NUS today is very different from a decade ago. It has been transforming and reinventing
itself. Once a respected teaching institution, NUS is now a global university fulfilling a core
mission encompassing a virtuous circle of creating, imparting, and applying knowledge.
Beyond producing graduate manpower, the University today embraces a greater focus on
attracting talent and developing minds. NUS has grown to become a major player in the
global arena of research universities, competing neck-and-neck with leading universities
for faculty and students for whom pursuing excellence is second nature.
Such intrinsic changes, now deeply embedded in our community, help sustain NUS on
its ever-changing journey of excellence. They attest to how a culture of excellence has
taken root among our university community. Embodying our ambition and commitment
to excellence is our shared aspiration to grow 10 great programmes in 10 years, or G-10-10.
This collective endeavour to build NUS as a great university distinguished by peaks of
excellence is showing promise.
We now have two Research Centres of Excellence (RCE), established with substantial external
funding exceeding S$150 million each. The first centre is in quantum technologies. The
second is in cancer research. Each RCE is a bold undertaking to build global excellence in
research, education and knowledge transfer.
We also have other cutting-edge initiatives such as the Singapore Gastric Cancer
Consortium, the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore, as well as the NRF’s
Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE). Co-located at
University Town, CREATE will make discovery and innovation an integral part of living
and learning at NUS.
As University Town takes shape, its residential colleges promise to catalyse a transformative
educational experience at NUS – one that fosters a spirit of adventure, inquiry and
enterprise; one that prepares students for leadership in their chosen spheres; and one
that nurtures lifelong friendships with peers and with alma mater. University Town
embodies the unrelenting pursuit of global excellence in undergraduate as well as
graduate education, propelling G-10-10 ’s educational mission.
It has been my privilege to be a part of NUS’ continuing transformation and
ever-changing journey of excellence. We have built up momentum and my wish for
us, both as individuals and as a community, is that we journey far – very far – farther
than others expect us to. As our NUS community continues working together to enable
our people to discover their passions in life, realise their promise, and serve country
and society, it is my hope that we will stay resolute in reaching for global excellence in
education, research and enterprise.
President
National University of Singapore