GRADS GOING PLACES: WORKING ON THE SET OF CRAZY RICH ASIANS TOP GRADS' XTRAORDINARY JOURNEYS

Page created by Hugh Shelton
 
CONTINUE READING
GRADS GOING PLACES: WORKING ON THE SET OF CRAZY RICH ASIANS TOP GRADS' XTRAORDINARY JOURNEYS
WO R K S M A RT

  GRADS GOING PLACES: WORKING ON THE SET OF CRAZY RICH ASIANS • TOP GRADS’ XTRAORDINARY JOURNEYS

NPnews Cover Nov18 FA.indd 1                                                             9/10/18 3:31 PM
GRADS GOING PLACES: WORKING ON THE SET OF CRAZY RICH ASIANS TOP GRADS' XTRAORDINARY JOURNEYS
Mr Lai Chung Han,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Second Permanent                                      / features /
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Secretary, Ministry

         / contents /
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         of Education, graced
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            the inaugural CET
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Masters Series.

02                    features
                 01   Building Capabilities for the
                      Future                                 13                              Boosting Overseas Learning for
                                                                                             Students
                      Symposium at Ngee Ann equips                                           Four-fold increase in students gaining
                      educators to engage learners in the                                    overseas exposure, thanks to support
                      digital age                                                            from Ngee Ann Kongsi

                 02                                          14                                                                                                          BUILDING CAPABILITIES
                      Triumph on World's Stage                                               Passionate Asian on Set of
                      Ngee Ann Polytechnic students score                                    Crazy Rich Asians                                                                                                                                                   Among the panellists in a discussion on
                      triple wins at WorldSkills ASEAN                                                                                                                                                                                                           entrepreneurship were: (From left) Ms So-Young
                                                                                             Film, Sound & Video alumnus and

                                                                                                                                                                         FOR THE FUTURE
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Kang, Founder & CEO, Gnowbe; Dr Sinuhe Arroyo,
                      competition                                                            Associate Producer of Crazy Rich                                                                                                                                    Founder & CEO, TAIGER; and Mr Patrice Choong,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Director, The Sandbox, Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

                 03
                                                                                             Asians reveals what it’s like to work
                      Lifelong Learners: Study. Work.                                        on the box office smash hit
                      Family

                                                             15
                      Hear first-hand from our top CET
                      graduates on their lifelong learning
                                                                                             Intern without Borders                                                      Symposium at Ngee Ann equips educators to engage learners
                      journey at Ngee Ann
                                                                                             Getting real-world learning                                                 in the digital age Text: Melanie Wee
                                                                                             experiences through an overseas

                 04
                                                                                             internship
                      On the A-List                                                                                                                                                lose to 600 educators and         educators to prep themselves for
                      Inspiring success stories from this

                                                             16                              The Quake that Shook Ngee                                                     C       trainers gathered at Ngee Ann     the future education landscape. The

            14
                      year’s top graduates                                                                                                                                         Polytechnic on September 27       programme also included an insightful
                                                                                             Ann’s Community into Action
                                                                                             Over $30,000 raised for Lombok                                              for the Continuing Education & Training     entrepreneurship-centred panel
                      cover story                                                            earthquake victims within a month                                           (CET) Masters Series, organised by the      discussion and talks on developing

                 08   Agents of Change                                                                                                                                   polytechnic’s CET Academy. The one-day      talent for the future.
                      A leaner and more agile Ngee                                                                                                                       symposium saw keynote speakers and              Participants also attended a range
                      Ann workforce, thanks to over 80                                       the last page                                                               trainers sharing perspectives relevant      of masterclasses and workshops on
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 The event was well-attended by close to 600
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 educators and trainers.
                      innovative staff ideas
                                                             17                              Building Bonds Across Borders:
                                                                                             A Special Connection with
                                                                                             Lombok
                                                                                                                                                                         to today’s digital learning age and the
                                                                                                                                                                         evolving CET landscape.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     emerging areas such as micro-learning,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     and the creation of chatbots, apps          subject experts to discuss strategies and
                                                                                                                                                                             Mr Lai Chung Han, Second                and websites.                               techniques in building capabilities for
                      highlights                                                                                                                                         Permanent Secretary, Ministry of                “It was encouraging to see a            the future,” shared Dr Ravi Rajaratnam,

            15 12     Hacking FinTech
                      Innovative ideas emerge at inaugural
                                                                                                                                                                         Education, delivered the opening
                                                                                                                                                                         keynote address that set the tone for
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     polytechnic taking the initiative to
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     bring together thought leaders and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Principal of PIC Leadership, who led a
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 masterclass on digital skills.
                      FinTech hackathon for polytechnic
                      students

                                                                                WORK SMART                                                                               LEARNING THROUGH TRAVEL
                               04                                                                                                                                                   ntrepreneurs considering venturing          Singaporean entrepreneurs there were a bonus,
                                                                GRADS GOING PLACES: WORKING ON THE SET OF CRAZY RICH ASIANS • TOP GRADS’ XTRAORDINARY JOURNEYS

                                                              NPnews Cover Nov18 FA.indd 1

                                                              Cover photo: sam chin
                                                                                                                                                       9/10/18 3:31 PM
                                                                                                                                                                           E        overseas or corporate leaders tasked
                                                                                                                                                                                    with developing new markets will
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                as nothing beats hearing personal accounts from
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                those who have gone ahead of us,” said Mr Low
                                                                                                                                                                         benefit from Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s Travel &           Cheh Chuan, Managing Director and Executive
                                                              CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE                                                                            Learn (T&L) Programme. The business learning           Creative Director of Salt Creatives, who participated
                                                                                                                                                                         journey – spanning three to four days – provides       in a T&L trip to Myanmar. He has since incorporated           Find out more
                                                              ASSISTANT EDITOR                                                                                                                                                                                                                  about the
                                                                                                                                                                         opportunities to network with seasoned                 a branch of his business there.                               Travel & Learn
                                                              Melanie Wee
                                                                                                                                                                         entrepreneurs, hear insiders’ business viewpoints          Manila and Cebu are among the destinations                 Programme:
                                                              CONTRIBUTORS                                                                                               and visit local incubators in emerging Asian markets   for upcoming T&L trips. SkillsFuture Singapore
                                                              Andrea Chua, Chan Yee Chun, Frances Sim,
                                                                                                                                                                         such as Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and           subsidies of up to 75 per cent are available for
                                                              Hafeez Sim, Ian Izdeehar, Kamaruzi Berro,
                                                              Lea Wee                                                                                                    China. They will also get to connect with local        eligible applicants and SkillsFuture Credit can
                                                                                                                                                                         business owners to explore potential collaborations.   be used. Visit www.np.edu.sg/travelandlearn
                                                              For enquiries, contact us at
                                                              media_enquiries@np.edu.sg.
                                                                                                                                                                             “The networking and sharing sessions by the        for updates.

     2                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            1
GRADS GOING PLACES: WORKING ON THE SET OF CRAZY RICH ASIANS TOP GRADS' XTRAORDINARY JOURNEYS
/ features /

    triumph on world's stage                                                                                                                           LIFELONG LEARNERS:                                                              Khaw Poh Chuan
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Diploma in Engineering (Mechanical)

                                                                                                                                                       STUDY. WORK. FAMILY
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Poh Chuan is a 48-year-old port service engineer who took
    Ngee Ann Polytechnic students score triple wins at WorldSkills ASEAN competition Text: Melanie Wee                                                                                                                               up a diploma to advance his career. What he liked most about
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     the course was its relevance to his work. It equipped him with
                hey had gotten off to a                      “Mechatronics is a team event, so          for a better partner in the competition.                                                                                     knowledge of the latest technologies in his industry, which
       T        rocky start as a team due
                to personal differences. But
                                                         each of us needed to be clear about our
                                                         roles and tasks,” said Shi Jie. “Arthur
                                                                                                            “Being able to represent Singapore
                                                                                                        and win a gold medal has been the
                                                                                                                                                       Hear first-hand from our top CET graduates 2018
                                                                                                                                                       on their lifelong journey at NP Text: Andrea Chua
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     he could apply on-the-job. The support of his wife, children,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     employer and colleagues helped him to do well in the course.
    Arthur Liew and Wong Shi Jie overcame                and I had a rough start at first. But          greatest experience and achievement of                                                                                           He encourages future NP CET learners to push ahead to
    their initial struggles to bring home                                                               my life. I’m thankful to my coaches, family             e caught up with three graduates from Ngee Ann
                                                                                                                                                        W
                                                         we learnt how to communicate better                                                                                                                                         upgrade themselves. “Don’t think you cannot until you
    a gold medal for Singapore at the                    and work towards our common goal of            and friends for their support throughout                Polytechnic’s (NP) Continuing Education & Training
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     have tried,” he said. “Think positively – and keep on trying
    WorldSkills ASEAN competition held in                winning the gold. I couldn’t have asked        my WorldSkills journey,” he added.                      (CET) Academy to find out what motivated them to
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     because learning never ends.”
    Thailand in September.                                                                                                                             take up CET programmes, and how they juggled work, family
         The two Mechanical Engineering                                                                                                                and studies.                                                                  Poh Chuan was promoted after receiving his diploma. He
                                                                                                                              Arthur Liew (left) and
    students came up tops in Mechatronics,                                                                                    Wong Shi Jie celebrate                                                                                 is now a service engineer who manages a group of over 20
                                                                                                                                a win for Singapore
    a first for Singapore in the category.                                                                                     in the Mechatronics      Normisah Binte Mohd Sah                                                      technicians in the care of port equipment.
    Other Ngee Ann Polytechnic students                                                                                             category at the
                                                                                                                                 Worldskills ASEAN     Diploma in Business Practice (Administration &
    also did the country proud. A team                                                                                                 competition.                                                                                    Rahmat Bin Abdull Latif
    of Electrical Engineering students,                                                                                                                Management)
    Daphne Tan and Lim Gao Min, came                                                                                                                       The 45-year-old single mother of four signed up for a                     Diploma in Engineering (Marine & Offshore Technology)
    in second in the Internet-of-Things                                                                                                                diploma to upgrade her skills in order to give her children a                      Rahmat felt that the best thing about Ngee Ann is its
    category, a new skills area introduced                                                                                                             better future. It was tough returning to school after such a                  support for part-time students. The 27-year-old said that
    at the competition; while Electronic                                                                                                               long hiatus.                                                                  learning technical skills such as AutoCAD and MS Project in
    & Computer Engineering student and                                                                                                                     “One of the most daunting challenges was getting back                     his course has given him better job prospects. The knowledge
    Singapore team captain, Merick Fong,                                                                                                               into ‘study mode’ after being out of school for over two                      he gained from the diploma also helped him understand and
    was awarded a Medallion for Excellence                                                                                                             decades,” she said. However, with strong support from her                     communicate better with his colleagues.
    in the Electronics category.                                                                                                                       family, bosses, colleagues and lecturers, she was among the                        His tip to anyone who wants to take up a part-time course
                                                                                                                                                       top graduates in her course.                                                  is to arm themselves with a never-give-up attitude. “It is going
                                                                                                                                                           Doing this diploma not only helped Normisah at work, but                  to be tough. Hold on to the ‘why’ you are doing this and keep
                                                                                                                                                       also gave her a chance to be a role model to her children. Her                on fighting,” he said. “Pay attention during class and ask
                                                                                                                                                       survival tip for future NP CET learners is to be mentally and                 questions. As a part-time student, you have to juggle many

    NEW BEGINNINGS FOR NGEE ANN GRADUATES                                                                                                              physically prepared to juggle work, family and studies. She
                                                                                                                                                       said: “Do the best you can and never give up!”
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     responsibilities. So you need to study efficiently and effectively
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     to make full use of your time.”

                                                                                                                                                       Normisah was recommended for a promotion after attending                      Rahmat went on to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Technology,
                                                                                            ome 5,000 Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) students were
                                                                                    S       asked to unwrap a unique “present” on their mobile
                                                                                            devices during their graduation ceremonies in May.
                                                                                                                                                       this course. A believer in lifelong learning, she intends to take
                                                                                                                                                       up a university degree in Business Studies with Psychology.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     majoring in Software Engineering at the National University
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     of Singapore.
                                                                                      “Beginnings”, NP’s first mobile micro-learning package,
                                                                                  was a gift to its graduating students this year. Comprising four
                                                                                  curated courses powered by online learning platform Gnowbe,
                                                                                  “Beginnings” was launched by Senior Minister of State for
                                                                                  Education, Mr Chee Hong Tat, during 2018’s graduation
                                                                                  session at NP on May 8.
                                                                                      These bite-sized, interactive programmes provide NP
                                                                                  graduates with access to in-demand skills, industry advice and
                                                                                  career hacks, while enabling them to network with their peers
                                                                                  and practitioners to share ideas. Each micro-learning course
                                                                                  comprises four to 12 learning units, with each unit lasting
                                                                                  about 10 minutes. Upon completing each course, they will
    Above left: “Beginnings” comprises four curated micro-learning courses on     receive a digital certificate which can be shared on LinkedIn.
    online platform Gnowbe.                                                           “With the introduction of mobile micro-learning courses,
    Above right: Mr Chee Hong Tat (middle), Senior Minister of State for          we hope our graduates will find it easy and convenient to pick
    Education, launching “Beginnings”, a gift for graduating NP students.         up new skills and knowledge every day, and therefore make
    Looking on are Mr Tang Kin Fei (left), NP Council Chairman, and Mr Clarence
    Ti, NP Principal.                                                             learning a way of life,” said NP Principal, Mr Clarence Ti.          Graduation Day: This year's top CET Graduates – Normisah Binte Mohd Sah (second from left), Rahmat Bin Abdull Latif (fourth from right) and Khaw Poh
                                                                                                                                                       Chuan (not pictured).

2                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             3
GRADS GOING PLACES: WORKING ON THE SET OF CRAZY RICH ASIANS TOP GRADS' XTRAORDINARY JOURNEYS
/ features /

        ON THE A-LIST
                                                   LYNETTE LAU                                         and business development, coupled with
                        Inspiring success          Course: Business Studies                            her lecturers’ encouragement to follow her
                        stories from this year’s   Formerly from: Singapore Chinese Girls’             dreams, prompted Lynette to apply for a six-
                        top graduates              School                                              month internship with Grab Indonesia.
                                                   Awards: Ngee Ann Kongsi Gold Medal and                  At Grab, Lynette helped to reduce the
                        Text: Melanie Wee
                                                   Lien Ying Chow Gold Medal                           backlog of driver signups and automate staff
                                                                                                       efficiency reports. Travelling throughout
                                                              ynette Lau’s entrepreneurial streak      10 different cities in the country, she
                                                     L        first shone through when she was
                                                              just a primary school student. “I
                                                                                                       even picked up Bahasa Indonesia so that
                                                                                                       she could communicate with staff in
                                                   would get a big bag of snacks and sell them         local offices.
                                                   to my classmates by the handful to make                 As an NP student, Lynette also served as
                                                   a profit. That was my first venture into            President of the Current Affairs Club, which
                                                   entrepreneurship,” she said.                        involved helping out in Meet-the-People
                                                       Lynette has not looked back since then.         Sessions at her constituency. “I saw cases
                                                   An active seller on Carousell, an online            of needy families seeking financial aid and
                                                   marketplace, she is constantly on the               lonely elderly residents who simply wanted a
                                                   lookout for new business opportunities.             listening ear,” she said. “It was meaningful
                                                   Lynette currently co-runs a startup – Picxels,      to be engaged at such a level, and I hope
                                                   which provides photobooth services –                my startup business in the future can be
                                                   while studying for a degree in Business             beneficial to communities that need help.”
                                                   Administration at the National University               Lynette’s grit and determination to
                                                   of Singapore (NUS) under the NUS Global             succeed have been driven by the words of
                                                   Merit Scholarship.                                  someone she is close to. “My grandfather
                                                       Her business acumen was nurtured                grew up in a poor family. He has always
                                                   as a Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) student,             believed that education is the key to
                                                   when she participated in the Global                 breaking out of the poverty cycle. Although
                                                   Entrepreneurial Internship Programme,               he is now stricken with advanced colon
                                                   which provides students with internships at         cancer, his words still inspire me to work
                                                   startups worldwide. Her interest in strategy        hard to achieve my ambitions,” she said.

                                                                         EMMETT GOH                                                     “I wanted to make the most out of my time
                                                                         Course: Business Studies                                   in poly. I knew that this was my chance to start
                                                                         Formerly from: ITE College Central and Naval               afresh,” said Emmett.
                                                                         Base Secondary School                                          Life did not begin on a rosy note for him. With
                                                                         Award: Tay Eng Soon Gold Medal                             an absent father during his growing up years, his
                                                                                                                                    mother juggled several jobs as the family’s sole
                                                                                     ust six years ago, Emmett Goh found            breadwinner. Left to his own devices, Emmett
                                                                            J        himself in the lock-up of Ang Mo Kio Police
                                                                                     Station. Then 16, Emmett was arrested
                                                                                                                                    started mixing with bad company and got into all
                                                                                                                                    manner of trouble.
                                                                         after fighting with his school mates. While it was             Agreeing to take his O levels was his first step in
                                                                         not his first brush with the law, his 12-hour ordeal       reversing the years of going downhill.
                                                                         there jolted him out of complacency.                           Emmett seized every opportunity that came his
                                                                              “I started thinking about what I had done and         way in NP, including a six-month internship at Metta
                                                                         decided that I couldn’t continue living this way,”         Nairobi in Kenya, an entrepreneurs’ club that brings
                                                                         recounted Emmett, whose turning point came after           startup communities and ecosystems together.
                                                                         a friend advised him to take responsibility for his life   Describing it as a “challenging experience”
                                                                         and sit for his O levels.                                  that shaped his life, Emmett added that it also
                                                                              And so he did. The former Normal (Technical)          strengthened his resolve to serve the community.
                                                                         student then joined the Institute of Technical                 Emmett hopes to become an inspirational
                                                                         Education (ITE) where he achieved a near perfect           speaker in the future. “I want to encourage other
                                                                         GPA score, earning him a spot in NP’s Business             students and at-risk youths to persevere and not to
                                                                         Studies course.                                            give up on their lives,” said Emmett.

4                                                                                                                                                                                             5
GRADS GOING PLACES: WORKING ON THE SET OF CRAZY RICH ASIANS TOP GRADS' XTRAORDINARY JOURNEYS
/ features /

    TEY MING CHUAN                                                                           ANNE FOO                                                         HE SHIYING
    Course: Biomedical Engineering                                                           Course: Engineering Science                                      Course: Pharmacy Science
    Formerly from: Zhenghua Secondary School                                                 Formerly from: Presbyterian High School                          Formerly from: School of Science and Technology
    Awards: Lee Kuan Yew Award & Ngee Ann Polytechnic                                        Awards: Lee Kuan Yew Award & Ngee Ann Polytechnic                Awards: Lee Kuan Yew Award & Ngee Ann Polytechnic
    Outstanding Achievement Award                                                            Outstanding Achievement Award                                    Outstanding Achievement Award

               aving a father who fixed his electronic gadgets and                                     ne of Anne Foo’s most distinct childhood memories                 he may be soft-spoken and genteel, but He Shiying
     H         household appliances was what inspired Tey Ming
               Chuan to pursue a career in engineering.
                                                                                               O       was spending afternoons watching her late
                                                                                                       grandfather tinker with home appliances and fix
                                                                                                                                                                S        is a big-hearted advocate for spreading the green
                                                                                                                                                                         message.
        “My father has always been there to repair spoilt items.                             faulty gadgets.                                                      Her interest in environmental issues was piqued during
    The engineering tools and control systems that he brought                                    “He was always so excited about taking things apart          a community service trip to the Philippines, where she saw
    home also fascinated me,” said Ming Chuan.                                               and examining how they work,” said Anne, recalling how           how trash was managed in a landfill. “It made me realise how
        As he was also interested in biology, Ming Chuan decided                             her grandfather had ignited her interest in engineering at a     much waste we generate and motivated me to work towards a
    to pursue the Biomedical Engineering course in NP. “I wanted                             young age.                                                       zero-waste lifestyle,” she said.
    to explore the seemingly limitless possibilities in integrating   (From left) Tey Ming       “Although he is no longer around, his sense of wonder            Shiying then started a green social enterprise to reduce the
                                                                      Chuan, He Shiying
    biology and engineering,” he said.                                and Anne Foo.          and curiosity inspired in me a love for learning, as well as     use of disposable containers at food courts. She now brings her
        Ming Chuan’s opportunity came during his final-year                                  discovering new solutions to problems,” she added.               own food containers and cutlery whenever she eats out.
    project, a collaboration with the National University                                        Anne was naturally drawn to NP’s Engineering Science             “I hope we can all be more mindful of our consumer habits
    Hospital to aid in administering liquid food to patients with                            course because of its strong focus on research. At NP, she       and not buy more than what is needed,” said Shiying, who is
    swallowing difficulties. Instead of tapping on x-rays to trace                           worked on several research projects, including developing        currently pursuing a degree in Global Studies at NUS under the
    the internal placement of the feeding tube, the project                                  an algorithm for the detection of coronary artery disease        NUS Global Merit Scholarship.
    utilises air pressure from an electromechanical pneumatic                                using electrocardiograms (ECG).                                      Her support for worthy causes also led her to give free
    system which is a safer, simpler and cheaper method.                                                                                                      tuition to children from low-income families and volunteer
        The project received a Merit Prize at the Tan Kah Kee                                                                                                 with Beyond Social Services and Trans Family Services.
    Young Inventors’ Award and a Bronze Award (Polytechnic                                       [Working on my research                                          During her internship at Hougang Polyclinic, Shiying gained
    Category) at the Biomedical Engineering Society’s 11th                                       project] got me thinking                                     practical experience in dispensing medicines to patients. Being
    Scientific Meeting.                                                                                                                                       immersed in the healthcare system, she also saw how different
        Graduating at the top of his cohort, Ming Chuan has                                      about the possibility                                        healthcare professionals worked together to treat patients.
    come a long way from his secondary school days, where he                                     of pursuing a career as                                          “My course at NP gave me a good grounding in the
    was often placed near the bottom of his class. “Being ranked
    36th out of 38 students in my class woke me up. It made me
                                                                                                 a doctor, so that I can                                      development and prevention of diseases, which is what I am
                                                                                                                                                              passionate about,” she said.
    reconsider what I was doing and I was determined to pick                                     make a direct impact on                                          Shiying hopes to pursue a career as an epidemiologist,
    myself up,” he said.
        “I hope to be involved in the world of technology, and
                                                                                                 the lives of others.                                         researching the spread and management of diseases – an
                                                                                                                                                              aspiration shaped by her experience in the Philippines.
                                                                                                 – Anne Foo
    use my technical skills and knowledge to develop a new                                                                                                        “We visited a local hospital and saw patients lying on beds
    innovation which can benefit the community in future,”                                                                                                    in the hallway and lobbies,” she said. “I wanted to do more to
    he added.                                                                                     For their efforts, her team won the Best Project Award at   help people like them as I believe healthcare is a basic right
                                                                                             the annual Polytechnic Student Research Programme. They          for every individual. This has inspired me to pursue a career in
                                                                                             were also selected to present their project findings at the      public health where I can touch the lives of others directly.”
        I hope to be involved in                                                             International STEM Students Forum in Hong Kong.
                                                                                                  “While working on this project, I saw how I could use my
        the world of technology,                                                             skills to make people’s lives better. It got me thinking about
        and use my technical                                                                 pursuing a career as a doctor, so that I can make a direct           My course at NP gave me
        skills and knowledge to                                                              impact on the lives of others.”
                                                                                                  Anne has been accepted in the new SUTD-Duke-NUS
                                                                                                                                                                  a good grounding in the
        develop a new innovation                                                             Special Track, which is jointly offered by the Singapore             development and prevention
        which can benefit the                                                                University of Technology and Design and Duke-NUS Medical             of diseases, which is what I
                                                                                             School. The interdisciplinary programme prepares students
        community in future.                                                                 with an engineering background for leadership roles in               am passionate about.
        – Tey Ming Chuan                                                                     healthcare as clinicians who can treat patients while                – He Shiying
                                                                                             harnessing technology to develop medical innovations.

6                                                                                                                                                                                                                                7
GRADS GOING PLACES: WORKING ON THE SET OF CRAZY RICH ASIANS TOP GRADS' XTRAORDINARY JOURNEYS
/ cover story /

                  IoT
                                                                                    Lights                                                                  NP’s Work Smarter                           Work Smarter
                                                                                     off!                                                                   projects in numbers                         Help Each Other

                                                                                                                                                               Over                                         from

                                                                                                                                                            80                                               20
                                                                                                              treamline and automate work processes,
                                                                                                                                                                                                        Work Smarter
                                                                                                              and remove what are repetitive and
                                                                                                              frustrating. This is what the Work Smarter,                                                ~
                                                                                                                                                                                                        Help Each Other

                                                                                                              Help Each Other movement at Ngee Ann
                                                                                                                                                             projects                                  schools/depts
                                                                                                              Polytechnic (NP) has been encouraging
                                                                                                   staff to do.
                                                                                                                                                                                                    Cost Savings
                                                                                                       And the response has been resounding. In the
                                                                                                   last year, about 20 schools and departments have
                                                                                                   conceptualised over 80 “Work Smarter” projects,                                    >$290,000
                                                                                                   featuring new technology and tools such as data
                                                                                                   analytics and e-ticketing. This has led to estimated

                                                                                                                                                                                                    >5,800
                                                                                                   annual savings of over $290,000 and more than            Man-day
                                                                                                   5,800 man-days.                                          Savings
                                                                                                       Being lean, agile and digital are among the
                                                                                                   welcomed outcomes of the current theme in Public
                                                                                                   Sector Transformation, which are aligned along
                                                                                                   three As: Ambition, Alignment and Action; in other
                                                                                                   words, to aim higher, work together and make              Data analytics software like Tableau
                                                                                                   things happen.                                            allows staff to efficiently prepare
                                                                                                                                                             customised interactive reports.
                                                                                                       It is necessary to work smarter as resources
                                                                                                   are tightening, but there is no need to fear
                                                                                                   transformation, said NP Principal, Mr Clarence Ti.
                                                                                                       He said: “We have been through it all before
                                                                                                   and thrived. Remember the days of OHPs,
                                                                                                   transparencies, typewriters and night soil collectors?
                                                                                                   Adapt quickly; don’t be afraid to ask questions and
                                                                                                   try new things.”

                                                                                     k force, e         We have been through
                                                                               w o r
                                                                  e
                                                                          nn
                                                                    Ngee A f ideas Text: Le
                                                                                            a We        it all before and thrived.
                                                          a g i l       af
                                           r a
                                                       re
                                               nd mo nnovative st                                       Remember the days of
                                       n e
                                A le a       ov e r 8
                                                      0i                                                OHPs, transparencies,
                                    k s  t o
                               than                                                                     typewriters and night
       be
     ow

                                                                                                        soil collectors? Adapt
Gn

                                                                                                        quickly; don’t be afraid
                                                                                                        to ask questions and try
                                                                                                        new things.
                                                                                                        – Mr Clarence Ti, NP Principal
                        data

                                                                                                                                                                                    The AskNP chatbot can answer about
                                                                                                                                                                                    200 questions relating to Ngee Ann’s
                                                                                                                                                                                                courses and admissions.

8                                                                                                                                                                                                                          9
GRADS GOING PLACES: WORKING ON THE SET OF CRAZY RICH ASIANS TOP GRADS' XTRAORDINARY JOURNEYS
/ cover story /

     Work Smart idea #1                                                                                                       Making data analytics
                                                                                                                                                        Work Smart idea #3
     Better Insights with Data Analytics                                                                                       tools accessible to NP
                                                                                                                               staff are Mr Lim Hock
                                                                                                                           Chuan (left) and Mr Hang
                                                                                                                                                        Arts Fiesta Goes Cashless
                                                                                                                            Kim Yam (right) from the
     Data analytics is no longer a rarefied field for the highly-
     numerate. To get more staff to work smart around data,
                                                                                                                               Centre for Learning &
                                                                                                                                Teaching Excellence.
                                                                                                                                                        The number of Arts Fiesta performances has been increasing
                                                                                                                                                        – from six in its inaugural year in 2011, to 24 last year. Staff        Other
     NP’s Centre for Learning & Teaching Excellence (CLTE) began
     introducing data analytics such as Tableau, a self-service data
                                                                                                                                                        from the Student Development Office (SDO), which manages
                                                                                                                                                        the annual event had to allocate more resources to manage               Work Smarter
     analytics tool.
         Mr Hang Kim Yam, NP’s Data Strategy Lead, said: “We
                                                                                                                                                        its ticketing.
                                                                                                                                                             Previously, students had to design and sell the tickets
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                projects include :
     aim to let users connect to and combine data from different                                                                                        before depositing the proceeds – which could reach $100,000
     sources, build highly-interactive visualisations, as well as                                                                                       – with SDO.
     analyse data to gain insights for better decision-making.”                                                                                              SDO staff, along with Finance officers would then tally the        Smart Lighting
         Since 2017, more academic schools have been using                                                                                              stubs and cash, which occasionally went missing, said Mr Soh            At the Corporate Communications Office, staff can
     Tableau to prepare customised interactive reports to get                                                                                           Ee Shaun, SDO’s Senior Student Development Officer. “It was             now turn on their workstation lights via a mobile
     better insights into student performance. NP’s Finance                                                                                             also difficult to determine the sales rate running up to each           app. The system also automatically turns off 50
     department also published its interactive year-end                                                                                                 activity and intervene if they were poor, as some students              per cent of the office’s corridor lights during lunch
     procurement report online using Tableau.                                                                                                           handed in their tickets late,” he added.                                break and after working hours, cutting down
         The process used to take six Finance staff almost 200 man-                                                                                          To resolve these issues, SDO tapped on e-ticketing app,            lighting time per day by 33 per cent.
     hours to complete. Report generation required several stages,                                                                                      Ticket Tailor, which lets users purchase tickets online,
     including the extracting, cleansing and blending of data. The     version of the report. Hence, only one report               Watch the
                                                                                                                                 project video:
                                                                                                                                                        eradicating the need for physical tickets. There was no need
     data then had to be separated into different datasets, and        needs to be prepared. The entire process takes                                   to design and print tickets, as well as count stubs and money.          Online Safety Training
     reports were prepared for each school and department.             a staff only four to five man-hours to complete.                                 Plus, with electronic payments, there were no longer reports            Instead of attending face-to-face safety orientation
         With Tableau, staff can use the cleansed data directly            Said Mr Hang: “Moving forward, our aim is                                    of missing cash.                                                        training, new staff at NP’s Risk Management
     to populate the report before publishing it online. A “User       to equip all schools and departments with self-                                       All in, about 614 manhours, or 60 working          Watch the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Office (RMO) now learn through bite-sized
     Filter” feature lets schools or departments view only their       service data analytics capability.”                                              days, which translated to about $62,400 in cash, project video:         modules on mobile platform, Gnowbe. This has
                                                                                                                                                        were saved. The initiative bagged a bronze award                        saved RMO 12 man-hours of training per year and
                                                                                                                                                        in this year’s MOE Innergy and Outstanding                              allowed new staff to learn anytime and anywhere.
                                                                                                                                                        Innovator Awards (Statutory Board).
                                           Work Smart idea #2          He’s friendly, available 24/7 and has virtually all the answers
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Electronic MC Submissions
                               A 24/7 Digital Assistant                to your questions about courses and admissions at Ngee
                                                                       Ann Polytechnic.                                                                                                                                         NP’s Engineering and InfoComm Technology
                                                                           Meet AskNP, a chatbot developed by NP’s Student &                                                                                                    schools streamlined student submissions of
                                                                       Alumni Services Office (SAS).                                                                                         Thanks to the Student              medical certificates, using e-applications and
     The chatbot has reduced the number                                                                                                                                                      Development Office’s Mr Lee
     of admissions enquiries received by                                   Thanks to AskNP, phone enquiries on admissions through                                                            Mee Shin (left) and Mr Soh         self-service kiosks. This lightens administrative
     Ms Audrey Chong (left) and Ms Siti                                                                                                                                                      Ee Shaun (right), hard copy        workload as staff only need to approve
     Zubaidah (right) from the Student &                               the polytechnic’s main line in January this year – usually the                                                        Arts Fiesta tickets (inset) have
     Alumni Services Office.
                                                                       busiest month due to the Joint Admissions Exercise – dropped                                                          been replaced by e-tickets,        submissions at the end of each day.
                                                                                                                                                                                             eliminating the need to count
                                                                       by 28 per cent, said Ms Audrey Chong, SAS’ Assistant Director.                                                        physical cash and ticket stubs.
                                                                           SAS Executive, Ms Siti Zubaidah, one of two staff manning                                                                                            E-donation Drive
                                                                       the main line, welcomed the change. “I used to feel like a                                                                                               Fund-raising went digital during a recent donation
                                                                       robot, repeating the same reply to the same questions again                                                                                              drive for Lombok’s earthquake victims. Staff and
                                                                       and again,” she said.                                                                                                                                    students donated by scanning a QR code for
                                                                           SAS currently receives about 12,000 enquiries –                                                                                                      mobile payment, reducing the cost and risk of
                                                                       comprising 10,000 calls and 2,000 emails – a year.                                                                                                       counting and depositing cash. By going digital,
                                                                           “We aim to divert at least half of the enquiries to the                                                                                              the team was also able to launch the fund-raising
                                                                       chatbot, so our frontline staff can be deployed to answer                                                                                                effort within a short time.
                                                                       only the more complex questions which the chatbot cannot
                                                                       handle,” said Ms Chong.
                                                                           All conversations are reviewed by a chatbot trainer,                                                                                                 Automated Scripting
                                                                       who inserts “new knowledge” into a bot training platform                                                                                                 The Computer Centre automated work via
                                                                       developed by local start-up, KeyReply.                                                                                                                   scripting for the Exam Repository System Setup for
                                                                                                                                Watch the
                                                                           The chatbot can now answer about 200               project video:                                                                                    over 1,000 modules per semester. This saved 59
                                                                       questions. SAS plans to further develop the                                                                                                              man-hours, and cut down on errors and repetitive
                                                                       chatbot to answer queries covering student life                                                                                                          work for staff.
                                                                       as well as continuing education courses.

10                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      11
GRADS GOING PLACES: WORKING ON THE SET OF CRAZY RICH ASIANS TOP GRADS' XTRAORDINARY JOURNEYS
/ highlights /

 HACKING FINTECH                                                   Innovative ideas emerge at inaugural FinTech
                                                                   hackathon for polytechnic students Text: Hafeez Sim                         BOOSTING OVERSEAS                                                                                     Four-fold increase
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     in students gaining
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     overseas exposure,

                                                                                                                                               LEARNING FOR STUDENTS
               nce thought of as technology                                                                                                                                                                                                          thanks to support from
       O       used only for a bank’s back-end
               functions, financial technology
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Ngee Ann Kongsi
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Text: Melanie Wee

     or FinTech today is disrupting the
                                                                                                                                                         or aspiring entrepreneur,
     traditional banking and financial sector.
     Thanks to FinTech, consumers can now                                                                                                        F       Cheryl Dee, her two-week trip
                                                                                                                                                         to Hong Kong was an eye-
     access personal banking information
                                                                                                                                               opening experience.
     and purchase financial products with
                                                                                                                                                   She travelled there as part of
     their smartphones. Chatbots can also
                                                                                                                                               Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s (NP) Overseas
     attend to customers’ queries 24/7.
                                                                                                                                               Innovation Challenge, which provides
          Thus, it is no surprise that the                                                                                                     opportunities for student innovators
     younger generation is already                                                                                                             and budding entrepreneurs to propose
     diving into this emerging field – the                                                                                                     solutions to industry challenges.
     inaugural PolyFinTech 100 Hackathon                                                                                                           “The trip really broadened my
     saw over 120 participants from the                                                                                                        understanding of innovation. It was
     five polytechnics try their hand at                                                                                                       satisfying to see how our idea could
     developing application programming                                                                                                        potentially help a company to grow,”
     interfaces or APIs (see box story) for                                                                                                    said Cheryl.
     the financial services sector.                                                                                                                This is just one of the programmes
          Spearheaded by Ngee Ann                                                                                                              made possible by annual funding from
                                                                                 NP’s Team Unitym came up tops with an innovative solution                                                 (From left): Mr Clarence Ti, Principal, Ngee Ann Polytechnic; Mr Tang Kin Fei, Chairman, Ngee Ann
     Polytechnic (NP), and supported by                                                                                                        Ngee Ann Kongsi, alongside others such      Polytechnic Council; Ms Low Yen Ling, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education and Manpower;
                                                                                         to help SMEs build and retain their customer bases.
     the Monetary Authority of Singapore                                                                                                                                                   Mr Richard Lee, President, Ngee Ann Kongsi; Mr Goh Kim Hock, Chairman, Education/Scholarships &
                                                                                                                                               as the Global Entrepreneurial Internship    Bursaries Sub-Committee, Ngee Ann Kongsi.
     (MAS) and other local polytechnics,                                                                                                       Programme and Social Leadership
     the Hackathon also provided                 Choong, Director of The Sandbox, NP’s       problems. You begin to see what you               Challenge which enable NP students to       by over four-fold since 2013.                          “Ngee Ann Kongsi’s generous
     opportunities for participants to meet      innovation and entrepreneurship office.     learn in the classroom really come to             deepen their skills, experience foreign         This year, the philanthropic                   contributions will ensure that all
     and network with industry partners              Eighteen teams vied for the top spot    life as you tackle issues,” said Jeremy           cultures and give back to society.          organisation donated $8.4 million                  students regardless of background or
     including Citibank, DBS, OCBC, UOB,         in six categories during the month-long     Soh, team leader of UniTym.                           Thanks to Ngee Ann Kongsi’s             to NP, in a ceremony graced by Ms                  financial ability, can achieve their full
     NETS and PayPal.                            competition. NP’s UniTym, comprising a           The Hackathon was part of                    unwavering support, the number of           Low Yen Ling, Senior Parliamentary                 potential and take advantage of the
          “We are excited to host the            team of Financial Informatics students,     PolyFinTech 100, a framework by MAS               students participating in such overseas     Secretary for Education and Manpower               learning opportunities that NP offers,”
     largest API Hackathon in Singapore          won the PolyFinTech 100 Award               and the five polytechnics to equip                development programmes has increased        on September 20.                                   said NP Principal, Mr Clarence Ti.
     for the financial services sector as it     category for its innovative customer        graduates with the necessary skills
     is a great opportunity for not only         loyalty programme to help SMEs build        that will allow them to do well in the
     participants to gain industry insights,     and retain their customer bases.            future economy.

                                                                                                                                               STRENGTHENING INDUSTRY TIES
     but also for participating companies            “The Hackathon was a wonderful
     to nurture the next generation of           opportunity for us to apply our
     FinTech API developers,” said Mr Patrice    classroom knowledge to real-world               Just what is an API?
                                                                                                 An application programming
                                                                                                 interface (API) helps developers                        lose industry partnerships are key at Ngee Ann             SAP: Polytechnic graduates and mid-career professionals
          The Hackathon was a wonderful                                                          connect to a function within
                                                                                                 an operating system or acts as
                                                                                                                                                 C       Polytechnic (NP), giving students access to applied
                                                                                                                                                         learning opportunities, internships, real-world
                                                                                                                                                                                                                    will benefit from infocomm courses, including predictive
                                                                                                                                                                                                                    analytics, artificial intelligence and blockchain technology.
          opportunity for us to apply our                                                        an intermediary between two                   projects and industry mentors. Some recent collaborations            The programmes are part of SAP Skills University Singapore,
          classroom knowledge to real-world                                                      applications. This may sound                  include Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) signed with:              launched under an MOU signed by enterprise software
                                                                                                 complicated, but one just has to
          problems. You begin to see what you                                                    imagine an API as the bridge that             Defence Science & Technology Agency (DSTA): Under
                                                                                                                                                                                                                    giant, SAP, with SkillsFuture Singapore and the five local
                                                                                                                                                                                                                    polytechnics, including NP.
          learn in the classroom really come to                                                  lets an app such as Instagram                 the partnership, NP students will gain exposure to cutting-
          life as you tackle issues.                                                             access a smartphone’s camera,
                                                                                                 without first having to develop its
                                                                                                                                               edge technologies and training opportunities. Hackathons,            EM Services Pte Ltd: The MOU will boost students’ exposure
                                                                                                                                               internships and lectures by DSTA engineers will give students        and arm them with industry-ready skills. It covers Service-
          – Jeremy Soh, Team Leader, UniTym                                                      own camera app software.                      valuable insights into emerging technologies such as artificial      Learning partnerships, internships and research projects to
                                                                                                                                               intelligence, automation, robotics and data science.                 prepare students for careers in facility management.

12                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             13
GRADS GOING PLACES: WORKING ON THE SET OF CRAZY RICH ASIANS TOP GRADS' XTRAORDINARY JOURNEYS
/ highlights /

     PASSIONATE ASIAN ON SET                                                                                                                              INTERN WITHOUT BORDERS
                                                                                                           On the movie set, Janice experienced
                                                                                                       amazing attention to detail by the
                                                                                                       professionals. While filming at Newton

     OF CRAZY RICH ASIANS
                                                                                                       hawker centre, Janice recounted ordering
                                                                                                       mutton soup, satay, chilli crab and other          Getting real-world learning experiences through an overseas internship Text: Ian Izdeehar
                                                                                                       local dishes for the crew before the shoot.
                                                                                                           She said, “Jon [the director] gave me
     Film, Sound & Video alumnus and Associate Producer of Crazy                                       a huge bunch of money to buy food and
     Rich Asians reveals what it’s like to work on the box office                                      told me that the the crew needs to fall in
     smash hit Text: Chan Yee Chun                                                                     love with the food; otherwise, they can’t
                                                                                                       shoot it well. It made me realise how
                hen Janice Chua visited Ngee           Lady Luck smiled on Janice when she             much you need to be in tune with the
         W      Ann Polytechnic’s (NP) Open
                House at the age of 15, she
                                                   met Terence Chang, producer of Chinese-
                                                   Hong Kong film, The Crossing. An industry
                                                                                                       subject matter to achieve excellence. That
                                                                                                       was a level of professionalism I’ve never
     did not guess that it would set her on        mentor to her, he advised her to venture            encountered,” she said.
     the road to Hollywood. The associate          to America, because “not many people                    Samantha Voon, a second-year
     producer of Hollywood smash hit, Crazy        have experience with both China and                 FSV student who attended the sharing
     Rich Asians revealed this during an on-       Hollywood”. With her bilingual English              session, said that she was inspired by
     campus sharing session on her film career     and Chinese language skills opening new             Janice’s resilience throughout her journey
     with NP students in August.                   doors, Janice relocated to Los Angeles              to Hollywood. Course mate Daniel Lee
         Janice first had her interest in stage    after joining Ivanhoe Pictures (now SK              was similarly encouraged. “I’ve realised
     props piqued when she was in secondary        Global), an American production company             that it’s okay to take the time to discover
     school, thanks to the Arthur Miller plays     which had just bought the intellectual              our own areas of expertise while learning
     she had read then. Deciding to pursue her     property rights for Crazy Rich Asians.              from others’ experience,” he said.
     passion in stage production, she enrolled
     in NP’s Film, Sound & Video (FSV) course.
         Upon graduation, Janice pursued
     a degree in Creative Producing from
     Chapman University. By then, she had                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Visiting the Reichstag
     discovered her interest for long form films                                                                                                                                                                                                                       building, where the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   German Parliament sits.
     and producing, a perfect match for her
     creative talent. However, unable to break
                                                                                                                                                                    aving a mother who is            programming and coding temperature
     into the American market despite a film
     internship in Los Angeles, Janice moved to
     China and worked with a film production
                                                                                                                                                            H       German, Reinhard Tan
                                                                                                                                                                    has been understandably
                                                                                                                                                                                                     sensors, and designing and wiring
                                                                                                                                                                                                     circuit boards.
     company, where she was responsible for                                                                                                               fascinated by the country, supporting
     distributing Asian movies to Hollywood                                                                                                               its World Cup team and researching         BEING INDEPENDENT: I’ve grown so
                                                                                                                                                          the many historical figures who shared     much from living in Germany on my
     audiences. Yet she never gave up on her       Janice Chua, Associate Producer of Crazy Rich Asians, sheds light on her Hollywood experience during   his name. So when the opportunity          own – trying out simple recipes, doing
     dream of becoming a producer.                 the sharing session.
                                                                                                                                                          came for a five-month internship at        laundry regularly and travelling alone
                                                                                                                                                          Mannheim University, the Biomedical        to cities like Berlin and Heidelberg.
                                                                                                                                                          Engineering student jumped at the          I’ve even learnt to start a conversation

     SPECIAL MENTIONS
                                                                                                                                                          chance to visit the land of his dreams.    with “Entschuldigung sprechen sie
                                                                                                                                                                                                     English?” which roughly translates to
                                                                                                                                                          NEW COUNTRY, NEW SKILLS: I worked          “Excuse me, do you speak English?”
     ●   Five Biomedical Science and Environmental & Water Technology              ●   Senior Manager, School of Engineering, Mr Sunarto @                mainly with microcontrollers in            With that, I’ve always gotten help
         students won the Lee Hsien Loong Interactive Digital Media Smart              Quek Siaw Miang was shortlisted as one of four finalists           Mannheim University. Though I wasn’t       from friendly locals, so I didn’t need to                         At the Brandenburg
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Gate, one of
         Nation Award for their “Gravitrap” project. The team worked with              for the President’s Award for Teaching 2018 (Post-                 familiar with them, I wanted to learn      use a map or GPS.                                                     Germany's most
         the National Environment Agency (NEA) to develop the device that              Secondary Education Institutions), Singapore’s highest             something new and improve myself                                                                               iconic landmarks.

         traps and kills female mosquitos by using bait-water to lure them             accolade for teaching excellence. Over 6,000 nominations           – and what better way to do it than        SAME, BUT DIFFERENT: I learnt
         to a sticky tape. Its automated system pinpoints low levels of                were received for the award, which is presented annually           in a country that’s renowned for its       from my roommates that Germany’s            many students who were pursuing
         bait-water which need to be refilled by staff, thus allowing NEA to           on Teachers’ Day to exemplary teachers who have gone               engineering expertise! Along the way,      education system is very similar to         their Bachelor or Master degrees. Even
         allocate its manpower resources more efficiently.                             the extra mile for their students.                                 I picked up new hardware and software      Singapore’s. But university education       housing rental would cost more than
                                                                                                                                                          skills too. Some of my projects included   there is more affordable, so I met          further education in Germany!

14                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            15
GRADS GOING PLACES: WORKING ON THE SET OF CRAZY RICH ASIANS TOP GRADS' XTRAORDINARY JOURNEYS
/ highlights /                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              / the last page /

     THE QUAKE THAT SHOOK NGEE ANN’S
     COMMUNITY INTO ACTION
     Over $30,000 raised for Lombok earthquake victims within a month Text: Melanie Wee

                                                                  hen news of the first Lombok      555 fatalities and damaging almost
                                                         W        earthquake broke in July, it
                                                                  did not just rock the country
                                                                                                    77,000 homes.
                                                                                                         Within a day of the second
                                                        of Indonesia. It also shook a community     earthquake, NP staff and students had
                                                        of Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) staff and      set up a digital donation drive to raise
                                                        students, who had built strong bonds        funds for the earthquake victims. Many
                                                        with the locals in Lombok, having           contributed generously to the campus-
                                                        travelled there on community and            wide drive, which raised over $30,000
                                                        Service-Learning trips since 2014.          in a month, far surpassing the original
                                                            So, when the recent earthquakes         $10,000 target.
                                                        hit the area, Mr Raja Mohammad                   The funds were channelled towards
                                                        Fairuz, a Senior Manager from the           basic food provisions, rebuilding efforts
                                                        School of Design & Environment (DE),        and shelter kits. In addition, four NP staff
                                                        was concerned.                              visited the area to deliver relief supplies
                                                            He said, “I started receiving           and build shelters. While there, the team
                                                        WhatsApp updates from the villagers         also tested out a prototype transitional
                                                        there after the first earthquake, which     shelter called Shelter+, which is easily
                                                        had damaged some buildings.” A              assembled using local materials. The low-
                                                        week later, a second 7.0 magnitude          cost Shelter+ was developed by etc.lab, a
                                                        earthquake followed, destroying homes       collaborative design and research centre
                                                        and buildings in the villages of Sembalun   launched by DE.
                                                        Lawang and Sembalun Bumbung.                     In the past four years, over 200
                                                            “Some of the homes that we had          students from various schools in NP
                                                        stayed in previously had collapsed as       have visited villages in northern and
     The appeal for digital donations which was sent
     out to NP’s staff and students.                    they were built with bricks and concrete    eastern Lombok, building libraries and
                                                        and were not reinforced,” added Mr          kindergartens, and teaching IT and
                                                        Raja. In total, four earthquakes struck     English classes as part of their Service-
     Media coverage of NP’s fund-raising efforts
     helped to raise awareness of the donation drive,   the area within three weeks, causing        Learning projects.
     with over $30,000 collected.

                                                                                                                                                                            BUILDING BONDS ACROSS BORDERS
                                                                                                                                                                                                        A Special Connection with Lombok 

                                                                                                                                                                           Singapore and Lombok may be almost 3,000 kilometres apart, but for Ngee Ann Polytechnic staff and students
                                                                                                                                                                            who have forged a special bond with the locals there, the distance is but a number. On their Service-Learning
                                                                                                                                                                           trips to Lombok, our staff and students have been warmly welcomed into local communities. They have walked
                                                                                                                                                                          into the lives of the villagers and understood their needs. And with a huge dose of empathy, they use their skills
                                                                                                                                                                           and knowledge to build from scratch kindergartens and libraries, and run programmes for the little children. In
                                                                                                                                                                           return, the villagers extend their hand of friendship. The chemistry is almost spontaneous, and the bonds built
                                                                                                          Source: The Straits Times ©Singapore Press Holdings Limited.
                                                                                                                                                                                       over time and space are a beautiful reflection of a world without borders and prejudices.
                                                                                                                                  Permission required for reproduction.

16
You can also read