School of Communication and Information Newsletter -<br />
PRISM Awards <strong>2004</strong><br />
Warren Fernandez visits SCI<br />
Chronicle 10th anniversary<br />
SIRC makes it big in UK<br />
1
Dean’s Message<br />
Dear SCI Graduate,<br />
Greetings from my colleagues and me here at the School of Communication & Information! I am writing from a newly<br />
completed fourth floor extension on what used to be the school building’s roof. More on this in a later article.<br />
Let me begin by saying that I am not asking you for money in this newsletter. Often, when I tell alumni that the School<br />
wants to make a stronger connection with them, a common response is a look of concern that we are asking for money. So let me<br />
repeat: I am not asking for money in this newsletter. Now that I’ve clarified that and gotten it out of the way, let me tell you why<br />
we want the connection.<br />
A top university requires three elements: good infrastructure, good faculty and good students, including the alumni. Of<br />
the three, good students and a strong alumni connection may seem the least likely to contribute to the makings of a great university.<br />
But, in fact, good students challenge the faculty to stretch themselves intellectually, making teaching a joy. Whisperings of<br />
our excellent student body and teaching environment, in turn, attract more first-rate faculty, which attracts more good students<br />
and more top-notch faculty and so on, creating a virtuous cycle. This virtuous cycle brings fame and recognition to the programme<br />
and the <strong>University</strong>.<br />
The biggest triumph for a programme is a great alumni body that contributes to society in research, employment, and<br />
ideas. The quality of these contributions determines the programme’s and university’s buzz. A good buzz makes fresh graduates<br />
hirable and sets off another virtuous cycle of attracting good faculty and students. So you see, a a strong student and alumni<br />
body is an essential part of a great programme.<br />
Alumni Day is on <strong>Nov</strong>ember 27th and I hope to see you there. We’ll be giving tours of the building to show you the new<br />
fifth floor, the renovated fourth floor, and changes in the School. I’m also looking forward to seeing familiar faces and hearing<br />
about what you are doing now.<br />
I will be updating you twice a year about developments in the School and facilitate connections among alumni through<br />
this newsletter. There is much to be proud of in SCI, and I want you to be connected with it.<br />
Best regards,<br />
Ang Peng Hwa<br />
Connexscions - Connecting You and Us<br />
Who would have thought that<br />
choosing a name for a newsletter is<br />
so difficult<br />
We met. We brainstormed. We threw ideas back<br />
and forth, debating the good, the bad and the<br />
ugly, considered and consulted numerous people:<br />
the teachers, the students, the Dean, and of<br />
course, the alumni.<br />
Only the best names could have made<br />
it through such stringent criteria. Out of the<br />
dozen names we came up with: “Connexscions”,<br />
“@SCI” and “SCIdeas” made the cut.<br />
Ultimately, it was YOU, the alumni<br />
who made the choice. Close to 50% of the<br />
alumni voted for “Connexscions”; 30% chose<br />
“@SCI” while the remaining picked “SCIdeas”.<br />
“I like Connexscions, it’s sophisticated<br />
and stylish.” Nizamudheen Ishak, one of the<br />
alumni, said.<br />
“Connexscions”, derived from the word<br />
connexion in French, essentially means connections.<br />
It represents the hope that current students<br />
and faculty of SCI will connect with ex-students<br />
who once, like us, studied and played in SCI.<br />
This newsletter serves as a bridge between<br />
the school and the alumni. We look forward<br />
to hearing your feedback.<br />
Please contact us at connexscions@ntu.<br />
edu.sg. Even the name of the newsletter has yet to<br />
be cast in stone.<br />
CALLING ALL<br />
ALUMNI!<br />
Come celebrate NTU Alumni Day with us this<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember 27! NTU and SCI will be planning<br />
a day of exciting activities for you. Take the<br />
opportunity to catch up with faculty members,<br />
or simply take a trip down memory lane and<br />
reminisce about your time in SCI with fellow<br />
alumni. Also, come admire the sparkling new<br />
facilities on SCI’s top floor!<br />
Refreshments will be provided. For more<br />
details, contact Ms Chew Ying Ying at<br />
asyychew@ntu.edu.sg or Assistant Professor<br />
Lee Wai Peng at sd-sci@ntu.edu.sg.<br />
-- CHY<br />
SCI Name Change Positions It as Asia’s Leading Institution<br />
The School of Communication Studies (SCS) was<br />
renamed the School of Communication and Information<br />
(SCI) in 2001 as it expanded to include<br />
the Division of Information Studies, like many<br />
communications schools in the West.<br />
The new name has positioned SCI as<br />
a leading institution in Asia, incorporating both<br />
tracks in communication and information.<br />
With its well-rounded academic focus,<br />
the school is also able to attract more researchers<br />
2<br />
and professors from Asia and the West.<br />
“The name ‘SCI’ indicates that communication<br />
is the process while information is<br />
the content. The key outcome is innovation and<br />
ideas,” said Dr Lee Chun Wah, Division Head for<br />
Public and Promotional Communication.<br />
Apart from gaining international<br />
recognition for the many winning projects, SCI is<br />
equipped with a very strong program.<br />
Dr Ang Peng Hwa, Dean of the School<br />
of Communication and Information says, “Alumni<br />
should know that our work is being recognised<br />
for their significance and they can therefore hold<br />
their heads high when they meet competition from<br />
other programmes.”<br />
-- GC
PRISM Awards Comes to SCI<br />
making waves<br />
Think big – that was their inspiration. Indeed, they made it big. SCI students Lye Peixian, Deng<br />
Yihan, Nai Ying Jiin, Jasmine Yang and Yang Yanni received the prestigious <strong>2004</strong> Public Relations in the<br />
Service of Mankind (PRISM) Award for their project Colors for Life 2003: Campaign for Club Rainbow<br />
Singapore.<br />
The campaign project, completed in 2003, topped the “Students project” category and received<br />
an award of excellence.<br />
Group leader Lye Peixian, a fourth-year student, said, “It was a sweet bonus for us because when<br />
we were conceptualizing and executing the campaign, we did not expect to participate in PRISM, and (to)<br />
eventually win the award.”<br />
The group was motivated to work with Club Rainbow Singapore (CRS) on a public campaign<br />
after the organization had to cancel a fund-raising event 2003 due to SARS.<br />
While they are thrilled to have received the recognition, Peixian and her group remain firmly<br />
rooted to the ground. “We were very thankful for a supportive client. We had little restrictions and were<br />
given plenty of freedom in all aspects of the campaign. They were helpful and supportive and it wouldn’t<br />
have been a success if it weren’t for them,” she said.<br />
Dr Krishnamurthy Sriramesh, the project supervisor, was all praise. “This<br />
group of<br />
SCI Team at the PRISM Awards<br />
They were extremely<br />
cooperative and worked as a true team, sharing all the toil and fun of a demanding campaign,” he said.<br />
The PRISM Awards, now in their eighth year, were created by the Institute of Public Relations of Singapore in 1987 to recognize and reward excellence<br />
in public relations and communications in Singapore. The awards, which are presented bi-annually, aim to encourage creativity, originality, and best<br />
application of public relations and communication practices across all sectors of the economy, in commercial as well as non-profit activities. -- AY<br />
Two SCI Second-Year Student Projects Selected For Prime-Time National TV<br />
Parkour and Hall Privacy Broadcast on Channel i<br />
SCI students continue to make the school proud.<br />
Last semester, two second-year student video news<br />
stories were selected by Channel i for their 8:30<br />
news bulletins on May 5 and 6, <strong>2004</strong>.<br />
The two broadcast projects, Parkour and<br />
Hall Privacy, were given priority time during the<br />
news program and acknowledged as SCI student<br />
projects with the student producers’ photos shown<br />
at the end of the clip. This was the first time that<br />
a professional news broadcast has given credit to<br />
independent producers for their work.<br />
The two stories were chosen out of a<br />
group of 22 final term video projects from the<br />
Broadcast Journalism class. Jennifer Lewis, editor<br />
of SPH Channel i news, was invited to view<br />
and comment on the Broadcast Journalism class<br />
projects. She singled out Parkour and Hall Privacy<br />
as news stories worthy of broadcast because<br />
Parkour was an eye-opener to many viewers -- few<br />
knew of the existence of such a group! (And) Hall<br />
Privacy was a well-told story that gripped the attention<br />
of many.”<br />
Parkour, an energetic sport invented in Paris<br />
16 years ago, was recently introduced to Singapore.<br />
Practitioners of the sport are called tracers. The story<br />
showcased a group of players called “tracers”, their<br />
gymnastic ability and passion for the sport.<br />
Hall Privacy delved into the controversial<br />
issue of privacy in campus hostels. It brought to light<br />
the concern of the Office of Student Affairs for protecting<br />
and taking care of students who may be in danger<br />
inside their rooms and the students’ dissatisfaction of<br />
the free access of hall managers to student rooms.<br />
To view the selected projects, please go to<br />
SCI’s website or go directly to http://www.ntu.edu.<br />
“Parkour” producers from left to right:<br />
Cheong Kai Lin, Lim Tian Yun, Cheong<br />
Fung Wai Angela, Lan Gek How<br />
Communication Research FYP Published At JCMC<br />
An FYP from the graduated batch of 2002 was selected and published in April this year in an acclaimed scholarly journal, the Journal of Computer-Mediated<br />
Communication (JCMC), Volume 9 No.3, after passing its stringent peer-review process. The three students from the Division of Communication<br />
Research (CR) who wrote the paper are Lee Bee Hian, Sim Li Chuan and Trevor Tan Mon Kiat<br />
“It’s very gratifying to see that SCI undergraduates can make a contribution to the scholarly community by publishing in this prestigious peerreviewed<br />
journal,” Dr Benjamin H. Detenber, head of CR division said.<br />
Published by the International Communication Association, JCMC is a Web-based journal founded almost a decade ago that focuses on the<br />
emerging field of computer-mediated communication (CMC). The publication, produced quarterly, is a premier journal for CMC research in the world<br />
today.<br />
The study -<br />
periment. The findings p<br />
extent than they can in face-to-face interactions.<br />
For all the help they received during their final lap in SCI, Lee said, “To the faculty, thanks for all the guidance and patience with the less than<br />
academically brilliant, but normal people like us.”<br />
If you are interested in taking a look at the published work, please check it out. http://www.ascusc.org/jcmc/vol9/issue3/detenber.html<br />
-- WP<br />
3
EBM Final Year Projects<br />
Showcased in Singapore Festivals<br />
Several outstanding short films produced by SCI<br />
final year students were screened at various local<br />
film festivals. These Final Year Projects (FYPs)<br />
received positive reviews from the judges for<br />
their creative ideas and commendable work.<br />
Order Your Happiness Now!<br />
Fan Shu Fen, Toh Yian Nee, Ng Kian Hwa<br />
This film was selected for the Singapore Young<br />
Guns festival in May <strong>2004</strong>. Singapore Young<br />
Guns showcases work from schools worldwide,<br />
screening outstanding short films of emerging<br />
student filmmakers. This pseudo-documentary<br />
traces the rise and fall of The Wonder Pill, with<br />
opinions from Singaporeans.<br />
Grey<br />
Chia Chun Kit, Melissa Yuen, Awi Ismail, Jason<br />
Ng<br />
Since its screening at the Singapore Young Guns<br />
in May <strong>2004</strong>, the film was chosen to compete<br />
in the <strong>2004</strong> International Student Film Festival<br />
Hollywood in early <strong>Nov</strong>ember. The 20-minute<br />
short film follows the male lead, Joshua, in his<br />
search for the truth of something that has always<br />
been in his mind. In the process, he leaves the<br />
people around him exasperated and hurt.<br />
The Last Flight of the Red Butterflies<br />
Marc Ling , Foo Huey Yih , Denise Yong, Ang<br />
Ban Yong<br />
This film not only won the FYP award for having<br />
the highest FYP grade, but was also featured<br />
in Singapore Short Cuts in March <strong>2004</strong>, which<br />
seeks to raise awareness and promote local<br />
filmmakers and their works. It was also shown<br />
in Short & Sweet, in conjunction with MITA’s<br />
Annual Innovation Fiesta, August <strong>2004</strong><br />
This film tells the true story of Catherine, one of<br />
Singapore’s most notorious Ang Hor Tiap members.<br />
Ang Hor Tiap or Red Butterfly Gang was<br />
arguably the most active female secret society in<br />
Singapore’s history, yet is little documented. This<br />
docu-drama follows Catherine’s adventures as<br />
she navigates through the shady world of nightclubs,<br />
cabarets and secret societies.<br />
4<br />
making waves<br />
The Cast of<br />
“The Last<br />
Flight of the<br />
Red<br />
Butterflies”<br />
-- GC<br />
Dreams of Two SCI Grads Come True<br />
“S11” producers and cast from left to right:<br />
Gilbert Chan, Joshua Chiang and Timothy Nga<br />
It was a dream come true for Gilbert Chan and<br />
Joshua Chiang, two School of Communication<br />
and Information (SCI) graduates, when the<br />
Singapore Film Commission and Media Hive<br />
sponsored them to produce a $100,000 digital<br />
feature film.<br />
Chan and Chiang won the Singapore<br />
Screenplay Awards about two years ago. Today,<br />
Chan is not only the producer, but also the codirector<br />
of the film. With the help of his good<br />
pal, Chiang, a freelance director, he wrote the<br />
script and they jointly directed the film.<br />
The 100-minute film titled “S11”<br />
revolves around a robbery at a petrol kiosk.<br />
“The inspiration came when my<br />
friend wanted to invest in a feature film<br />
and asked me for ideas,” said 28-year-old<br />
Chan who is the executive producer of Red Ink Media. “And I decided on the theme of coincidences.<br />
How strangers affect one another and their relationship in situations such as a robbery.”<br />
“S11 actually contains three different stories but all happening at the petrol kiosk where a<br />
robbery brings the three characters together,” he added.<br />
Packed with a powerhouse cast, “S11” stars Kevin Murphy (Chicken Rice War, Avatar, City<br />
Sharks and Michael Chiang’s Private Parts as ‘Lavinia’), Timothy Nga (Light Years and One Leg<br />
Kicking) and Cindy Teo, a graduate from the faculty of law at National <strong>University</strong> of Singapore.<br />
Filming was not easy for Chan and Chiang, as most of the scenes involved shooting at night<br />
and outdoors. “Luck does play a part too,” said Chiang. “We had to make contingency plans when the<br />
locations that we wanted were occupied due to some unforeseen reasons.”<br />
“To top it off, one uncle appeared and told us that the spot that we took was his regular spot<br />
for selling durians. We had to hunt for another place immediately when he refused to move. All these<br />
happened on the first day,” Chan added.<br />
Despite this, things are going smoothly for the two directors. They have cut the scenes and<br />
are waiting for the music to be finalised.<br />
Media Hive will distribute the big screen release. “There are plans for this film to be distributed<br />
in the United States,” said Chiang.<br />
Chan says that it is not easy to survive in the film industry. “You need to have the passion to<br />
motivate you. There are people who have left the industry before, as they felt jaded and the pay is not<br />
glamorous especially if you just started out.”<br />
-- JN<br />
“Know Dyslexia, Overcome Dyslexia”<br />
If you have heard about the<br />
“Know Dyslexia, Overcome<br />
Dyslexia” campaign, their publicity<br />
efforts have paid off.<br />
A joint effort with<br />
the Dyslexia Association of<br />
Singapore (DAS), the onemonth<br />
long campaign launched<br />
in December 2003 was a Final<br />
Year Project (FYP) by four<br />
SCI students Pamela Tor Das,<br />
Ratna Damayanti, Tammie Ng<br />
and Winston Ng. The aim of the<br />
campaign was to help parents<br />
gain knowledge about dyslexia<br />
and to raise public awareness<br />
about DAS.<br />
“I think it was a general<br />
consensus amongst the four<br />
of us that we wanted to work<br />
with an association that helps<br />
disadvantaged children,” said<br />
Winston Ng.<br />
The elements of the<br />
campaign included exhibitions<br />
at the Ang Mo Kio and Geylang<br />
East Community libraries and<br />
awareness talks at four community<br />
libraries.<br />
Winston Ng and his<br />
group members sourced for<br />
sponsors for the campaign<br />
and prepared all the publicity<br />
materials for “Know Dyslexia,<br />
Overcome Dyslexia”. They also<br />
helped set up a media conference<br />
for the DAS.<br />
Following the media<br />
conference, the campaign was<br />
reported extensively in the<br />
print and broadcast media. It<br />
was also recently covered in<br />
the August issue of Voices, a<br />
community magazine for the<br />
Central district.<br />
For the campaign, the<br />
group did an extensive survey<br />
on the perception that parents<br />
have of dyslexia and DAS, and<br />
presented a comprehensive<br />
analysis of their findings to the<br />
association. They also gave<br />
another presentation at the<br />
official opening of the Dyslexia<br />
Centre in June, this year.<br />
After the end of the<br />
“Know Dyslexia, Overcome<br />
Dyslexia” campaign, Mr Robin<br />
Moseley, the executive director<br />
from DAS, sent a letter to the<br />
dean in March this year commending<br />
the four students.<br />
He wrote, “All four<br />
students put a great deal of<br />
effort and enthusiasm into this<br />
project, even during the December<br />
holidays, and I cannot find<br />
fault with any aspect of their<br />
work.”<br />
Having received the<br />
commendation and knowing<br />
that their hard work had been<br />
appreciated, the group was<br />
extremely delighted.<br />
“That was wonderful<br />
icing on the cake,” said Winston<br />
Ng, “to have the Association<br />
underline our importance<br />
to their success - it was a really<br />
proud moment for us.”<br />
-- SL
Students Produce Radio Program For RSI<br />
making waves<br />
Do you love listening to the radio Next time when you tune in, it might just be a SCI student’s voice on<br />
air!<br />
Since August <strong>2004</strong>, students taking the Chinese radio practicum have been producing a new<br />
weekly programme for Radio Singapore International.<br />
Called Campus Green, this five-minute radio programme talks about campus life in tertiary<br />
institutions like NTU. Spearheaded by the NTU radio practicum students, each weekly programme is a<br />
pre-recorded capsule produced by a student. The segment comprises a mini-talk show cum interviews<br />
discussing the latest trends and happening in school. Some of the topics that have been discussed are<br />
on tertiary students’ dress code, the frequent sms-ing of students in lectures and tutorials, and learning<br />
foreign languages.<br />
Campus Green is a collaboration between RSI and Mediacorp Radio. It is the brainchild of<br />
Mdm Chin Kwee Chin, Programme Director of the Chinese Service in Radio Singapore International<br />
(RSI), as well as the tutor for the Chinese radio practicum.<br />
A student at work producing the programme<br />
“NTU students have both the capabilities and facilities to produce the programme,” Chin said.<br />
“ I am glad to provide them with the opportunity and pleased with the refreshing content they have come<br />
up with.”<br />
The students felt that Campus Green enabled them to understand the fundamentals of radio programming. Moreover, since Campus Green is aired<br />
on locally on Mediacorp’s Chinese radio station as well as regionally on RSI, it serves as a motivation for them to produce better radio programmes.<br />
“Although it is not a live show, my friends and I are still very excited to hear our very own programme on air,” Teresa Tan, a third-year radio<br />
practicum student said.<br />
Scheduled to run for at least a year, Campus Green gives students the freedom to produce and create a style of their own. Chin said, “This is a winwin<br />
situation for both the students and RSI.”<br />
So tune in to Capital 95.8FM every Saturday at 3.40 p.m. or RSI Chinese every Monday at 9.25 p.m. to know the hottest and latest happenings in<br />
NTU. If you have missed the past episodes, you can listen to Campus Green online from the RSI website.<br />
-- WP<br />
Films by SCI Students Find Global Audience<br />
SCI students have done their school proud.<br />
Two final year projects were screened at the 37th New York Exposition of<br />
Short Film and Video (EXPO), Jury Awards on December 13, 2003.<br />
The EXPO receives up to 700 submissions, but only 63 were<br />
chosen for screening. The two SCI videos that were selected were Radio Station<br />
Forgot to Play My Favourite Song and Adam in Heels.<br />
Radio Station Forgot to Play My Favourite Song, produced by<br />
Gavin Chelvan, Siau Che Sheng and Billy Tan, is a documentary on the<br />
local rock music scene. Tan, 26, sound editor of the group, said they were<br />
very proud and pleased that the subject matter of their documentary struck a<br />
chord outside Singapore.<br />
Adam in Heels focuses on four male cross-dressers and gives an<br />
insight into why some people choose this lifestyle. An all-female team of<br />
Yan Kit Ying, Leong Tarn Meng, Jasmine Teo and Low Siok Hwee produced<br />
this video.<br />
It was not easy for the students to produce the films. While<br />
Radio faced technical problems as producers battled to find a story focus;<br />
Adam found it difficult to progress past the initial stages.<br />
Yan, 24, director of Adam, said difficulties first appeared in the<br />
research stage, as it was hard finding material on cross-dressers in Singapore.<br />
“We had to find alternative means to get information and interviewees, and<br />
also persuade them to agree to be featured.”<br />
Both groups praised their project advisors for helping them overcome<br />
the obstacles. For Radio Station Forgot to Play My Favourite Song,<br />
Tan said, “Dr Pieter Aquilia helped a great deal by just letting us run wild, as<br />
well as being incredibly supportive and encouraging during production.”<br />
For Adam in Heels, SCI Lecturer Nicole Draper was a great source<br />
of inspiration and encouragement to the group. Draper said she was happy<br />
for the group. “I am very impressed because they forged ahead on a topic<br />
which was very challenging. They are a good group of students who are<br />
dedicated and work really hard.”<br />
The short films also won the Media Development Authority Book<br />
Prize <strong>2004</strong>. They were also screened at various festivals such as the <strong>2004</strong><br />
Women in the Director’s Chair festival, the Amsterdam Cinemasia Film<br />
Festival <strong>2004</strong>, Singapore Short Cuts festival, Independent Documentary<br />
Week at Hong Kong Polytechnic <strong>University</strong> and an independent music<br />
festival in Beijing.<br />
-- OR<br />
Screenshots from Radio Station<br />
Forgot to Play My Favourite<br />
Song<br />
5
6<br />
Fellow SCI in the Media<br />
While SCI prepares us for a future in the media industry, how many of us actually move in that direction In this article, we introduce some of<br />
our ex-schoolmates who have carved their niche in the industry.<br />
Name: Diana Ser<br />
Occupation: Presenter,<br />
ChannelNewsAsia<br />
A veteran in the local media industry, Diana<br />
Ser has worked with many different<br />
aspects of the media. Starting out in front<br />
of the camera as an actress and host, Ser<br />
moved on in search of a greater sense<br />
of fulfillment. While taking a part-time<br />
master’s degree in SCI in 1998, she met<br />
an editor of The New Paper who invited<br />
her to be a guest writer. Ser eventually<br />
became a journalist for Streats. Recently<br />
married, she is now back in front of the<br />
camera as the interviewer and presenter<br />
of the series GetRea! on Channel<br />
NewsAsia.<br />
After eight years in TV, Ser says: “I<br />
think I have found something I feel truly<br />
passionate about. Going to SPH as a<br />
print journalist for Streats sparked off<br />
my interest in journalism. Marrying TV<br />
and journalism is the highlight of my<br />
career.”<br />
Name: Edwin Koo<br />
Occupation: Photojournalist, Streats<br />
SCI celebrities<br />
An internship with Channel 5 turned into an audition<br />
that landed Ng Hui in a role in the comedy<br />
sitcom Living with Lydia. The rest, as the saying<br />
goes, is history. Ng officially joined MediaCorp<br />
in February this year and has appeared in several<br />
drama serials and variety shows.<br />
Did her training in SCI help her in her career Ng<br />
says: “Definitely! Being familiar with the basic<br />
workings of the media industry helps in understanding<br />
the different areas of work involved that makes<br />
a production work. Plus the knowledge in camera<br />
direction, lighting, blocking etc.... I am more at ease<br />
when working in front of the camera.” Having tried<br />
her hand at hosting PSC Nite, she has also hosted a<br />
variety show called I’m the One. Catch her on King<br />
of Variety on Channel 8 every Friday.<br />
Name: Michelle Alicia Saram<br />
Occupation: Actress<br />
Name: Ng Hui<br />
Occupation: Artiste,<br />
MediaCorp<br />
International celebrity Michelle Saram was discovered as a model<br />
during an internship with the now-defunct Go magazine. Saram first<br />
appeared on the front page of their May 1996 issue, and then signed on<br />
as a model with Elite Models. She was propelled into the limelight after<br />
she was picked to appear in Aaron Kwokʼs music video. Her appearance<br />
as Ye Sha in the popular serial Meteor Garden II further spread her<br />
name when the show was aired in several countries.<br />
Since she graduated from SCI in 1997, Saram has also starred<br />
in Threshold of An Era with Louis Koo, Bullets Over Summer in 1999<br />
and Skyline Cruisers in 2000. In 2003, Saram returned to star in MediaCorp<br />
serials To Mom with Love, and Baby Boom.<br />
In ClickArt World Photojournalist Meet<br />
2003, Edwin Koo shined among more<br />
than 220 lensmen to bag a second prize<br />
for his entry. Out of more than 600 entries<br />
submitted, his image was the runner-up<br />
for the Best Photography Award under the<br />
category Behind-the-Scenes.<br />
Part of Koo’s beginning portfolio consists of a book called<br />
Rot Fai, which means Trains in Thai. Koo and his project mate<br />
Chng Ngo Peng captured life along the Thai Railways and compiled<br />
them in this book for his FYP in photojournalism.<br />
So what is the difference between journalism and photojournalism<br />
Koo says: “A photojournalist needs to be as curious as<br />
any other reporter. Both need to know what’s going on, make sense<br />
of it, then tell the story. In this manner, both are storytellers, just<br />
that the wordsmith’s tools are words, and a photojournalist’s tools,<br />
pictures.”<br />
Name: Ian Tan<br />
Occupation: Journalist,<br />
The New Paper<br />
Ian Tan bagged the Local<br />
Journalist Award for <strong>2004</strong><br />
for his outstanding work<br />
in Hanoi. This award from<br />
the Society of Publishers in<br />
Asia (SOPA) acknowledges<br />
him as the best local<br />
journalist in the region.<br />
Prior to that, he won<br />
the Singapore Poolʼs<br />
S-League Picture of the<br />
Year in 2001 and SPH<br />
Feature of the Year in<br />
2002.<br />
Tan started working as a<br />
journalist since he was 21<br />
and also spearheaded the<br />
Tech section in<br />
The New Paper.<br />
Tanʼs take on what makes<br />
a good journalist: “Integrity<br />
is paramount, because<br />
building trust between<br />
your newsmakers and<br />
your readers ensures you<br />
have a new story to write<br />
tomorrow! You also need<br />
to think very fast on your<br />
feet. I believe the best<br />
journalists are those who<br />
really care about their<br />
newsmakers and their<br />
readers.”<br />
-- GHY
new SCI buidling building<br />
Reaching<br />
for Higher<br />
Grounds<br />
The new conference room<br />
on level 4<br />
The SCI building under<br />
construction<br />
The graduate students’<br />
office<br />
A study room only for the students A roof garden in a university campus They are<br />
no longer a dream but a reality at SCI.<br />
After nine months of construction work, the upgrading of the SCI building was<br />
finally completed at the end of August. This included the expansion of the existing<br />
fourth storey, and on top of that a spanking new level for facilities.<br />
While the whole school cheered for the expansion, students were probably happier,<br />
as they now have a fully air-conditioned study room for themselves.<br />
Situated on the newly built fifth level, the room is equipped with cabinets for<br />
the CI Club (formally known as the CS Club) to store their documents and stationery.<br />
While the tables could be moved around to facilitate project discussions, the room can<br />
also be used for Paparazzi and performing arts rehearsals in the evenings.<br />
As it is a room for the students, the CI Club management committee was involved<br />
in the conceptualisation and planning process. “I feel that it’s a good indication<br />
that the SCI office and the Dean take the needs and the opinions of SCI students<br />
seriously,” says Gea Swee Jean, president of the CI Club 11th Management Committee.<br />
“We’re pleased as punch, and quite excited too, because we think it’s going to<br />
look quite scenic up there with the roof garden and all,” she adds.<br />
The roof garden, which is not completed yet, has the best view from the SCI<br />
building.<br />
“In great universities, the best views are open for everyone to enjoy, not only for<br />
the dean,” says Dr Ang Peng Hwa, the dean of SCI. After the roof garden, the new<br />
conference room on the fourth storey has the best view from SCI.<br />
There had been a shortage of space, especially with the addition of the Division<br />
of Information Studies. The space constraint was further aggravated with the rise in<br />
student intake.<br />
“The extension is indeed timely,” says Dr Ang. “The building was built with the<br />
possibility of a rooftop extension. The year we moved in, we knew that we had to do<br />
an extension because our enrolment is increasing every year.”<br />
With the new extensions, the graduate students can now move back to the SCI<br />
building, together with the rest of the SCI community. Ten offices for SCI graduate<br />
students and three offices for visiting professors have been built on the fifth storey.<br />
“In my view, architecture matters,” says Dr Ang. “And architecture matters<br />
greatly if one wants to be a great school.”<br />
-- SL<br />
The new 4 th storey extension,<br />
where the deanery resides now<br />
The SCI study room<br />
on level 5<br />
The SCI building<br />
after completion<br />
7
Digital Moves...<br />
Ever heard a funky, remixed version<br />
of Rasa Sayang<br />
Well, now you can<br />
even watch a music video of this<br />
traditional favourite, jazzed up and<br />
performed in rap!<br />
Six final-year students<br />
from the division of Electronic and<br />
Broadcast Media (EBM) won the<br />
first prize in the Student Category of<br />
‘Digital Moves’; a video competition<br />
organized by the Ministry of<br />
Defence (MINDEF), for their music<br />
video, Rasa Sayang Remix MTV.<br />
Daphne Chen, Rita Seow,<br />
Sylvia Lim, Ng Ai Lian, Tham Lai<br />
Yee and Lim Tee Lip received $3000<br />
and a plaque from Deputy Prime<br />
Minister Dr. Tony Tan on February<br />
14. The group presented the plaque<br />
to the Dean of SCI, Professor Ang<br />
Peng Hwa, on August 23.<br />
The competition, organized<br />
as a preceding event to<br />
making waves<br />
MINDEF’s Total Defence Campaign,<br />
called for entries to present<br />
any of the Total Defence core values<br />
in a fresh, fun and creative way.<br />
The students’ winning entry<br />
was a three-minute music video,<br />
which focused on racial harmony<br />
and diversity.<br />
It was chosen for its local<br />
flavour and because the message<br />
of racial harmony was succinctly<br />
captured, the organisers said.<br />
“To win was unexpected<br />
and exhilarating. Production was<br />
very tough as a lot of things went<br />
wrong, so we are really proud of the<br />
final video,” said Daphne Chen, the<br />
director of the video.<br />
To see the winning video,<br />
log on to http://www.totaldefence.<br />
org.sg/mediaroom/campaigns/digital_moves/main.html<br />
-- SS<br />
Off The Beaten Track<br />
Unconventional – that’s the first<br />
word that comes to mind when viewing<br />
Michael Lee’s art works. The<br />
graduate from SCI’s pioneer batch<br />
overturned the old adage ‘form follows<br />
function’ in his solo exhibition<br />
at the Alliance Francaise, When a<br />
Body Meets a Building.<br />
Using Autocad software<br />
and digital prints, Lee presents imaginary<br />
architecture that have bodily<br />
characteristics. His other works are<br />
in the form of sculpture, video and<br />
installation.<br />
Looking back on his undergraduate<br />
years in SCI, the current<br />
Pathway Leader of the Bachelor of<br />
Arts (Honours) Fine Art programmes<br />
in the <strong>Nanyang</strong> Academy of Fine<br />
Arts (NAFA) says, “I am grateful to<br />
SCI for all the crucial moments that<br />
transformed me intellectually.”<br />
He recounts his encounter<br />
with metaphors during a Consumer<br />
Behaviour Lecture and Dr Lee Chun<br />
Wah declaring ‘Shopping is Theatre!’<br />
– the powerful sentence that<br />
marked the emergence of the hidden<br />
Some of Michael<br />
Lee’s recent awards<br />
<strong>2004</strong>: Emerging Artist,<br />
National Arts Council<br />
2002: Two Commendation<br />
Awards, NAFA<br />
thinker in him, as he “began to think<br />
analogically.”<br />
Lee returned to SCI to<br />
complete his Master of Communication<br />
Studies in 2001, which<br />
he described as a time to “further<br />
develop my intellectual department.”<br />
The theoretical framework of<br />
psychoanalysis that he explored in<br />
his dissertation is a mainstay of his<br />
current art works.<br />
Inspired by Finnish artist<br />
Eija-Liisa Ahtila’s film, which<br />
is based on her PhD research on<br />
relational problems, Lee hopes to<br />
produce his own take on the issue<br />
within the next ten years.<br />
He also aspires to contribute<br />
constantly to the diversity of the<br />
world by exploring the margins of<br />
cultural conventions. “Always strive<br />
to do something better and different<br />
each time, otherwise it’s a waste of<br />
time and space,” the dynamic artist<br />
adds.<br />
Given Lee’s achievements,<br />
who’s to say the road less taken<br />
doesn’t lead to success<br />
-- FW<br />
The prize-winning term with the Dean and their award (L-R)<br />
Daphne Chen, Ng Ai Lian, Tham Lai Yee, Dean Ang Peng Hwa,<br />
Sylvia Lim, Rita Seow, Lim Tee Lip.<br />
2001: Highly Commended<br />
UOB Painting<br />
of the Year<br />
Salute to the Teacher of the Year <strong>2004</strong><br />
Ever felt inspired by a teacher A teacher who made<br />
classes fun instead of a drag, motivated and spurred you<br />
on during your learning journey<br />
Most of us never had the chance to thank this<br />
special someone, but in NTU, we try our best to do so.<br />
NTU students nominate and vote for the Teacher of the<br />
Year of their choice annually.<br />
An Excellence in Teaching award is given to a<br />
lecturer from all schools on campus every year. This year<br />
in SCI, the special award went to Dr Mark Cenite from<br />
the Division of Communication Research.<br />
Dr Cenite began teaching in SCI in 2002, and he<br />
was nominated Teacher of the Year two years later.<br />
8<br />
staff stuff<br />
He does not believe in acting stern and allknowing.<br />
Instead, he encourages his students to experiment<br />
and explore different ideas. “My approach works<br />
for me...some have said they studied harder for my class<br />
than any other. It showed.” To be concise, “I try to be<br />
human.”<br />
Here is Dr Cenite’s take on being a ‘good<br />
teacher’. “As a teacher, getting your attitude is the right<br />
key...If you like your students, and you want them to<br />
learn, you have a shot at having a good class.”<br />
-- WP<br />
Michael and his works<br />
Photo by courtesy of SPH-Streats
Helping to Bridge The Journalistic Gap<br />
staff stuff<br />
The School of Communication and Information (SCI) recently completed a<br />
two-year training project which began in December 2002, to raise the standards<br />
of journalism education in Vietnamese universities. The training project,<br />
entitled Assistance for the Reform (Development) of Vietnamese Journalism<br />
Schools was funded by a grant of US$110,000, from Sasakawa Peace Foundation<br />
(SPF), currently the largest grant organization in Japan.<br />
Thirty-two participants were trained in total and they ranged from<br />
communication graduates in their 20s to journalism professors in their 50s<br />
who were enthusiastic about honing their craft and upgrading their knowledge<br />
and teaching skills in journalism.<br />
Over two years, participants attended four workshops which were<br />
conducted both in Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi in Vietnam and Singapore. The<br />
workshops included a wide variety of subjects such as print and broadcast<br />
journalism, public relations and advertising, multi-media and web design<br />
to knowledge management. Participants also visited local and international<br />
media organizations in Singapore to get an insight into current media trends.<br />
The main instructors for the training project were Dr Ang Peng<br />
Hwa, the Dean of SCI; Associate Professor Sharen Liu, Head of Electronic<br />
and Broadcast Media of SCI; and Mr Chua Chong Jin, a current media consultant<br />
and a former SCI Assistant Professor. Other SCI instructors included<br />
Associate Professor Dr K. Sriramesh and Lecturers Sharon de Castro and<br />
Lee Chu Keong. Industry media professionals were also invited as guest<br />
speakers.<br />
As most participants spoke little or no English, two interpreters,<br />
one for each year of training, were hired to bridge the communication gap.<br />
“The biggest challenge,” said Liu, who was also the course coordinator,<br />
“was the language barrier, which slowed down the teaching process.<br />
But our interpreters, selected by the participants themselves were very good;<br />
plus the enthusiasm of the participants more than made up for any inconvenience.”<br />
In addition to “training the trainers”, Dr Ang also gave two student<br />
lectures at the National Universities in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh cities. Dr<br />
Ang made history by being the first foreign lecturer to speak at the School of<br />
Journalism in Hanoi.<br />
One outcome of this two-year training project will be a basic journalism<br />
textbook in Vietnamese which is slated for completion by the end of<br />
this year. Based on knowledge garnered from the workshops, seven participants<br />
were identified to write the textbook which will be used by journalism<br />
students from both the National Universities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh.<br />
Overall, Liu thought the training project was a worthwhile venture.<br />
With a smile she said, “it was satisfying to note that after only one year of<br />
training, participants reported positive changes made to their curricula and<br />
teaching styles.”<br />
SPF officials who were invited to attend the feedback sessions held<br />
in Hanoi, in May this year, were also very pleased with the results of the<br />
training.<br />
-- CHY<br />
SCI instructors and the participants<br />
Acclaimed local political journalist comes aboard<br />
For Cherian George, joining SCI as<br />
an assistant professor was a “natural<br />
progression of things”.<br />
The former journalist and<br />
author of Singapore: The Air-conditioned<br />
Nation conducted writing<br />
courses during his nine years at The<br />
Straits Times and lectured at the<br />
Stanford <strong>University</strong> in the United<br />
States where he received his doctorate<br />
in communications. George is<br />
also not new to SCI, having been<br />
an adjunct lecturer to the final-year<br />
journalism students in 1999.<br />
“I enjoyed teaching<br />
them,” he says, and hopes to “repeat<br />
this experience” with his new students.<br />
A political and media commentator,<br />
George now manages a<br />
news-writing module for second year<br />
SCI undergraduates, and lectures<br />
graduate students on media laws and<br />
policies.<br />
He also has research<br />
projects involving Asian media policies<br />
and the alternative publications<br />
under his belt.<br />
“I’m hoping for a healthy<br />
balance of research and teaching,”<br />
quips George when describing his<br />
work at SCI.<br />
Outside of SCI, he also<br />
writes occasional commentaries for<br />
newspapers and runs a newspaper<br />
for children from his own laptop.<br />
Assistant Professor Cherian George<br />
Although he admits that<br />
he sometimes misses the newsroom<br />
environment, George says he is glad<br />
that being an academic at SCI allows<br />
him to make contributions to the<br />
“intellectual life of society”, just like<br />
a journalist.<br />
“And I don’t need to worry<br />
about daily or weekly deadlines!” he<br />
laughs.<br />
And what does he like best<br />
about teaching<br />
“The sound of students’<br />
laughter!” is his quick reply. Indeed,<br />
the friendly and affable George often<br />
peppers his lectures with amusing<br />
anecdotes and witty remarks,<br />
sometimes having students laugh at<br />
themselves too.<br />
Having spent only a few<br />
months here, he says that SCI has<br />
lived up to his expectations and its<br />
“good reputation” shared among media<br />
insiders. As he looks forward to<br />
following semesters, George hopes<br />
that students continue to “challenge<br />
faculty like me to give the best possible<br />
education, and show initiative<br />
in learning.”<br />
-- ML<br />
The Global Public Relations Handbook<br />
Never thought that you might know<br />
the editor of the book you are reading<br />
now Well, in future do pay<br />
more attention to them; they might<br />
be members of the SCI faculty.<br />
The Global Public Relations<br />
Handbook, edited by Professor<br />
Krishnamurthy Sriramesh, was released<br />
in May 2003 and is currently<br />
into its second print. In <strong>Nov</strong>ember<br />
2003, it received the PRIDE Award<br />
after being judged by the National<br />
Communication Association as the<br />
best book in public relations released<br />
during the year. The National<br />
Communication Association is based<br />
in Washington, D.C.<br />
With its global contributors<br />
and wide-ranging focus, the<br />
handbook offers invaluable insights<br />
on global public relations practice.<br />
The information in it should also<br />
prove helpful to public relations<br />
professionals by introducing them to<br />
the unique environments they will<br />
face in a globalised world.<br />
Each chapter covers the<br />
history, development and status of<br />
public relations within a specified<br />
country or area, and considers the<br />
Staff Promotions<br />
profession in relation to factors<br />
such as the political environment;<br />
the level of economic development;<br />
culture; the media environment; and<br />
activism. In addition, each countryspecific<br />
chapter also includes a case<br />
study epitomising public relations<br />
practice in that country.<br />
This handbook sets itself<br />
apart from other volumes in international<br />
public relations with the inclusion<br />
of a section on public relations<br />
practice in a global setting, with<br />
chapters analysing the operations of<br />
multinational corporations, foreign<br />
governments, international organisations,<br />
non-government organisations<br />
and multinational public relations<br />
agencies.<br />
“After over two years of<br />
hard work, it is heartening to know<br />
that this small piece of work is being<br />
received well by both academia and<br />
the professional communities,” was<br />
how Professor Sriramesh summed<br />
up his reaction to the accolades the<br />
book has been receiving.<br />
-- WP<br />
Congratulations Dr Foo Tee Tuan and Dr Xu Xiao Ge for receiving<br />
their PhDs and being appointed Assistant Professors at SCI!<br />
Our hearty congratulations also goes to our non-academic staff,<br />
Mr Tok Joo Guan for his promotion to Technical Executive.<br />
9
New Admission System For Freshmen<br />
undergrad<br />
If you feel that you had a hard time getting a place in SCI, it was even tougher for the freshman this year.<br />
Besides passing the university admission criteria, they also had to clear other hurdles – a written test and an interview.<br />
This was the first time that SCI screened all applicants who placed Communication Studies as their first choice. In the past, students were admitted<br />
directly based on their academic results. Only those with borderline results were interviewed.<br />
Professor Schubert Foo, the vice-dean of SCI, said the purpose of the written test was to gauge the candidates’ command of language and the ability<br />
to express their thoughts logically and succinctly. “More importantly, their aptitude and interest in pursuing the course were also assessed through CCA<br />
records and portfolio of works during the interview immediately following the written test,” he added.<br />
Competition was very keen this year, as most of the candidates had previous experience in communication-related activities. More than 400 interviews<br />
and tests were conducted, but only 172 applicants were admitted. Those selected had a wide range of interests and demonstrated a strong interest in the<br />
media. Applicants who excelled in non-academic activities in their junior colleges or polytechnics were also considered.<br />
The number of polytechnic graduates admitted this year to SCI jumped to 16 against only two in the previous three years. “We expect the intake<br />
of polytechnic students to gradually increase in line with the university’s policy to provide an avenue for a proportion of polytechnic students to obtain undergraduate<br />
degrees in Singapore universities,” said Prof Foo.<br />
Although the new<br />
continue with it.<br />
“We are of the view<br />
well in the programme and industry,” said Prof Foo.<br />
-- TT<br />
A Freshman’s “Odyssey”<br />
“Odyssey” - a pirate’s adventure for the brave<br />
and courageous. This was the theme of this year’s<br />
School of Communication and Information (SCI)<br />
freshmen orientation camp.<br />
The camp held from 5th to 9th July,<br />
included two days of outdoor activities at the<br />
Sentosa Island. Ng Cheezi, 21, a second-year SCI<br />
student, led this year’s orientation camp committee,<br />
which planned innovative games for the<br />
camp.<br />
“I remember vividly a food auction<br />
game, where we use the money we ‘earn’ through<br />
the other games to bid for ‘mysterious’ food,”<br />
Foo Shu Yi, 19, a first-year SCI student said. “We<br />
did not know what was hidden in the bag and in<br />
the end, we spent a large sum of money on a cabbage.”<br />
To the freshmen, it was indeed all fun<br />
and laughter. But behind the scene, SCI freshmen<br />
orientation camp committee had been planning<br />
for almost a year to make this five-day camp<br />
eventful.<br />
“We wanted the freshmen to have loads<br />
of fun and at the same time, get to know CS better,”<br />
says Ng. “The camp was a platform for them<br />
to make new friends so that they will not be alone<br />
on the first day of school.”<br />
Planning the camp was no mean feat.<br />
The key problem Ng and her committee of 14<br />
students faced was insufficient funds. “We started<br />
from zero cents and had to undertake many canvassing<br />
activities to reach our target aim of $6 K,”<br />
Ng says. “It was a tough process to raise funds<br />
and we were not able to get any sponsorship.<br />
Holding a bash at Centro and setting up of stalls<br />
during the school bazaar raised funds.”<br />
The committee also developed a small<br />
booklet and CD-Rom giving details of the camp.<br />
The orientation packages were later delivered<br />
right to the freshmen’s doorsteps.<br />
Judging from what the freshmen had to<br />
say about the camp, Ng and her committee’s hard<br />
work paid off.<br />
“I enjoyed the camp very much,” says<br />
Xie Wanting, 19. “It was definitely a great opportunity<br />
for me to interact with the seniors and<br />
other freshmen, who otherwise I would never get<br />
to know.”<br />
-- TT<br />
Yahoo! For Masters<br />
ma student page<br />
Take a cue from master’s students Arleen Cuevas<br />
and Camille Faylona. Link up with your classmates<br />
via Yahoo! groups.The two came together<br />
on March 30 this year to set up a pioneer Yahoo!<br />
group account for the Masters’ class.<br />
Cuevas, 24, the moderator of the group,<br />
said, “It was our idea to start a Yahoo group as we<br />
were foreign students from the Philippines and<br />
wanted to have a forum to get in touch with our<br />
classmates.”<br />
The group currently has 45 members.<br />
Case studies, case analysis and guides to writing<br />
research reports are posted on the site for all to<br />
share. Members also share their work experiences.<br />
Cuevas says, “Exchange of information<br />
and communication has been pretty good, especially<br />
when mid-term and final exams are coming<br />
up and everyone shares information about papers<br />
and other school requirements.”<br />
Besides exchanging information, the<br />
10<br />
members also use the group site as a social platform<br />
where they could keep in touch with their<br />
classmates.<br />
The group members organized a dinner<br />
a few months back using the Yahoo group site.<br />
Faylona, 23, said, “I think the group has been able<br />
to get members of the program in touch with each<br />
other.”<br />
A current Masters student and member<br />
of the group, Rajani Pillai, said, “The Masters<br />
students do not have any kind of association or<br />
any representative body to bring out their woes<br />
to the management. I guess the need to keep in<br />
touch and share information, thoughts and views<br />
triggered setting up this group.”<br />
The group founders say that the alumni<br />
can opt to be a part of the group though the Yahoo!<br />
group is mostly used by current students for<br />
discussions about schoolwork. A separate NTU-<br />
MMC alumni group is also being established.<br />
Those who wish to join the NTU-Masters<br />
Programme Yahoo! group may email NTU-<br />
MMC-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.<br />
MA Students’ Gathering<br />
-- RW
Not Your Average Graduate<br />
Student<br />
ma student page<br />
Award For Best<br />
Dissertation<br />
The sight of a monk in a grey tunic, carrying a<br />
large backpack on his shoulders and walking<br />
around SCI, has raised the curiosity of many<br />
students. Most of them react with surprise<br />
when they realise he is actually a master’s<br />
degree student here.<br />
“Last semester, some would stop in<br />
their tracks and look at me with shock,” says<br />
Venerable Yan Xu with an amused smile, “but<br />
this time the new students just smile at me.”<br />
The 29-year old Buddhist monk<br />
from China, who joined the Master of Mass<br />
Communication course in January this year,<br />
has even garnered some media attention. He<br />
was featured in The New Paper, and is by now<br />
used to people asking questions.<br />
“It is not enough for Buddhist<br />
monks to stay in the monastery and read<br />
scriptures,” he explains. “The new media is<br />
developing so fast, so we must know how to<br />
use it to serve our members and the public<br />
better.”<br />
Venerable Yan Xu also feels that<br />
the media has the potential to be a “bridge<br />
between the Buddhist world and the secular<br />
world.” He is already doing his part in building<br />
that bridge by editing two local Buddhist<br />
magazines.<br />
Citing examples of Buddhist-themed<br />
television and radio stations operating in<br />
Taiwan, he hopes that with the knowledge and<br />
experience gained at SCI, he would be able to<br />
achieve that for Singapore, or wherever<br />
opportunity takes him.<br />
Indeed, the monk from the<br />
Jiuhuashan Institute of Buddhism in China has<br />
“gained a lot” from his time here at SCI. “I’ve<br />
learnt to pay more attention to current issues,<br />
media impact, and how it affects peoples’<br />
lives,” he says.<br />
Even though course readings “seem<br />
never-ending”, he enjoys his classes and the<br />
lively discussions with other students. He is<br />
also full of praise for the SCI faculty, whom<br />
he calls “world-class professors” with a “high<br />
quality of teaching.”<br />
When asked how he would respond<br />
if his fellow monks were to ask him about<br />
SCI, Venerable Yan Xu immediately replies, “I<br />
would encourage them to join of course.”<br />
He adds, “Student life is good, and SCI is<br />
full of activity and opportunities to learn and<br />
gain fresh ideas and cultural views from other<br />
students of different backgrounds.” -- ML<br />
Venerable Yan<br />
Xu<br />
Ms Chan Mei Yee, a 2002 Masters in Information<br />
Studies graduate, was the recipient of the National Library<br />
Board Award at the Convocation this year. This<br />
award is given to the student with the best project/dissertation<br />
in Master of Science (Information Studies)<br />
programme.<br />
Started in year 2000, this award of $500 is<br />
given to one recipient every year. Ms Chan’s dissertation<br />
was Applying Scenario-based Design and Claims<br />
Analysis to Evaluate Usability of the National Library<br />
Board Digital Library. It questions the usability of<br />
digital libraries, especially since users have grown<br />
accustomed to human librarians.<br />
Ms Chan received her Bachelor in Business<br />
degree from <strong>Nanyang</strong> <strong>Technological</strong> <strong>University</strong> in<br />
1995. She is an Administrative Officer in the Department<br />
of Computer and Information Systems at the<br />
Singapore Polytechnic.<br />
As part of her research, participants were<br />
recruited to evaluate the usability of the eLibrary-<br />
Hub, the National Library Board’s digital library, by<br />
identifying the advantages and disadvantages of its<br />
current design. These aspects are measured by the<br />
ease whereby users can accomplish their tasks. Factors<br />
include how user-friendly the site is and the speed<br />
with which they complete the task.<br />
The disadvantages were recorded and were<br />
organized according to problem-solving strategies<br />
and design guidelines. A list of recommendations to<br />
revamp eLibraryHub was then proposed.<br />
eLibraryHub is looking to incorporate the<br />
suggestions to create a more efficient and user-friendly<br />
system.<br />
-- RW<br />
amic<br />
The SCI - AMIC connection<br />
Tucked in a quiet corner on the second level of the SCI building, the modest<br />
façade of the AMIC glass doors belies the organisation’s illustrious history<br />
and the vital link it shares with our school.<br />
The Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC)<br />
has spearheaded media development and communication expertise in Asia<br />
since 1971, commanding goodwill among industry insiders in Asia and<br />
abroad.<br />
AMIC has been housed in SCI since 1996, and the two share a<br />
close partnership.<br />
“I feel proud, of course, to be involved in AMIC’s activities, and<br />
that we enjoy such a good working relationship.” says SCI Dean Dr Ang<br />
Peng Hwa, who is also the newly elected chairman of AMIC.<br />
SCI supports AMIC with substantial core funding and co-publishes<br />
all of AMIC’s books and journals, such as Media Asia, and the Asian Journal<br />
of Communication (AJC). Many of our faculty also participate in AMIC’s<br />
research and activities.<br />
As chairman, Dr Ang provides strategic direction for AMIC’s<br />
development and daily operations. He has been working with AMIC even<br />
before the SCI was established, and has edited and co-authored many books,<br />
including Communication Education and Media Training Needs in ASEAN<br />
(2000) and Mass Media Laws and Regulations in Singapore (1998).<br />
Former SCI dean, Dr Eddie Kuo, has also been involved in AMIC<br />
since its earliest days and together with the late Anura Goonasekera of<br />
AMIC, founded the Asian Journal of Communication (AJC), which he continues<br />
to edit.<br />
Dr Kuo has also written numerous books and articles with AMIC,<br />
such as Mirror on the Wall: Media in a Singapore Election (1993) and<br />
the Changing Media Environment and Implications for Communication<br />
Education (2000). Though he stepped down as AMIC chairman in July, he<br />
continues to provide consultation and advice.<br />
The SCI-AMIC collaboration has many positive returns for SCI.<br />
“Helping AMIC organise conferences across Asia also gives visibility to our<br />
faculty and raises our profile,” says Dr Ang. “Also, it’s definitely a good<br />
thing for our faculty and students to have such a resource at our doorstep.”<br />
Last year, the SCI and AMIC libraries were merged to form the<br />
Asian Communication Resource Centre (ACRC), now one of Asia’s largest<br />
collections of documents and audiovisual material on communication.<br />
Besides SCI students and faculty, scholars from around the region can also<br />
come to SCI to utilise the ACRC materials for their theses.<br />
Together with the SCI, AMIC continues to contribute to media development<br />
by initiating training programmes for media professionals across<br />
Asia. Its international conferences and shared publications with SCI also<br />
provide the much-needed Asian perspective on communications.<br />
As Dr Ang reiterates, “We definitely have a good relationship, and<br />
future cooperation looks very good for both.”<br />
-- LC<br />
The AMIC office<br />
11
Events<br />
Warren Fernandez gives talk @SCI<br />
Warren Fernandez and his book<br />
titled, “Thinking Allowed”<br />
Always thought that Singapore politics is just a façade with no real avenue to advocate changes Think again.<br />
Warren Fernandez, Foreign Editor of The Straits Times, addressed this issue when he talked to<br />
first-year SCI students in late August. The talk was based on his recently published book, Thinking Allowed<br />
–Politics, Fear and Change in Singapore.<br />
Fernandez served on several public committees like the Remaking Singapore Committee and Singapore<br />
21 Committee. His book draws from Thinking aloud columns on Singapore politics and society that have<br />
appeared in The Straits Times since 1991, and also includes new essays that delve into recurring issues that<br />
Singapore is grappling with.<br />
In his talk, Fernandez called for a more proactive society which is willing to speak up to fight for<br />
changes, despite the common fears of crossing out-of-bound (OB) markers.<br />
“Some people suggested we should try to define OB markers, to make them clearer, so people would<br />
be less afraid to speak up,” said Fernandez. “We on the Remaking Singapore tried to do that, but found it<br />
near impossible to do, because whatʼs a sensitive change with time and context. For example, race, religion,<br />
national service are all sensitive issues. But we already do discuss these quite openly and rationally.”<br />
He believes that talking about OB markers is a “red herring or dead-end. I think its time to transcend<br />
this OB marker debate and move beyond it, to deal with the real issues at hand. Our new Prime Minister has<br />
said over and again that he wants Singaporeans to speak up on their concerns. I see no reason not to take him<br />
at his word.”<br />
Several times during his talk, Fernandez argued that change can happen in Singapore, adding “itʼs<br />
up to you and me to make a difference”. He gave the example of how the film classification system changed to<br />
allow M18 ratings after the proposal made by the Remaking Singapore Committee. He also cited the sweeping<br />
changes in the education system that were being made, partly in response to feedback from society.<br />
“This is not something just for the government to decide,” he commented. You and I have a role to<br />
play in making sure that we take the right decisions as we confront these new challenges,” Fernandez said.<br />
The talk was received well. “It answered queries always on our minds and he was a good representative<br />
to show that the media is open and ready to face criticism and skepticism of the public,” said Dunstan<br />
Lee, a student.<br />
“His talk was an eye-opener. Itʼs a rare chance to hear from the mediaʼs point of view,” said Germaine<br />
Chan, another student. “The question and answer session presented some interesting views. Overall, the<br />
talk gave a different perspective on how politics is presented in the media.”<br />
-- RW<br />
Singapore Internet Research Centre<br />
An Asian Perspective and Asian Presence in Internet<br />
Itʼs been just eight months since it was launched<br />
and the Singapore Internet Research Centre<br />
(SIRC) is already going places.<br />
The Centre sent a team of research<br />
associates to England to attend the Internet Research<br />
5.0 international conference organized by<br />
the Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) in<br />
September.<br />
Associate Professor Randolph Kluver,<br />
the centreʼs executive director, said the SIRC<br />
sent the team to the conference to learn about<br />
the AoIR, the largest Internet-specific research<br />
organization in the world.<br />
“More importantly, we wanted the<br />
international community of Internet researchers to<br />
know about the kind of work we are doing here.<br />
Overall, I would say we were very successful in<br />
that,” he said.<br />
Dr Kluver led the team of research associates<br />
comprising Assistant Professors Lee Wai<br />
Peng, Shyam Tekwani, Kavita Karan and Miss<br />
Shahiraa Binte Sahul Hameed to the conference,<br />
which was held at the <strong>University</strong> of Sussex.<br />
The SIRC was launched by SCI in<br />
12<br />
January to serve as an Asian platform for the<br />
discussion of ideas in an information society. It<br />
is SCIʼs first official research body, focusing on<br />
issues such as Internet policy and the Internet in<br />
Asian societies.<br />
Dr Kluver said the Centre aims to be a<br />
“premier Asian research institute on the Internet”,<br />
bringing an “Asian perspective” to a traditionally<br />
Western oriented body of knowledge.<br />
The idea of an Internet research centre<br />
was initiated by former SCI Dean, Professor<br />
Eddie Kuo. However, it was the schoolʼs current<br />
Dean, Associate Professor Ang Peng Hwa, who<br />
formed an Internet policy group that was the core<br />
for the SIRC.<br />
While the centre is hosted and has<br />
received initial funding from SCI, individual<br />
research projects have private sponsors. Research<br />
associates at the centre come from the various<br />
divisions at SCI.<br />
During the trip to England, the team<br />
visited the Oxford Internet Institute (OII) at<br />
Oxford <strong>University</strong>. Dr Kluver said the objective<br />
of the visit was to expand the SIRCʼs relationship<br />
with OII and to discuss potential collaborations.<br />
“We also wanted to see what OII is<br />
doing and hopefully generate some ideas for the<br />
SIRC,” he added.<br />
Dr Kluver said the SIRC is likely to<br />
host OII associates in future although no definite<br />
plans have been made yet. He added that this<br />
cross-continent communication between the two<br />
research bodies was a good way to expand the<br />
potential for collaborative research.<br />
-- LC<br />
SIRC research associates make their mark in<br />
England: (from left) Assoc. Prof. Kluver, Asst.<br />
Prof. Tekwani, Miss Shahiraa , Asst. Prof. Lee<br />
and Asst. Prof. Karan
Events<br />
Professor Grunig sharing his<br />
insights on PR theories and<br />
ethics during his vist here<br />
A Success for MediaBuzz night<br />
It was originally supposed to have been an<br />
evening to discuss the ethics of reporting terrorist<br />
acts, but the merger of Singapore’s two main<br />
media companies changed all that.<br />
The 70-odd participants at the MediaBuzz<br />
night on September 22 instead spent<br />
time discussing the marriage of the MediaCorp<br />
Group and Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) at<br />
the Library @ the Esplanade. Members of the<br />
Singapore Press Club (SPC) and SCI students<br />
were among those who attended the forum.<br />
The SPC and the NTU School of<br />
Communication and Information (SCI) organised<br />
this event, which was chaired by SCI’s<br />
Assistant Professor Dr Mark Cenite.<br />
“Just five days before the forum was<br />
scheduled to happen, the MediaCorp-SPH<br />
merger was announced. We reconstituted the<br />
event because we thought it would be bizarre<br />
to get media professionals together so soon and<br />
discuss anything other than this historic merger<br />
that was on their minds.”<br />
The five panelists for the evening<br />
were Patrick Daniel, managing editor of SPH’s<br />
English and Malay newspapers division; Shaun<br />
Seow, managing editor of MediaCorp Group;<br />
Sutha Kandiah, head of telecommunications,<br />
media and technology from UBS Investment<br />
Bank (S.E.A.); P.N. Balji, media consultant<br />
from BANG Public Relations and Dr Cherian<br />
George, assistant professor from SCI.<br />
The forum was organised to facilitate<br />
interaction and discussion of media-related<br />
issues between SCI faculty members, students<br />
and the top managers in the industry. Lau Joon-<br />
VISIT BY PUBLIC RELATIONS BIGWIG<br />
Professor James E. Grunig, a renowned figure in the public<br />
relations field, was invited to serve as the Wee Kim Wee distinguished<br />
professor in SCI during July and August. In that<br />
capacity, he spoke to students and public relations professionals<br />
here as well as to public relations professionals in Singapore,<br />
Malaysia, Indonesia, and Hong Kong.<br />
He has earned many awards in his 40 years of research<br />
work including the Pathfinder Award for excellence in public<br />
relations research and the Paul J. Deutschmann Award for Excellence<br />
in Research.<br />
He described SCI students as “outstanding”, who<br />
worked very hard and were eager to learn. “The students showed<br />
interest in my presentations and asked good questions.”<br />
“I was encouraged by the number of SCI alumni working<br />
in public relations profession and the number of working<br />
professionals who are enrolled in the Master’s program.”<br />
However, he felt that there was still room for improvement.<br />
He said even though public relations professionals in Singapore<br />
were attempting to play a strategic management role with<br />
their organizations and clients, public relations often is seen only<br />
as a marketing support function. “Marketing public relations<br />
relations is an important part of public relations, but I think Singaporean professionals need to<br />
expand their vision of public relations,” he said.<br />
Commenting on the public relations specialty in SCI, he said, “I think some excellent<br />
public relations courses are being taught in the specialty...but in my opinion, public relations and<br />
advertising are separate disciplines and should be separate options in the PPC Division.”<br />
Friendly and approachable with a sense of humor, Prof. Grunig always had interesting<br />
anecdotes to share. “I came to Singapore thinking I would be very hot most of the time. Instead,<br />
I thought I was in Antarctica whenever I was in an air-conditioned building. Singaporeans really<br />
seem to want to be cold when they are inside!”<br />
-- RW<br />
Dr Cenite (extreme left) and panelists<br />
Nie, who is the honorary assistant secretary of<br />
Singapore Press Club and also senior producer<br />
for MediaCorp News, initiated the idea.<br />
“It started off as an opportunity to<br />
discuss issues related to the profession to create<br />
an informal occasion for the exchange of views<br />
among members and students,” said Lau.<br />
The forum was well received by<br />
the audience who attended. “This gathering is<br />
beneficial to media practitioners, academics and<br />
students from journalism as it provides a venue<br />
for them to share their observations on the<br />
merger,” said Dr Xu Xiaoge, assistant professor<br />
from SCI.<br />
Writer and media consultant Peter H<br />
L Lim who is the former editor-in-chief of The<br />
Straits Times said, “I think the forum stimulated<br />
thinking on various issues. The Singapore<br />
media situation is very complex. It’s not only<br />
business considerations, but also issues of<br />
national politics, editorial quality, and how well<br />
the newspapers and TV stations serve readers,<br />
viewers and advertisers.” -- JN<br />
what’s new<br />
<strong>Nanyang</strong> chronicle Celebrates<br />
10th Anniversary<br />
Joy and excitement fill the <strong>Nanyang</strong> Chronicle<br />
workroom, as the NTU paper celebrates its 10th<br />
Anniversary.<br />
As part of the anniversary, the editorial<br />
team decided to give a facelift to the varsity<br />
newspaper, which was started on August 1994<br />
in the School of Communication then situated at<br />
National <strong>University</strong> of Singapore.<br />
This idea was initiated by the chief<br />
editor, Lester Chiew, 23, and managing editor,<br />
Alvin Chua, 23. “We wanted to do something<br />
for Chronicleʼs 10th anniversary, and it was also<br />
about time the newspaper got a new look.”<br />
The revamp changed not only the organisation<br />
of the content but also the typefaces,<br />
layout and colours. “Itʼs a complete makeover,”<br />
said Alvin. “Other than the old Chronicle red<br />
which we preserved for traditionʼs sake, everything<br />
else was given a facelift.”<br />
The paper was launched to provide<br />
a training ground for SCI students. A campus<br />
paper for the NTU population, the Chronicle<br />
team has been able to sustain its aims despite<br />
numerous challenges in organizing and gathering<br />
news.<br />
SCIʼs former Dean, Professor Eddie<br />
Kuo said, “Over the years, the Chronicle has<br />
increasingly been accepted as a paper by the<br />
student, of the student and for the student.”<br />
Currently, the <strong>Nanyang</strong> Chronicle has<br />
a circulation of 15,000. The exposure that the<br />
Chronicle team gets from running the newspaper<br />
is beneficial to those interested in gaining newsroom<br />
experience.<br />
The team runs stories not only from<br />
official sources like the Studentsʼ Affairs Office<br />
but also initiates their own scoops. The Chronicle<br />
also allows students to voice their opinion<br />
on controversial issues such as lack of consultation<br />
with the student body over “Nantah” name<br />
change, which is treated responsibly by the<br />
editorial team.<br />
-- JN<br />
A recent issue of the <strong>Nanyang</strong> Chronicle<br />
13
Bachelor of Communication Studies<br />
2003:<br />
Elaine Ho joined MediaCorp TV12 as a<br />
programming executive in July 2003. Her<br />
primary job is in buying and acquiring programs<br />
for Kidʼs Central.<br />
2002:<br />
Adrian Lee is with Nokia Mobile Phones. He<br />
is actively promoting photo-logging services<br />
on the Internet, in conjunction with multimedia<br />
messaging service. For business related<br />
matters, you can contact Adrian at his office<br />
(6723-2505).<br />
2001:<br />
Richard Wee has just moved to 77th Street<br />
as an Assistant Marketing Manager after<br />
three years in MediaCorp Radio.<br />
Serene Ho married Edwin in June 2003.<br />
Benjamin Yeo is a doctoral student at<br />
Pennsylvania State <strong>University</strong>ʼs School of<br />
Information Science and Technology. His<br />
research interests include the management of<br />
mobile information systems and enterprise<br />
systems integration, as well as IT planning<br />
and economic development.<br />
14<br />
CLASSNOTES<br />
1999:<br />
Mohamad Sufian Bin Jumahri heads the<br />
Asia-Pacific division as an International<br />
TV Sales Executive with Marcus Evans<br />
Television in Sydney after a stint in London.<br />
He will eventually be posted permanently<br />
to an Asian city. Watch this space for more<br />
updates from this globe-trotter.<br />
1998:<br />
Yeo Kwee Chuan is a writer-editor with<br />
Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), Tokyo.<br />
Previously, he worked as a news assistant<br />
and producer with CNBC Asia, Singapore,<br />
and staff reporter with Dow Jones Newswires,<br />
Hong Kong.<br />
1997:<br />
Samantha Santa Maria completed her<br />
Master of Journalism at Medillʼs School of<br />
Journalism in 2003. She started out as a features<br />
writer for the 130,000-circulation daily<br />
The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Mississippi,<br />
and has since been promoted to Entertainment<br />
Director.<br />
Sharan Kaur says hello to all alumni, especially<br />
the 1997 group. Sharan is married<br />
and lives in Kuala Lumpur. She is a senior<br />
copywriter with CCAS Sdn Bhd, a local<br />
advertising company. Sharan has a one-year<br />
old daughter, Harsohela Kaur. You can view<br />
Harsohelaʼs pictures at http://www.geocities.<br />
com/bebesohela/sohela. Sharan would like<br />
to get in touch with her old friends. You can<br />
contact her at: modtu@hotmail.com.<br />
Master’s Program<br />
2002:<br />
Heng Siok Tian (MSc.) has just published her<br />
third collection of poems Contouring in March<br />
<strong>2004</strong>. One of the threads of the book is the<br />
tension between the old analogue world and the<br />
new digital world, a common theme explored<br />
in the field of communication. My City, My<br />
Canvas (1999) and Crossing the Chopsticks and<br />
other poems (1993) were her previous works.<br />
Intan Azura Mokhtar (MSc) was eight months<br />
pregnant when she attended the convocation<br />
last year. She gave birth to her baby girl, Annika<br />
Barisyia, on 15 September 2003. Her son,<br />
Adam Dhiyaʼulhaq, is now five.<br />
2001:<br />
Sunita Kumari (MSc.) has been residing in<br />
Florida, USA, since March 2003. Sunita gave<br />
birth to a baby girl on 9 March, <strong>2004</strong>.<br />
Rob Khoo (MSc.) is working as a producer in<br />
MTV Asia.<br />
2000:<br />
Ivan Chew (MSc.) is currently a manager at Jurong<br />
Regional Library. Check out his personal<br />
ʻblogʼ at http://ramblinglibrarian.blogspot.com/<br />
Tan Woan Chyn (MSc.) is currently teaching<br />
Chinese in Meridian Junior College.<br />
Woan Chyn can be contacted at tan_woan_<br />
chyn@moe.edu.sg<br />
Wayne Law (MSc.) is the Chief Financial Officer<br />
with a snack food manufacturer in Shandong<br />
Province, China. The company will soon<br />
be listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange.<br />
Lai Mei Lien (MSc.) is the Director of Our Kids<br />
Place International Preschool (http://www.<br />
ourkidsplace.com/). Her training in Information<br />
Studies has been put to good use. She has set up<br />
a digital library for early education; a resource<br />
library for teachers, parents and children; and a<br />
website.<br />
Cheryl Marie Cordeiro (MSc) is a doctoral<br />
student with the Department of Linguistics<br />
at Gothenburg <strong>University</strong> in Sweden, but<br />
based with the Gothenburg Research Institute<br />
(http://www.gri.gu.se/) under the “Scandinavian<br />
Management” group of researchers. It took<br />
time for her to get used to the easygoing and<br />
laidback lifestyle of the Swedes, a huge change<br />
from Singaporeʼs hustle and bustle. “I hope to<br />
come back to Singapore and work in a tertiary<br />
institution eventually.”<br />
1999:<br />
Richard Xu Rong (MSc.) is currently working at<br />
UOB IT/Business Solutions Division.<br />
Wan Kwok Wai (MSc)<br />
Kwok Wai joined the Vanda Group in Hong<br />
Kong as their Regional Research Manager in<br />
2003.<br />
-- FW<br />
what’s new<br />
SCI students can now have a taste of<br />
Indian culture while doing their PhDs.<br />
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has<br />
been signed by SCI and the Mudra Institute of<br />
Communication Arts (MICA) in Gujarat, India.<br />
The MoU allows for exchange and collaboration<br />
on four levels: joint research projects, information<br />
exchange, staff exchange, and student exchange.<br />
MICA offers a two-year Postgraduate<br />
Diploma in Communications Management and<br />
runs one-year executive diploma programs. It was<br />
founded in 1991 and has since established itself<br />
as one of the premier Indian institutes of learning.<br />
-- SS<br />
Video Editing is a breeze with Avid<br />
Students of the Electronic and Broadcast Media<br />
(EBM) Division can now edit their projects<br />
faster and have better quality videos with the<br />
new Avid Media Composer Adrenaline. Avid is<br />
the leading industry software for video editing.<br />
The Advanced Video Editing Lab was set up in<br />
June <strong>2004</strong> by the EBM department at a cost of<br />
S$500,000.<br />
The Avid Media Composer processes<br />
the videos faster with real-time effects. This<br />
means that the changes made to the videos can<br />
be seen immediately, with no lag-time.<br />
The division head of EBM, Associate<br />
Professor Sharen Liu, says, “Our latest set-up is<br />
in keeping with one of SCI’s aim, to always give<br />
our students the best deal in technical support<br />
for their video projects.”<br />
With a faster and more efficient<br />
network, the server also has a storage space of<br />
5.7 terabyte, equivalent to almost 100 computers<br />
with a storage space of 60 gigabyte each. Since<br />
there is ample storage space, students no longer<br />
have to compress their video files and compromise<br />
on the quality of their videos.<br />
Final year projects are now allocated<br />
100GB per 20-30 minute project, compared with<br />
20 GB previously.<br />
Fourth-year EBM student Randaa<br />
Razak applauds the move, “Video editing is so<br />
much faster and easier, it is almost a breeze.”<br />
-- CHY<br />
Editors<br />
Chan Huiyi<br />
Serena Leong<br />
Ong Rushan<br />
Peh Wei Ping<br />
Stephanie Shi<br />
Teresa Tan<br />
Layout Team<br />
Grace Chiang<br />
Adrian Yeap<br />
Photographer<br />
Jave Ng<br />
TEAM<br />
Business Team<br />
Lynnette Chan<br />
Felicia Wong<br />
Faculty Coordinator<br />
A/P Lee Chun Wah<br />
ConnexscIons<br />
(in alphabetical order)<br />
Writers<br />
Chan Huiyi<br />
Lynnette Chan<br />
Grace Chiang<br />
Goh Huiyi<br />
Michelle Lee<br />
Serena Leong<br />
Jave Ng<br />
Ong Rushan<br />
Peh Wei Ping<br />
Stephanie Shi<br />
Teresa Tan<br />
Felicia Wong<br />
Rena Wong<br />
Adrian Yeap<br />
Lecturers<br />
Ms Vandana Chopra<br />
Ms Ellen Hauser