ay0910 issue - national university of singapore

InternatIonalrelatIonsoffIceyearbook

2009/10

Learningthe WorldConnecting the Possibilities

international relations officeb

NUS Visiontowards a Global Knowledge enterprise

a leading global university centred in asia, influencing the future

NUS Missionto transform the way people think and do things through education, research and service

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Contents03 iro’s Vision and Mission

04 foreword

05 Director’s Message

10 the iro sparklers

14 Global education

22 Global opportunities

32 Global alliances and networks

42 events, Visits and conferences

54 awards, scholarships and loans

60 Plans for the future

62 iro facts and figures

64 Partner Universities

69 acknowledgements

international relations office2

About IROthe nUs international relations office (iro) fosters partnerships with premier institutions around the world to enhance nUs’ standing as a world-class institution. in tandem with nUs’ vision of becoming a leading global university centred in asia, iro (established in 1996) has developed meaningful international engagements with many peer institutions and fostered interactions and collaborations in education, research and technology that benefit our students, staff and stakeholders. our partners are higher education leaders from all over the world, from whom we share international standards and best practices in order to foster a sustained culture of excellence on our own campus. besides the student exchange Programme (seP), iro also works with nUs faculties and schools on other overseas attachments including international summer programmes (i-sP), international internships (i-intern) and international research attachment programmes (i-raP).

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Our Missionfoster international partnerships for transformative global opportunities and programmes

Core ValuesS ervice to students, stakeholders and partnersP assion and integrity in all that we undertakeA dvancement of our university vision – the nUs global knowledge enterpriseR elationships of valueK eys to the world

Strategic ThrustsP romote the nUs brand name internationallyR aise the global awareness of nUs students and staffI dentify partnerships for a transformative global experienceD evelop international programmes for our students, staff and partners

with the support of nUs faculties/schools and departmentsE ngage nUs faculty and staff to enhance processes and services that

facilitate international activities on nUs’ campuses


“in the past year, iro undertook the task of restructuring itself to deliver more significant achievements than it has already done.. iro is fortunate to have a group of dedicated, enthusiastic and

energetic staff – iro sparklers as they call themselves...”

Foreword

the last year has been another successful and busy year for nUs’ international relations office (iro). in its pivotal role, iro contributes to nUs’ positioning as a global knowledge enterprise, and has been strategic and diligent in helping to bring to life nUs’ internationalisation strategies. these strategies are in turn drawn up in response to the challenges and opportunities of globalisation and the rapid pace of development in emerging economies.

specifically, nUs seeks to bring the ‘world’ to itself, as well as bring itself to the world. in this two-fold internationalisation strategy, i must commend the international relations office for rising to the challenge. in the past year, iro undertook the task of restructuring itself to deliver more significant achievements than it has already done. from a 3-staff skeletal office in 1996, iro has matured into a full-fledged international relations office with a strong student exchange programme that sends and receives thousands of students a year with some 180 partner universities across the globe. the international mix is vital to nurture leaders and global citizens, the heritage of our future.

from a region-based organisational structure, iro reinvented itself in this last year into new global units including: Global education, Global opportunities, and Global alliances and networks. iro one-year-on now offers students more diverse opportunities to gain international experience through its student exchange Programme, and shorter stints such as international internships and research attachments. Many nUs students no longer head to one country for one semester or summer only. He or she can go on a variety of

longer and short term programmes, to different countries and cities to study, conduct research or work. this multi-region exposure includes new opportunities to ‘exotic’ locales such as to the Middle-east and india. iro has been the operational muscle enabling the programmes to run. to bring the intellectual and cultural pulse of the world to nUs students, iro launched for the first time the internationalisation@Home programme. “study in Japan Day” and “faces of south east asia” were among several events which took shape over the past year.

iro has enabled nUs to cement closer ties through its alliances with top universities around the world. these provide students more windows of opportunity to study at some of the best institutions overseas. Partnerships are at the heart of international engagement after all, and iro has been an important vehicle in maintaining strong relationships with the university’s many partners. this role will become even more central as iro strives to deepen relations with valued partners and develop new programmes with them.

success is no guarantee for the future. However, iro is fortunate to have a group of dedicated, enthusiastic and energetic staff – iro sparklers as they call themselves – and with their combined efforts, i am confident that iro will see more and better achievements to come.

Professor lily KongVice-PresidentUniversity and Global relations

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Director’sMessage

“Having achieved the University’s target of sending 50 per cent of its annual student cohorts on overseas exposure, iro is now actively seeking multi-dimensional, multi-locational, multi-

experiential education and opportunities for our students.”

a key strategic mission at nUs is to nurture graduates who can make an impact in a complex, globalised environment. nUs President Prof tan chorh chuan, in his state of the University address on 30 october 2009, said: “one of the most distinctive features of nUs is that we are a global university, one that pioneers novel models in global education and partnerships. as globalisation proceeds, nUs must keep at the forefront of innovation in global education, research and institutional networks.”

iro is pivotal in nUs’ efforts to provide a transformative education by laboring diligently to weave connections with valued partners from around the world, resulting in opportunities for our students to explore and learn the world. through experiences beyond the classroom, we hope to nurture students who are multi-faceted, with a keen sense of global awareness and cultural sensitivity.

it has been a tremendous year for us. in the past decade, we worked actively to build strong relationships with 180 partner universities. at the end of last year, we decided to regroup and rethink our efforts so as to support nUs’ strategies in the most effective way. the office was restructured early this year in order to meet our new targets of providing a better quality experiential education and diverse opportunities for nUs students and staff. instead of continuing in sections according to regions, we are now organised by our various functional foci: Global education, Global opportunities, Global alliances and networks, Marketing and communications, and business systems and administration. With the new structure, our resources are better streamlined to focus on the quality of our programmes, partnerships, visits and events.

Having achieved the University’s target of sending 50 per cent of its annual student cohorts on overseas exposure, iro is now actively seeking multi-dimensional, multi-locational, multi-experiential education and opportunities for our students. beyond the seP, students can choose to enrich their learning experiences through programmes such as the international summer Programmes (i-sP), international internships (i-intern), and international research attachment Programmes (i-raP). iro also administers awards and scholarships funded by the university and external organisations such as lee foundation and temasek foundation.

in a globalised environment, it is increasingly important for institutions to work together. nUs has formed global alliances with leading universities worldwide including the international alliance of research Universities (iarU); the association of Pacific rim Universities (aPrU); Universitas 21 (U21); and the asean University network (aUn). as the liaison office for institutional networks, iro plays a key role in organising and hosting events such as the 8th asean youth cultural forum and the 5th aPrU Undergraduate summer Program.

With our new iro organisational structure in place and by continuously living the iro s.P.a.r.K, iro aims to continue providing a quality experience for our exchange students and seeking alternative global pathways to send our students abroad.

We will strive to live our core values:S ervice to students, stakeholders and partnersP assion and integrity in all that we undertakeA dvancement of our university visionR elationships of valueK eys to the world

We can only do this with your continuing support! thank you for being engaged with us.

associate Professor anne PakirDirectorinternational relations office


2:30PM @ Singaporeenthusiastic students gather at a pre-departure briefing for their student exchange Programme (seP) to the United Kingdom conducted by iro. Participants can ask questions and exchange contacts before embarking on their programme.

Learning the World.

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8:00PM @ Parisan nUs student is celebrating the excellent feedback he received from his research supervisor with friends he made during his international research attachment Programme (i-raP) at École centrale Paris.

4:30PM @ Bostonan nUs student is presenting his ideas for the boston local food festival to his supervisor. the event, which he helped to organise, is one of the milestones in his internship at the Williams agency arranged by iro.


2:30PM @ Singaporean iro staff is preparing the semester at sea agreement to be signed between nUs and the institute for shipboard education. the semester at sea programme allows nUs students to spend a semester onboard a ship along with students from different countries.

Connecting the Possibilities.

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11:00aM @ IrelandDuring a visit to Dublin, an iro staff discusses the possibility of signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with one of the universities there. next semester will mark the first time nUs students are being sent there on seP.

1:45PM @ New Yorkiro receives a postcard from an nUs student on an internship with Dbs Vickers securities in new york. the student has settled well into the company and is exploring the possibility of working for Dbs Vickers in Hong Kong upon graduation.


The IRO Sparklers

Denise’s role…i manage nUs’ relations with network partners and facilitate

our participation in network activities.

an interesting aspect of her role…the opportunity to meet with colleagues from universities all over the

world. besides sharing ideas and learning from one another it is heartening to know that despite being in different parts of the world, with different cultural and social settings, we face similar challenges.

Her sParK factor…the K in Keys to the world. the

network activities that i facilitate are “keys” for nUs staff and students

to interact with partners from around the world.

aileen’s role…My role is complex and multi-faceted, but very interesting. it

ranges from planning and writing policy and strategy papers to hosting visitors to the University to being both mentor and friend at the office.

an interesting aspect of her role…not knowing what new and exciting challenges await you each day in this bustling office – there is never a dull moment at iro!

Her sParK factor…the P in Passion for without

passion, you will wilt and wither away, but if you are passionate about your work, you will give it your best and more. and that has been the way for me at iro.

orion’s role…i help to expose nUs students to different cultural and academic environments

through short-term overseas programmes.

His inspiration…the office, the colleagues, the students – they all add up to a great experience. oh, and the free-flow of coffee that really wakes me up in the morning!

His sParK factor…the s for service to students,

stakeholders and partners. after all, they are the reasons why what we do matters at all.

Orion KewAssistant Manager (Global Opportunities)

Aileen Bongformer IRO Deputy Director (currently Deputy Director, Office of the Vice President, University and Global Relations)

Denise ChuaAssociate Director (Global Alliances and Networks)

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Rowena Binte SulaimanSpecialist Associate (Business Systems and Administration)

Lim Yi JiaManagement Assistant Officer (Marketing and Communications)

Kelsey’s role…i make it possible for nUs and european students to experience each other’s culture, history and way of life through exchange.

an interesting aspect of her role…i sometimes confuse people while representing nUs abroad because i don’t fit the image of what they think a ‘singaporean’

should look like! i explain singapore’s multi-cultural nature and iro’s international composition, and in the end everyone understands that i am an american expatriate living in singapore who has lived and studied

all over the world!

Her sParK factor…the K in Keys to the world. i believe that

an exchange can open the door to a different world. on a daily basis i remind myself of this, and it justifies

the long hours and stress because i know that as a result, i am making a difference in students’ lives.

Kelsey WorksAssistant Manager (Global Education)

Yi Jia’s role…i plan and coordinate visits from universities, external

organisations and student groups. i also provide logistical support for our events.

Her inspiration…thoughtful colleagues who bring back interesting snacks from their trips abroad! i’m fortunate to work with a team who never hesitates to lend a hand whenever possible. i also look forward to meeting interesting visitors and students each day.

Her sParK factor…the r in relationships of value. by preparing a well-planned programme for our visitors, i feel that i am contributing

directly towards building valuable relationships for the University.

rowena’s role…i provide technical assistance

for iro which includes it technical support,

website updates as well as it equipment maintenance.

Her inspiration…the welcoming office environment, the

on-the-job challenges, fun and cheerful colleagues, and the ongoing events that the office holds make

me look forward to each day at work.

Her sParK factor…the r in relationships of value.

i believe that it’s important to build good relationships with colleagues so as to have a better

understanding of one another’s roles and responsibilities. i fully subscribe to the notion that teamwork is the foundation of success in every organisation.


The IRO Sparklers

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GlobalEducation

nUs’ mission is to provide a transformative education and to nurture individuals into becoming global citizens effective in diverse settings. this is done by “bringing the world to nUs”, and “bringing nUs students to the world”.

nUs has a very active student exchange Programme (seP) with more than 1,300 exchange students from overseas coming to nUs each year, and more than 1,300 nUs students going abroad on seP each year.

iro seeks to ensure a quality experience for each participant in the seP and aims to enhance the exchange experience through various student outreach events.

clockwise from bottom left: Marchellene caday, Klobut Henrik, oh eunryoung, Zac arackakudyil, Devina ramakant Deshpande and Kristin camille schulz


Student ExchangeProgramme (SEP)the seP is the largest overseas programme at nUs nurturing global citizens of the future. in this age of globalisation, the seP is nUs students’ window to the world.

iro actively works with more than 180 partner universities in over 30 countries to enable student exchanges. it is our mission to provide exciting opportunities for students to experience different education systems and develop a sense of cultural awareness and sensitivity.

nUs undergraduates on seP spend a semester or two at an overseas partner university while earning credits towards their nUs degree. During their time abroad, students have the opportunity to experience student life in a foreign country, pick up a new language, and experience different cultures, thus giving them unparalleled opportunities for personal development and travel.

It was amazing to meet people with various interesting life stories. the six members in my project team grew up in six different countries across three continents!

Li Angfaculty of engineeringseP to University of british columbia, canada

I interned at the United nations association east Bay chapter, took a module on Global Peacebuilding: service learning and civic engagement and lived in a house with 59 strangers. It was a truly unforgettable experience!

Amelia Chiafaculty of arts and social sciencesseP to University of california, berkeley, Usa

amelia chia (2nd from right) at the Golden Gate bridge with friends from

University of california, berkeley

li ang (3rd from left) with other nUs exchange students at the canadian rocky Mountains

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once you graduate, you will never find yourself again in such situation and you may regret never going on exchange. leeds offered me the opportunity to study courses such as spanish. During weekends, I strolled along the gardens of leeds castle, the tranquil countryside of Kent and also backpacked throughout the UK.

Nguyen Thi Thanh Ngaschool of Design and environmentseP to University of leeds, UK

nguyen thi thanh nga (left) at stonehenge

Kelvin chong winning an award at the

yale college inter-varsity Debating championship

I competed in an inter-varsity

debating competition organised

by Yale University with a friend

from the University college

cork, Ireland. I would never have

done anything similar locally!

In fact, I loved the exchange

so much that I’m going back

to the Us to participate in the

nUs overseas colleges (noc)

programme next semester!

Kelvin ChongnUs business school

seP to University of Wisconsin-Madison, Usa


seP in India was simply mind-blowing and a very different experience indeed. I have learnt a lot about our often-misunderstood neighbour and there are not many places in the world where you can visit snow-capped mountains, deserts and historical monuments all at once!

Feodor Makfaculty of engineeringseP to indian institute of technology, bombay (Mumbai), india

feodor Mak celebrating the indian festival of Holi

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Korean culture is very rich and different – definitely not just about “kimchi” and Korean pop stars. I was lucky enough to be able to witness three different seasons – snow, cherry blossoms and summer beaches. I had the time of my life!

Charis Xu LizhennUs business schoolseP to University of yonsei, Korea

My exchange to estonia was an eye-opening experience. I studied basic estonian and explored new disciplines such as marketing on top of my main modules. classes in estonia are taught by industry practitioners, thus providing me with a fresh perspective on my courses.

Calvin Tanfaculty of engineeringseP to tallinn University of technology, estonia

I took a module on nordic culture which allowed me to explore the nearby forest, lakes and villages and learnt about the way of life and the history of the nordic countries. I also studied swedish for one semester, rode a sledge and was inspired by the swedes’ culture to protect the environment.

Ong Zhao Linfaculty of engineeringseP to linkoping University, sweden

ong Zhao lin in northern sweden – a freezing experience with temperature dropping down to -25 degrees celsius

calvin tan (2nd from left) at a traditional estonian sauna that involves

alternating between sitting in a sauna room at close to 100 degrees celsius

and dunking yourself in ice water outside

Xu lizhen (far right) enjoying the cherry blossom season with friends


Peer Advising ProgrammenUs welcomes and sends out more than 1,300 exchange students every year to and from all corners of the world. the inbound exchange students add greatly to the diversity of the student community and help create a global learning environment within the nUs campuses. to enhance the student exchange experience, the Peer advising Programme was initiated to facilitate the integration of inbound exchange students to nUs as well as ease the preparation process for outbound exchange students from nUs. Peer advisors, comprising of students who have been on exchange, seek to maximise students’ exchange experiences through their advisory services and organisation of various social, cultural and sporting events.

Language Preparation Programme (LPP)nUs introduced the lPP in order for nUs students to maximise their opportunity to study at premier institutions abroad during their exchange. the lPP prepares selected students prior to their seP in austria, belgium, france, Germany, switzerland or south Korea.

the students begin their studies by attending french/German/Korean language lessons at the centre for language studies (cls). once they have developed a good knowledge of their chosen language, they will participate in language immersion programmes sponsored by the relevant international organisations.

the language immersion programme has been successful in showing a marked improvement in the students’ language proficiency and fuelling their desire to participate in the seP. to encourage more students to go on the immersion programme, the language immersion award (lia) is offered to subsidise their expenses. the award covers the cost of the language classes, accommodation and meals over the course of the immersion.

the Peer advising leaders: (l-r) adrian ong (faculty of science), natasha ismail (nUs business school) and Kent toh (nUs business school)

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Pre-departure Briefingsiro conducts pre-departure briefings for nUs students going out on exchange in order to arm students with information such as visa issues, cost of living, accommodation options and social etiquette. returnees and Peer advisors are involved in sharing their experiences and external parties are also invited to add colour and depth to the briefings wherever possible. for example, campus france and swissnex singapore presented at briefings for students going on seP to france and switzerland. the iro, together with noc, also collaborated with business china on a preparatory workshop for students heading to china.

Welcome and Farewell Parties for inbound exchange studentsiro organises Welcome and farewell Parties for inbound exchange students in order for them to form friendships with students from other universities and meet with their Peer advisors. Highlights of the parties for ay 2009/2010 include live music from nUs student band the “Kent ridge Hall rockers”, a photo competition, games and light refreshments. iro partnered with the office of alumni relations (oar) for the events in order to encourage exchange students to be a part of nUs’ growing international alumni network where they can enjoy exciting privileges such as free monthly movie screenings, lunchtime talks, concerts and the alumconnect, a passport-sized mini organiser.

one semester, life-long friendships

soulful music by the Kent ridge Hall rockers

international relations office22(l-r) nguyen thi thanh nga, Phoebe chien, Marchellene caday and Jose carlos Gonzalez chapa

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GlobalOpportunities.

iro further offers unique and innovative avenues to embark on alternate overseas educational experiences. through the international summer Programmes (i-sP), international internships (i-intern), international research attachment Programmes (i-raP) and more, students have further opportunities to enrich their intellectual pursuits and enhance their personal and professional growth, and leadership development at nUs.


International Summer Programmes (i-SP)in addition to regular semester exchange programmes, nUs students are encouraged to embark on unique short-term summer programmes offered by nUs’ partner universities. these summer programmes allow

students to explore traditional and non-traditional destinations such as east asia, europe and latin america to cultivate a deeper appreciation of the host country’s culture and lifestyle.

iro established two exciting new summer programmes in ay2009/2010 – semester at sea and the Mayan route.

semester at seasemester at sea is a premier shipboard programme operated by the non-profit institute for shipboard education and sponsored by the University of Virginia. rigorous coursework coupled with field assignments and service learning in multiple international destinations allow the students to develop skills necessary to compete in today's rapidly globalising world. three nUs students set sail for the first time on the summer 2010 voyage which took them to places around the world.

semester at sea has showed me that the world is indeed our campus. for example, we learnt about spain’s role in the history of the Mediterranean while onboard the ship, and two days later we witnessed spanish culture first-hand when we arrived at our first port of calling, Barcelona.

Nurus Sa’Adah Bte Hatrabyfaculty of arts and social sciencessemester at sea summer programme

the Mayan routethe Mayan route is an exciting four-week summer

programme in the south of Mexico. in this programme,

11 students were given the exceptional opportunity

to learn about a country full of colourful traditions,

folklore and mysterious historical ruins. starting in the

city of tuxtla Gutierrez in the state of the chiapas, the

programme took the students through the cities of

Palenque, san christobal de las casas, campeche, Merida

and Playa del carmen where they learnt about the history

and culture of the ancient sites along the Mayan route.

nurus sa’adah bte Hatraby (front row, 2nd from left) and her fellow students during sea

olympics, a semester at sea event

Davin Mahardhika Wangsa at chichen itza in Mexico

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nUs-Wuhan University Winter and summer ProgrammeJointly offered by nUs and Wuhan University, this programme aims to provide a general understanding of china by focusing on topical aspects of both historical and contemporary china such as chinese historical traditions, chinese world order, chinese economy, environmental issues and the legal system. students enjoyed the cultural immersion aspect consisting of chinese language classes (origin of chinese characters), chinese painting, educational visits to local corporations and sites of historical interest. there were 34 nUs students on the winter programme while 24 students took part in the summer programme.

bernice neo at the berlin Wall during the nUs – MisU lMU european studies Program

other summer programmes conducted in aY2009/10 include:

•acquasummer

•international summer Program at the University of Ulm

•Grenoble institute of technology (Grenoble inP) summer Program

•Korea University international summer campus Programme

•Korea advanced institute of science and technology (Kaist) summer international school programme

•sun yat-sen University international summer Programme in chinese studies

•Peking University summer school international

•chinese University of Hong Kong international summer school

•asia as the Global future – University of Hong Kong

nUs-MIsU ludwig Maximilian University european studies Programthe summer programme titled “approaching the european Union” and held at the Munich international summer University gave 14 nUs students the opportunity to learn about the european Union (eU) and its relations with the world. students attended lectures on european history, discussed the political and economic aspects of european integration and explored cross-cutting critical issues affecting the eU today. excursions to historical places in salzburg, bavaria and berlin provided further insight into the topics discussed.

nUs – Wuhan University summer Programme 2010 led by a/Prof lee cheuk yin (Department of chinese studies)


the Washington center Internshipthe Washington center (tWc) is a non-profit organisation that seeks to produce leaders in their professions, but also well-informed citizens who are public-spirited and civically engaged. tWc internships offer an extensive selection of programmes ranging from advocacy, service and arts to political and business programmes. five nUs students interned at organisations such as earth aid enterprises, the Protection Project, american forum, library of congress and asia america initiatives.

International Internships (i-Intern)to prepare nUs students for the demands of an increasingly globalised economy and interconnected international community, iro offers the i-intern for students to hone their professional skills and knowledge in a cross-cultural workplace environment.

Working and living for three months or more in various locations in australia, china, sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United states, students are exposed to international best practices at the workplace and are provided with career development opportunities in diverse industries including finance, engineering, retail, government, media/Pr, health care and more.

tan Keng Meng at

the library of congress

during his tWc

internship

eUsa internshipa new internship scheme called the nUs-european study abroad (eUsa) programme was introduced in this academic year to provide students with internship placements in new york or boston in the United states. eUsa is an international, non-profit study abroad organisation that places nearly 2,000 students in comprehensive academic internship programmes each year, spanning north america and europe. a total of 15 nUs students interned at various new york and boston companies including Dbs Vickers securities, l’occitane, ie singapore, Quintessentially nyc, link Media, architexa, christina Jensen Pr, cross border and more.

the cross-cultural Internship Program (ccIP)taking place in new york every summer, cciP is an internship programme emphasising east-West cultural exchange and is designed especially for students who demand both a hands-on and cross-cultural experience. the internship provides a glimpse of the american approach to business challenges, and at the same time, allow students to build an internationalised resume. three nUs students had work placements with fUsia

communications, Health network Monitor and yu & associates respectively.

eaDs Internshipeuropean aeronautic Defence and space company (eaDs), a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services, offered two nUs computer engineering and computing students the opportunity to intern at eaDs innovation Works (iW) facility in newport, south Wales. the students provided research and Development (r&D) support in Project tanGo which involves the development of technologies to build a Virtual World collaborative environment for general businesses and specific Homeland security applications.

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During my time at the Williams agency, the President provided much guidance on my role as a facilitator of Buy local Workshop and I felt a great sense of achievement when many participants provided encouraging words on a job well done. through this internship, I managed to develop my communications and marketing skills.

Kent TohnUs business schooleUsa internship (the Williams agency, a marketing firm and WGbH, a broadcasting company), boston Usa

Kent toh (right) with an american soldier during Memorial Day


International Research Attachment Programmes (i-RAP)iro offers opportunities for students to broaden and enhance their undergraduate experiences through international research attachment Programmes (i-raP) under the mentorship of top researchers at universities renowned for science and technology.

students will have the rare chance to live in another culture, obtain hands-on lab experience, and conduct research in world-class facilities and have their research outcomes published in overseas scientific journals.

the summer of 2010 saw 11 nUs students successfully placed at prestigious universities around the world including Massachusetts institute of technology (Mit), northwestern University, california institute of technology (caltech), tecnológico de Monterrey, École centrale Paris (ecP) and concordia University.

Joint Double Degree Programmein cooperation with the prestigious Grandes Écoles, the french Double Degree Programme provides nUs students with an academic experience that combines the expertise of two different education systems and exposes them to a different culture.

candidates for the fDDP are selected in their 1st year from among the top engineering, science and computing students. in 2010, 16 students went on immersions in france where they took language classes to prepare for their subsequent studies in france. they will spend their 3rd and 4th years in a french Grande École, and return to nUs to complete their Masters programme. Upon completion of all the requirements, students will graduate with a Diplôme d’ingénieur from the french Grande École (the equivalent of a Master’s degree in france) and a Master of engineering, Master of science or Master of computing from nUs.

Maruf amin bhuiyan at an Mit lab during his i-raP

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Jackie tan yen at the caltech campus

advanced microscopists, stem cell biologists, electro-physiologists and mice researchers in the lab that I worked in often teamed up with each other. I was fortunate enough to learn a wide variety of skills from them, enhancing my adaptability in the field of biological research. I am now more certain about being a researcher in the future, thanks to sUrf.

Jackie Tan Yenfaculty of sciencecaltech summer Undergraduate research fellowship (sUrf)


TF-NUS LEaRN Programmethe temasek foundation – nUs leadership enrichment and regional networking (tf-nUs learn) programme aims to groom nUs students, as well as inbound exchange students from asean and asia, to be the next generation of asian leaders. students participate in the seP between nUs and its partner universities in asean/asia, and are engaged in activities that develop their leadership potential, give emphasis to their involvement in community work and encourage networking and inter-cultural interaction. the programme is funded by the generosity of the temasek foundation.

in addition to meeting academic requirements, students will be required to take part in at least one community involvement project in the host country. similarly, students on exchange at nUs will be attached to the nUs Volunteer network and are required to complete at least one community involvement project. iro plays a key role in driving publicity efforts for this award and organising events such as the leadership workshops and forums for the students. for ay2009/2010, 43 nUs students were funded for a semester-long exchange programme at specific asean and asian partner universities. similarly, 86 inbound students from our partners were funded for their exchange at nUs.

Initially, I was rather lost on how to interact with the children, but these worries proved unnecessary as their youthful innocence meant that communication was simple, personal and yet natural.

Li Tianschool of Design & environmenttf-nUs learn programme

li tian with the children of yuli Kindergarten in Hu Xian, china, where she completed her community involvement project

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sino-singapore Undergraduate exchange Programme hosted at nUs

Sino-Singapore UndergraduateExchange Programmeinitiated in 2002 by singapore’s senior Minister, Mr Goh chok tong, the programme has been an important on-going cross-cultural exchange between students in nUs and select chinese universities. in March 2010, nUs hosted a delegation, comprising representatives from the Ministry of education, china, as well as staff, faculty members and 50 students from four chinese universities – east china University of science and technology, nankai University, tianjin University and tongji University. organised by iro, 25 nUs students participated on a two-day programme with a focus on sustainable development. they attended lectures on sustainability efforts in singapore and at nUs, which served to set the context prior to visits to various venues, including Marina barrage, national library building and singapore environment council.

the nUs students made a return visit to china in May where they were exposed to the rich heritage and culture in tianjin and shanghai. the delegation visited the four chinese universities during the two-week programme and explored academic topics such as sustainability, the roots of the english-based creole language used in china (dubbed “chinglish”) and the socio-economic impact of the World expo 2010 on shanghai.

the nUs participants were

honoured to host the chinese

students for two days. our

hospitality was returned in

kind when we visited china

where we learnt so much

about each other!

Liow Wei QuannUs business school

sino-singapore Undergraduate

exchange Programme


GlobalAlliancesand Networks.

nUs plays a key role in global alliances with top universities from around the world. these alliances enable exciting innovations in global education, facilitate cross-institutional learning and foster coordinated action in key research areas. iro supports nUs’ participation in the alliances by representing the University at high profile network meetings, facilitating nUs faculty, staff and student participation in network activities, and assisting nUs Management in senior level network meetings. in 2010, iro was instrumental in hosting two high profile network events: the asean youth cultural forum under the auspices of aUn and the aPrU Undergraduate summer Program.

yearbooK 2009/1033therese Marie chan (left) and tang Wai leong (right)


International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU)iarU is a collaboration between ten of the world’s leading research-intensive universities who share similar visions for higher education, in particular the education of future leaders.

established in late 2005, the alliance comprises of the australian national University, etH Zurich, national University of singapore, Peking University, University of california, berkeley, University of cambridge, University of copenhagen, University of oxford, the University of tokyo and yale University.

Presidents posing for a photo after the tree planting ceremony at Peking University

IarU Presidents’ MeetingProf tan chorh chuan chaired the proceedings at the meeting from 13-14 april at Peking University. nUs was also represented by Prof barry Halliwell, Prof lily Kong and Denise chua. sustainability was a significant topic at the meeting, with members endorsing the current initiatives and discussing new ideas.

Prof lily Kong, Vice President (University and Global relations), presenting

an award at the iarU Global summer Program award ceremony

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Prof tan chorh chuan with Prof andrew Hamilton, Vice chancellor of University of oxford, who assumed his appointment on 1 october 2009

IarU senior officers’ Meetingas the new chair of iarU (appointed in april 2009), Prof tan chorh chuan, nUs President, presided over the meeting for the first time from 22-23 october 2009 at the University of oxford. representing nUs at the meeting were Prof barry Halliwell, Deputy President (research and technology), Prof lily Kong, Vice President (University and Global relations), and Denise chua, iro associate Director. During the meeting, iarU members highlighted the Global summer Program and the campus sustainability initiatives as huge successes. a framework was developed for ongoing and new iarU programmes, converging on three types of activities – Global educational initiatives, institutional sharing initiatives, and Grand challenges.

Global education Initiativesthe Global education initiatives aim to enhance the international experiences of our students and add to their university education. 28 nUs students went on the iarU Global summer Program which took place between June and august 2010. nUs also hosted 31 students for “asia now!” and 52 students for “southeast asia in context”, the two summer courses run by nUs.

nUs welcomed three students for work placements in the asia research institute, nUs Museum and the office of corporate relations under the Global internship Program. nUs also sent one life sciences student to University of oxford’s translational Gastroenterology Unit for a two-month attachment.

Under the sustainability fellowships, the office of environmental sustainability (oes) hosted two interns from cambridge and yale whilst cambridge and yale each welcomed one nUs student during the summer.

IarU WorkshopsnUs hosted a workshop attended by participants from the australian national University, University of copenhagen and University of tokyo for the demonstration project on sustainable cities from 9-12 november 2009.

the campus sustainability workshop from 3-5 february 2010 provided a platform for discussion on the impact of iarU in developing campus sustainability within member institutions. specific case study presentations included innovative projects and developments to reduce carbon emissions currently being undertaken or planned at the various universities.


aPrU is a consortium of 42 leading research universities in the Pacific rim. the consortium aims to foster education, research and enterprise thereby contributing to the economic, scientific and cultural advancement of the Pacific rim.

in both its objectives and guiding principles, aPrU embodies a commitment to global academic and research standards. the association seeks to promote dialogue and collaboration between academic institutions in Pacific rim economies so that they can become effective players in the global knowledge economy.

5th aPrU Undergraduate summer ProgramnUs hosted the 5th aPrU Undergraduate summer Program for the 2nd year running in July 2010, targeting student leaders from member universities. entitled “rising to new challenges – impactful leadership in the 21st century”, the program further elaborated on the idea of impactful leadership through specific examples in singapore and the region. the major seminar components of the program gave students the opportunity to meet with nUs lecturers and notable singaporeans to discuss real world challenges faced by leaders, such as sustainable development, effective governance, inter-religious harmony, leadership and the arts, social entrepreneurship and ethical leadership. a variety of social activities that the students enjoyed included field trips to the national Museum of singapore, fusionWorld, the night safari, and a visit to Pulau Ubin to view the region’s biodiversity. five students from nUs participated in the program with 44 other undergraduate students from 25 member universities.

5th aPrU Undergraduate summer Program 2010 at nUs

Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU)

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14th annual Presidents Meeting

14th annual Presidents Meetingthe centrepiece of aPrU’s calendar of events is the annual Presidents Meeting (aPM), where the Presidents address issues relating to aPrU’s governance and matters of strategic importance to research universities. the 14th aPM entitled “Global challenges – Pacific Perspectives” was hosted by the University of auckland, new Zealand, from 30 June – 2 July 2010. Highlights of the meeting included several panel sessions on aPrU responses to regional challenges within the Pacific rim. the nUs delegation was led by Prof tan chorh chuan, nUs President and included a/Prof Peter Pang, assistant Vice President, University and Global relations, and a/Prof anne Pakir, iro Director. Prof tan gave a presentation on “aPrU responses to asia Pacific issues: an nUs Perspective” and participated in the Presidents open forum to showcase nUs’ new University town.

7th senior staff MeetingHosted by Keio University, Japan from 10-13 March 2010, the meeting was attended by a/Prof Peter Pang, a/Prof anne Pakir and andrew Gall, iro Manager. the meeting involved discussions examining the theme, “riding the Demography Wave: How to adapt, survive and Prosper in a changing Higher education environment in the Pacific rim”.


Mr Joseph Mullinix, Deputy President (administration), presenting certificates of appreciation at the asean youth cultural forum closing ceremony

ASEAN University Network (AUN)aUn aims to strengthen the existing network of leading universities in asean by promoting co-operation and solidarity among asean scholars and academics, developing academic and professional human resources, and promoting information dissemination among the asean academic community. the network of 26 leading universities in asean brings together each country’s individual quest for academic collaborations in the identified priority areas that would deepen understanding of the dynamic asean, and accordingly hasten regional identity and solidarity.

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8th asean Youth cultural forumHosted by nUs for the first time, the 8th asean youth cultural forum was held from 7-12 June 2010. the event was jointly organised by iro and the nUs centre for the arts (cfa), under the auspices of aUn. the forum aimed to enhance and strengthen mutual understanding, friendship and cooperation among asean students.

a total of 91 participants from 16 aUn member universities attended customised lectures and field trips, which provided them with the opportunity to investigate the continuing relevance of tradition in the context of asia’s relentless progress towards global cosmopolitanism. nUs participants included dancer and choreographer Mr Kiran Kumar and five nUs dancers, a musician and song composer.

student participants creatively crafted a repertoire of songs and dances based on the theme “city, technology, tradition” to showcase their diverse cultures and traditions at the opening and closing ceremonies to an audience of embassy and high commission dignitaries and invited guests. Prof tan chorh chuan, nUs President, and a/Prof Dr nantana Gajaseni, aUn executive Director, gave welcome speeches at the opening ceremony, while Mr Joseph Mullinix, nUs Deputy President (administration), presented the certificates of appreciation and an address at the closing ceremony.

2nd aUn rectors’ Meeting and 3rd asean-china rectors’ conferencethe event, hosted by University of Malaya from 29-31 March 2010 at Port Dickson, Malaysia, gathered 81 participants, including nUs representatives Prof tan chorh chuan, a/Prof Peter Pang, assistant Vice President (University and Global relations), a/Prof anne Pakir, iro Director, and rafidah Masod, iro executive. Driving on the theme “asean-china: sharing Wisdom, bridging People’s Minds”, the conference resulted in a recommended outline for collaboration between aUn member universities and the chinese universities. Prof tan chaired a session on “asean Perspectives for Joint action Plans for Higher education Partnership (2010-2015)” for the asean representatives at the conference.

26th aUn Board of trustees (Bot) Meetingthe annual meeting held at yogyakarta, indonesia, from 29-30 July 2010, gathered 10 aUn bot members to review its activities and strategic plan. a/Prof Peter Pang, a/Prof anne Pakir and rafidah Masod attended the meeting hosted by Universitas Gadjah Mada. an important outcome was the agreement to extend the aUn membership to four universities – Universitas airlangga, indonesia; Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia; singapore Management University, singapore; and chiangmai University, thailand.

Performance at the asean youth cultural forum


Universitas 21 (U21)established in 1997, U21 is an international network of 23 leading research-intensive universities in 15 countries. all member institutions are research-driven and comprehensive universities, providing a strong quality assurance framework to the network’s activities. the nUs President is one of the U21 Directors, while the iro Director assumes the position of U21 Manager for nUs, providing support for nUs activities, leadership and participation within U21.

5th annual Presidents’ Meeting and aGMProf tan eng chye, nUs Deputy President (academic affairs) and Provost and a/Prof anne Pakir, iro Director attended the 5th annual Presidents’ Meeting and the annual General Meeting (aGM), on behalf of nUs President, from 28-30 april 2010. Prof tan gave a presentation during the U21 symposium on “Universities and Government funding in the Developing and Developed Worlds”. Prof tan also signed the Delhi accord on student Mobility along with all U21 members represented at the aGM in india. the Delhi accord aims to build on the commitment of U21 to student mobility by creating more high quality international learning experiences, increase the volume of student mobility participants, and ensure resources are made available to carry out student mobility activities.

U21 summer schoolsix undergraduate students represented nUs at the U21 summer school, hosted at the University of nottingham in their ningbo, china campus, in July 2010. the focus of this year’s summer school was “food security: Global Politics, national Policies, local Practices”. students visited a chinese farm and fishing village and attended a food security conference at the University of nottingham’s pavilion at the shanghai expo.

U21 Undergraduate research conference (Urc)three undergraduate students represented nUs at the U21 Urc hosted by the University of Melbourne in July 2010. this year’s theme was “faculty of imagining” and the purpose of the conference was to allow students from around the globe to present their research to a diverse audience of peers, faculty, and mentors. the event also included a series of social activities such as an australian football league game and a visit to the Healesville Wildlife sanctuary.

Visiting the asoka temple during the U21 summer school in ningbo, china

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Asia-Pacific Association for International Education (APAIE)

University Presidents’ forum for Global academic network 2010the University Presidents’ forum is a gathering of Presidents and Vice chancellors of selected universities, aimed at providing a platform to discuss pertinent issues related to higher education, and strengthen collaboration among participating universities, especially in the areas of research and academic matters. in conjunction with the forum and Universiti teknologi Malaysia (UtM)’s 44th convocation ceremony, a tour of iskandar Malaysia, was arranged to showcase one of the most strategic and vibrant economic corridors in Malaysia that is currently undergoing rapid development. on behalf of the nUs President, a/Prof anne Pakir participated in the forum on 26 March 2010 in Johor bahru, Malaysia.

4th chinese foreign University Presidents’ forumProf tan chorh chuan attended the forum titled “enhancing the Quality of University education” held in nanjing from 2-4 May 2010, with a delegation of four nUs staff. Prof tan chaired a plenary session with the Presidents of Kyoto University, shanghai Jiaotong University, technical University of Munich and Zhejiang University. on 3 May, the nUs delegation met with Prof Hong yinxing, chancellor of nanjing University.

Harbin Institute of technology (HIt)’s 90th anniversary and International Presidential forumProf tan thiam soon, nUs Vice Provost (education), and chooi foong sin, iro senior Manager, represented nUs at Hit’s 90th anniversary celebrations on 6 June 2010. Hit is a member of the c9 league, an association of nine prestigious universities in china. a university-wide seP agreement was signed and Prof tan presented a paper on “the University’s responsibility to Develop Global Higher education” at the international Presidential forum, held as part of the anniversary celebration.

Presidents’ Fora

Prof tan thiam soon (3rd from left), nUs Vice-Provost (education) at the overseas University Promotion Day during Hit’s 90th anniversary

4th chinese foreign University Presidents’ forum

aPaie was established by university representatives from 13 countries in the asia-Pacific region, to promote communication, networking and professional development amongst the institutions in and outside the region. since its initiation in 2004, it has facilitated the exchange and mobility of students, staff, and scholars, and the advancement of academic collaboration inter-regionally.

a/Prof anne Pakir, iro Director, Hamidah salleh, iro associate Director, andrew Gall, iro Manager, and susan tan, iro Manager, participated in the conference held at Griffith University, Gold coast, australia from 14-16 april 2010. a/Prof Pakir also attended the board of Directors Meeting and annual General Meeting.

asia-Pacific leaders (aPl)established in July 2009 by a founding committee consisting of representatives of the aPaie, Unesco bangkok and universities from sixteen countries/regions in the asia-Pacific, the aPl’s mission is to enhance collaboration, prosperity, harmony and peace in the asia Pacific region by nurturing its future leaders through diverse cultural experience, knowledge, wisdom and leadership grounded in mutual respect. a/Prof anne Pakir and andrew Gall attended the aPl board of Directors Meeting that was held in conjunction with aPaie conference 2010.


Events,Visits andConferences

iro strives to raise the visibility of nUs worldwide and promote our international programmes through events, visits, conferences and trips abroad. apart from promoting our programmes, iro also organises internationalisation@Home activities, which aim to broaden the intellectual and global outlook of our students, while exposing them to different cultural environments.

yearbooK 2009/1043(l-r) Devina ramakant Deshpande, Marchellene caday, Klobut Henrik and oh eunryoung


EventsInternational exchange Day (IeD)ieD is iro’s annual flagship marquee event aimed at raising awareness of the wide range of international education opportunities and programmes available to nUs faculties, schools and departments. Held on 3 september 2009, Prof tan eng chye, nUs Deputy President (academic affairs) and Provost, officially launched the event along with Prof lily Kong, Vice President (University and Global relations), and a/Prof anne Pakir, iro Director. Guests included His excellency Waldemar Dubaniowski, ambassador, embassy of the republic of Poland, and representatives from the chinese, australian, estonian embassies and more.

the event, themed “ask about i”, allowed students to ask about the various international programmes available at the iro and faculty booths, as well as at the information talks delivered at the central library. Guests enjoyed a variety of activities including cultural performances, a costumes contest and a collection of cultural exhibits from various nUs student groups.

Prof tan eng chye, Deputy President (academic

affairs) and Provost, (far right) and Polish

ambassador His excellency Waldemar Dubaniowski

(third from right) together with students from europe

(l-r) Prof lily Kong, Vice President (University and Global relations), Prof tan eng chye, Deputy President (academic affairs) and Provost, and a/Prof anne Pakir, iro Director, at the official launch of ieD 2009

ask about asia-australasia

yearbooK 2009/1045

an overseas exposure not only allows students to learn from the world, but to also gain international mileage by acquiring linguistic skills and developing cultural sensitivity.

Prof Tan Eng ChyeDeputy President (academic affairs) and Provost


faces of southeast asiainternationalisation@Home (i@home) is an exciting series of events organised by iro with a mission to promote international awareness and build global citizenry among the nUs community. these events create opportunities for students to participate in activities on home campus that expose them to the diversity and richness of foreign cultures.

the first in the series, “faces of southeast asia”, took place on 27 august 2009. organised by iro with support from the faculty of arts and social sciences and office of alumni relations, the event featured the different sights, sounds and textures of southeast asia. students learnt thai and cambodian dances and were treated to a hands-on gamelan workshop. a panel discussion titled “inside/outside: southeast asia through Many lenses” and facilitated by a/Prof John Miksic, Department of southeast asian studies, offered students the opportunity to explore different perspectives and impressions of the region. the event ended with a movie screening of the indonesian film “rainbow troops” followed by a post-screening dialogue session by the asian film archive.

enjoying a gamelan workshop

students proudly showcasing their culture

yearbooK 2009/1047

loy KrathongJointly organised by the thai language convenor, a/Prof titima suthiwan at centre for language studies (cls) and iro, loy Krathong (lantern floating) is an event to showcase the vibrancy of thai culture. Held on 3 november 2009 at the shaw foundation alumni House, the event featured a jazz band with leading musicians from thailand and singapore, nUs’ thai Music ensemble, a Krathong- making workshop and a skit by thai students.

study in Japan fairiro co-hosted a “study in Japan fair” with the University of tokyo on 14 January 2010. Held at University Hall, the fair featured 12 Japanese universities and provided an opportunity for undergraduate students to gather valuable information from the booths and presentations in preparation for their student exchange Programme. students who planned on pursuing graduate studies were also there to find out more about the various options available to them.

students gathering information on study opportunities in Japan


the 5th University administrators Workshop, Kyoto University

Conferenceseuropean association for International education (eaIe) conferencea/Prof anne Pakir, Director, and Denise chua, iro associate Director, attended the conference from 16-19 september 2009 in Madrid in order to keep abreast with the latest developments of the education landscape in europe and to meet with partners universities in the region.

Qs asia-Pacific Professional leaders in education (apple) conferenceaileen bong, iro Deputy Director, and Hamidah salleh, iro associate Director, attended the 5th Qs apple conference from 24-26 november 2009 hosted by University of Malaya (UM) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) in Kuala lumpur. focusing on the theme “Helping to build world-class universities for asia-Pacific communities through global partnership and collaboration”, the conference brought together over 700 top international educators from around the world.

tübingen family Meetinga/Prof anne Pakir, iro Director, attended this event from 6-9 December 2009 hosted by Heinrich-fabri-institut in Germany. the programme consisted of discussions and sharing on issues pertaining to internationalisation efforts amongst participating universities.

the 5th University administrators’ Workshopthe Workshop, themed “the role of international officers in Globalised Higher education”, was held at Kyoto University from 27-28 January 2010, featuring reports on the following two topics: “challenges for the Global circulation of students” and “international networking of international administration officers”. a/Prof anne Pakir, iro Director, bridget tee, iro associate Director, and Valerie Wan, iro senior executive, attended the workshop and made useful contacts with selected chinese partner universities in order to establish summer programmes.

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association of International education administrators (aIea) conferenceaileen bong, iro Deputy Director, and Prof a. Kumaralingam, Vice-Dean (academic affairs), faculty of law, attended the aiea conference held from 14-17 february 2010 in Washington D.c. focusing on the theme “internationalising Higher education: essential for our future”, the conference addressed key issues related to the internationalisation of higher education in the Us and globally across the full range of university functions.

nafsa annual conferencenotably one of the largest international education conferences globally, the nafsa annual conference opens up possibilities for nUs to establish partnerships, connect with potential clients and foster relationships with other professionals in similar fields. at the 2010 conference held in Kansas city, Missouri, from 30 May – 5 June, with the theme “the changing landscape of Global Higher education”, over 7,000 delegates from around the world gathered to devote their time to the issues of international education. nUs, ntU and sMU shared a booth in order to promote higher education in singapore.

iro was represented by a/Prof anne Pakir, iro Director, eugene Goh, iro senior Manager, susan tan, iro Manager, and elissa Horn, iro Manager, who made valuable connections with our partner universities.

World 100 reputation network conferencethis conference, hosted by the University of Hong Kong from 22-23 June 2010, was attended by ovidia lim-rajaram, Director, nUs office of corporate relations, aileen bong, iro Deputy Director, and lim Mei Mei, iro Manager. themed “Higher stakes: Managing University reputation in a competitive World”, the conference focused on two main areas: corporate relations and rankings. as part of the programme, visits were made to the Hong Kong University of science and technology and the chinese University of Hong Kong.

nUs staff relaxing with ntU and sMU staff after a long day’s work at the nafsa conference

elissa Horn, iro Manager, at the booth promoting higher education in singapore


Tripsiro embarks on regular marketing trips and participates in study abroad fairs to attract inbound exchange students to nUs and to strengthen existing ties with partner universities. this year, trips have been made to non-traditional destinations such as latin america, india, eastern europe, russia and the Middle-east to seek new global opportunities in accordance with nUs’ internationalisation strategies.

nUs students enjoying a field trip to the historic city of campeche in southern Mexico

yearbooK 2009/1051

to latin americaelissa Horn, iro Manager, and sharon chan, former iro associate Director, travelled to latin america from 7 – 18 June 2010 to visit tecnológico de Monterrey and University of costa rica. at University of costa rica, discussions were held to explore possible internship and research attachment opportunities in food science and biodiversity. While at tecnológico de Monterrey, they met 31 nUs students who were on the acquasummer Programme and held meetings with the Director of international relations and faculty from engineering, business, and social sciences to discuss possible collaborations. a visit to the historic city of campeche in southern Mexico was made where they joined 17 nUs students on a spanish and Mexican culture class, and a field trip as part of the Mayan route Programme.

to eastern europe, Germany & russiaValerie Wan, iro senior executive, made a trip to eastern europe and Germany in september 2009 to visit universities in Poland, Hungary, Germany and croatia. Meetings at these universities involved discussions on seP matters and on ways to promote exchange at nUs to these destinations.

in november, Valerie was accompanied by Gay Peng Kee, nUs overseas colleges senior Manager, on a trip to russia and together they visited nine well-respected russian universities in Moscow and st Petersburg. opportunities for nUs students were investigated, including possible partnerships for iro and noc’s international programmes.

randall ong (2nd from left) and orion Kew (2nd from right) at the saudi basic industries corporation (sabic) plant in Dammam, saudi arabia

sharon chan (middle) and elissa Horn (right) with Jesús González Villarreal, Director of services for international students, tecnológico de Monterrey in sunny southern Mexico

to the Middle eastrandall ong, associate Director, office of the Vice-President (University and Global relations), and orion Kew, iro assistant Manager, participated in the ibf executive Programme in april 2010 to learn about the economic strategies, business climate and cultural practices in the Middle east. the programme allowed participants to understand the bigger picture behind the economic strategies adopted by countries in the Persian Gulf region, including the emphasis on the education sector which is seen as key towards each individual country’s plan in developing a knowledge-based economy to supplement the oil and gas industry. Visits to universities in Qatar and abu Dhabi, as well as talks by various academics and business professionals, allowed for relations to be established with fellow university administrators and businesses, thus building a platform for further collaborations on the study trips for engagement and enrichment (steer) programme as well as for internship opportunities. randall and orion were later joined by sharon chan, iro associate Director, and together, they visited universities and companies in riyadh and abu Dhabi.


to Indiairo organised an exploratory trip to india covering the cities of Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai in april 2010. a/Prof anne Pakir, iro Director, sharon chan, iro associate Director, and ow yew sim, iro Manager, met with potential partners and discussed possible collaborations between nUs and indian institutions with hopes of establishing student exchanges and other global opportunities.

to australia and new Zealandas part of our continued efforts to attract students in australia and new Zealand to study at nUs, bridget tee, iro associate Director, Hamidah salleh, iro associate Director, chooi foong sin, iro senior Manager, and susan tan, iro Manager, attended various study abroad fairs in australia and new Zealand in the april and May 2010 period. they also visited our partner universities in Queensland, sydney, new south Wales, Melbourne, canterbury, Wellington and auckland.

bridget attended the australia Mobility forum organised by the international education association of australia (ieaa). Hosted by University of Melbourne, the event provided opportunities to network and to gain an update on student mobility initiatives and the best practices of australian institutions.

ow yew sim (left) and sharon chan (right) with Prof suresh advani (Head of international relations (asia & australia), sP Jain institute of Management and research) in Mumbai

chooi foong sin (right) at the University of otago study abroad fair in new Zealand

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VisitsnUs aspires to enhance our global reach and well-established standing by hosting visits from ministerial, university and corporate delegations. further collaborations in education, research and technology can be fostered through these valuable engagement and interaction with our peer institutions. in ay 2009/2010, iro hosted close to 240 visits.

imperial college london visittU Darmstadt visit

Xiamen University visit

Hong Kong University of science and technology visitembassy of Mexico visit

University of oregon visit


(l-r) Phoebe chien, Zac arackakudyil, tay Kai Xiang and oh eunryoung

yearbooK 2009/1055

iro, together with the generous support of external organisations and donors, offers and administers more than 15 kinds of awards, scholarships and loans to students and staff. by providing financial aid, we hope to help students ease the monetary burden of their overseas programme so that they can focus fully on their learning experience.

Awards,Scholarships and Loans


NUS Awards for Study Abroad (NASA) Exchange Awardsin ay 2009/2010, iro disbursed s$1,712,300 to 745 students who went on seP in more than 30 different countries. the award value ranges from s$1,000 to s$3,500, depending on the destination.

FacultyNumber oF studeNts awarded

Nasa iN ay 2009/2010

fass 176

foe 161

fol 74

fos 86

biZ 157

sDe 79

soc 12

total 745

International Business Fellowship (iBF) Programmethe ibf programme is initiated by international enterprise (ie) singapore to encourage students to explore growing economies in the global market. nUs and ie singapore co-fund students to various cities in central asia, china, india, latin america, the Middle east and Vietnam. there are 2 major awards under the ibf programme – the ie singapore exchange award and ie singapore – nUs internship award. each student can receive an allowance of up to s$7,200. ie singapore also co-funds with nUs, 50% of the cost of airfare for students under this programme. in ay 2009/2010, a total of 146 students benefitted from the programme, out of which 30 and 56 students received the ie singapore exchange award and ie singapore – nUs internship award respectively. the other recipients were on international summer Programmes (i-sP).

Study and Travel Grantsiro provides study and travel grants for students embarking on i-sP, international internships (i-intern) and international research attachment programmes (i-raP). in ay 2009/2010, iro funded 144 students totaling s$136,300.

ProgrammeNumber oF studeNts awarded study

aNd travel graNt iN ay 2009/2010

i-sP 113

i-intern 23

i-raP 8

total 144

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NUS – UBC Lee Foundation Exchange Awardthis award was created in 2003 through a generous donation from the lee foundation to fund students on the exchange between nUs and University of british columbia (Ubc). by the end of ay 2008/2009, the award funded about 400 students from the two universities. in March 2009, the lee foundation presented a new gift of s$750,000 to continue funding students on student exchange, research internships and co-op work placements over the next three years. the new funding allowed 18 nUs students to receive awards for their exchange to Ubc in ay 2009/2010. 23 Ubc students were also supported by the award in the same year, with 17 of the students participating in the exchange programme at nUs. the remaining six Ubc students were in the co-op programme, taking on research internships and work placements under the guidance of various professors at nUs.

other awards and scholarships• TemasekFoundation–NUSLeadershipEnrichmentandRegionalNetworking

(tf - nUs learn) Programme• DUO-SingaporeExchangeFellowshipAward• ItalianScholarship• FulbrightAssociation(Singapore)StudentExchangeAward• Baden–WurttembergScholarship• DSTAAcademicExchange(ACE)Scholarship• TheJapanStudentServicesOrganisation(JASSO)

Overseas Student Programme (OSP) Loanthe osP loan has been well received by students since its introduction in 2007. students can apply for a loan of up to s$10,000 for their nUs–approved overseas programme. the number of applicants in ay 2009/2010 doubled to 131 as compared to the previous academic year, and the amount disbursed was s$1,102,300 in total.

ProgrammeNumber oF studeNts awarded

osP loaN iN ay 2009/2010

student exchange Programme

100

summer Programmes 24

other nUs approved overseas Programme

7

total 131


Administrative Staff Exchange Programme (ASEP)launched in 2003, aseP provides nUs executive and Professional staff the opportunity to spend up to three weeks at nUs partner universities of their choice. through the aseP, nUs staff can gain ideas on ways to improve work practices and identify possible areas for administrative collaboration. by interacting with staff from the various partner universities, a greater knowledge and understanding of the operations and cultural context in each university can be developed.

aseP aY 2009/2010

Name Faculty/dePartmeNt Host uNiversities

audrey Wong swee chin bukit timah campus Management office

University of edinburghUniversity of GlasgowUniversity of strathclydeimperial college londonKing’s college london

chiam Hui li yong siew toh conservatory of MusicUniversity of VirginiaUniversity of Manchester

ernest chng PingGraduates studies office, nUs business school

University of MichiganDuke Universitynew york University

seetow cheng favestudent life and Development Division, office of student affairs

Pennsylvania state UniversityGeorgia institute of technologyUniversity of california, los angeles

chiam Hui li (3rd from left) with University of Manchester’s erasmus team

seetow cheng fave (left) with Graham spanier,

President of Pennsylvania state University

yearbooK 2009/1059

ernest chng (right) with Prof linda lim (Professor of strategy, stephen M. ross school of business, University of Michigan) and brad

farnsworth (Director, center for international business education, stephen M. ross school of business, University of Michigan)

the aseP has been personally and professionally enriching, allowing me to understand and observe intricacies of student and alumni management in another context. It deepened my appreciation of cross-cultural training and long term commitment to the field of management education. I would strongly encourage any staff with the same passion to undertake this exchange programme.

Ernest ChngHead of finance and accreditationnUs business school

yearbooK 2009/1061

Plans for the Future“twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. so throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. explore. Dream. Discover.”Mark twainWe firmly believe that learning should go beyond the classroom and urge our students to complement their education with an overseas sojourn. We want our students to be transformed during their time at nUs and we believe that a large part of that transformative experience comes from global education and exposure opportunities.

Moving forward, iro will ensure that our globalisation strategies continue to align with nUs’ vision to be a leading global university, centred in asia, influencing the future. We will continue our worthwhile pursuit of providing alternative pathways to enrich our students’ intellectual pursuits at nUs by engaging key partners in multi-fold and multi-layered relationships. We have already made a head-start by establishing possibilities for our students to explore non-traditional destinations such as east asia, europe and latin america. We will continue our focus on the quality of the student experience at nUs and at nUs partner institutions.

on campus, we aim to promote cultural awareness and increase global citizenry among nUs students through internationalisation@Home events. in support of nUs’ strategy to extend its global reach, we aspire to raise the University’s visibility by facilitating thought leadership in key alliances and networks through hosting of events and top management support.

lastly, iro seeks to showcase nUs as a vibrant, cosmopolitan hub of cutting edge research and scholarship, innovation and enterprise, with a special expertise on asia and thereby gaining the University a reputation as the preferred partner in asia of the world’s leading universities.


Student Exchange Programme (SEP)By Region (Inbound & Outbound)

academic year ay05/06 ay06/07 ay07/08 ay08/09 ay09/10

inboUnD/oUtboUnD oUt in oUt in oUt in oUt in oUt in

asia aUstralasia18327%

26631%

23425%

37134%

24022%

39732%

25520%

42533%

31822%

40429%

aMericas23835%

23627%

29732%

28226%

35832%

35329%

38230%

33726%

44030%

38528%

eUroPe/Me/africa25538%

35942%

40743%

42940%

50346%

47939%

63050%

52641%

68748%

60043%

Student Exchange Programme (SEP)AY 2002/2003 to AY 2009/2010

1600

1400

1200

1000

800

600

400

200

0AY02/03 AY03/04 AY04/05 AY05/06 AY06/07 AY07/08 AY08/09 AY09/10

INBOuND OutBOuND

yearbooK 2009/1063

Overseas Educational Programme (OEP)Distribution by Programme, AY 2009/2010 (7 Faculties)

Top 10 SEP Destinations AY 2009/201001 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA02 CANADA03 UNITED KINGDOM04 SWEDEN05 GERMANY

06 ChINA07 hONG KONG08 ThE NEThERLANDS09 SOUTh KOREA10 DENMARK

1600

1400

1200

1000

800

600

400

200

0AY09/10

SeP i-SP fIeLD tRIP ImmeRSION i-INteRN COmP/CONf/mOOt NOC StuDY vISIt COmm PROJ eNRIChmeNt JD/DDP i-RAP


Partner UniversitiesnUs works with the following partner universities to establish the student exchange Programme (seP) and other programmes such as the international summer Programmes (i-sP), international internships (i-intern), and international research attachment Programmes (i-raP).

University-Wide Partnersaustria

•University of innsbruck

australia•Monash University•the australian national University•the University of adelaide•the University of Melbourne•the University of new south Wales•the University of Queensland•the University of sydney•the University of Western australia

Belgium•University of antwerp

canada•concordia University•McGill University•Queen’s University at Kingston•simon fraser University•the University of british columbia•the University of Western ontario•University of alberta•University of calgary•University of Guelph•University of ottawa•University of toronto•University of Victoria•University of Waterloo•york University

china•fudan University•Harbin institute of technology•Huazhong University of science and technology•nanjing University•nankai University•Peking University•shandong University•shanghai Jiao tong University•sichuan University•sun yat-sen University•tsinghua University•Wuhan University•Xi’an Jiaotong University•Xiamen University•Zhejiang University

croatia•University of Zagreb

Denmark•aalborg University•aarhus University•technical University of Denmark•University of copenhagen

estonia•tallinn University of technology

finland•University of Helsinki

france•École centrale Paris •École nationale supérieure de i’electronique

et de ses applications (ensea)•École nationale supérieure des Mines de Paris

(Mines Paristech)•École supérieure d’electricité (supélec)•sciences Po•institut national des sciences appliqueés de lyon

(insa lyon)

•Université de Grenoble- Grenoble institute of technology (Grenoble inP)- institut d’etudes Politiques de Grenoble

(ieP Grenoble)- Université Joseph fourier (Grenoble 1)- Université Pierre Mendès-france (Grenoble 2)- Université stendhal (Grenoble 3)

•Université de technologie de compiègne (Utc)•Université de technologie de troyes (Utt)•Université Paris-sorbonne-Paris iV

Germany•albert-ludwig University of freiburg•eberhard Karls University of tubingen•Humboldt University of berlin•ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich•rhenish friedrich-Wilhelms University of bonn•rupert charles University of Heidelberg•rWtH aachen University •technical University of Darmstadt•technical University of Hamburg-Harburg•technical University of Munich•University of Hohenheim•University of Karlsruhe•University of Konstanz•University of Mannheim•University of stuttgart•University of Ulm

Hong Kong•city University of Hong Kong•the chinese University of Hong Kong•the University of Hong Kong

Hungary•budapest University of technology and economics

Ireland•trinity college Dublin•University college Dublin

Israel•technion-israel institute of technology

yearbooK 2009/1065

Japan•Keio University•Kyoto University•Kyushu University•tohoku University•tokyo institute of technology•Waseda University

latvia•riga technical University

lithuania•Vilnius University

Mexico•tecnológico de Monterrey

netherlands•Delft University of technology•eindhoven University of technology•University of amsterdam•Utrecht University

new Zealand•the University of auckland•University of canterbury•University of otago•Victoria University of Wellington

norway•norwegian University of science & technology•University of oslo

Poland•aGH University of science & technology•cracow University of technology•Jagiellonian University•Warsaw school of economics•Warsaw University of technology

romania•alexandru ioan cuza University of iasi

south africa•University of Pretoria

south Korea•Korea advanced institute of science & technology•Korea University•seoul national University

spain•Universidad autónoma de Madrid

sweden•chalmers University of technology•KtH-royal institute of technology•lund University•stockholm University•University of Goteborg•Uppsala University

switzerland•etH Zurich•swiss federal institute of technology,

lausanne (ePfl)•University of Geneva•University of lausanne•University of Zurich

taiwan•national taiwan University•national cheng Kung University

United Kingdom•Durham University•imperial college london•King’s college london•newcastle University•royal Holloway, University of london•the University of edinburgh•the University of Manchester•the University of nottingham•the University of york•University college london•University of birmingham•University of bristol•University of Glasgow•University of leeds•University of southampton•University of sussex

the United states of america•arizona state University•boston University•california institute of technology•carleton college•carnegie Mellon University•case Western reserve University•clarkson University•cornell University, college of agriculture

& life sciences•emory University•Georgia institute of technology•Massachusetts institute of technology•northwestern University•Purdue University•rice University•texas a & M University•the college of William and Mary•the Pennsylvania state University•the University of arizona•the University of texas at austin•tulane University•University of california

(berkeley, Davis, irvine, los angeles, riverside, santa barbara, santa cruz, san Diego)

•University of connecticut•University of Hawaii at Manoa•University of illinois at Urbana champaign•University of Miami•University of Michigan•University of north carolina at chapel Hill•University of oregon•University of Pennsylvania•University of Pittsburgh•University of southern california,

Viterbi school of engineering•University of Virginia•University of Washington, seattle•University of Wisconsin-Madison


Faculty-Level Partnersaustria•Vienna University of economics & business

administrationbiZ

australia•the University of sydney fol, biZ

Belgium•catholic University of leuven fol•University catholique de louvain biZ•University of brussels, solvay biZ school biZ

canada•concordia University biZ•Dalhousie University fol•McGill University biZ•McMaster University biZ•Queen’s University at Kingston fol•the University of british columbia biZ•the University of Western ontario biZ, fol•University of toronto fos, biZ•University of Victoria fol•york University biZ, fol

china•central University of finance and economics sDe(re), biZ•china University of Political science and law fol•east china University of Political science and law fol•fudan University fol•Peking University biZ, fol•southeast University sDe•tianjin University sDe•tongji University sDe•tsinghua University biZ, fol, sDe•Xiamen University fass•Zhejiang University sDe (arch), soc, biZ

czech republic•czech technical University sDe

Denmark•aarhus University biZ•copenhagen business school biZ•University of copenhagen fol•University of southern Denmark foe

finland•aalto University foe, biZ•tampere University of technology foe•University of oulu foe

france•École nat supérieure des arts Decoratifs sDe (ind Design)•École normale supérieure de lyon fos•ecole speciale d’architecture (Paris XiV) sDe (arch)•Hautes etudes commerciales biZ•les ateliers École nat sup de creation industrielle sDe (ind Design)•Université de Poitiers fol•Université Paris-sud 11 (Paris Xi) fos•Université Pierre et Marie curie (Paris Vi) fos

Germany•bucerius law school fol•european business school biZ, sDe(re)•folkwang University (University of Duisburg-essen) sDe (ind Design)•technical University of berlin foe•technical University of Munich sDe•University of applied sciences esslingen foe•University of bayreuth fass (Philo)•University of cologne biZ•University of Gottingen fass•University of Greifswald fass•University of Kaiserslautern fos (Math)•University of Wuppertal foe•WHU otto beisheim school of Management biZ

Greece•athens University of economics & business biZ

Hong Kong•Hong Kong University of science and technology biZ, foe, fos, soc

yearbooK 2009/1067

Mexico•instituto tecnológico autónomo de México (itaM) biZ

netherlands•eindhoven University of technology sDe, foe•erasmus University rotterdam biZ, fol, fass•leiden University Medical center fos•University of Maastricht biZ•University of tilburg fol

new Zealand•Victoria University of Wellington fol

norway•norwegian University of economics & business

administrationbiZ

Philippines•asian institute of Management biZ•ateneo de Manila University fass

Poland•Warsaw school of economics biZ

south africa•University of stellenbosch foe

south Korea•Hanyang University sDe•Korea University biZ•seoul national University sDe (building), biZ•University of seoul sDe•yonsei University biZ, sDe

spain•esc. sup. De admin. y Dir. De empresas (esaDe) biZ, fol•instituto de empresa fol

sweden•Karolinska institute fos, soc•KtH-royal institute of technology soc, foe, fos, sDe•linkoping University foe

•Hong Kong Polytechnic University foe, fos (chem)•the chinese University of Hong Kong fos (chem)•the University of Hong Kong fass, fol, fos (chem)

Hungary•corvinus University of budapest biZ

India•Hindu college, Delhi UsP•indian institute of Management, ahmedabad biZ•indian institue of Management, calcutta biZ•indian institute of technology, bombay foe•indian institute of technology, Guwahati foe•indian institute of technology, Madras foe•india school of business biZ•lady shri ram college for Women UsP•national law school of india University fol

Indonesia•Universitas Gadjah Mada fass, biZ•Universitas indonesia biZ•Universitas Pelita Harapan biZ

Italy•Politecnico di Milano sDe (arch)•Politecnico di torino sDe (arch)•Universita commercial “luigi bocconi” biZ, fol

Japan•akita international University fass•Hokkaido University fass•Kwansei Gakuin University fass (Js)•Kyoto institute of technology foe•osaka University foe•rikkyo University fass•ritsumeikan University fass•tokyo University of foreign studies fass•University of tokyo fass

Malaysia•University of Malaya biZ (acct)


biZ nUs business schoolfass faculty of arts and social sciencesfoe faculty of engineeringfos faculty of sciencefol faculty of lawsDe school of Design and environmentsoc school of computingUsP University scholars Programme

in addition to the international programmes established by iro, nUs also has global partnerships in teaching and research with Duke University, Harvard Kennedy school of Governance, imperial college london, Massachusetts institute of technology and more. for additional information on our global partners, please visit the links below:

International collaborations in teaching and research:http://www.nus.edu.sg/global/global-partners.php

International collaborations for Graduate studies:http://www.nus.edu.sg/global/global-gradprog.php

nUs overseas colleges:http://www.overseas.nus.edu.sg/index.htm

•new york University biZ, fol•northwestern University fol•santa clara University fol•stanford University fass, fol•texas a & M University biZ•the George Washington University fass•the University of texas at austin biZ•University of arizona UsP•University of Hawaii at Manoa biZ•University of illinois at Urbana champaign foe, fol•University of north carolina at chapel Hill biZ, fass, fos, UsP, soc •University of southern california, Viterbi school

of engineeringbiZ

•University of Washington, seattle biZ, fol•University of Wisconsin-Madison biZ•Vanderbilt University foe•Washington University in st louis fol•yale University fass, UsP

Vietnam•Hanoi law University fol•Vietnam national University - Ho chi Minh city fass•Vietnam national University, Hanoi fass

•lund University biZ, fass (econs)•stockholm school of economics fass, biZ•stockholm University biZ•Uppsala University biZ, soc

switzerland•École cantonale d’art de lausanne sDe (ind Design)•University of st Gallen biZ

taiwan•national taiwan University fos (chem)•national chiao tung University fass•national taiwan University of science and

technologyfoe

thailand•chulalongkorn University fass, biZ, fol•thammasat University fass, biZ

United Kingdom•city University of london biZ•center for transitional legal studies (Kcl) fol•loughborough University foe, fass (eng studies)•the University of Manchester biZ•the University of nottingham fol•the University of sheffield sDe, foe•University college london foe, fass, fos, fol•University of aberdeen sDe (re)•University of bath fos•University of bristol fol•University of cambridge foe•University of leicester fol•University of oxford biZ•University of strathclyde sDe

the United states of america•boston University fol•columbia University biZ, fol•Duke University fol, biZ•Georgetown University law centre fol•iowa state University foe•Johns Hopkins University foe

yearbooK 2009/1069

Acknowledgementsiro would like to thank all our sponsors and donors. With your commitment, we have been able to fulfil our mission to foster international partnerships for transformative global opportunities and programmes.• LeeFoundation• TemasekFoundation• CaliforniaInstituteofTechnology• DefenceScienceandTechnologyAgency• EmbassyofFrance(AmbassadedeFrance),Singapore• FulbrightAssociation(Singapore)• GovernmentofItaly• IESingapore• JapanStudentServicesOrganisation• LandesstiftungFoundation• MinistryofForeignAffairs,Singapore• MinistryofScience,ResearchandtheArtsBaden-Württemberg• swissnexSingapore

We would also like to thank the following for their support:• NUSSeniorManagement• NUSFacultiesandSchools• ComputerCentre• DevelopmentOffice• NUSCentreFortheArts• OfficeofAdmissions• OfficeofAlumniRelations• OfficeofCorporateRelations• OfficeofEstateandDevelopment• OfficeofFinancialServices• OfficeofHousingServices• OfficeofStudentAffairs• Registrar’sOffice

Deep appreciation goes to all others who have helped in one way or another, including all students and staff for their contributions.

Iro country advisorsa/Prof alatas, syed farid (Dept of Malay studies, fass)a/Prof albert teo (business school & UsP)a/Prof chan Wai Meng (centre for language studies, fass)Dr chin Kwee nyet (centre for language studies, fass)Prof George ofori (sDe)a/Prof Goh beng lan (southeast asian studies Programme, fass)a/Prof Gyanesh Kudaisya (south asian studies Programme, fass)a/Prof Kang Hway chuan (fos & UsP)a/Prof lee cheuk yin (Dept of chinese studies, fass)a/Prof Maxey chung ching Ming (fos)a/Prof reginald tan beng Hee (foe)a/Prof stephen K Wittkopf (sDe)a/Prof thang leng leng (Dept of Japanese studies, fass)a/Prof Victor r savage (Dept of Geography, fass)a/Prof Wee tiong Huan (foe)

Iro student associatesadrian ong Wei XiangDaniel foo chuan yeeellen soh yu yafaith tan yan rongGao fangGoh yi yunKent toh Kian Hongleong Wai yeelu Jinglulu Marlya bte abdul rahimnaomin tan shu yinatasha bte Mohamed ismailsu Zhirongtan Xin yuteo Peklyntherese Marie chanUlric sin Wei yuan

DesiGneD by lancer DesiGn Pte ltD

this publication is printed on environmentally-friendly paper.


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