A student attending a bridging programme at Nanyang
Technological University (NTU)
was found dead in one of its halls of residence late on Friday
night.
Shin Min Daily News identified
the student as 20-year-old Lan Xing
Ye, who is from Fujian province in
China. The paper reported that her roommate returned to the room
they shared on the sixth floor of Hall 13 on Friday night to find
her motionless on her bed, with a plastic bag over her head.
Police were alerted to the incident at 12:05am, and are
currently investigating the case, which they have classified as an
unnatural death.
In an email circulated to students in the late afternoon on
Saturday, NTU president
Bertil
Andersson confirmed the incident, saying
preliminary police investigations showed there was no sign of
forced entry, and that Lan showed no other visible injuries.
He further added that NTU is extending all support
and assistance to her family.
The paper also reported that Lan first came to Singapore to study
slightly more than a year ago, in December 2010. She reportedly won
a scholarship with the Ministry of Education (MOE) and was supposed
to choose her major this year after her bridging course at the
university, which she started after moving into its hostel a month
ago.
The one-and-a-half year bridging programme acts as a preparatory
course, which allows international students to take introductory
courses in disciplines they may want to major in, and learn English
as well.
Lan was also said to have given tuition in her spare time,
advertising for students online, possibly for the payment of her
school fees.
Her friends told Shin Min that she was cheerful, and
showed no signs of any problems, although they added it was
possible she may have been stressed from the pressure to do well
academically. The paper also reported that Lan's roommate said she
suffered from clinical depression.
In a statement, an NTU spokesperson said
that professional counsellors with the school are assisting Lan's
family, friends, coursemates and residents at Hall 13 who may need
help coping with the emotional impact of the tragedy.
"Together with NTU’s
President, the management, faculty, staff and students would like
to express our deepest sympathies and condolences to the family of
the deceased, her course mates and friends during this very trying
time," he added.
-- Yahoo!