Connexscions Volume III Issue 01 Aug - Nov 2006 - WKWSCI Home

Volume III Issue 1
August - November 2006
CONNEXSCIONS
A Nanyang Technological University,
Wee Kim Wee School
of Communication and Information
Alumni Newsletter
1

CONTENTS
Credits
Art Directors
Hsu Lin
Shalwa Md. Taib
Editors
Rebecca Ye
Stephanie Tan
Project Managers
Jasmine Lee
Anisha Baghudana
9
Chair’s Message 4
Awards & Recognition 6
Features 8
Projects & Publications 12
16
Writers &
Layout Team
Anisha Baghudana
Kenneth Chia
Choo Jingyi
Sandrine Gautier
Hsu Lin
Jennifer Law
Dunstan Lee
Jasmine Lee
Lee Huishi
Angeline Leow
Vu Nguyen Binh Phuong
Renita Ong
Rachel Seet
Shalwa Md. Taib
Stephanie Tan
Sarah Teo
Gladys Wong
Rebecca Ye
Advisors
Ms Lim Kim Yang
Dr Angela Mak
Dr Yeoh Kok Cheow
Postgrad News 19
Teachers’ Notes 22
Working Life 26
Class Notes 28
@Brewerks 31
On the Front & Back Cover:
Photo Courtesy of Assistant Professor Shyam Tekwani
11 8
Photo by Dr Irene Pollach
Special Thanks
Dr Ang Peng Hwa
Dr Kavita Karan
Dr Lee Chun Wah
Mr Shyam Tekwani
Mr Ng Heng Ghee
2 3

CHAIRʼS MESSAGE
Increasing International
Collaborations for SCI
By Dunstan Lee and Choo Jingyi
Dr Ang Peng Hwa.
In previous issues of this newsletter, I had
written about two of the three essential
elements that mark a great university:
good infrastructure and good students. In
this issue, I now dwell on what the School
is doing in pursuit of the third element
— good faculty.
In many research universities, poor teaching
is tolerated. Not so at NTU and SCI. Save
those who did not do research, all the
teaching-award winners have also won prizes
and recognition in research.
First teaching: NTU began as a university
focusing on teaching that is still in the
process of moving towards a research
university. So considering our roots, the
various rankings comparing us to research
universities actually show NTU in very
good light. As one of two public universities,
NTU has to ensure that it does not climb the
global rankings at the expense of the only
resource of Singapore — Singaporeans.
Second research: the university sector in
Singapore is gearing itself towards research.
There is an eco-system needed to create the
environment conducive for research. When I
first became dean, I thought that there were
only a few areas that one needed to look at
to create such an environment. I was wrong.
There are many things that one needs to
look at: funding for research, funding to
support conference travel for the research,
assigning classes that align with faculty
interest, reducing administrative workload so
that faculty can spend their creative
energies on research, creating
opportunities for visitors to present their
research, etc. Within each of those areas,
there is always room to improve.
But focusing on the teaching and research
ability of potential faculty is still not enough.
There is a third factor important enough
even for faculty to sacrifice some salary for
it. And that is the collegiality of the faculty.
According to a recent survey, faculty are
prepared to take a lower pay to join a more
collegial faculty.
From my travels to look at various
universities and programmes, the very
strongest programmes are those run by the
happiest people in a good university. In such
places, there was a sense of progression of
things looking up, and a very palpable sense
that students, faculty and alumni are proud
of their programme and their university.
To what extent have we managed to rise
above that bar we have set for ourselves
In the last few years, we have formalised the
hiring procedures to hire faculty. Shortlisted
candidates are flown to Singapore for a
presentation to the faculty and research
students. They meet faculty from the
Division where they may be placed. Then
there is a formal interview with me, the
Head of Division where the person may be
placed, and a senior faculty from another
School for benchmarking.
The process has been useful: we have
rejected people who on paper would have
looked highly suitable. Among those we
Photo by Dunstan Lee
have rejected have been PhDs from top
universities in the US, including the Ivy
League.
Of those whom we have hired, increasingly
they have been strong in research, in
teaching and also in coming forth with ideas
to bring the School to the next level of
excellence.
The amount of research funds obtained by
faculty has risen. There are more research
grants obtained by faculty and there is
greater recognition for the research done.
More faculty are winning awards for their
research and are publishing in top-rated
journals.
As for the collegial spirit, the strongest
endorsement comes from the recent winning
bid by the School to host the annual
conference of the International
Communication Association (ICA) in 2010.
One of the factors behind the win was the
teamwork of the School.
This coming year, we have advertised for 10
positions. If you know of academics who
meet our criteria, do encourage them to
apply. All we need are 10 more good faculty,
for now.
Best regards,
Ang Peng Hwa
Chair
Expanding international relations,
particularly in the Asia Pacific
region, is now a major thrust of SCI,
and the School is becoming increasingly
involved in international collaborations.
In April, the Division of Information
Studies hosted the Asia-Pacific Conference
on Library and Information Education and
Practice, where participants focused on how
to prepare information professionals for
leadership in the new age. Then in July, SCI
organised the 4th Annual Chinese Internet
Research Conference (CIRC) through the
Singapore Internet Research Centre (SiRC),
the first time the conference had been held
outside the United States. The meeting
brought together top scholars, researchers
and practitioners from around the world
to discuss the impact of the Internet on
Chinese culture.
Chair of SCI Associate Professor Dr Ang
Peng Hwa, who was appointed by UN
Secretary-General Kofi Annan to serve on
the Working Group on Internet Governance
(WGIG) committee in 2004, at the time of
writing, is involved in organising an Internet
governance symposium to be held in late
October this year. The symposium is
intended to be an annual affair, meeting on
the eve of the UN Internet Governance
Forum. The School is also one of the
sponsors of the symposium.
“Thanks to participation at these high-level
international meetings, we have a high
profile globally on Internet issues in the
academic world,” Dr Ang said. “We want to
maintain that level of visibility.”
More major international conferences are in
the pipeline for SCI.
Come June, the School will co-host with the
Asian Media Information and
Communication Centre (AMIC) the first
World Journalism Education Congress
(WJEC). This unprecedented event will be
organised in collaboration with the
Association for Education in Journalism and
Mass Communication (AEJMC) and leading
journalism education associations from
around the globe.
Strong institutional support and better
teamwork has also helped SCI win the bid to
host the prestigious annual conference of the
International Communication Association
(ICA) that will be held in 2010.
“Winning the bid for this was particularly
satisfying,” Dr Ang said. “We had strong
competition from Hong Kong and Osaka.
But a key factor, I was told, was the strong
teamwork in the faculty that the director of
the Association saw.”
With SCI having increased exposure on the
international front, Dr Ang is confident this
will further strengthen the reputation of
SCI, its faculty and NTU as a whole.
“With the faculty seen to be doing and
promoting cutting-edge research, there
would then be increased visits by researchers
and professors,” Dr Ang said. “In turn, this
will attract more quality faculty to join SCI.”
Professor Dr Schubert Foo (centre) and Associate Professor Dr Shaheen Majid (right) at the Asia-Pacific
Conference on Library and Information.
Photo by Mr Ng Heng Ghee
4 5

AWARDS & RECOGNITION
Postgrad Winners
By Stephanie Tan
Prying Open
Creative
Minds
By Kenneth Chia
Despite the enveloping smog outside,
I was a man with a mission: to
uncover the secret to producing
award-winning ads. I sidestepped the
Crowbar award trophies to take up position
to hear the names of the winners of those
coveted trophies and watch them receive
their accolades.
Among the prize recipients were Ms Guo
Yi Xian (2006) and Mr Adrian Yeap,
a final year Public and Promotional
Communication (PPC) student. Yi Xian
clinched one Gold, one Silver and two
Bronze awards in the ambient media,
non-transit, direct-mail, posters (non-transit),
categories while Adrian swept eight Bronze
awards in the posters (transit/non-transit)
print/press, and copywriting categories.
The Crowbar Awards, organised by the
Association of Accredited Advertising
Agents (4As), was inaugurated in 2001. In
that year, then-SCI student Mr Raymond
Chin (2001) won the coveted Best of Show
award. This year’s event received a
record-breaking number of entries: 1,337 in
all, so competition was tough.
When I congratulated Yi Xian and Adrian
on their achievements, Yi Xian jested: “I’ve
never been featured in any SCI publication
during my four years in school. I’m glad I
didn’t miss this last chance!”
“I’m definitely elated!” exclaimed Adrian.
He said that he feels he’s made for
advertising, especially after working under
some brilliant creative designers during
his four-month professional internship at
advertising agency, Young & Rubicam.
“Their ideas were just inspiring,” he added.
Asked how he planned to celebrate the
Crowbar Awards acclamation for his creative
work, Adrian announced his plans for the
night: “I’m going to celebrate by going home
to do my Final Year Project (FYP).” But he
added that he had no intention of resting on
his laurels as “the advertising industry places
importance on awards”. Yi Xian echoed
the belief that one cannot afford to become
complacent. She believes her next piece of
work will be her best — and this coming
from someone whose FYP garnered an “A”
grade.
And the formula for coming up with good
ads Adrian replied: “There are no rules.
And even if there are, they are meant to be
broken.”
Promising
Journalist,
Valerie
By Anisha Baghudana
Business reporter for TODAY
newspaper Ms Valerie Law (2002) has
won the Most Promising Journalist
Award 2006 at the Securities Investors’
Association’s 7th Investors’ Choice Awards.
Adjudged by a panel of finance specialists,
her article, titled “CPF and your Mortgage”,
garnered much critical appreciation for the
valuable information it provided readers
about the pitfalls of using CPF savings for
availing home loans. Valerie said she did not
expect the award but was encouraged by it.
“It is not easy for business reporters to find
scoops as there is a lot of confidentiality,” she
said. “So it feels nice to be acknowledged for
your efforts.”
Valerie’s clear and impactful writing style
has been the trademark of her column in the
“Wealth” section of TODAY for the last two
years. She said: “Once I sit down to write, I
focus on why the issue is interesting for
people. The idea is to convert the figures
into what it really means for the layman.”
Valerie has one bit of advice for budding
journalists from SCI: “There are journalists
who are happy reporting from the surface
level. That is shallow reporting. Don’t be
like that. Dig deep. Find interesting angles
to your story. And follow your heart even if
there seem to be barriers. Be committed to
your story.”
This issue’s connexscions presents
four academic talents from SCI’s
Masters programmes 2005/2006.
Singapore’s media industry has recognised
these talents with accolades. These young
women and man are:
Adrian Khoo
Although Mr Adrian Khoo had to juggle
a demanding career, family and school, he
still managed to top his cohort, earning him
this year’s LexisNexis Gold Medal Award.
Within the last 10 years, he has held three
different positions at the work place; each
time with increasing responsibilities. He is
currently the Regional Head of Graduate
Development in Asia Pacific at Barclay
Capital. He said that this career move is
largely due to his Masters education in
Knowledge Management, which “added
discipline and ordered thought-process
allowed me to take advantage and react
quickly to arising opportunities that I
otherwise may have missed completely.” He
described SCI as a warm and friendly place,
and remembers the many social outings after
class to network and to continue debates.
Loh Su Hsing
Though she had been the top student in her
cohort twice, being awarded the Pearson
Education Gold Medal Award for academic
excellence pleasantly surprised this graduate.
She credited this accolade to “approachable
lecturers like Dr Wayne Fu, Dr Cherian
George and Dr Randolph Kluver, whose
doors were always opened, be it for a chat
or for consultation; and friendly classmates
who turned out to be great project mates
as well.” Furthermore, she met her fiancé
in the programme! She has left her job at
Photo Courtesy of Mr Adrian Khoo
a government statutory board to join her
fiancé in Hong Kong, and is also currently
travelling around the world.
Chew Siew San
Ms Chew Siew San is hardly the
stereotypical librarian that I have
encountered before. Instead, she is a shy
and affable young woman who initially
refused to have her picture taken. She was
also SCI’s MSc in Information Studies best
graduating student, 2006, who has recently
been awarded the Library Association
Gold Medal Award for her outstanding
performance. The children’s librarian at
National Library Board attributes this
achievement to the warmth and openness
of SCI’s professors and students, or what
she called “an SCI culture”. She described
SCI as a place where “students are not so
hung up about grades... (who are) open to
sharing ideas” and “lecturers are committed
and patient”, something for which she is
thankful.
Ong Shao Ying
Receiving the Media Development Authority
Book Prize is an affirmation and recognition
of all the hard work and diligence put into
completing this project, said Ms Ong Shao
Ying, best graduating Master of Mass
Communication student in 2005/2006. She
was also awarded two tuition scholarships
and served as a research and teaching
assistant while studying in SCI.
Shao Ying cherishes her time in SCI — good
friends, open and interactive classes, and the
application-based programme. She cheekily
added: “I surely do not miss canteen food
and the long drive to school daily.”
Photo Courtesy of Ms Loh Su Hsing
Photo Courtesy of Ms Chew Siew San
Photo Courtesy of Ms Ong Shao Ying
From left (clockwise): Mr Adrian Khoo, Ms Loh Su Hsing,
Ms Chew Siew San and Ms Ong Shao Ying.
6 7

FEATURES
SCI
Welcomes
2006 WKW
Professor
By Rebecca Ye
Joining the ranks of professors John
Merrill, Theodore Glasser and the late
Everett Rogers, is Professor Joseph D.
Straubhaar, the most recent recipient
of the Wee Kim Wee Distinguished
Professorship in Communication Studies.
The renowned professor is Amon G. Carter
Centennial Professor of Communications
in the Department of Radio-TV-Film, and
Director of the Center for Brazilian Studies
within the Lozano Long Institute for Latin
American Studies at the University of Texas
(at Austin).
Chair of SCI, Associate Professor Dr Ang
Peng Hwa, who was a student of Professor
Straubhaar at Michigan State University,
said the School had been working to bring
him to SCI. He observed: “As with all top
professors, they often have a full plate. I’m
glad we managed to make it happen this
year.”
Professor Straubhaar’s academic work
spans a wide spectrum. Specialising in
international communication and cultural
theory has also enabled Professor Straubhaar
to share his insights on Singapore’s media
industry with government officials and
representatives from the industry. While
in Singapore, besides the several research
presentations he gave to faculty and students,
he also gave a public lecture titled: “Global,
Hybrid or Multiple Identities in the Age
of Satellite TV and the Internet” that was
well received. He presented research on
what people were choosing to watch, read
and listen to in the brave new world of
technological advancements.
The Wee Kim Wee Professorship was
established on 4 November 1995 as a tribute
to the late Dr Wee for his contributions
to the country and the communication
discipline. The Professorship has enabled
the School to invite senior professors to meet
with students and faculty.
SCI Graduate
Scales Great Heights
By Rachel Seet
It took a simple e-mail from a friend to spark off a
life-long mountaineering interest for SCI graduate,
Ms Esther Tan (2005). Now a key member of the
Singapore Women’s Everest Team 2008 (SWET),
Esther first responded to an email calling out for
sporty women who wanted to climb Mount Everest,
out of her passion for outdoor sports.
Asian Yarns, Austrian-Accented
Pagoda at the Chinese Garden.
Photo by Dr Irene Pollach
The photograph took my breath
away. It was a shot of an endless
spiral of staircase — tangent circles
that swirled in together and culminated at
a faraway point. It took me a moment to
swirl back to reality, and things in the office
came into focus: A laptop; postcards of the
upcoming movie Singapore Dreaming; Dr Irene
Pollach.
I pulled my eyes away from the photograph
the visiting professor had taken in the
pagoda at Chinese Garden, and told Dr
Pollach that at the rate she was travelling
around and snapping such magnificent
photographs, she would have enough for an
art exhibition by the end of her career.
Although based in the Vienna University of
Economics and Business Administration in
Austria, this prolific researcher and writer
has spent periods in the tertiary institutions
of many countries, including the University
of Illinois and the University of Michigan.
She was in Singapore once, for a half-day
tour, and that was when she knew she had to
come back again.
This time around, Dr Pollach came to SCI
as a Singapore Internet Research Centre
By Kenneth Chia
(SiRC) visiting fellow, conducting research
on the readership of corporate websites. She
presented a seminar on her research topic
to faculty staff and postgraduate students,
and also a lecture on communication
technologies to the undergraduate cohort.
During her lecture on communication
technologies, Dr Pollach mentioned the
photo-sharing website FlickR, of which
she is a member. Using the name of her
street back home as her alias, she shares her
photos of Hawaii, Italy and, now, much of
South-East Asia including Vietnam, Laos,
Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, among
other countries, with the online community.
Her “virtual second home”, Dr Pollach
called it.
A trove of indigenous yarns, I thought.
Upon asking why she chose to visit us among
the many other communication institutions,
Dr Pollach replied that she thinks SCI
represents the best Asia has to offer. She
added that the physical environment in
NTU makes one feel more relaxed, citing the
abundant green, the undisturbed quiet and
the lack of cars in the university. “I think it’s
a good place to recharge your batteries.”
Ms Esther Tan (right most), with SWET, on their recent expedition.
Photos Courtesy of Ms Esther Tan
“I was into trekking and sailing, but was never an expert in climbing
before I joined the team,” she said. “It was a time when my desire to
do outdoor sports and love for nature were answered in this call for
Everest. My reasons for being in the team have changed quite a bit,
from a rather innocent view of the mountains to a deep respect for
them.”
Despite having done gym work and training on her own before
joining the team, the initial SWET training sessions proved to be
nowhere near easy for Esther. They included long runs of up to
20km, load-ferrying up 30-storey flats with up to 18kg loads, and
four-hour walks from MacRitchie to Bukit Timah carrying loads of
about 15kg. The physical training took place three to four times a
week. She said: “Everyday is a time trial to cope with training and
everything else in life.”
Back then during her final year at SCI, Esther worked on her Final
Year Project (FYP) while training with SWET. She thanked her
very understanding FYP project mates who accommodated her
tight schedule. She now juggles work as a copywriter at OgilvyOne
Worldwide with the same weekly physical training.
This July, SWET returned from a successful conquest of Muztag Ata
in Xinjiang, China, to become the first all-women team in
South-East Asia to scale a 7,500-metre mountain. Esther was first
among the five who made it to the summit. Faith and perseverance
kept her going to achieve this. She said: “[T]he seemingly endless
route is extremely draining on the mind. I kept praying and told
myself that as long as God lets me put one foot in front of the other,
I will keep going.”
SWET will be going on their next expedition to the 8,201
metre-high Cho Oyu in Tibet next August. These expeditions are
part of their training before attempting the world’s highest summit,
Mount Everest, in 2008.
8 9

International Exchange Students in SCI
By Jasmine Lee and Sandrine Gautier
Sneak peek of Mr Ng Heng Ghee at work.
Photos by Hsu Lin
In recent years, SCI’s connections with international students
have been expanding significantly, through overseas programmes
such as INSTEP (INternational STudent Exchange Programme)
and GIP (Global Immersion Programme). As well as giving
Singapore-based students the chance to study and work beyond local
shores, these programmes attract international students from all over
the world to SCI for study periods.
Our international friends bring with them their own unique
perspectives and share their experiences and ideas with classmates
and teaching staff in SCI. connexscions caught up with some of them
to find out about their experiences so far: Mr Alexandre Besson,
Mr Adrien da Cunha Belves, Mr Alexis Larmurier and Mr Gilles
Bassière are from France; Ms Jessica Napier is from the US; and Mr
Yin Qi is from China.
How different is studying in SCI compared with your
university at home
relationship between professors and students, and the dynamism
and interactivity of the tutorials. The students also commented how
impressed they are with SCI’s modern technology and facilities. For
example, Yin Qi noted that SCI has all the facilities needed for all
aspects of communications studies. For Adrien, he was surprised
by the proliferation of computers around the school: “Here you
see computers everywhere. Whereas France is more traditional
academically, (so) there are not as many computers where I study.”
Most of these international students agreed their overseas study
experience will be valuable for their future careers. Jessica said:
“This exchange could be extremely useful for my career, because
economy and business focus are moving to Asia.” For Adrien and his
friends, exposure to the political scene in Singapore offered a new
and interesting perspective to their studies. They were particularly
fascinated by Singapore’s respect for its colonial heritage — the
French are not quite so proud of their colonial past!
Behind the Scenes
By Hsu Lin and Vu Nguyen Binh Phuong
Academically, the atmosphere and modular emphasis can be quite
different for foreign students. Jessica noted that a key change for
her was the increased focus on practical work: “In the US, courses
usually emphasise textbook learning, so a good deal of time is spent
reading.”
We see them everyday around the
school helping students with the
loaning of equipment and the
provision of technical assistance. They have
become a permanent fixture in the School,
and without them SCI would not be the
same. This diligent group of people working
“behind-the-scenes” is our school’s very own
IT and audio-visual team.
A good working environment
“The experience is great,” said Mr Tan
Boon Huat, one of the audio-visual system
executives who has been working in SCI
for about six years. Affectionately known
as Uncle Tan by students, he adds: “We
deal with youngsters every day so we also
feel young. It is fun because every day, I am
doing something different.”
Senior Manager (Media) Mr Vincent
Teo, who has just received his 10 year
service award, shares the same sentiments:
“Working here is great because I have very
good staff here, very friendly and supportive
colleagues. We are from the AV side but we
also deal with the IT side and we support
each other.”
Through our conversation, it is obvious
that the IT team enjoys working with the
students. Mr Andrew Lim, IT executive,
said: “It is a good environment here because
of the student-staff interaction.” Just this
semester, the AV department has moved
to a new home located just behind the
School. “I think it’s very convenient now
and I think my staff really appreciates the
School building this space for us,” said Mr
Teo, whose previous office was located on
the third floor. “In fact, moving myself down
here together with them, we feel more closeknit
and we can discuss openly and get things
done faster.”
Special relationships with students
Throughout the years, the IT team has been
giving unconditional support and care to the
students. “If anything goes wrong when they
are filming in school, we always try our best
to help them,” said Uncle Tan. “If they are
filming outside, we try to help them over the
phone.”
In addition, Mr Teo has been actively
pushing for high-definition (HD) technology
to be made available in the school. “We
know the direction we are going. We now
have three high-definition cameras in the
studio and I am looking into getting at least
two HD location cameras this year for
Final Year Projects (FYP),” said Mr Teo.
The provision of these facilities will allow our
students to produce more sophisticated work
and be on par with the industry’s standards.
It is clear that students greatly appreciate the
technicians lending them a helping hand. Mr
Lim said: “We try our best to cater to their
needs and they reciprocate by giving us cards
and hand-made cakes and cookies.”
Mr Teo, who interacts most with the FYP
groups, said: “I get to know the EBM
(Electronic and Broadcast Media) students
before they graduate and some of them still
come back to SCI to visit us, which is what
we like most.”
Mr Hin Ah Pin.
Photo byVu Ngyuen Binh Phuong
Mr Hin Ah Ping, senior IT executive, who
has been working in SCI for the past 12
years, has left the school in order to devote
more time to his spiritual practice. He said:
“I have many fond memories and I will miss
my colleagues and my friends.”
For Gilles, the biggest change was getting used to more interaction
with lecturers. He said: “In France, the timetable is really busy so the
teachers try to cram a lot of stuff into each session, which does not
always leave much time for personal contact (with lecturers).”
Another aspect the foreign students enjoy is the chance to study
different topics. Coming from a political science university in
Toulouse with his friends, Adrien and Alexis, Alexandre said he had
not studied subjects such as Web Design. Thus he jumped at the
chance to do such courses and learn something radically different.
Alexandre, Adrien and Alexis enjoying themselves with a cold beer each.
Photo by Jasmine Lee
Despite the challenges in adapting, all the students felt that they had
settled in well to the SCI teaching style, and they were particularly
thankful to their Singaporean classmates and lecturers, who had
been extremely helpful and accommodating. Alexis commented:
“The teachers here help you when you need it, and are always
checking with you that you are okay and I feel very much at ease.”
What are your impressions of SCI so far
Most of the students said they enjoyed the warm and relaxed SCI
environment. Alexis in particular praised the close and informal
Jessica, Gilles and Yin relaxing in front of Lee Kong Chian lecture theatre.
Photo by Sandrine Gautier
How else are you experiencing Singapore life, apart from
your studies
A study abroad programme entails more than just hitting the books;
it is a cultural exchange bubbling with all the richness and exciting
prospects of a different lifestyle. The international students we
talked to are thoroughly enjoying their experiences in discovering
Singapore and all she has to offer.
On one outing, the French triumvirate (three persons) of Alexandre,
Alexis, and Adrien discovered chili. Alexandre, who wrinkled his
nose at the thought of spicy food, explained that in France, chefs
do not use chili in cooking as it masks the natural fragrance of the
food. Adrien, however, excitedly proclaimed: “I came to Singapore
and discovered chili. I’ll definitely bring some back to France. I love
chili.”
What impressed Alexandre most is Singapore’s cleanliness. He
said, “It may sound like a cliché but it is really very, very clean
here!” Adrien muses about another aspect of Singapore — its hot
and humid weather, “It is so hot in Singapore, but once you step
into classrooms or métro (MRT), it’s only about 15 degrees; so hot
outside, freezing cold inside!”
Such experiences are what make an exchange trip truly worthwhile
— taking lessons and courses that enable one to enrich oneself and
learn more about another country, as well as to explore and integrate
into a very different culture. There’s little doubt these students will
take back a whole lot of memories from SCI.
10 11

PROJECTS & PUBLICATIONS
FYPs Win
Kudos in...
Hong Kong
By Jasmine Lee and Vu Nguyen Binh Phuong
Singing is more than a leisure activity; it can also be a way of
connecting with the underprivileged. This is a concept taken
up by one of the five Final Year Project (FYP) groups that
presented at the Hong Kong Conference this year, the first time SCI
has such a strong showing in a single international conference.
The group’s project, titled “Sing Melody Bus Tour Campaign”, is a
campaign for local children’s choir, Sing Melody Children’s Choir.
The objective is to raise awareness of the choir and to debunk myths
that singing lessons are only for the privileged. The choir is one of
the first, if not the only, children’s choirs in Singapore to actively
promote music to the less privileged.
“Frenz4Frenz Youth Empowerment Campaign”, a series of
initiatives such as youth camps and online portals to address juvenile
delinquency. While having the opportunity to present their paper in
Hong Kong was rewarding, Ms Farin Salleh (2006), a group member
working on the Youth Empowerment Campaign, feels that what was
more gratifying was the sincerity to want to make a difference.
“It was truly an inspiring experience and we were very honoured to
be a part of it,” she said. “Those who attended the conference had
big hearts, each with their own story to tell and each wanting to do
something for others.”
Second
Win for CR
Students at
SYMC
By Renita Ong
Inspecting
HATCHfest
By Choo Jingyi
Mr Chong Yew Meng (far right) and Ms Tham Yee Lin
(centre) with a friend in the US.
Photo Courtesy of Mr Chong Yew Meng
The group with Dr Benjamin Detenber (centre) at their convocation.
When they submitted their term
paper to the Singapore Youth and
Media Conference (SYMC) last
semester, Ms Koh Gui Qing, Mr Lim Mun
Pong, Mr Mohammed Jalees and Mr Teh
Joo Lin (2006) never expected they would
win the first prize of $2,500. This win marks
the second time that SCI students, from the
Division of Communication Research, have
clinched an award at the conference.
Currently in its second year, the SYMC is
an international media conference which
allows youths to present their views on issues
pertaining to the society and media. The
theme for this year’s conference was “Pay It
Forward with Pop Culture.”
F
inal Year Project (FYP) film,
Inspector X and The Eternal City was
recently selected to compete in the US
HATCHfest 2006 in October. Having their
work chosen for this festival is an honour
for the team consisting of Mr Chong Yew
Meng, Mr Ng Shao Da and Ms Tham Yee
Lin (2006).
Assistant Professor Dr Pieter Aquilia, who
supervised the project, said, “I am very
proud of Yee Lin, Shao Da and Yew Meng.
They are amazingly talented and we laughed
a lot doing the project.” She described Yew
Meng, who came up with the solid script, as
a professional director, Shao Da as a specialist
in digital effects and cinematography, and
Yee Lin as a natural producer.
HATCHfest is a film festival which aims
to mentor and promote new filmmakers,
giving students the opportunity to network
with US industry professionals. Inspector X
and The Eternal City, a film that combines 3D
graphics and live action, competed in the
Photo Courtesy of Mr Lim Mun Pong
The group submitted their paper titled
“Politicking in Singlish” for the New Media
topic category. This research paper studies
how the use of a particular form of English
in political speech affects the audience’s
perception towards the speaker, in terms of
likeability and credibility.
The group expressed their initial surprise
when they won as they had only expected
to receive a consolation prize. Mohammed
Jalees, speaking for the group, said: “Besides
the prize money, we also feel honoured to see
SCI receive accolades for intellectual
discourse and out-of-the-box thinking.”
Groundbreaker category, a special category
for particularly innovative projects.
Yew Meng explained the film was inspired
by recent current events in Singapore,
particularly the decision to make room for
“integrated resorts” comprising casinos.
The film is a tongue-in-cheek noir detective
thriller set in the future, in a world
dominated by greed and sadness. When
terrorism threatens the casino, a police
inspector and his sidekick are brought in to
investigate. The trail leads them on a wild
goose chase and they eventually uncover a
truth that is too much for all to bear.
Although Inspector X did not win the award,
the team felt that just being at HATCHfest
was itself a prize. The trip turned out to be
both enlightening and inspirational for Yew
Meng and Yee Lin, who attended the
festival. Yew Meng said: “I feel inspired to
keep being creative, to seize opportunities
and to hold on to dreams.”
Ms Teo Weiping (2006) of the Sing Melody campaign succinctly
sums up her group’s experience in the Hong Kong Conference: “We
have reaped rewards more in personal development than just beefing
up our portfolio.”
Other FYPs presented in Hong Kong also addressed youth-centred
issues. They included an interactive problem solving book for
at-risk youths called U-Turn: The Journey Begins, and
A Project With a
Purpose
By Rebecca Ye
While many of their classmates vexed over what to do for
their Final Year Projects (FYP), Ms Gea Swee Jean, Ms
Liza Lin, Ms Wee Sui Lee and Ms Yeo Yi Xin, journalism
graduates from the class of 2006, embarked on an assignment that
allowed them to not only write a gripping and meaningful piece of
journalism, but also to serve a real social cause.
We Are Family: Stories of People with Disabilities, a non-profit
publication consisting of photos and narrative profiles of subjects
and their families, is the outcome of the quartet’s efforts to raise
awareness of an aspect of our society often overlooked.
Launched at the National Library this June, the book has managed
to raise almost $14,000 for The Spastic Children’s Association of
Singapore.
During the year of penning this book, the team spent time with
individuals with disabilities and their families, observing and
participating in their lives at activities.
“We had to immerse in their lives and tread the fine line of being a
friend and yet a journalist,” said group member Sui Lee. “All these
have helped us in our reporting — and affirmed our belief that we
aren’t just parachute journalists (reporting stories without
understanding the context or cultures of a story).”
Group leader Swee Jean added that through the course of telling
these stories, their eyes have been opened to the issues people with
disabilities face. She said: “They have taught us so much with their
honesty, generosity and sheer determination in the face of adversity.”
Ms Goh Yun Ting and Mr Jeffrey Ler of the U-Turn group at the conference.
Photo Courtesy of Mr Jeffrey Ler
From left to right: Ms Yeo Yi Xin, Ms Wee Sui Lee, Ms Gea Swee Jean and Ms Liza
Lin at their book-signing event.
Photo Courtesy of Ms Yeo Yi Xin
The team hopes the book will serve as a useful source of information
for the various stakeholders who are working to address the needs of
people with disabilities in Singapore.
As Assistant Professor Dr Cherian George, their project supervisor,
wrote in the book’s foreword, “This is a book by four young
Singaporeans who refused to look away and utilised their
communication skills and abilities to raise consciousness for social
causes.”
To buy a copy of the book in support of the cause, contact Ms Melissa Rodrigues
at the Spastic Children’s Association of Singapore at 65855602 or email her at
melissa_hq@spastic.org.sg.
12 13

What Do They
Mean
to You
By Gladys Wong
Love
Communication
Photos by Ms Elizabeth Teo
Strangers
Through her pictures, Ms Elizabeth Teo, a final
year student, wanted to convey her view that
love is most genuine, simple and pure in a family.
Yet, in a fast-paced material world where
individualism takes centre stage, family affection is
becoming taken for granted, and thus neglected.
Photos by Mr Winson Teo (top) and Ms Margareta Astaman (below)
Four photojournalism students were challenged to use photos to express what the
essence of Communication, Love and Strangers means to them. These are some
of their ideas.
Strolling along the beach, Elizabeth captured these
moments of love between a parent and his child,
and between two young siblings approaching a
stray cat.
Communication is the central focus and theme of SCI students’ studying experience.
The process of communication involves many media, tools and signals. But when
translated to one’s daily living, what does this word “communication” mean to you
For final year student Mr Winson Teo, the way The Body Shop symmetrically laid out
stalls at a local shopping mall was a purposeful way of communicating their
anniversary promotional sale to shoppers and passers-by. He was impressed by the
creativity put in and was certain that anyone walking along the upper levels would
have been drawn to the sale.
W
ho are the strangers in your life
Ms Jean Loo, a final year journalism
student, captured images of two ordinary
people she would have normally walked past without
offering much of a glance. By slowing down and
taking the time to get to know them, she found out
one of them is an 80-year-old money changer, the
other, a Big Sweep ticket seller.
The message Ms Margareta Astaman wanted to highlight, however, was that
communication is everywhere. While an obvious approach may have been to focus on
human communication, Margareta was drawn to ants.
The third year journalism student said: “Ants have always been known for their ability
to communicate and coordinate their work; and ants are everywhere.”
Photos by Ms Jean Loo
14 15

Nepal
Through
the Eyes of
SCI Students
By Gladys Wong
From left (clockwise): Photos by Ms
Neo Xiaobin, Mr Desmond Lim
and Ms Sharon See
The Kingdom of Nepal has been
experiencing historic change
in recent years. Under SCI’s
GO-FAR (Going Overseas For Advanced
Reporting) 2006 programme, 12 final year
journalism students were fortunate to have
the opportunity to visit the landlocked
Himalayan kingdom for two separate
week-long trips, to capture the fascinating
developments taking place in this country.
The students travelled to Kathmandu, the
capital city, as well as the rural areas, to
document and witness the lives of the
Nepalese since the country underwent
political reform. They were led by Assistant
Professor Shyam Tekwani, who explained
that the students took away important
journalistic skills that are not taught in the
classroom. By embedding themselves in
a political hotbed like Nepal, the students
would “experience first-hand, the emotional,
physical and intellectual challenges of
working in a foreign environment.”
The spirit of the Nepalese and the unique
culture of this alluring and exotic Himalayan
kingdom has certainly mesmerised many of
the participants. As Ms Michelle Lee
shared: “It was almost surreal how friendly
and open the people in Nepal are, so much
so that you can just call the finance minister
after dinner, and arrange to meet a big-shot
newspaper the next day after you call him.”
To another member of the team, Ms Cheow
Xinyi, visiting a country that has stark
contrasts from her homeland was an
eye-opener. The sight of cows walking across
the streets and chaotic traffic were scenes she
had only seen or heard of from books and
television before then. Nevertheless, Nepal
has left Xinyi with deep nostalgic feelings: “I
could go on forever about our
wonderful interpreters...walking in Patan
square, passing by crowds of cars, dust,
motorcycles, cows, colourfully-clad
Nepalese, flying kites, bantering about
nothing in particular with the drivers and
shopkeepers — just the plain indescribable
feeling of being right there and then in
Nepal.”
16 17

POSTGRAD NEWS
Final Year Projects
Win Kudos
By Vu Nguyen Binh Phuong
Over the years, Final Year Projects (FYP) from the Division of
Public and Promotional Communication have continually
strove to showcase the exceptional skills of SCI fourth year
students. As Assistant Professor Dr Pamela Koch, the FYP coordinator
commented: “Last year’s projects were useful and of superior quality.
The students did really well and achieved tremendous results.” The
substantial attention these students have been receiving for their
projects, particularly the media, has certainly reflected the success of
these campaigns.
Black Carnival Campaign:
Cirque de Singapore
Stemming from Singaporeans’ weak support for local designers
vis-à-vis foreign labels, the Black Carnival campaign was
developed by final year students, Ms Jasmine Tan, Ms Sheena Chan
and Ms Liang Shu-Min, and supervised by Associate Professor Dr
Lee Chun Wah. The campaign aimed to promote brand awareness
for Singaporean labels in the fashion world.
From left to right: Ms Liang Shumin, Ms Jasmine Tan,
Guest, Mr Daniel Lee, Ms Audrey Lee, Ms Sheena Chan and Nixem (centre).
Photo Courtesy of Ms Jasmine Tan
Youth Anti-Run Away Campaign:
A Pitch for Youth
One of the highlights of the campaign was the Motorola Black
Carnival Fashion Show, held in January 2006 at DXO. Motorola
sponsored $5,000 for this event. Themed on the tale of
Metamorphosis — the Child who adopts different characters to
explore herself — the four local labels Hansel, Nicholas, Mizu and
Baylene were represented through each persona. Nearly 900 guests
attended the show, which was declared a huge success.
“Cirque du Soleil it wasn’t. However, it was enjoyable nonetheless!”
(Mr Robert — Nightlife, January 22, 2006).
After observing some of the problems of her young relative, Ms
Jasmine Lee and three of her friends — Ms Sylvia Goh, Ms Lin
Yuebin and Ms Ng Yiqing — initiated a low-budget 12-week
campaign in conjunction with NTU’s Student Advisory Centre
(SAC) to dissuade and help runaway youths, as well as raise public
awareness of the problem.
The campaign was targeted at reaching out to young people through
secondary school tours, a three-week contest, and the finale event
at SAC’s Open House, held in February. The open house’s theme:
“When Home Becomes the Last Place You Want to Be”, not only
served to unveil the youthful and more approachable face of SAC,
but, more importantly, offered a listening ear to runaways.
Judging by feedback received, this campaign helped to considerably
raise awareness for the runaway issue, a testament to the campaign’s
effectiveness.
Back to School
By Jasmine Lee, Renita Ong and Sarah Teo
Once SCI undergraduates themselves, Mr Chew Han Ei
(2000), Ms Terrie Wong (2002) and Mr Kenny Tan (2004)
now find themselves on the other side of the table. They
have returned to pursue their Masters, and during the year, each
took up the position of tutor or teaching assistant.
While Han Ei is currently tutoring Media Management, Terrie
remains largely behind the scenes. “The classes that I’m assisting
with do not have tutorials,” she says with a laugh. “I’m the
background person.” She is the teacher assistant for Introduction to
Communication Studies and Communication History and Theories.
Kenny took two tutorial classes for Introduction to Communication
Research in the first-half of the year.
Being a tutor is not the piece of cake that students think it is, as
Kenny told us: “You always think that it’s quite easy [to be a tutor],
but there are a lot of people skills involved. You have to interact with
the students and make sure that everything runs well.”
Drawing on their own undergraduate days, Kenny and Han Ei try
to avoid “talking to the transparency” or “awkward pauses” — what
they believe to be teaching pitfalls.
From left: Ms Terrie Wong, Mr Kenny Tan and Mr Chew Han Ei.
Having these graduates teach undergraduate classes is
advantageous. For example, Han Ei told us about one of the
biggest and humbling lessons he learnt during his undergraduate
experience that he hopes to share with his class one day: “During
my Professional Internship, I actually quarrelled with my boss over
work matters. For someone who was supposed to be quite booksmart,
I must admit that it was quite a dumb move. I was fortunate
that it happened when I was a student and not when I started work
outside.”
It is not only these graduates who are glad to be back in their alma
mater. The school is equally happy to have the former help out in
classes as well.
As Associate Professor Dr Benjamin Detenber, Head of the Division
of Communication Research, said: “Many of us ‘old-timers’ know
the students personally and have a connection that runs back many
years, so it’s great to see them again, and in some cases work with
them again.”
Photo by Renita Ong
From left to right: Ms Sylvia Goh, Ms Ng Yiqing, Ms Lin Yuebin and Ms Jasmine Lee.
Photo Courtesy of Ms Ng Yiqing
“[T]here were little victories, however, that told the team they were
making headway — like when students who attended their roadshow
gave them the thumbs-up.” (Ms Lynn Ka — The Straits Times, March
27, 2006).
18 19

MMC Programme:
On the Fast Track in
Communications
By Kenneth Chia
Dr Alfred Choi giving lecture to the Masters students.
SCI’s Master of Mass Communication
(MMC) programme last year
underwent curricular changes to
better serve existing and future professionals
in communications industries in Singapore
and the region.
The revised curriculum, while retaining
focus on core areas such as public relations,
advertising, public opinion, communication
management and computer-mediated
communication, also provides a more
management-oriented approach and
increased training for applied research.
MMC students are required to take certain
core subjects to lay foundation knowledge in
mass communication.
Beyond that, they now have a choice of two
ways to complete their studies — the
Professional Track or Academic Track.
These options are made available to suit
individuals’ career needs.
The Professional Track includes the Critical
Enquiry for Communication Professionals
module, for which students can work on
topics related to industries they are interested
in or involved with, or participate in
projects supervised by individual faculty
members. The introduction of this track
allows students from different backgrounds
to use the MMC programme differently.
The current programme director Assistant
Professor Dr Wayne Fu said: “From this they
can build up their specialisation profile, and
experience a greater diversity of disciplines
in communication. Students with such a
need benefit more from this coursework
track.”
The Academic Track, on the other hand,
continues to prepare students for future
research undertakings, and writing of the
degree dissertation.
Dr Fu also pointed out that MMC “is one
of the very few graduate communication
programmes in Singapore which has an
in-house, full-time faculty body”,
highlighting the differences between
SCI-MMC and other graduate
communication programmes. He added
that the faculty enjoys good reputation and
prestige in their respective areas of expertise,
and are committed to teaching.
The SCI-MMC strives to be relevant to a
local context to suit the careers of students,
Dr Fu explained. “Even with that said, our
faculty brings in international practices,
experience perspectives, and we have a high
international standard.”
Dr Fu extends an invitation to MMC alumni
members to maintain contact and to be
updated with the school, as the school will
Photo by Mr Ng Heng Ghee
seek to forge various sorts of synergies and
cooperation with its graduates. He said: “We
hope to engage opportunities from which
the programme and its alumni can grow and
excel together.”
The fast-tracker
Dr Wayne Fu took up the appointment of
Programme Director of the MMC
programme in January 2006. He had
previously served as the chair of the SCI
Student Exchange programme for three
years.
When asked, Dr Fu shared his views in
directing the MMC programme: “MMC
has developed, from my predecessors, to a
very significant point. It now has an excellent
reputation, attracting strong students from
Singapore, as well as the regional countries
including China and India. It is the work
of all who have steered the programme.
I appreciate this chance of directing
this programme as it has a tremendous
potential to further develop. For myself, I am
interested in taking up this challenge to bring
the MMC programme to greater heights.”
Forging
Strong Bonds
in SCI
By Angeline Leow
A
burst of laughter greeted me as I
stepped into the Masters of Mass
Communication (MMC) classroom.
The boisterous guffaws were coming from a
group of masters students sharing a private
joke or two.
The class, led by Associate Professor Dr
Katherine Frith, whizzed by with stimulating
discussions and impassioned debates about
race and gender stereotypes in the media.
I found it unusual and amusing to witness
professional working adults teasing, jesting
and arguing candidly, all in the name of
“intellectual debate”.
For many of the students, such debates
play a crucial role in their learning. Mr
Gobiselven S/O Govindasamy, the Officer
Commanding of Central Fire Station and a
member of the Civil Defence, said: “Each
time a peer shares an idea or a personal
view, the context in which the theories or
issues discussed expands and the lesson
becomes more interesting and dynamic. I
feel we learn better this way.”
Besides the engaging class discussions, the
camaraderie between the students is evident.
Many have built strong friendships and
being able to network with professionals
from diverse industries is a bonus. Ms Janice
Wong, brand manager of Singapore Press
Holdings (SPH), particularly enjoys Associate
Professor Dr Sriramesh’s classes and the
potluck parties he holds at the end of every
semester — such gatherings are a great way
for students to “de-stress” and socialise as
“fostering friendships is important”.
Around a third of the MMC students are
foreigners, the majority from China, but
with a sprinkling from other Asian countries.
Ms Janice De Belen from the Philippines
was influenced by her friends’ reviews when
she chose SCI. “Two of my friends back
in college had gone to NTU-SCI on an
exchange programme and had rave reviews
for the university, so NTU has been on my
radar since then.”
While attending classes and doing
assignments, these postgraduates also have
to juggle their hectic work schedules. Mr
Jensen Siaw, an Academic Associate at
Republic Polytechnic, said, “When you have
to manage your full-time work demands
and your part-time studies, it helps to have
a group of supportive and understanding
peers walking this tough path together.”
Photo Montage Courtesy of Ms Mahvash Shah
Following
a Shooting
Star
By Sandrine Gautier
SCI is not short of multi-talented
professionals and connexscions recently
found another one with a fascinating
story to tell. Ms Mahvash Shah is an
MMC student from Pakistan, who took
the challenge to come to SCI to study. She
refers herself as “a dreamer, a rebel, a genius
and a shooting star”, and we decided to find
out why.
Mahvash told us the MMC is her second
masters degree; she already has an MBA
as well as an Advanced Certification in
Fashion Design under her belt. While doing
her MBA, she was working as a Project
Director at an event management company
in Islamabad.
She handled several major festivals, fashion
shows, national water-sports events and stage
plays. But, her proudest achievement to date
was producing a theatrical play “Moulin
Rouge”, an adaptation of Baz Luhrman’s
acclaimed film, a musical extravaganza.
Mahvash said: “It was a whirlwind of colour
and adrenaline-pumping dazzle, and the
President of Pakistan complimented my
work!”
After working in event management for
two years, Mahvash felt the call to move
on. “I really enjoyed the work...[b]ut after
a time, things seemed to be repeating
themselves; I knew the work; I knew how
to do it. There was little challenge any
more.” That was when she considered
further study. She explained: “My
previous degree is management focused.
Yet I see communication as an integral
part of management, so I was interested in
formal learning in the field of media and
communication development.”
She has been at SCI for only a few months,
but is thoroughly enjoying student life and
things are going well, despite the pressures
of study. “I’m glad I made the choice to
come here,” she said. “It was only after I
got to Singapore that I realised how much
SCI and the MMC course is valued in
the eyes of communication professionals
here. When you tell people you’re studying
communication at NTU, you get a facial
expression of recognition and approval. It
definitely makes the hard work worthwhile.”
As for the future, Mahvash is waiting to
see what develops. “I have an indefinitely
increasing, highly ambitious list of things to
do in life,” she said. “At some point, I want
to take my knowledge back to Pakistan,
the country I am proud to call home. But
working experience also matters a great deal,
so immediately after this degree, I hope to
live and work in Singapore for a while, until
I hear the calling to do something else.”
20 21

TEACHERSʼ NOTES
Joining us @ SCI
By Hsu Lin
Information Studies
Associate Professor Dr Ravi Sharma had
been teaching in a Masters programme at
SCI as an adjunct professor and was the
Founding Director of NTU’s India
Strategy. He is now teaching Knowledge
Strategies for the E-Economy and
Knowledge Management Tools. He said:
“The faculty, staff and students are
well-spoken, well-dressed and tend to smile
more than frown even before the IMF
campaign.”
Assistant Professor Dr Lee Chei Sian was
previously lecturing at the University of
Illinois in Chicago. She will be teaching
The World of the Web next semester. She
said: “Wonderful! My helpful colleagues
have helped me to settle down very quickly
and the students are a great bunch to
teach.”
Journalism & Publishing
Mr Javed Nazir taught at the University of
Michigan, USA and was a longtime editor.
His areas of teaching are media, ethnicity
and religion. He is now teaching Feature
Writing and Specialised Writing. He said: “It
is a pleasure to teach here and to get students
to reach to provocative global themes. I
would say the journey has just begun.”
Public & Promotional
Communication
Assistant Professor Dr Angela Mak was the
former chair of the Research Committee
for the International Association of Business
Communicators’ Research Foundation and
had taught at the Hong Kong Baptist
University and Iowa State University. She
is now teaching Strategic Public Relations
Management. She said: “Students are
diligent and self-motivated. I have been
enjoying teaching the final-year PPC
students.”
The Freeman Show
By Jennifer Law and Choo Jingyi
Dr May Lwin in action.
Photo Courtesy of Singapore Waterski & Wakeboard Federation
Assistant Professor Dr Bradley Freeman, who joined SCI in
August, brings with him a strong sound and music pedigree
and vast experience in audio production. He previously
taught at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York and was the
faculty advisor for the school’s radio stations. He is now teaching
Audio/Radio Production I & II and is also in charge of Radio
Fusion this semester.
Among his non-academic achievements, he is a former manager of
multi-platinum jam band, Rusted Root. connexscions finds out more
about his background and why he came to SCI.
How did you get started in this area of specialisation
Sound and music were all around me as I was growing up. My
mum’s a piano teacher. Everyday when I came home from school,
I would hear the different students practising piano. As time went
by, I got better and better at determining which students were good,
which ones were bad, and which ones could improve. Furthermore,
my brothers and sisters had a lot of radio and audio equipment and
they liked to play their records and music. My dad was a high school
principal and later a college professor, so the academic influence is
there, too. I think the research and teaching I do is sort of influenced
by both my parents to a large extent.
What brought you to SCI
Let’s see. I think it was an airplane first, then a taxi. Seriously, I was
doing very little hands-on work previously. I missed having that as
an element within my teaching and academic career, and I decided
I wanted to have access to teach a production class at a school where
there was good equipment that would allow me to teach production
Dr Freeman at work.
Photo Courtesy of Dr Bradley Freeman
properly. When I saw some pictures and images of NTU it looked
like there was appropriate equipment here — as well as a campus
radio station — so it interested me.
What do you think of the broadcast industry in Singapore
Singapore radio is very difficult for me to categorise or define right
away. I’m not sure why certain songs get played here, or why certain
songs are selected back to back with other songs. What is the
Singapore sound I’ll have to do some more digging to figure this
out.
What is your specific area of research interest
My areas of research interest are mainly popular culture and mass
communications, community radio, agenda setting and media
credibility.
May, I Introduce
By Jennifer Law
She is an academic, a competitive water-skier, a mother,
an artist, and one of the leading specialists on marketing
communication in Asia.
Assistant Professor Dr May Lwin arrived at SCI last December to
expand on her interests in marketing communication and research.
Prior to this, she taught at the National University of Singapore
for almost seven years and was not only a nominee for the Best
Educator Award in 2002 and 2003 consecutively, but also a recipient
of the Outstanding Educator Award in 2004.
Dr Lwin said: “I’m thankful for the opportunities I have had and just
try to do my best to fulfil the various roles.”
Dr Lwin’s research interests lie in the areas of advertising and
marketing communication, focusing on regulatory, social and ethical
issues in advertising. She has published in leading international
journals like the Journal of Academy of Marketing Science and the Journal
of Public Policy and Marketing, and is also the co-author of the bestselling
Clueless series. Recently adding on to her list of publications
is a textbook on advertising in Asia Pacific titled Advertising: Principles
and Effective IMC Practice.
Apart from her academic achievements, Dr Lwin is also wellknown
in the sporting arena. She was a former national water-skier
who represented Singapore in many international championships,
clinching bronze medals in two Asian Waterski Championships and a
silver medal in the 1997 SEA Games.
Despite being at SCI for only a short period of time, Dr Lwin has
won over many of her students with her teaching philosophy, which
is not only to teach, but also to educate. “Dr Lwin’s class requires
you to take a proactive stance in your own learning — it’s no longer
about taking notes in passivity, but delving into real case studies,”
said Jasmine Tan, a marketing communication executive from the
SCI class of 2006.
Dr Lwin believes that having a certain level of interest is pertinent
in attaining knowledge: “Because you can spend 12 to 15 hours a
day on what you are doing, you must really enjoy it.” Dr Lwin had
pursued her interests in advertising despite having been streamed
into the sciences in school.
Of course, the spunky assistant professor is no superwoman. Dr
Lwin admits that sometimes it is not easy juggling her time among
her different commitments, but she is grateful for all the support she
has received from her family and friends.
She said: “At the end of the day, I want to be able to make a
difference to society, however small, with my research and teaching.”
22 23

Dr Pieter Aquilia with her kids.
Saying Goodbye
By Lee Huishi
Saying goodbye was not easy, when Assistant Professor Dr Pieter
Aquilia left Sydney for Singapore in 2000. Not only did she
have to leave her beautiful beach house at Bronte, she also had
to give up teaching at Macquarie University.
Moving to Singapore led her to many opportunities. Dr Aquilia
joined SCI, doing what she love — teaching.
Since then, she has done research, taught over 10 courses, started
SCI’s own broadcast practicum and even produced two editions of a
Catching Up in Ireland
By Renita Ong
Dr Lee Wai Peng.
Photo by Mr Ng Heng Ghee
Photo Courtesy of Dr Pieter Aquilia
textbook. She has attended several international conferences in New
York and London, and her research papers have also been featured
in international publications.
After this semester, Dr Aquilia will have to say goodbye again. This
time she is furthering her career as an Associate Professor in the
new design and media school at University of New South Wales,
Asia, located in Singapore. She finds it difficult to say goodbye to the
students: “I adore them (SCI students). They are great academically
and wonderfully friendly and warm.”
Animated hand gestures, bullet-speed talking and a
self-deprecating humour. These are some of the impressions
etched in the minds of many former students of Associate
Professor Dr Lee Wai Peng. Dr Lee bade SCI farewell and set off to
Ireland with her husband in April this year. We find out how she has
settled in, and talk about her experiences in SCI.
Dr Lee commented that SCI’s environment has changed by leaps
and bounds since she joined the School in 1993. For example, the
student intake has doubled over the years. Advancement in
technology has also altered the way lecturers teach and interact with
the students.
Since moving to Ireland, Dr Lee has had to make changes in her life
to adjust to the new environment in Ireland. “I am adapting quite
well,” she said. “However, I do have to learn to be patient because
things happen slowly around here.”
Dr Lee also said that it is nice having lots of space, greenery and
animals around her. But being a city girl at heart, she hopes to come
back to Singapore in the future. Until then, she hopes to be able to
continue to keep in touch with her colleagues, the alumni and
students through her new Irish email, waipenglee@eircom.net.
Dr Alfred Choi (right) with Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister of Community Development, Youth
and Sports.
Dr Choi: Friend of MCYS
An active volunteer in various community programmes since
1989, Associate Professor Dr Alfred Choi recently received
the “Friend of MCYS” award at a ceremony in August.
Launched in 1995, the award is given annually to volunteers in
recognition for their significant contributions to specific programmes
and projects under the Ministry of Community Development, Youth
and Sports (MCYS). Dr Choi has contributed to various committees
in the past decade, including the Society against Family Violence and
Singapore Boys’ Complex Management Committee.
Serving in the Inter-Ministry Committee on Youth Crime since
1994, Dr Choi has been involved in various activities such as assisting
in the drawing up of appropriate policies relating to juvenile delinquency.
He has also recently collaborated with MCYS in producing
a reader-friendly research guide entitled Getting You There: A Primer on
Research for Social Work Practitioners and Policy Makers.
SCI Holds Workshop on Blogging
Associate Professor Dr Ang Peng Hwa, together with Assistant
Professors Dr Mark Cenite and Dr Cherian George led a
workshop on blogging and the law in August.
The workshop covered the basic principles of defamation, copyright
and the regulation of objectionable content under Singapore law, and
generated much debate and discussion among participants.
Bloggers tend to be amateurs with no prior knowledge or training in
media law. In a TODAY article Dr Ang wrote: “In Asia — and
Singapore — where speech is silver and silence golden, such
aspirations of expression should be encouraged. Also, blogging
contributes to a culture of writing, and writing requires a thinking
and reflective mindset.” This workshop aimed to educate bloggers by
exposing them to the law as may be applicable.
Workshop leaders quashed the general perception that legal liability
does not apply to blogs, since many consider blogs to be private and
Photo Courtesy of Dr Alfred Choi
By Renita Ong
Despite his significant contributions to social
work in Singapore, Dr Choi said: “It is a
good gesture on the part of MCYS to give
me the recognition but to me, the
recognition is not as important as the process
and the outcome of the policies.”
He also mentioned that the experiences he
gained have helped him tremendously in the
courses that he teaches. “In order to help the
students analyse, I must be well-informed,
and doing volunteer work really does help.”
By Angeline Leow and Gladys Wong
personal. This may result in more critical
comments made on the web in the heat of
the moment, leading to possible defamatory
charges.
With the rising popularity of the free-video
sharing website, YouTube, bloggers may
perceive that they are free from legal liability
as long as they do not copy beyond 10
percent of a material.
However, it was emphasised that the chances
of being prosecuted through blogs are very
low, and as long as individuals are properly
educated on blogging and the law, they
should not be deterred from expressing
themselves through blogging.
24 25

WORKING LIFE
Leaving Her Mark in the
Big Apple
By Sarah Teo
The India
Experience
in Retrospect
By Dunstan Lee
This issue’s connexscions checks in
on Ms Serena Ng (2000), who
was featured in our previous issue
“Taking a Bite of the Big Apple”, to find out
what she has been busy with since joining
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
When she began her studies in SCI, Serena
was not sure what she wanted to do after
graduation. She considered broadcasting
or advertising, but that all changed after
attending a meeting for campus newspaper
The Nanyang Chronicle. She remembers her
first assignment: “I wrote what I thought was
a good story, and was shocked when it was
completely rewritten. I couldn’t recognise a
sentence of my own words in the published
version.”
That was 10 years ago. Today, Serena is
a staff reporter at WSJ covering the US
financial markets, and is doing extremely
well for herself. In June this year, she
wrote a front-page article “Perpetrator
Problem: It’s Hard to Run Away in Falling
Trousers”, reporting how the low-slung,
baggy pants that some thieves wore hindered
their getaway. The story quickly rose to
popularity, becoming the most-read story on
the WSJ website for a week, as well as the
most emailed story for the month of June.
“I was surprised so many readers liked [the
story] and wrote to tell me so,” Serena said.
She said it made the two months she spent
working on the story worthwhile.
Before she started at WSJ in New York,
Serena worked as a companies reporter
at The Business Times in Singapore. She
explained she stumbled into Business
Journalism by chance when she did her
six-month Professional Internship at Reuters.
“When I started there, I didn’t even know
what a stock was,” she recalled. “So I bought
a book about Wall Street and markets, and
my editor at Reuters got me to chat with
stock traders and to write a lot of ‘dummy’
reports for practice before I wrote my first
story for the wire.”
Serena, who later did her Masters at New
York University, plans to continue working
Ms Serena Ng.
Photo Courtesy of Ms Serena Ng
in the US for another few more years before
moving back to Asia. She said: “When I
came to the US for graduate school and had
to be an intern again at 28 years old, I knew
I had to work hard to prove myself all over
again.”
Drawing on her own experience,
Serena encourages the current crop of
undergraduates saying, “Don’t be afraid
of taking risks and starting over…don’t
underestimate what you can achieve if you
set your heart and mind to it.”
Ms Ting Kai Ling.
Giving up an internship position with advertising giant
McCann Erickson would be the last thing on the minds
of most SCI students, but this was not so for Ms Ting Kai
Ling. The current fourth year undergraduate chose the road less
travelled and took up an offer to go to India earlier this year.
She said: “I wanted to do something different and go off the beaten
track, as well as challenge my own limits, since I’m probably only
able to do crazy things like this while I’m young.”
The decision led her to Mudra Communications, India’s third-largest
advertising agency. She was stationed in Ahmedabad for two months
before moving to the Mumbai office for the rest of her internship.
At the agency, Kai Ling was mainly involved in accounts planning
and client servicing. She had the opportunity to handle famous local
and international companies such as Paras Pharmaceuticals, Cox &
Kings, Thomas Cook and Reliance Infocomm. In addition, she did
a reasonable amount of research on market trends and competition,
and product launches. All these helped her experience beyond what
she learnt in the classroom.
Through the internship, adapting to the new environment was her
biggest challenge. Kai Ling had to get used to being part of the
minority race and the local food. “Children would keep shouting
‘chinki chinki’, which means Chinese-looking, whenever they saw
Photo Courtesy of Ms Ting Kai Ling
me,” she said. “Everyone was also interested in where I came from,
my family background and whether or not I liked Indian food.”
In her attempt to adjust to the culture, she had to open her mind to
new things and take frustrations lightly.
“I remember taking the train and getting onto the second-class male
compartment by mistake. I was fearing for my life while being stuck
in between sweaty men, and trying very hard to look calm,” she said.
Kai Ling also recalled being stuck in a cab due to flooding during the
monsoon season and having to hitch a ride from strangers.
Despite these challenging experiences, Kai Ling pointed out that
the locals were generally warm and hospitable, not hesitating to do
all they could to make her feel at home. “Given the choice, I would
take the leap again,” she said. “Sometimes, when you have to work
through a chaotic environment, you have to be very flexible, even if
it means unlearning things you have learnt all your life.”
For those who are interested in pursuing an internship or a media
career in India, she has more advice: “Bring loads of instant noodles
and sambal chili! Just be bold and go with an open mind!”
SCI Graduate Specialises in
Psychology
By Angeline Leow
Knowing that her interest lay
in research and being greatly
encouraged by her lecturers
Assistant Professor Dr Mark Cenite and
Mr Mark Gordon to pursue it, Ms Pan Jing
(2005) enrolled in the University of Chicago
after graduating from SCI. Within a year,
Pan Jing graduated with a Master of Arts
degree in Psychology, a new and fascinating
field in which she previously had minimal
knowledge.
During her one-year course, she met
many researchers in the field of cognitive
psychology and neuroscience, and this
opened many doors for her future career
path. It was during her year of study that she
was first introduced to her current employer,
a professor who founded a new laboratory in
the University of Chicago Hospitals (UCH).
Pan Jing is currently holding the post of a
Senior Research and Coordinator in the
Clinical Neuroscience Psychopharmacy
Research Unit at UCH.
Reminiscing on the good days back in SCI,
Pan Jing recalls and is appreciative of the
help she received from her professors while
choosing her field in graduate school. Even
the class she dreaded the most at that time,
her news writing class, has proven to be
beneficial to her now. In addition, Pan Jing
is glad that the skills she developed and
honed in SCI, such as writing, have given
her a clear advantage over her American
classmates.
Pan Jing muses wistfully, “Nothing that we’ve
learned in SCI is useless, though it might
seem to be unrelated by all means at that
time.” Indeed, Pan Jing has come a long way
and her success has done SCI proud.
Ms Pan Jing.
Photo Courtesy of Ms Pan Jing
26 27

CLASS NOTES
Love blossomed from Nanyang Chronicle days for Mr Chan Chao Peh and Ms Chia I-Ling.
Love Blossoms in SCI
By Lee Huishi and Rachel Seet
Photo Courtesy of Mr Chan Chao Peh
Ms Su Cui at Trafalgar Sqaure, London.
Photo Courtesy of Ms Su Cui
Taking Europe by Storm
By Sarah Teo
Since graduating from SCI in 2004, Ms Su
Cui has done a short photography project in
Amsterdam, backpacked in Eastern Europe,
and worked at the bar in London’s famous
Hyde Park festival, a big highlight of her
year.
“I served Jack White (from the band The
Raconteurs) a pint of beer,” she recalled of
her Hyde Park stint in June. “Seeing Roger
Waters (of icon rock band Pink Floyd)
perform the Dark Side of the Moon album
in sequence — that was pretty
mind-blowing.”
Upon graduation, Su Cui worked for a year
in advertising, after which she took a month
off to backpack round Eastern Europe,
visiting countries like Hungary, Poland, the
Czech Republic and Slovakia. She then
proceeded to do her Masters in Media and
Communications at Goldsmiths College,
University of London, where she topped the
exams in the final term.
She hopes to go on to do a PhD, and
eventually to work as an academic within
the field of social development. She added:
“Since my SCI days, my main area of
interest has been disease and famine in
underdeveloped countries.”
Of her SCI experience, Su Cui said: “SCI
has also given me incomparable friends
who all either work or study in the field of
media and that has been a great stimulus...
especially on a social and personal level,
because they are the only beer buddies you
will have because they work the same crazy
hours as you do!”
Alum with a Big Heart
By Shalwa bte Mohamed Taib
Nine years ago, Mr Chan Chao Peh
(2000) and Ms Chia I-Ling (1999)
were the Photo Editor and News
Editor for the Nanyang Chronicle respectively.
Little did they think that when they first met
as undergraduates, they would eventually tie
the knot.
What started out as occasional dinners
before Chronicle meetings and working
through late-nights together for off stone,
subsequently developed into courtship, and
wedding bells eight years later.
Fortunately, sparks from the initial romance
have not waned even though Chao Peh and
I-Ling are currently busy with their careers
as a writer with The Edge and Corporate
Communications Manager of the National
Arts Council respectively. Chao Peh
quipped: “Thankfully, we still kiss everyday.”
Chao Peh and I-Ling are not the only SCI
couple who have tied the knot. Mr Alfred
Siew and Ms Val Chua, from the class of
1999, also got married recently.
This couple first met in their speech and
presentation class in 1995; they both
majored in journalism. Although the seeds
of love were sown back in SCI, they only
began dating after they started work. Alfred
and Val, now journalists for The Straits Times
and TODAY respectively, registered their
marriage in 2004 and held their wedding a
year later.
When connexscions asked how marriage has
changed their lives, Alfred said: “Getting
married means we have to adjust to each
other's temperament — as well as habits. But
by and large, it's been a sweet experience
living with someone you love.”
It seems while SCI has provided great job
opportunities for many, it has also been a
place where love can blossom.
While working in a production
house in Singapore, Laotian
student Xaisongkham
Induangchanthy (2005) unexpectedly
received a call from home. The call brought
exciting news: he was invited to help set up
a community radio station in Laos. The
Khoun Radio Support Project is a
one-year pilot project that aims to become
a forum for the local community to address
issues of local interest and socio-economic
development in the northern Xiengkhouang
province, well known for an attraction
called the Plains of Jars but also unexploded
landmines.
“I have not even visited my hometown
yet,” Xaisongkham said. “As soon as I left
Singapore, I came here straight.”
Supported by the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP), the
radio station will provide information about
markets and prices, job opportunities,
unexploded landmines, agriculture and
health, and other related development
issues. Radio is one of the best ways to reach
the people in this region as it is largely a
mountainous area. Currently, the studio
building is being designed, so the radio
stations have not started broadcasting yet.
Xaisongkham hopes this will be his stepping
stone to become involved in other UN
projects as well.
Having stayed in Singapore for six years,
he became used to the lifestyle and weather
here such that he found it hard to adjust to
the way of life in rural Laos. “I had never
stayed alone in a place that was so quiet and
dark at night,” he said. “At that time, I was
actually scared and started to miss Singapore
and the city life. Computers and Internet
were scarce when we first started then; there
was only one computer and several of us
had to take turns to use it; in order to use
Internet we had to borrow a telephone line
from a nearby office and connect it to our
computer.”
Xaisongkham’s stint in SCI has been useful
back home. He said. “My Laotian boss
always introduces me to other people with
first my name and then followed by, ‘He has
studied in Singapore; he is very smart. We’re
so glad to get him here’. My foreigner friends
are also envious of my Singapore education.
It’s certainly a passport to opportunities.”
His most memorable experience in SCI
was doing his Final Year Project (FYP). He
returned home with his FYP mates to do a
documentary. “It was the most tiring and
challenging project I have ever done,” he
recalled. “We had to travel by cramped tuktuks
and narrow boats and stayed for a few
weeks on islands that had no electricity. We
had to bathe in the Mekhong River and get
up at 4 am to see fishermen checking their
catch. But above all, it was fun, really fun
and rewarding.”
His second most memorable experience
was the time he played volleyball outside an
editing suite and was barred from using it for
a week. Confessing that he is not an A-grade
student, Xaisongkham’s advice to other SCI
students is not to be discouraged if they do
not do exceptionally well in school. “Just do
your best. It will pay off. And whatever you
do, put your heart into it.”
Mr Xaisongkham leaning on one of the biggest jars in
Xiengkhouang.
Photo Courtesy of Mr Induangchanthy
28 29
Ms Val Chua and Mr Alfred Siew, the journalist couple.
Photo Courtesy of Mr Alfred Siew

Class Briefs
By Sarah Teo and Anisha Baghudana
Send us your news to include
in the next connexscions at
connexscions@ntu.edu.sg
For his outstanding academic achievements in 2005, Mr Mohammed Jalees
(2006) was recently honoured with awards from the Singapore Indian Education
Trust, Mendaki and the Singapore Indian Association. Minister of Education,
Tharman Shanmugaratnam, presented the Singapore Indian Education Trust
award to him.
“I am happy to have been awarded these accolades,” said Mohammed. “More
than anything else, I hope I can be a role model for folks who want to know that
hard work does pay off, with patience.”
@
BREWERKZ
Photos by Lee Huishi and Rachel Seet
Ms Vivien Ng (2000) recently joined Discovery Channel. Vivien says that this
move will give her a better job scope, as she will be dealing with key business
partners like Starhub and HK Cable. Furthermore, the new role involves regional
travel and gives her a chance to head a small team.
After receiving her degree in
communication studies, Ms
Ada Wong (2000) went on to
pursue a degree in French
Culinary from the California
Culinary Academy (San
“
It was tough,
but we’re doing
something we love.
“
Francisco). She is currently a proud owner of Baby Bean, a dessert stall. “When
we first opened, we did everything ourselves, so that we understood the whole
operation process before we started hiring and training staff,” said Ada. “It was
tough, but we’re doing something we love.” She and her partners hope to expand
the business locally and internationally in the near future.
Top student of the 2006 batch, Mr Teh Joo Lin is now working as a reporter for
The Straits Times. Joo Lin believes that as well as equipping him with the
essential technical skills, his university education at SCI has helped prepare him to
cope with the rigours and pressures of work life. He said: “With the voluminous
readings to negotiate during the school term while juggling projects, I learnt how
to digest a large amount of information within a short time, and pick out what
really matters.”
Mr Leon Kiong (2005) is currently working with MTV Asia, producing graphics
for their video content on mobile phones and the Internet. “I am really happy I
“
You learn that
nothing will come
your way if you don’t
take the initiative.
“
am doing mo-graphics,” he
said. “Since it is a largely
uncharted medium, there is
freedom to experiment.” Five
years down the line, Leon
hopes to be able to guide
youngsters who are interested
in this profession.
Leon credits SCI for toughening him up to prepare for working life. “You learn
that nothing will come your way if you don’t take the initiative. You have to be
eager to learn — to absorb like a sponge.” His words of advice to current SCI
students are: “Enjoy your schooling. Like what you do, do what you like.”
On the first Thursday of every month, from
7-9 pm, SCI alumni and lecturers gather
at Brewerkz bar in Riverside Point to catch
up with old friends and meet new ones.
Come join us!
30 31