At NUS, our students enjoy a holistic experience
that develops their minds as well as their hearts. We
nurture their sense of service and commitment to
the wider community, thus honing their leadership
and interpersonal skills.
Our students as well as our staff are fully committed to helping the less
fortunate in a practical and meaningful way. They organise an extensive
range of community service projects, which help the intellectually disabled
and the elderly as well as the needy within the NUS family. Their community
engagement efforts extend far beyond the shores of Singapore as they
embark on short-term ad-hoc and regular programmes abroad.
Much effort is expended on raising funds for the needy. In the year of
review, our students raised $620,000 through various community service
activities, ranging from car washes, dance productions to charity runs. The
largest single collection of $514,776 was raised during NUS' iconic NUSSU
Rag and Flag event. Unique to NUS, this colourful annual tradition nurtures
community spirit and responsibility in a fun and engaging way.
Students can get involved in community activities through a host of
opportunities. Since 2008, the NUS Students' Community Service Club, NUS
Students' Volunteer Action Committee, NUS Rotaract Club and Red Cross
Humanitarian Network-NUS Chapter have come under the NUS Volunteer
Network. Together, they cultivate a dedicated pool of student volunteers and
foster the spirit of volunteerism.
Other student groups are also actively seeking ways to tap the expertise
and skills of their members, who can then extend a helping hand in a
meaningful way. For example, during Project Born New @ Borneo in December
2010, 18 Life Sciences student volunteers leveraged on their knowledge and
abilities to help restore Borneo's degraded rainforests.
The University is steadfast in our efforts to promote practical and responsible
behaviour amongst our students and staff in the area of environmental
sustainability. For instance, the Office of Environmental Sustainability (OES)
has started working with the Singapore Environmental Council (SEC) to
improve the daily habits of our students and staff at our canteens.
As a result of these efforts, The Deck (Arts canteen) became the first
food court in Singapore to be awarded SEC's highest (Gold) Eco-Food Court
certification. Encompassing an environmentally-friendly management style,
the canteen recycles waste cooking oil, uses only eco-friendly food packaging
and cutlery, and promotes meat-free meals. Its architecture was also
restructured to maximise natural lighting and ventilation. OES will continue to
work with SEC to audit the other canteens on campus.
NUS also takes pride in extending the ethos of sustainability to its built
environment. For example, green concepts were integrated in the master
planning and building of University Town (UTown). UTown's Graduate
Residence and its first two residential colleges – Cinnamon and Tembusu –
were awarded the Building and Construction Authority of Singapore (BCA)
Green Mark for Buildings Award in 2011 with a GoldPlus and Gold rating
respectively.
Furthering our commitment to sustainability, NUS published our first
Sustainable Campus Charter Report which was written according to the
Global Reporting Index (GRI) framework. This accomplishment follows our
pledge to the International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN). We are
among the first two universities in Asia and 13 globally to have issued this
report and made it publicly available on the ISCN website.
As part of the ISCN mission, this report on campus sustainability serves as
a platform for the University to continue developing, adapting and operating
in tandem with the overarching goal of sustainable development.
As our students and staff continue to engage the community, they can be
assured that NUS will unwaveringly support them in developing high quality,
sustainable and meaningful community programmes. As Singapore's flagship
university, NUS remains committed to making a sustained difference in serving
communities in Singapore and beyond.
