July 2010 - Nanyang Polytechnic

Nanyang Polytechnic Staff Newsletter For Internal Circulation Only July 2010 Issue
NYP Conferred Public Service Achievement Award
Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) is the only educational institution
to be conferred the Public Service Achievement Award for
its organisational excellence achievements. It received this
honour at the inaugural Excellence in Public Service Awards
2010 ceremony held on 21 May 2010.
The Public Service Achievement Award is one of the awards
given under the Public Service Award category. This category
of award recognises public agencies’ achievement of business
excellence standards administrated by SPRING Singapore.
Recipients of the Public Service Achievement Award must
meet the qualifying criteria of Singapore Quality Class (SQC)
and four Class-level standards, or a combination of SQC,
any of the Niche Excellence Awards and any two of the
Class-level standards.
NYP has, in fact, exceeded the qualifying criteria, having
attained the SQC, two Niche Awards (Innovation Excellence
Award and People Excellence Award) and three Class-level
standards (People Developer Standard, Singapore Service
Class and Singapore Innovation Class.)
Mr Chan Lee Mun, Principal & CEO of NYP, received the award
on NYP’s behalf from Mr Peter Ho, Head of Civil Service.
Employee Engagement Survey:
Favourable Scores for NYP
NYP staff have attested that the polytechnic is indeed an
employer of choice, according to its latest Employee
Engagement Survey (EES). The survey revealed favourable
scores for NYP, compared to public services norms, as well as
An employer of choice! NYP have given thumbs-up for NYP,
as revealed in the EES.
Continued on page 02
Congratulations, NYP! Mr Chan Lee Mun, Principal & CEO
of NYP (left) receives this distinguished award
from Mr Peter Ho, Head of Civil Service.
(Photo courtesy of Public Service Division
and Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore.)
norms used by Singapore, Global Education and Global High
Performing Companies.
As part of NYP’s Organisation Excellence journey, it appointed
the Civil Service College (CSC) and its survey partner Towers
Watson (TW) to conduct the EES from 8 to 26 February 2010.
A total of 1,049 staff responded to the CSC-TW survey,
representing a participation rate of 83.5%.
The survey comprised a total of 70 questions, measuring
engagement in 11 categories benchmarked against the
Singapore Public Service. It also provided benchmarks with TW
Singapore National norms, TW Global Education Institutions and
TW Global High Performing Companies norms in four key areas
of Engagement, Leadership & Culture, Team Work and Others,
such as Learning & Development.

Favourable scores
02
UPDATES
Comparison to TW Singapore National, Global Education and Global High Performing Norms
Chart 2
Leadership
Engagement
Learning & Development
Teamwork
Key Drivers of Engagement in NYP
The survey also revealed that the key drivers of Engagement for
NYP are – Leadership and Culture, Career Advancement
and Job Motivation and Growth. Leadership and
Culture is the strongest driver. NYP’s scores in this area are
significantly ahead of all norms, including the TW Global High
Performing Companies Norm. Career Advancement and Job
Motivation and Growth are also significantly above the PS Norm.
NYP vs. PUBLIC SERVICE NORM
66%
For these norms, comparison is available for four categories,
namely Leadership, Engagement, Teamwork and Learning &
Development. The scores reveal that NYP significantly exceeds
the Singapore National Norm and the Global Education Norm
in all categories.
Continued from page 01
Just how did NYP staff fare in the survey? Here are some key findings:
Comparison to Public Service (PS) EES Norm
Compared to Public Service norms, NYP showed an extremely
positive profile, with all categories significantly above Public
Service norms and in the top quartile. In fact, NYP scores
are either on par or exceeding the highest scores in the PS
Chart 1
84%
NYP vs. BENCH MARK NORMS
59%
73%
71%
69%
76%
74%
71%
71%
77%
75%
86%
87%
83%
84%
81%
Norm in almost all categories. This includes a high employee
engagement score of 84% as compared to the Singapore
Public Service norms of 66%, as seen in Chart 1.
Legend
NYP
Public Service Norm
The TW Global High Performing Norm is usually a stretch
benchmark for most organisations. NYP is significantly above
high performing levels in 3 out of 4 categories, with Teamwork
being on par with high performing organisations.
Legend
NYP
Singapore National
Global Education
Global High Performing Companies
NYP has been conducting staff opinion surveys biennially
since 2001. This is the first time NYP has engaged an external
survey partner to conduct the survey. Such a survey enables
NYP to benchmark itself with high-performing organisations
locally and globally.

03
UPDATES
Staff Conference 2010: Our Report Card for NYP
An impressive ‘report card’ – that was what the Polytechnic Quality Assurance Framework (PQAF) assessors had given to NYP in 2009.
Principal & CEO (PCEO), Mr Chan Lee Mun, shared this with NYP staff during Staff Conference 2010. This annual staff conference
was attended by some 1,300 staff.
Well done! An impressive report card
for NYP, given by PQAF assessors.
Branding NYP
What is the NYP brand? How do we
develop such a brand, and deliver its
brand promise?
At the closing of the staff conference,
Mr Chan encouraged staff to delve
deeper into some of these thoughts.
He shared with staff rules about
branding and how different brands
differentiate themselves.
For NYP, we should start by looking into
what constitutes the NYP brand, and
develop consistent messaging for
such a brand, Mr Chan summarised.
Using the metaphor of associating
each polytechnic with a car brand,
Mr Chan felt that NYP’s aspiration
is to become the Lexus among
the polytechnics. The Lexus car is
associated with being innovative,
refined, luxurious and inspiring.
Food for thought indeed!
According to Mr Chan, the assessors highlighted some facets of NYP which they
were particularly impressed with. These include:
• A robust quality assurance system
• A good reputation for the polytechnic, both locally and internationally
• Good systems in place, such as the Accumulated Experience Sharing (AES ® )
system and Teaching Factory ® Concept
• A steady and consultative leadership
• Dedicated and engaged NYP staff
The assessors added that given these factors, NYP is well on course to achieving
its vision of being a premier polytechnic of global distinction.
In addition, the assessors felt that NYP would attain greater heights if it could
improve in some areas. Its ‘highly-recommended actions’ for improvement are:
• Improve clarity of mission, vision, strategic goals
• Include university academics and alumni members in Board of Governors (BOG)
• Include BOG members in all Advisory Committees
• Better succession planning
• Include risk management framework
Mr Chan shared that NYP had already started to look into making improvements
in these areas.
In addition, Mr Chan shared the results of a new NYP Employee Engagement
Survey conducted by global consulting company Towers Watson in February 2010.
Such a survey enabled NYP to benchmark with high-performing organisations
locally and globally. Results of this survey clearly affirms NYP as an Employer of
Choice (see article on page 1-2).
All ears… NYP staff at
the conference.
Mr Chan sharing his
thoughts on branding
with staff.

04 OUR ACHIEVEMENTS
Two NYP projects have been awarded research grants, the Proof-of-Concept (POC) grant and the Environment Technology
Research Programme (ETRP). Staff Link finds out more about our staff behind the projects, Dr Hannah Gardner and Sim Gia Wen.
A Memorable Project for Hannah
Hannah hails from England, and her hometown is a village
not far from Manchester. Before joining NYP, she was a PhD
student in the Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials Centre
at Cranfield University (UK).
Adventurous by nature, Hannah loves to travel and had always
wanted to visit Southeast Asia. Her first encounter with NYP was
a visit with some colleagues from Cranfield University. She
recalled, “I was amazed at the standard of the engineering
facilities and equipment NYP had.”
Hannah joined NYP in January 2008 as a lecturer at the School of
Engineering (Manufacturing). There, one of her most memorable
projects was a 3-Dimensional micro/nano structures for energy
harvesting which aims to create higher efficiency solar cells
via a novel electrode technology. This project became NYP’s
second project to be awarded the prestigious POC grant from
the National Research Foundation.
Sharing Her Love for Research
Hannah (above) is grateful
to the support given to her
by NYP management and
her colleagues.
School of Chemical and Life Sciences (Chemical) lecturer Sim Gia Wen’s project proposal was the only one from a
polytechnic selected to receive Environment Technology Research Programme (ETRP). Her project, to develop a Cerium
Dioxide (CeO ) catalyst to remove harmful air pollutants such as Nitrogen Oxides (NO ) more effectively, received a $586,200 grant.
2 x
Gia Wen is grateful for the support from her colleagues and NYP management on her project.
The Project Proposal
I used to experiment on cerium dioxide. When the call for
ETRP proposals started, the management encouraged me to
submit a research proposal. I quickly wrote down the proposal
and discussed with the team members and management,
Quek Chin Joo and Chian Hwey Miin. The proposal was further
refined by Leonard Loh from Biomedical Engineering group
(BME) and colleagues from Centre for Technology Innovation &
Commercialisation (CTIC). With management’s support, I was
able to swiftly attain the apparatus and consumables for the
project so that I can start doing some preliminary work.
Principal Investigator Sim Gia Wen from SCL(C) (centre)
with fellow co-principal investigators Zulkifli Abu Bakar from
SCL(C) and Dr Li Ying from SEG (M).
She is grateful to the researchers
based in Nanotechnology Dr Zuruzi
Abu Samah as well as Leonard Loh from
Manager of School of Engineering
(Manufacturing).
“Dr Zuruzi and Leonard were
heavily involved in writing the
proposal and presentation;
their experience helped to
determine how best to present
them.” She is looking forward
to working on the project.
“I think we have a very good
chance of success and the outcome of the project will be a
prototype and manufacturing mechanism that can be applied
to several different designs of device,” said Hannah.
Assembling the Team
We roped in two new members – Zulkifli Abu Bakar and Dr Li Ying.
Zulkifli has the engineering experience in bringing lab-scale
prototypes to set-ups similar to commercial settings while
Dr Li Ying has the vast experience in nanocomposites. Finalyear
project students, too, will help to carry out the research
experiments and thus gain valuable research techniques.
They will also be exposed to more advanced analytical
instruments and scientific research journals, just like university
undergraduates.
Project Update
Currently, we are optimising the process of preparation of
cerium dioxide catalyst as well as developing a doped cerium
dioxide catalyst. We plan to test the effectiveness of these
catalysts this year.

A SEA Games Quest Fulfilled
05 OUR ACHIEVEMENTS
NYP lecturer James Wong did Singapore proud by winning the gold medal in the discus event at the Southeast Asian (SEA)
Games 2009, held in Laos from 9-18 December 2009.
James doing Singapore proud with his gold medal finish.
(Source: [The Straits Times] © Singapore Press Holdings Ltd.
Permission required for reproduction.)
Just focus on the SEA Games, and we will take care of things
around here…that was the assurance that his colleagues
gave James when he first decided to take part in the SEA Games.
James recalled, “This SEA Games preparation was one of the
hardest in my career. I retired from the sport in end 2006.
Then in December 2008, I decided to make a comeback.
I spoke to Lionel Teo (Manager/School of Business Management)
about this decision and hoped that NYP could give me
its support.
Student Development Officer Wilfred Toh has taken part in
numerous endurance races such as marathons, ocean
swim events, bike races and triathlons, both locally and
overseas. When training for a race, Wilfred puts himself through
a punishing regime of cycling, running and swimming covering
a total distance of 32-40 kilometers daily.
A colleague at OBS, where he worked for 7 years, had urged
him to take part in his first race, the OSIM Triathlon at Sentosa.
“I struggled as I was not a good swimmer, did not use a road
bike, and just focused
on completing the
race,” said Wilfred.
Wilfred in action at the Ironman
Western Australia 2008.
NYP’s Ironman
Since then, Wilfred
has taken part in
three Ironman races,
two Ironman Western
Australia (2004 and
2008) and Ironman
New Zealand (2004). He
completed in his first two
races while pursuing
a sports science
degree at University
of Western Australia.
He had to swim 3.8
kilometres, cycle 180
Support from Sports & Wellness Team
Thankfully for James, both NYP Management and his colleagues
gave their full support. He said, “The Sports & Wellness team has
been a great help. They attended meetings on my behalf and
helped me with my work or other duties.”
This support was especially important to James, because
training was no easy feat. A typical day for James would begin
with a training session at 6.30 am at the National Stadium. After
a bout of training, James would start his workday, and then
resume training in the afternoons at the NYP Sports Stadium.
“Working in NYP was really helpful, as we have the sports facilities
I needed. I also had the flexibility of scheduling my training
around my work hours,” said James.
Winning Gold
James’ efforts were all worthwhile during the SEA Games. He
threw a distance of 53.6 metres on his sixth and final throw to
clinch is the gold medal, which is his 8th gold medal in the
SEA Games.
He said, “Every win means a lot to me, especially when winning
for Singapore means I can let many Singaporeans celebrate
this victory together.”
Wilfred and his amazing team mates.
kilometres and run 42 kilometres. He completed his first race
in New Zealand in 12 hours and 4 minutes – his personal best
time so far.
At NYP, he is an active supporter of various Workplace Health
Promotion activities. He also trains with and offers tips to with
fellow sports enthusiasts on campus.
The most recent race he took part in was the Amazing Maritime
Race. His team, comprising NYP colleagues and an NYP graduate,
won first place and a $1,500 cash prize in the Open Category.
I find a great sense of satisfaction working in NYP, as I get to
mentor and mould the students’ leadership characteristics
during their three years here,” said Wilfred.

Overseas Community Service Projects
Every year, NYP staff and students take on community service projects overseas. Up to four teams prepare and perform two-week
service projects that benefit less privileged communities in developing areas such a Cambodia, Thailand and China. Areas
covered includes health education, health screening, setting up computer labs, libraries and teaching English.
We speak to three teams who recently went to Cambodia, Thailand and China.
Helping Hands in Siam Reap, Cambodia
HIGHLIGHTS
School of Chemical & Life Sciences (Life Sciences) lecturer Tan Chiew Nai has never done community work before and wanted
to experience it. So, she took the opportunity to lead a group of 20 students to Phnom Penh Cambodia from 29 March 2010 till
11 April 2010.
One of their stops during the 14-day trip was to the Rainbow
Orphanage, run by Working for Children, a non-profit charity
committed to assisting orphans, poor and vulnerable children
in rural communities in Siem Reap Province. It provides secure
and loving homes for 34 children aged between six and 16.
“We set up five computers so that the children can learn to
use computers. Our students introduced various methods of
teaching English such as through songs and simple composition.
They also taught the children about hygiene, as well as how to
use a camera and do origami,” said Chiew Nai.
The team also painted the wooden volunteer house, assisted
the orphanage with simple farming tasks and helped update
the Orphanage’s website.
They also took part in a rice soup programme organised by
the Jesuit Service Catholic Church for village kids and also
donated clothes at Peak Sneng – one of the poorest villages
in the province.
“The students worked hard and were happy that their work was
recognised. The students and I were definitely humbled from
the experience,” said Chiew Nai.
Braving the Cold in Hainan, China
sudden drop in temperature to below 10 degree Celsius
A in Hainan sent two groups of students and their lecturers
scrambling for warm clothing.
“We had expected similar weather to Singapore’s, so we were
not prepared for the sudden drop in temperature. The first
thing we did was to buy warm clothing,” recalled School of
Information Technology lecturer Dr Alan Ang.
Dr Ang was leading a group of NYP students on an Overseas
Community Service project in Hainan, China last March
together with School of Interactive & Digital Media (SIDM)
Lecturer Wendy Tan. Another group of students were led by SIDM
lecturer Clyda Puah and School of Engineering (Manufacturing)
lecturer Charlie Tan.
English lessons
for the children.
Continued on page 07
06
Setting up the
computer lab
with donated
PCs.
Hundreds came
for the donated
clothes
giveaway.
Preparation for the 17-day trip took about six months. It included
recruitment, first aid training, as well as bonding sessions to foster
team spirit and camaraderie among the student volunteers.
During the trip, the main tasks of the two groups were: the
teaching English and Arts & Crafts at a primary school, the
painting of the school, as well as painting an old folks home.
The dreary and cold weather in Hainan proved a challenge but
the team persevered to complete the tasks.
“We wanted to paint 12 rooms in the three-storey school
building but due to the weather, the paint took a longer time to
dry. Furthermore, our movements were slower due to the cold
weather. Nevertheless, we did our best. The students divided

Project Reading in Chiang Rai, Thailand
Happy faces all round.
Another group of 17 School of Health Sciences (SHS)
students spent a meaningful two weeks of their March
term break doing community service in Wiang Kaen, a district
in Chiang Rai, Thailand. The project was led by SHS lecturer
Dr Bala S. Rajaratnam.
“We worked with the Lions Club of Singapore, Somerset to secure
story books and textbooks from their outreach program Project
Reading mms . We also contacted the Singapore-Thai Chamber
of Commerce to identify two deserving schools which would
benefit from the project. Besides sorting the books, the students
also created skits to excite the children to learn English. The skits
were even tested with children at the NYP child care centre.
The preparation took about three months,” said Dr Bala.
The students taught English skills to children below the age of
12 at the the Panghud Sahasart School and Koon Kuat Pittiya
School. They also equipped and furnished three libraries at
the schools with some 2,000 donated books, complete with a
cataloging system for the loan of books.
A job well done!
themselves into three groups: the ‘sander’, ‘painter’ and ‘lacquer’
groups. This specialisation helped us to complete the task
more efficiently, without compromising quality. The sense of
achievement when all tasks were completed was our greatest
fulfilment,” said Dr Ang.
Continued from page 06
07
HIGHLIGHTS
In addition, the team also educated children from the nearby
villages on the importance of personal hygiene and basic
first-aid.
According to Dr Bala, there were some
minor hiccups along the way. However,
the excited looks of the children’s
faces made it all the worthwhile.
He said: “The challenge was to be
able to think and react on your feet,
as what we had planned in Singapore
changed significantly when we were
at Wiengkaen. For example, we faced
communications problems travelling
in the hill-tops location. We overcome
these by identifying four Thai students
who were good in their English to
support the project.”
The team hard
at work.
Colourful murals and shelves in the new library.
Braving the chilly weather to paint the premises.

08 HIGHLIGHTS
Champions of Our Organisational Values
We now have NYP staff who are Value Champions. These
staff will champion each individual value, and oversee the
Values usually represent ‘the way things are done’ in an
organisation and are reflected in the behavior of individual staff.
Our individual values, as manifested in our daily work, influence
the way NYP, as an organisation, ‘behaves’ or is perceived by
our customers. We believe that our staff already have strong,
admirable individual values. The NYP values, then, represent an
existing as well as a desired state; they are more like aspirations
for us to continue to work on, as a beacon to guide us, influence
and shape our behavior collectively.
programmes which are related to the values, and communicate
these values to staff. Staff Link speaks to our Value Champions.
Value Champion for: Borderless Teamwork and Innovation & Enterprise
Edward Ho, Deputy Principal/Development
Borderless Teamwork
Borderless Teamwork
This value helps to differentiate us from many other
organisations. So from the inception of NYP, we have created
many good examples of Borderless Teamwork and achieved
remarkable success.
Borderless Teamwork cannot be taken for granted. Hence,
we need to continue to enhance it. We should keep building
success examples of Borderless Teamwork and highlight the
benefits – better industry linkages, cross fertilisation of ideas and
capacity creation, all critical success factors in winning teams.
We have seen many examples of staff fully involved in these
winning borderless teams and contributing to their best abilities.
Borderless Teamwork also creates more opportunities for
interactions among staff and helps to enhance our cohesiveness,
strengthens staff’s relationships and maintains a harmonious
working environment. At NYP, we never walk alone.
Innovation & Enterprise
We pride ourselves with having innovative ideas and
pedagogies. We received accolades from leaders and foreign
dignitaries about our Teaching Factory ® Concept, Accumulated
Experience Sharing (AES ® ) system and Integrated Teaching &
Learning concept. Our innovative journey has been recognised
with the Innovation Excellence Award in 2009. This has given
us a lot of confidence in continuing to promote innovation
as one of our desired values. Innovation can in fact be seen
everywhere at NYP.
We have a lot of innovation results to showcase, and should
continue to build up and promote innovation. Innovation
must be relevant to NYP’s core business; it should translate
into tangible benefits to staff and students. Innovation refers
to our desire to pioneer new areas and to always bring out the
best among our students through the NYP process. NYP being
among the top patent filers in Singapore and the two NYP
students who won two “Best-Of-The-Best” Albert Vidal awards
at the World Skills Competitions are two outstanding examples
of NYP’s innovation efforts.
Innovation & Enterprise
What about Enterprise? As mentioned, the desire to innovate
refers to a state of mind which challenges us to find better
ways of doing things. Enterprise, as an extension of innovation,
reflects another dimension. Here, the challenge is to go beyond
equipping our graduates with relevant employable skills. It is
to provide them with suitable additional knowledge, skills and
experience to become budding entrepreneurs who can bring
our innovative products and processes to the market. We
have just begun our entrepreneurship initiatives, and will need
everyone’s support to build up a sustainable entrepreneurship
programme at NYP.
I urge all staff to continue to contribute in the various activities
relating to Borderless Teamwork as well as Innovation & Enterprise,
as we forge ahead to make NYP a Premier Polytechnic of
Global Distinction.

09 HIGHLIGHTS
Value Champion for: Can-Do Spirit and Development Orientation
John Tan, Deputy Principal/Technology
These core values are traits or characters that embody the
beliefs of NYP, underpinning our mission and vision to be a
Premier Polytechnic of Global Distinction. These values form
the foundation and basis which govern what we do in NYP.
These values must be understood and shared by all in NYP,
and can be seen evidently through the everyday’s actions
and decisions made by the people. Over time, these beliefs or
values have become an integral part of NYP’s culture.
The two core values: Development Orientation and Can-Do
Spirit are interrelated. Development Orientation encapsulates
the essence of pioneering and enterprising spirit to achieve
dynamism, growth and excellence while the Can-Do Spirit
nurture the positive mindset to seize opportunities for doing
something new and rising to new challenges.
Development Orientation
Value Champion for: Nurturing & Caring Culture (for students)
Anthony Woon, Registrar And Director/Student Affairs
To me, nurturing our students is about recognising and embracing
diversity in our students, be it in abilities or interests; and providing
them with the opportunities to cultivate these talents and interests
in a holistic learning environment. We encourage them to seize
every opportunity to maximise their potential, and to support
and encourage their growth and success.
Caring for our students means showing concern for them,
encouraging bonding and giving help to those with needs.
Hence, we have caring lecturers and Personal Mentors
dedicated to taking care of students throughout their three
years of study.
In a wider context, the value, “nurturing and caring” aims
to cultivate young talented student leaders and also
socially responsible individuals who care for the community,
the environment, and who contribute back to society.
This value prevails at NYP. We have the talent development
programme to cultivate student talents, and various clubs,
interest groups and activities to cater to a wide range of abilities
and interests. Our students have done NYP and Singapore
proud by consistently excelling at international competitions.
For instance, our students clinched top spots at the World Skills
Competitions and our NYP Symphony Orchestra won hearts at
the World Music Contests. These achievements and accolades
NYP’s innovative Teaching Factory
concept integrates the learning
and real life environment to provide
a realistic, relevant and adaptive
learning environment. Our capability
development initiatives focus us on
acquiring new capabilities to meet
the ever changing industry needs.
Our strong collaborations and
partnerships with industry create
an application and developmentoriented
environment in our
campus. These are some of the
many living examples across
Schools and corporate departments
that clearly demonstrate our
Development Orientation mindset
and Can-Do Spirit.
Can-Do Spirit
These values are already well communicated, understood
and internalised by staff in NYP through active modelling and
“walking the talk” by management. We should continue our
good effort to share with staff how these core values were
developed, what they stand for and how they shape our
desired behaviours. Some of the platforms where we further
promote our core values are at: staff conferences, PCEO & staff
dialogue sessions, executive programmes and staff induction
programmes.
Nurturing & Caring Culture (for students)
bear testimony to NYP’s commitment to nurturing our students
as all-rounders, encompassing both the academic and nonacademic
domains.
Besides nurturing our students, we also care for their welfare and
well-being. We have a strong student support network that takes
various forms, such as the personal mentor scheme, student
mentoring scheme and student counsellor service.
I hope to see this value take deeper root by engaging our
alumni more. We are reaching out to and inviting more
graduates to become active members, to continue to live the
NYP experience with their alma mater.

Nurturing & Caring Culture
(for staff)
10 HIGHLIGHTS
Value Champion for: Nurturing & Caring Culture (for staff)
Judy Tan, Director/Human Resource (DHR)
Having a nurturing and caring culture is a two-way effort by
both Management and staff. Management sets the tone
by providing opportunities for staff to “go, grow and glow” as
demonstrated in our 3Gs concept of sustaining healthy lifestyle,
healthy minds and healthy relationships at the workplace.
Over the years, NYP has been highly supportive of initiatives/
programmes to develop staff capability through varied job
assignments, industry attachment, formal/informal training
opportunities. At the same time, NYP provides facilities and
budget to support programmes/activities for team bonding and
work-life balance.
Staff, on the other
hand, also emulate
Management’s effort
by showing care and
support for their fellow
colleagues through
working as teams for
the mission, vision
and goals of NYP.
A good demonstration of this value is seen in the April 2009 launch
of NYP’s Day Release Part-time Diploma in Business Administration
for Secretaries and Corporate Support Officers. Support staff who
Twenty-five NYP staff from various Schools and Corporate
Departments volunteered to be Short-Term Assignment
Regular Staff (STARS) to help the Singapore Youth Olympic
Games Organising Committee (SYOGOC).
They join over 1,000 civil servants from more than 60 government
agencies and statutory boards who will be part of inaugural
Youth Olympic Games workforce. They will supplement some
20,000 volunteers from schools, organisations and general
public workforce.
The STARS serve in leadership roles across various functions
such as communications, international relations, logistics
and technology.
Assistant Manager for Student Services
Janice Fock looks forward to fulfilling
her role as a Dignitaries Management
Protocol Officer.
“I hope to be able to see and learn from
the organisation and management of such
a large scale event and to import some of
the best practices into my work here at NYP. It would also be
interesting to work with people from different ministries, as well
as volunteers from all walks of life,” she said.
NYP’s YOG STARS
have young children find it difficult to attend evening classes. To
encourage them to upgrade themselves academically without
compromising their domestic obligations, our Principal initiated
this Day Release Part-time Diploma programme. Our School of
Business Management specially customises the course structure
and conducts it in-house to fit the schedules of working mothers
as well as singles with aged parents.
The programme is structured such that staff will be in classes
for three half-days while continuing to work in the office. Staff
may take two days of study leave to prepare for examinations.
A total of 39 CSOs were enrolled in this programme. Currently,
they have successfully completed the first year of this three-year
programme.
Demonstrated values are more effective as actions speak
louder than words.
As Management walks the talk, staff should do likewise. Staff
are encouraged to look beyond themselves. Their mindset
should be framed to seek ways to work seamlessly as a united
team towards organisational goals. Staff can also be more
forthcoming in sharing their knowledge or learning with one
another so as to foster mutual benefit in career progression.
If everyone is prepared to extend a helping hand to weaker
colleagues, the work environment would indeed be ideal.
For Sports and Wellness Management
Manager Lionel Teo, it is an opportunity of a
lifetime that should not be missed.
“Being in the Games will allow me to
observe & learn, first-hand, what goes on
behind the global success of the Olympic
brand. I am also keen to know how the
various countries and its athletes prepare for this quadrennial
multi-sport event, be a keen spectator of world-class sporting
competition, and, where possible, get acquainted and
network. These will provide me with personal learning points,
case studies and real-life examples to share with students
for the International Sport & Olympic Studies module which
I teach.”
Assistant Manager (UNIX Services), CNC,
Joanne Tan hopes to share her expertise.
“As a Singaporean, I feel privileged to be able
to contribute my services. My role as Deputy
Venue Technology Manager is to assist the
Venue Technology Manager in overseeing
the Technology Operations in ensuring
smooth delivery of technology operations and services at the
venue.” she said.
Some 5,000 athletes and officials from 205 National Olympic Committee (NOCs), along with an estimated 800 media
representatives are expected to be in Singapore for the games which will take place from 14 to 26 August.

NYP now has a comprehensive
framework for creating a conducive
work environment. It is called the 3Gs
(Go! Grow! Glow!) approach.
The 3Gs are:
Go! – sustaining healthy lifestyle
Grow! – sustaining healthy minds
Glow! – sustaining healthy relationships
GO! GROW! GLOW!
11 WHP INITIATIVES
Go! Grow! Glow!
– Body, Mind and Soul Quality Work-Life@NYP
Go!
(Sustaining healthy lifestyle)
• WHP Committee • Health-i Lifestyle Hour
• Sports for Life • Mass walk & run
• Health Bazaars • Voice Care workshops
• Health Screening • ProHealth Clinic
• Physio Clinic • Dental Clinic
• Dental Clinic • Pharmacy
• Anti-smoking • CARE Officers
• Volunteerism Campaign
• In-house Gym & health equipment
• Water-coolers & pantry facilities
• Nature/Greenery corners
• Healthy Catering Policy
Evaluation & Review • Staff Opinion Survey
• Work-life Harmony Survey
Gentle Exercises a Hit with NYP Staff
They stretched, did slapping actions, twisted joints and
massaged facial features during the 40-minute exercise session.
For some 20 NYP staff, this is an ideal way to unwind, de-stress
and enjoy gentle exercises in the company of good friends.
The type of exercise is called “Huichun”, which translated from
Mandarin means “a return to youth.” The exercise involves simple
movements. Participants stretch their muscles, move joints and
place pressure on main acupressure points.
According to Mr Wong Gee Tin, Manager from School of
Engineering (Manufacturing), a small group of NYP staff found
out about this exercise six years ago. They mastered the basics
from an industry partner, who learnt it in China. They then set up
an exercise group in NYP.
Said Gee Tin, “We received good feedback from staff, who
said that this exercise helps them relax. Their overall health has
also improved.”
Go! Grow! Glow!
All three core areas are important because it provide us with a holistic approach in
creating quality work-life @ NYP. To support the 3Gs, NYP has a multitude of programmes
in place, as seen in the chart below.
Our 3Gs
Grow!
(Sustaining healthy minds)
• SOLIDS
• Formal & Informal Courses
• In-house workshops
• Talks by Industry & Visiting HMDP Experts
• NYP Learning Day
• WITS
• Financial Planning workshops
• Will Writing talks
• Retirement Planning talks
• Mental Health Programmes & talks
• Staff Engagement Survey
• Health Needs Survey
Glow!
(Sustaining healthy relationships)
• Staff Welfare Fund
• Leave Benefits
• Corporate Passes
• Singles Networking
• Parenting Workshop
• Children’s Programme
• Staff Spouse Day
• Family Day
• Festive Gatherings
• NYP Anniversary Dinner
• ExCEL Day
• Union-Management Programmes
• Teambuilding Programmes
• Staff Centre
• Flexible Benefits
• Work-Life Advocate & Ambassador
• Childcare Centre
• Dialogue Sessions
• After Action Reviews
• Event Evaluation
• Focus Groups Discussions
A perfect
way to
unwind
and end
the day!
Siva Namasivayam, a Lecturer from School of Information
Technology, attested to the benefits of this exercise. “The first time
I tried it six years ago, I slept so well at night. My blood pressure
has dropped and my cholesterol levels have improved.” said
Siva, who regularly leads the group.
Game to try this out? Drop by the open-air area at the third
level, between Blocks M and N. Classes are on every Tuesday,
Thursday and Friday, around 6.10 pm.

Quick shower breaks and 10 minute power naps for an entire
week! That was all Lina Chong had time for when she had
to complete a business venture assignment for her Master of
Science Technopreneurship and Innovation Programme at
Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
Creative business presentation.
Such was Lina’s dedication to get a job well done. Lina is used
to working long hours. Before she started her NTU course, she
would work up to 17 hours daily, starting her day at 8 am and
ending it at 1 am. Her packed schedule covered her work at
Student Affairs Office and youth-related grassroots activities.
Learning Leadership Skills
This vivacious 32-year old is passionate about nurturing young
people to take risks, to look beyond obstacles, and to develop
innovative solutions – some of the main reasons for her to take
up this course.
She felt that the course has equipped her with essential
entrepreneurship skills, mindsets and rigorous business knowledge
grow businesses through global learning experiences beyond
the classroom. It also enhanced her ability to understand the
thought process of key decision-makers.
Taking the time off after a hard day’s work.
12
Fuelled by Passion
STAFF DEVELOPMENT
“I am a believer of continuous learning and keeping up with
what is relevant in the market. I learnt many skills sets such
as spreading passion, business planning, effective elevator
pitches and networking skills. I hope to apply these skills to
the leadership programme that we have in store for our CCA
student leaders,” said Lina.
Gaining a Global Perspective
She was also able to draw unique experiences from the US,
China and Malaysia.
“The visits were an eye opener to me. I went to Google
Headquarters and Plug & Play in Silicon Valley, met a Lucas Film
senior management staff and had tea with venture capitalists.
I also got the chance to study at Stanford University and University
of Washington. In China, I got to experience the making of the
Shanghai World Expo and had networking sessions with senior
government officials there.
“I am really thankful to NYP for sponsoring my studies and Team
SA for helping me with my work, and my bosses for giving me
the moral support throughout my year of study,” said Lina.
With fellow course mates at a business presentation at
University of Washington, USA.
Lina recently won the Excellent Youth Award for her
extraordinary contributions to the promotion of youth
development at the People’s Association Youth Movement
(PAYM) awards ceremony held on 29 May 2010. Lina is the
Chairperson of the Central Youth Council Committee (CYC)
of the People’s Association Youth Movement and the Pasir
Ris Elias CC Youth Executive Committee.
Last year, she was one of six people to receive the annual
Singapore Youth Award, the highest national youth award
accolade in Singapore.

Gaining New Insights into the Legal System
It has been a while since School of Business Management
(SBM) lecturer Martin Lee sat for a formal examination, so he
felt a little apprehensive, and understandably so.
“The last exam I sat for was almost 10 years ago. The methods of
assessment had changed and the papers were much shorter.
I had to refine my exam techniques and write more concise
and targeted answers,” said Martin.
Martin was pursuing a 10-month Master of Laws (Corporate &
Financial Services Law) conferred by the National University of
Singapore (NUS). The course was sponsored by NYP.
Singapore’s legal and regulatory landscape, said Martin,
had evolved significantly since he left the legal industry
in mid-2005. “Newly-introduced business vehicles such
as limited liability partnerships, limited partnerships and
business trusts were becoming increasingly common. The
Code of Corporate Governance for listed companies was
revised in 2005 and our trust legislation was overhauled. So I
needed to keep abreast of these developments as they are
pertinent to the fields of business and company law which
I teach.”
Martin took time off to study full-time. He wanted to enjoy the
learning process and not be overly concerned with grades.
Leong Chee Loong chose the Masters of Arts in Visual Effects
programme at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)
in Savannah, Georgia, USA. SCAD is a reputed arts university
and its faculty members include many big names who have
greatly impacted the digital media industry.
Chee Loong admits that the programme was very challenging.
He said: “I majored in Feature Animation in my Digital Media
Design course at NYP which had an artistic focus. However,
Visual Effects deals with a lot of technical aspects as well. It
was gruelling, getting myself up to speed in understanding the
logic of computer languages.”
The different culture and highly learning environment took some
getting used to.
“The students were competitive but extremely generous with
the sharing of knowledge and ideas. Opinions are highly
encouraged and students speak their minds about a subject
matter. They had this system of ‘Do it Yourself’, where you
have to discover new knowledge for yourself. Many times,
I was ‘forced’ into situations which requires self-discovery and
self-study in order to get my projects done or up to standard.”
Chee Loong was shortlisted for several internship interviews with
DreamWorks, Pixar and CineFx(LA). Although he was not offered
an internship stint, the experience was no less memorable.
“I met the creators of ‘Wall E’ and ‘Up’ movies. They were
enthusiastic artists who were also extremely observant,
13
New Perspectives
STAFF DEVELOPMENT
Hitting the books after 10 years.
Inspiring in Students a Thirst for Learning
“I am passionate about inspiring our students to have a thirst for
learning, a thirst that is not merely driven by a desire to achieve
good grades, but one which comes from an innate enjoyment
of learning. This will remain even after they leave school. Moving
forward, I hope to incorporate some of the new concepts learnt
into my teaching at NYP, and explore new programmes that will
be able to serve the needs of industry.”
Martin completed his course in May this year. “NYP has been
very supportive of my further studies. Apart from sponsoring
the course fees, I must thank my SBM colleagues and my wife,
Yvonne, for their encouragement.”
Chee Loong with film and digital media luminary Mr Scott Ross.
analytical, and practical. I learnt that our works and artistic
styles had to be in line with the various companies.”
“I now have a new perspective towards education. It is not
just learning the techniques but asking ourselves why we use
these techniques, and how these techniques were invented
or discovered. This questions will lead us back into history and
the most basic form of the techniques which will help us to
re-discover or re-invent a new and better techniques,” he said.

Tucked away in Block A is a small but very important centre
– the Centre for Professional & Leadership Development,
or CPLD. This centre provides educational development
programmes for teaching staff, and other training programmes
for the development of non-teaching staff.
Here’s a quick overview of what the CPLD offers and what staff
can look forward to from the CPLD in the months ahead.
What is the key role of the CPLD?
Its key role is to look into the professional and leadership
development programmes for NYP staff. These include
educational development courses for lecturers, Executive
Programme for Managers, Deputy Managers and Assistant
Managers, as well as other courses for non-academic
staff. The CPLD also complements staff development
programmes initiated by Human Resource, NYP Schools and
Corporate Departments.
What are the courses/certifications and resources it offers to
both teaching and non-teaching staff?
Some of the key courses offered are:
• Certificate in Teaching & Learning (Higher Ed) or CertTL.
This is a 96-hour preparatory course for all new lecturers
in NYP.
• Lecturers with two or more years’ teaching experience
at NYP can also, on a voluntary basis, obtain the CertTL
through the CertTL Framework and Programme, which
recognises prior learning and grants a reduction of
course hours for teaching experience and relevant
courses attended.
• Executive Programme for Managers, Deputy Managers
and Assistant Managers
• Workshops on Social Media in learning
What is the Certificate in Teaching & Learning in Higher
Education about?
This programme prepares new lecturers for teaching and
supporting our students’ learning. The course has a total of
96 hours. This is divided into three modules that comprise
seven units, namely:
• Lesson Planning & Delivery
• Assessment
• Mentoring, Motivating and Managing
• Technology in Learning
• Academic Systems
• Classroom Observation
• Teaching & Learning/Reflection Project
More information on this certificate and other CPLD
programmes can be found at the CPLD website on
StaffAssist.
14
The CPLD and What It Offers
STAFF DEVELOPMENT
The CPLD provides important professional and leadership
development programmes for staff.
What are some of the programmes that staff can look
forward to from the CPLD in the months ahead?
Some of the programmes coming your way are:
• Executive Programme
• CertTL Extracts under the CertTL Framework and
Programme for experienced lecturers who would
like to refresh their knowledge in CertTL areas and
obtain the CertTL
• Courses/workshops in specific areas of interest
in teaching & learning
• Certified service professional course
• Project management, effective communications
and relevant areas
A Certificate in Teaching & Learning (Higher Ed) class in progress.
Brainstorming in progress… discussion sessions and workshops
are valuable to glean fresh ideas.

New Executive Committee for NYPSA
NYPSA continued to engage its members with a wide range
of activities. Last year, it organised a total of 108 activities
such as educational talks, festive celebrations, bazaars, sports
activities, cooking demonstrations and tours, attracting a total
of 4,600 participants. It also expanded the number of privileges
and offers for its members.
At the 13th NYPSA Annual General Meeting held on 28 April 2010,
Ms Ng Ek Koon was appointed the new President.
“I thank NYP management and members of NYPSA for
apppointing me as president of NYPSA. Being on the NYPSA
EXCO is an opportunity for EXCO members and me to contribute
to NYP outside our normal duties. The team of passionate
NYPSA EXCO members and Champions of the Special Interest
Groups will continue to organise a wide spectrum of interesting
programmes and exciting activities to cater to many varied
preferences of staff and their family members. We will also
look out for more benefits and privileges for staff. I look
Bintan trip
Visit to Helix Bridge
malaCCa trip
NYPSA Activities
15
Here are some recent NYP Staff Association (NYPSA) activities:
NYPSA
forward to the strong support and active participation of staff
in the activities organised for them, and welcome ideas and
feedback. I hope that through more activities and privileges,
we can welcome more new members to NYPSA in the coming
year,” said Ek Koon.
New NYPSA Committee members raring to go.
nYp ClimB run 2010
durian trip
Visit to marina Barrage

NYP Bags Three Awards for Outstanding HR Practices
NYP was conferred the following awards for its exemplary HR
practices at the recent Singapore HR Awards ceremony
organised by the Singapore Human Resource Institute (SHRI):
• Leading HR Practices in Employee Relations
& People Management
• Leading HR Practices in Quality Work-Life, Physical
& Mental Well-Being
• Leading HR Practices in Fair Employment Practices
Ms Judy Tan, Director/Human Resource, received the awards on
behalf of NYP during a presentation ceremony held on 2 July 2010.
NYP has been recognised
for its fair employment
practices. It is one of the top
10 nominees for the Tripartite
Alliance for Fair Employment
Practices (TAFEP) Exemplary
Employer Award 2010.
The Award recognises exemplary organisations in Singapore
that have effectively implemented progressive and fair
employment practices, and serves to inspire other organisations
to do the same.
According to a citation by the TAFEP, NYP has been recognised
for its fairness and diversity in the workplace. It practises a meritbased
recruitment and selection process and recognises the
value of a diverse workforce. It also re-employs mature and
retired staff and retains them after their retirement age.
Staff also have opportunities to work on cross-functional projects
that enable them to stay relevant in their jobs. It also has a Staff Re-
Sharing His Wealth of Knowledge with Students
Mature staff, like 75-year-old Sannie Abdul (centre), are able
to share their wide span of experience with NYP students.
16
NYP: An Exemplary Employer
OUR ACHIEVEMENTS
These are not the first awards NYP has received for its
outstanding HR-related systems and policies. In 2005, NYP was
the first educational institution to be awarded the prestigious
People Excellence Award conferred by SPRING Singapore,
the highest accolade
given to organisations
for people excellence.
In 2009, it was also
the first educational
institution to receive the
Hewitt Best Employer
Award, as one of the
top 11 employers in
Singapore.
NYP recognises the value of a diverse workforce.
profiling programme to enable employees to be re-trained to new
areas of competency, so that they can be re-deployed to new
areas. TAFEP also recognises NYP’s Career Unlimited framework.
The citation: “NYP recognises the strengths, talents and potential
of its employees and strive to provide ample opportunities
for growth regardless of their age, academic background or
appointment level.”
At 75 years old, Sannie Abdul, a lecturer from School of
Design, has a wealth of experience. He had worked in an
architectural firm, was director of a design centre, and even
ran his own business.
Sannie joined NYP at 70 years old. He is an example of a
mature staff NYP has hired and retained past retirement age.
The move to employ mature employees like Sannie was one
of NYP’s human resource best practices recognised by TAFEP.
For Sannie, working in NYP has been fulfilling. He explained,
“I enjoy teaching polytechnic level students because they
are very teachable and ready to learn. I teach my students
basic skills initially. When they make progress and are
eventually able to come up with interesting and creative
projects, I feel a sense of pride and happiness which is hard
to describe.”