SINGAPORE: Former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew said
support from a strong alumni is important for the success and
continued growth of any university including the National
University of Singapore (NUS).
He said alumni may return to teach, mentor students,
serve on advisory boards or donate to support academic programmes
and new initiatives, and these will help NUS become a better
university.
More importantly, the active interest and dedication
of the alumni will also help forge a stronger sense of identity and
belonging among the NUS community.
Mr Lee said this at a ceremony on Friday at the NUS where he was
conferred an Honorary Membership by the National University of
Singapore Society (NUSS), the largest graduate club in
Singapore.
The conferment is to recognise Mr Lee's contribution to the
nation.
NUSS co-hosted the event with the NUS, which was also to honour
donors who gave S$37 million for the new University Town which will
open next month.
One of the donors - the NUSS community - initially pledged to raise
S$1 million for the University Town. But it has already raised more
than S$2 million so far and is committed to continue raising funds
over the next five years.
Mr Lee said the University Town is a strategic initiative to
promote deeper interactions between students and faculty.
The University Town will also provide housing for 2,400
undergraduate and 1,700 graduate students.
"Students in the four undergraduate residential colleges in
University Town will not just live together but will also take a
number of courses in the College which will have a small-group,
multi-disciplinary learning format. The courses will foster
critical thinking about issues of global importance, especially
from the Asian perspective," said Mr Lee.
Mr Lee attended Raffles College from 1940 to 1941 when the Second
World War intervened.
He went to the University of Cambridge and after his return to
Singapore, he worked with the alumni of the University of Malaya
and the Nanyang University.
Previous recipients of the NUSS Honorary Membership include, in
order of conferment, Professor Maurice Baker, Emeritus Senior
Minister Goh Chok Tong, the late Emeritus Professor Kiang Ai Kim,
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Professor Lim Pin, Professor Shih
Choon Fong, NUS president Professor Tan Chorh Chuan and Dr Tony Tan
Keng Yam.
- CNA /ls