A WoW In Conversation session organised by the NUS Office of Alumni Relations was held online on 24 June to discuss the topic of ‘Women Leading in Times of Crisis’. More than 300 attendees participated in the session, including NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye.
The session was moderated by NUS Alumni Advisory Board member, Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar (NUS Science ’98, NUS Public Policy ’08), and the panel comprised Executive Chairman of The Straits Trading Company and NUS Board of Trustees member, Ms Chew Gek Khim (NUS Law ’84) and Group Executive Director of Methodist Welfare Services, Ms Junie Foo (NUS Arts and Social Sciences ’90).
The online event featured opening remarks by Singapore President and NUS Chancellor, Madam Halimah Yacob (NUS Law ’78) who shared that the theme for International Women’s Day in 2020, ‘Each for Equal’ reflected how all women and men have a role to play in shaping a gender equal world.
During the session, issues such as effective decision-making, the impact of COVID-19 on businesses, and the importance of mentoring were discussed.
“Look for mentors in the workplace. As you work with them, you can learn from them, which gives you double the benefits,” Ms Chew Gek Khim said.
You can view the recorded webinar here: https://youtu.be/zbmzUNS9X-E
In January 2020, Yale-NUS College launched the Artist-in-Residence (AIR) programme, welcoming its inaugural artist team Andrew Yang and Christa Donner from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago to the College for a semester. While at the College, Yang and Donner engaged in a variety of works spanning the visual arts, sciences, ecology and history, and investigating the human and non-human body as a site for conflict and adaptation.
Supported by the Tan Chin Tuan Foundation through the Tan Chin Tuan Chinese Culture & Civilisation Programme at Yale-NUS College, the programme also engages with contemporary issues and Chinese culture through art-making while seeking to catalyse activities that promote art as a practice to nurture a vibrant and diverse arts community in Singapore.
Ms Chew Gek Khim, Deputy Chairman of Tan Chin Tuan Foundation and recently appointed member of the National University of Singapore (NUS) Board of Trustees added, “There is much to learn from past cultures and civilisations. This new Artist-in-Residence programme continues the Yale-NUS vision of forging interdisciplinary and international ties.”
TCTF Council Member and Noah’s Ark CARES President Ms Chew Gek Hiang, in a letter written to The Straits Times Forum, opined to impose stricter rules on commercial breeders to protect animals.
By imposing higher standards of breeding rules, the number of unhealthy former breeding animals that have suffered needless pain at the hands of unethical breeders would be reduced. Noah’s Ark CARES Singapore is an animal welfare group that advocates higher standards of animal care.
NTU President Emeritus and TCTF Council Member Professor Cham Tao Soon voiced his vote of confidence for Singapore’s adaptability to online work and learning in The Straits Times Opinion article. In assessing whether Singapore can cope with the new and stringent requirements of business and education continuity plans (work from home, home-based learning) over the circuit breaker period in response to coronavirus pandemic, Prof Cham reviewed the following infocomm technology strategies and plans:
In 2014, a Digitalisation Plan for Singapore was developed with the objective of making Singapore a Smart Nation, followed by the Infocomm Masterplan targeting for 2025 for both the public and private sectors and to support an ageing population. The aims were to have productivity growth using IT for all work processes, which would create more higher-skill jobs. SkillsFuture programmes help to create a digital workforce of local talent while Enterprise Singapore drives the digital transformation of enterprises in their business processes, business models and organisation. Prof Cham as chairman of the governing council of the Singapore Quality Awards observed the increasing number of companies interested in transformation for business excellence.
Schools and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) have also adopted online learning for a long time to complement classroom learning and enable students to benefit from other learning tools. In 2015, UniSIM (predecessor of Singapore University of Social Sciences) adopted online learning for learning continuity as all part-time students were working adults and there were 800 part-time lecturers.
From his experience through various appointments in education, industry and business over the years, Prof Cham Tao Soon is confident Singapore’s Smart Nation plan and digitalisation plans for business and education continuity can proceed smoothly. Whilst there will be some teething problems, he believes we can manage them.
Three new members will be inducted into the NUS Board of Trustees come 1 April — corporate veteran Ms Chew Gek Khim; experienced banker Ms Jeanette Wong; and renowned academic Professor Timothy L. Killeen.
Ms Chew Gek Khim is Chairman of The Straits Trading Company Limited. She is also Executive Chairman of Tecity Group, and Chairman of Malaysia Smelting Corporation Berhad and ARA Trust Management (Suntec) Limited, and Deputy Chairman of Tan Chin Tuan Foundation. An NUS alumna and lawyer by training, Ms Chew was awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite in 2010, the Singapore Businessman of the Year Award in 2014 and 2015, and the Meritorious Service Medal at the National Day Awards in 2016.
Members of the Board of Trustees are appointed by the Minister for Education. The Board is made up of eminent leaders from academia, the public service and private sector, and works with the University’s management and stakeholders to define NUS’ vision and collectively shape its future.
For the third year, TCTF has sponsored Yong-en Care Centre’s Internship Programme. Two past interns have since returned to Yong-en to work as full-time staff.
Joshua Lim, Intern from Nanyang Polytechnic (Social Science) in 2019, shared his experience on Yong-en News, March 2020: My three-month internship at Yong-en was a really enriching experience. Initially, I was not looking forward to this internship as I had lost my passion for social work and no longer wanted to be in this sector. However, my perception changed after just three months. The staff team are warm and friendly which allowed me to adapt quickly and there were great hands-on learning opportunities. This helped me grow as a person and learn that we should always give our best to help those in need.
