2007

Developments

• NUS launched Singapore's first Regional Trade Policy Course (RTPC), jointly hosted by the Faculty of Law and World Trade Organisation (WTO). The launch marked a new milestone for NUS as this is the first-ever partnership between a Singapore university and the WTO. The Singapore version of the course is largely modeled after the Trade Policy Course held annually at the WTO in Geneva. It will however, give greater emphasis to regional trade issues. NUS is expected to host the 12-week intensive course in the next two years.
• NUS signed a Memorandum of Understanding with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) on research collaborations and student exchange for both postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty. KAUST, a graduate-research university in Saudi Arabia, is keen to expand its interdisciplinary research institutes and education programmes in the areas of Engineering, Science, Environment and Computing.
• A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between NUS and Cambridge University to pave the way for joint faculty appointments at both universities. The joint appointment initiative will help talented, young academics take their research to a higher level and build up an indigenous R & D capability and talent base.
• NUS President Prof Shih Choon Fong was awarded the Chief Executive Leadership Award by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) at the launch of its operations in Singapore, with a new headquarters for the region at NUS. Prof Shih is the first leader from an Asia-Pacific educational institution to receive the prestigious award. Headquartered in Washington DC, CASE is the largest international association of educational institutions, serving more than 3,300 related organisations in 54 countries.
• The Lee Kuan Yew of School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) became the first institution outside Europe and North America to join the prestigious Global Public Policy Network (GPPN), with the establishment of bilateral double-degree programmes with Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po). LKYSPP also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Dubai School of Government to collaborate on the design and delivery of executive education programmes for government officials in the Middle East and the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
• NUS and the University of Hyderabad signed a Memorandum of Understanding for collaboration in teaching and research. The MOU will facilitate the exchange of students and staff, joint research projects, and mutual assistance in the recruitment of students.
• NUS signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Stockholm University (SU) to facilitate student exchange programmes for undergraduates at university-wide level. SU is a state university in Sweden with four faculties in humanities, science, law and social sciences, and boasts of four Nobel Laureates.
• A commemorative book entitled Scales of Gold: 50 Years of Legal Education at the NUS Faculty of Law was launched as part of the Faculty's 50th anniversary celebrations.
• The University conferred the highly prestigious Eminent Alumni Award on Singapore's President, Mr S R Nathan at this year's NUS Alumni Awards which was held on 5 July 2007. This is the highest alumni award presented to alumni who have distinguished themselves by their exceptional achievements and significant contributions to their professions, society and Singapore. NUS also honoured 20 other alumni – 10 with Distinguished Alumni Service Award and another 10 with Outstanding Young Alumni Award. The award recipients included senior government officials, business leaders, entrepreneurs and a performing songwriter.
• The Bukit Timah Campus (BTC) Opening Celebrations were held on 8 July 2007. The official opening of BTC was officiated by Professor S Jayakumar, Deputy Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Law. More than 1,000 alumni, students, staff, benefactors and stakeholders, particularly those with links to BTC attended the event.
• NUS offically launched a new Founding Benefactors' Initiative for its upcoming Shaw Foundation Alumni House at an Honouring Benefactors Dinner graced by President S R Nathan, Chancellor of NUS and Patron of the Shaw Foundation Alumni House on 28 September 2007. The Shaw Foundation and NUS Society, which have contributed $10 million and $5 million respectively to the Alumni House, were recognised as Principal Benefactors at the event.
• A new governance structure was established for the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and Faculty of Dentistry at NUS and the National University Hospital. The joint entity, named the National University Health System will allow doctors, faculty and staff to work more effectively together and achieve greater synergies in clinical care delivery, medical training and research.
• The Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) has merged with the NUS Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP). IPS will operate as an autonomous research centre within LKYSPP and have its own management board. Through the merger, IPS will be able to expand its research capacity and broaden the areas for critical policy analysis. It will also augment LKYSPP's research capabilities particularly on Singapore-based research.
• The Lee Kong Chian NUS-Stanford Intitiative on Southeast Asia, a joint collaboration between the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences and the Walter H Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center at Stanford University was launched. The Initiative, made possible with a gift of US$2.5 million from the Lee Foundation, is aimed at advancing the use of scholarly and policy research and education to deepen international understanding of Southeast Asia.
• The NUS Risk Management Institute (RMI) and the Singapore Exchange signed a Memorandum of Understanding for collaboration on financial research. The tie-up, which is RMI's first formal research cooperation with a commercial organisation, is aimed at developing new financial products and trading opportunities in areas of property derivatives, Asian credit derivatives and carbon trading.

Ongoing efforts by the University to provide more diverse learning opportunities include the launch of new double-degree, joint and dual degree programmes:

• Double-Degree Programme in Law and Life Sciences by the NUS Faculties of Law and Science. Launched in July 2007, the programme will enable students to discover the broad connections between law and life sciences. It will cut across many research areas including biotechnology, bioethics, environmental regulation, forensic science, and the protection of intellectual property.
• Double-Degree Programme in Business and Communications & New Media by NUS Business School and the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Commenced in July 2007, the undergraduate programme is in response to increasing demands from the burgeoning media and entertainment industry. Business students on the accelerated programme will complete the two degrees in 4½ -5 years.
• Joint Bachelor of Arts degree programme by NUS Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's (UNCCH) College of Arts & Social Sciences. The programme, which began in July 2007, offers a choice of majors that includes Economics, English Literature, Geography, History and Political Science. NUS students enrolled in the programme will spend between 2 - 5 semesters studying at the UNCCH campus.
• Bachelor's and Master's dual law degree programme by NUS Faculty of Law and New York University School of Law. Commencing in July 2008, the highly distinctive and innovative programme will enable NUS law undergraduates to attain an additional Master's degree from a top US law school in the time they normally take to complete their undergraduate studies.
• Launch of a joint PhD programme between NUS and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM). This will facilitate admission of graduate students at both NUS and IITM under joint supervision of faculties from both institutions.

Some programmes will be launched in the second semester of AY2007/08 and in AY2008/09:

• Bachelor's and Master's dual law degree programme by NUS Faculty of Law and New York University School of Law. Commencing in July 2008, the highly distinctive and innovative programme will enable NUS law undergraduates to attain an additional Master's degree from a top US law school in the time they normally take to complete their undergraduate studies.
• Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours)/Bachelor of Business Administration and Bachelor of Computing (Computer Science) Honours.
• Bachelor of Business Administration (Accountancy) Honours/Bachelor of Business Administration (Accountancy) and Bachelor of Computing (Computer Science) Honours.
• Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours)/Bachelor of Business Administration and Bachelor of Computing (Information Systems) Honours.
• Bachelor of Business Administration (Accountancy) Honours/Bachelor of Business Administration (Accountancy) and Bachelor of Computing (Information Systems) Honours.
• Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and Juris Doctor (JD) dual degree programme by NUS Faculty of Law and New York University's (NYU) School of Law.
• Master of Psychology (Clinical), offered by the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences to meet the increasing need for clinical psychologists.
• Joint Master of Psychology (Clinical) with the University of Melbourne.
• Master of Clinical Investigation to meet the growing need for more clinical specialists who are competent in research.
• NUS-Columbia University Double Professional Degree Programme offered by the Risk Management Institute.
• Master of Business Administration-Master in Public Administration Double Degree Programme.
• Master of Business Administration-Master in Public Policy Double Degree Programme.
• Master of Laws-Master in Public Administration Double Degree Programme.
• Master of Laws-Master in Public Policy Double Degree Programme.
• Master of Engineering (M.Eng) and PhD research programmes, offered by the Division of Engineering and Technology Management of the Faculty of Engineering.
• PhD programme in Cultural Studies in Asia. Offered by the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, the multi-disciplinary programme will focus exclusively on Asian contexts and contents. The programme received an endowed gift of $1 million from Professor William Lim, a renowned architect and analyst in Asian urban and cultural issues. The gift will fund the William Lim Siew Wai Fellowship in Cultural Studies in Asia.

NUS' research continues to be robust and vibrant. Significant developments and breakthroughs during the quarter include:

• Establishment of the Research Centre of Excellence (RCE) on Quantum Information Science and Technology (QIST) with co-funding from the National Research Foundation (NRF) and MOE. NRF and MOE have set aside $750 million to fund a number of RCEs, each focusing on medium and long-term world-class investigator-led research aligned with Singapore's long-term strategic interests. NUS' proposal on QIST was selected to be the first RCE. To be led by Artur Ekert, Lee Kong Chian Centennial Professor, the Centre will conduct interdisciplinary theoretical and experimental research aimed at overcoming the fundamental limits to information processing. It will develop quantum technologies that will be crucial in both cryptography and computation.
• Hosting the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) Centre, which will be located at University Town@Warren. SMART is the first research centre within the Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), which aims to foster joint research between a select few of the world's top research universities and Singapore-based knowledge organisations. SMART's first interdisciplinary research group, focusing on infectious diseases, is scheduled to commence work in July 2007.
• Establishment of the Singapore-Delft Water Alliance (SDWA) at the NUS Faculty of Engineering. A collaboration between NUS, Dutch water specialist Delft Hydraulics, and the Public Utilities Board, SDWA is Singapore's first multi-institutional and interdisciplinary research centre for water knowledge. It aims to advance science and technology in the water sector and test-bed findings on relevant real-world problems. Research, education and development of specialist consultancy services are the three main thrusts of the centre.
• Launch of the new Offshore Technology Research Programme. NUS' Centre for Offshore Research & Engineering (CORE) which will host the programme, will receive research grants of $5 million over the next three years from A*STAR and Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. The Economic Development Board will support CORE through its Training and Attachment Programme. The combined support is a significant boost to CORE's vision to be a leading offshore engineering centre in research, development and application of technology for the advancement of the offshore and maritime industry.
• A new permanent home for Temasek Laboratories (TL@NUS), a collaboration between NUS and Defence Science & Technology Agency. Located in the vicinity of the NUS Faculty of Engineering, the new Temasek Laboratories building will house offices and advanced laboratories for aerodynamics, control and guidance, electromagnetics, materials research, signal processing, information security and nonlinear dynamics studies.
• First vulnerability study on local impact of climate change by a 14-member international team led by NUS' Tropical Marine Science Institute. Over the next two years, the study will focus on several key areas including rainfall, temperature, and wind, examining data from 1960 onwards to predict scenarios for the next century.
• Establishment of the Interactive and Digital Media Institute (IDMI). As Singapore's first inter-disciplinary research institute in interactive and digital media, it will house eight laboratories in the areas of mixed reality, sociable robotics, games, ambient intelligence, multimedia sensing, cognitive and social studies, arts and creativity, and multimodal analysis. The institute will undertake leading-edge application-inspired basic research in emerging fields relevant to the critical and future needs of Singapore. To date, 17 exemplar projects have been identified, many of which are expected to be launched within a year.
• Establishment of NUS Environmental Research Institute (NERI) as a leading global centre of inter-disciplinary research, education and expertise in the environment, particularly in areas affecting Singapore and the region. It will coordinate, integrate and facilitate R&D and educational initiatives across NUS in the areas of water, wastes, air quality, energy, sensing, security, environmental health, and policy issues. Building on the strengths of NUS faculties/schools and research centres, NERI will formulate initiatives to address critical environmental issues, conduct cutting-edge research and expand NUS' capabilities in key environmental areas, as well as engage strategic partners within NUS' global networks, and with industry.
• Launch of the Centre for Social Development (Asia) at the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. A partnership with the Center for Social Development at Washington University (St Louis), the Centre will conduct applied research and pioneer social development programmes. It will also build knowledge to support policies and programmes in social development with a focus on Asia, tackling issues such as ethnic and religious harmony, productive ageing and asset development.
• A record $25 million research grant – the largest single ever given for biomedical research in Singapore – was awarded to a team of 19 researchers led by Assoc Prof Yeoh Khay Guan of the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. The National Medical Research Council-National Research Foundation grant for the project entitled The Singapore Gastric Cancer is the first to be supported under the first Translational Clinical Research Flagship Programme.
• Joint establishment of the Clinical Imaging Research Centre (CIRC) by NUS and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) to undertake clinical research and advanced biomedical imaging in humans using extensive state-of-the art imaging tools from Siemens Medical Solutions. As part of the partnership, Siemens will set up a research foundation grant of US$2.5 million over five years to support collaborative research in translational medicine at the CIRC.
• Discovery of additional functions of haemoglobin by Professor Ding Jeak Ling of the Department of Biological Sciences and her team. The scientific breakthrough, published by Nature Immunology journal (August 2007), will pave the way for future clinical research.
• Four NUS research programmes were awarded generous grants of $10 million each under the National Research Foundation's Competitive Research Programme (CRP) Funding Scheme. Led by Prof Neal Chung, Assoc Prof Ding Yun, Assoc Prof Loh Kian Ping and Assoc Prof Markus Wenk, the research will focus on membrane technology for energy-related gas separations, in multi-functional spintronic materials and devices, in graphene materials and devices, and in lipidomics respectively.
• Launch of Energy Studies Institute (ESI) at NUS, Southeast Asia's first think-tank on energy issues. A multi-disciplinary research institute, ESI will play an important role in establishing Singapore as a centre for strategic research in energy.
• Launch of the Centre for Hazards Research at NUS. The Centre, Singapore's first, aims to generate and disseminate knowledge on natural hazards through research and education. Hosted at the Faculty of Engineering, its initial focus will be in the area of earth tremors and its impact on infrastructure such as buildings, roads, tunnels and other physical structures.
• Establishment of the Kidney Research Fund with the Kidney Dialysis Foundation (KDF) to boost the search for long-term solutions to kidney and kidney-related diseases. KDF has pledged an initial sum of $750,000 over a period of three years towards the Fund. The first project to be supported by the Fund is a diabetes stem cells research project led by leading transplant surgeon Professor Sir Roy Calne, Emeritus Professor at Cambridge University and Alumni Association Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.
• Establishment of the Neuroscience Research Partnership between Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School and A*STAR. The programmes will have a strong focus on translational research, and will draw together and expand existing research in developmental neuroscience and molecular neurobiology groups at A*STAR's Institute for Molecular & Cell Biology, coordinated with Signature Research Programme in neurobehavioural disorders at the Duke-NUS GMS.
• Collaboration between the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR), the world's largest non-profit cancer research institute, and the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Duke-NUS GMS and A*STAR. LICR will be establishing a branch for translational and clinical cancer research in Singapore, its first research establishment in Asia. LICR has 10 research establishments across Australia, Europe, and North and South America.
• A study by the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine showing how 'productive' activities (such as active employment, painting, gardening, cooking, reading and shopping) are most effective in lowering dementia risk, won second prize from the International Psychogeriatric Association in October 2007. The two-year study, the first done in Asia involved 1,635 Chinese adults aged 55 years and above.
• Findings from a collaboration between NUS and the National Neuroscience Institute have revealed for the first time, that drinking black tea reduces the risk of developing Parkinson's Disease among the Chinese population in Singapore. The findings, presented at the First Asian and Oceanian Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Congress in October 2007, won the second prize for Best Research Presentation Award. They were also published in the on-line issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology in December 2007.

Donations

NUS continues to receive great support and contributions from generous benefactors which will help fund academic and research activities. They included:

• The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) received a $100 million gift from Hong Kong entrepreneur and business leader Dr Li Ka-shing, through the Li Ka-shing Foundation and a group of companies, Cheung Kong (Holdings) and Hutchinson Whampoa Ltd. Dr Li's philanthropic gift will be used to set up an endowment fund to support academic activities including endowment of chair professorships and annual establishment of scholarships. This will help LKYSPP fulfil its mission of attracting promising young policymakers from Asia to study public policy at NUS.
• The Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School received a gift of $80 million from the Estate of Khoo Teck Puat to fund its biomedical research initiatives. The gift is the largest single donation given by the Estate.
• The Chen Su Lan Trust donated a sum of $1 million to provide financial support for needy students at NUS. The sum will be used as student bursaries through the University's Annual Giving Programme.
• The Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School (GMS) received a gift of S$5 million from the Shaw Foundation for the establishment of the Shaw Foundation Scholars Programme. The Programme will add vibrancy to GMS' innovative and multi-disciplinary educational and research activities, and provide scholarships for outstanding local and international students pursuing the Doctor of Medicine degree at GMS.
• The NUS Business School received a gift of $21 million from Indonesian business conglomerate Lippo Group. The contribution, the single largest gift from a private donor to the School, marks Lippo Group's first gift to NUS. The sum includes a $15 million gift for the development of the School's new flagship building (which will be named in honour of the Group's Founder and Chairman, Mochtar Riady), as well as a $6 million endowed gift to fund two distinguished professorships at the School (to be named after Dr Stephen Riady, President of Lippo Group of Companies and Mr James Riady, Chief Executive Officer of the Group).
• The Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine received a gift of $1.875 million from the Lee Foundation for the establishment of the Alice Lee Research Fellowship in Paediatric Infectious Diseases. The Fellowship is named in honour of the late Mrs Alice Lee, wife of Tan Sri Dr Lee Kong Chian, founder of Lee Foundation.
• Mrs Rita Balachandran, wife of the late Prof N Balachandran, an outstanding orthopaedic surgeon who was instrumental in shaping and developing the practice of orthopaedics in Singapore donated a sum of $1.5 million to the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. The gift will be used to endow a Professorship in Paediatric Orthopaedics in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.
• The Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School received a S$6 million endowment from the Goh Foundation. The sum will be used to establish the Goh Foundation Scholars Programme in support of talented local and international students pursuing the M.D. degree at the School.