S’pore gave them a chance to study abroad
A decade ago, a shy 15-year-old boy from China landed in Singapore.
The only English phrases he could utter, and which he spoke
haltingly, were “Good morning” and “How are you?”
Mr Zhong Lei, a Harbin native, had come here on a Singapore
Ministry of Education (MOE) scholarship.
Last month, he bagged another scholarship. This time it was from
the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, or A*Star, to do
his doctorate in biosciences at Stanford University in the United
States.
For non-citizens who accept the prestigious A*Star scholarship,
there is a condition: They must give up their native
citizenship.
Now 25, Mr Zhong, a former Chinese High School and Raffles Junior
College student who aced both his O and A levels, did not have to
think too long and hard about giving up his Chinese
citizenship.
“I’ve lived in different countries and nationality is less of an
issue these days. Everyone considers themselves a global citizen,”
he explained, speaking in perfect English.
Of the 101 students who received A*Star’s National Science
Scholarships and A*Star Graduate Scholarships this year, 22 hail
from China, Malaysia and Vietnam.
The agency aims to foster world-class minds in biomedical sciences,
physical sciences and engineering for the country. The scholarships
are open to Singapore citizens as well as permanent residents and
non-Singaporeans as long as they take up citizenship.
An A*Star spokesman said selections are based on “a passion for
science and research, excellent academic ability and a commitment
to contribute to Singapore”.
Mr Zhong is grateful that his Singapore scholarships have given him
the opportunity to study overseas – at Cambridge, where he did his
undergraduate studies, and now at Stanford.
He said if he had stayed in China, he probably would not have had
such a chance. His parents, a university professor and a
journalist, could not have afforded the tuition fees. He also
attributed his English proficiency to the years he spent in
Singapore. He exemplifies the bright child who is allowed to
bloom.
His feet remain firmly planted on the ground. “Compared to my
Singaporean friends, I had experienced what poverty was like. So
when opportunities present themselves, I feel more privileged to be
able to take them on. Throughout the years, that has been my
motivation in my academic pursuits,” he said.
Displaying a similar drive is Mr Wu Yan, also 25, and another
A*Star scholar. He is originally from Shantou, Guandong
province.
Mr Wu, who will be heading for London to do his PhD studies at the
Imperial College, also came here on an MOE scholarship. That was
nine years ago. He had studied at Catholic High School and Hwa
Chong Junior College before going on to Cambridge for his
undergraduate degree in electrical engineering.
“If I hadn’t left China, I’d be a normal student receiving a normal
education and worrying about whether I could get a job. In
Singapore, it’s not that I don’t have to worry, but I believe that
after receiving education from these top schools, I gained a lot of
confidence,” he said.
Like Mr Zhong, Mr Wu did not feel there was an issue of split
loyalties in having to give up his Chinese citizenship for a
Singapore passport.
He too is grateful. “This Government and the taxpayers have
sponsored me since I was in Secondary 3,” said Mr Wu, who will get
his citizenship papers next month. “Whether I’m Singaporean or
Chinese, I can still contribute to both societies. And in the field
of research, I can advocate for stronger collaboration between the
two.”
Mr Zhong agreed. “I’ve never seen my allegiance to either China or
Singapore as conflicting,” he said.
The duo may not have said so but a sense of belonging here seemed
to have sunk in.
Said Mr Zhong: “I’m comfortable having dinner at a hawker centre
here and listening to Hokkien songs, but I also enjoy talking in my
native accent with my Chinese friends.”
