A Publication of National University of Singapore

MAY/JUNE 2011

University Awards 2011Honouring outstanding achievers

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HONOURING OUTSTANDING ACHIEVERS: Proud recipients of this year’s NUS University Awards (Absent in photo: Assoc Prof Lockhart, who was away for a conference)

Eleven outstanding individuals were honoured for their exceptional achievements and commitment to excellence in education, research and service at the NUS University Awards 2011 held at the University Cultural Centre on 29 April. The award categories and recipients were:

Outstanding Service AwardRecognises sustained meritorious service rendered to the University, to Singapore, and the international community

Mr Tony Chew Leong-Chee, Executive Chairman of Asia Resource Corporation, and Chairman of Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore and Singapore Business Federation

Prof Shih Choon Fong, President and Professor of Mechanical Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia; and Distinguished Visiting Professor, NUS Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Outstanding Educator AwardRecognises faculty members who have excelled in engaging and inspiring students in their discovery of knowledge

Mr Cheah Kok Ming, Department of Architecture, School of Design and Environment

Prof Koh Khee Meng, Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science

Assoc Prof Joel Lee Tye Beng, Faculty of Law

Assoc Prof Bruce Lockhart, Department of History, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Recognising excellence in education, research and service

Outstanding Researcher AwardRecognises established researchers for their strong track record and overall impact in research

Prof Jagadese J Vittal, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science

Young Researcher AwardRecognises researchers below 40 years of age for their achievements and promise in research

Assoc Prof Chng Wee Joo, Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine; and Senior Principal Investigator, Cancer Science Institute of Singapore

Assoc Prof Gong Jiangbin, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science

Dr Liu Xiaogang, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science

Assoc Prof Yu Haifeng, Department of Computer Science, School of Computing

Commending these exceptional achievers, NUS President Prof Tan Chorh Chuan said at the awards ceremony that “they are challenging us through their example, to constantly push to excel beyond ourselves and others. They shine because of their individual talent and determination. But they also remind us how vital it is to have an environment and culture that fiercely values excellence, that always strives to be self-surpassing.”

He added that by working together to make the University a transformative place where its people always reach beyond themselves, the NUS community could create real impact and value, and establish NUS as a leading global university centred in Asia.

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Mr Cheah Kok Ming adopts a hands-on problem-based approach which encourages effective thinking and learning. Under his guidance, many of his students had won international design competitions and best paper awards. He had also ledtransformative curricular changes that resulted in significant increases in student enrolment.

Prof Koh Khee Meng, who won 20 teaching awards in the last 18 years, is highly sought after, especially as a research supervisor. He chaired the Department Teaching Excellence Committee for more than 10 years and had also been the President of the Singapore Mathematical Society.

Assoc Prof Joel Lee co-pioneered the skills-based workshops at the Faculty of Law, distinguishing the NUS law school as the first in Asia to adopt this pedagogy. A consummate teacher, he has received excellent feedback from students who found him to be also an inspiring mentor.

Assoc Prof Bruce Lockhart is not only strong in nurturing critical minds, but also dedicated to providing good counsel and mentorship to students. He had also played a leading role in developing and revamping various history modules offered by his department.

Mr Tony Chew was instrumental in setting Duke-NUS on the path towards becoming a top medical school in Asia. He had also helped to establish well-known brands such as Pepsi-Cola Vietnam and Jetstar Asia Airways, and revitalise established corporations such as Del Monte Pacific. He actively promoted Singapore and regional businesses through leadership in government agencies and serving on the boards of government-linked companies.

Prof Shih Choon Fong is the founding President of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. He also founded the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering and the Materials Research Society of Singapore. As NUS President from 2000 to 2008, he led its transformation into an internationally recognised research university.

ROLL OF HONOUR

Outstanding Service

Outstanding Educators

Outstanding Researcher

Prof Jagadese J Vittal is internationally recognised for his many contributions to chemistry, particularly in the field of crystal engineering. He had published over 400 papers in internationally refereed journals, reviews and book chapters, and received more than 8,000 citations.

Outstanding Young Researchers

Assoc Prof Chng Wee Joo led groundbreaking research to conceive novel tools and approaches for understanding and treating multiple myeloma. His work gave rise to better diagnostic and prognostic techniques, and enabled greater understanding of myeloma biology, drug targets and drug resistance.

Assoc Prof Gong Jiangbin excelled in a broad range of research in quantum and nonlinear physics. He recently proposed a very exciting scheme to protect the so-called “entangled states”, and the theories he developed have been translated into experiments to understand the quantum world.

Dr Liu Xiaogang made extraordinary discoveries and impactful contributions to the field of nanomaterials chemistry. He and his team are widely recognised for their success in creating complex and customisable nanocrystals capable of diverse functions, from enhancing studies of biological systems to treating cancer.

Assoc Prof Yu Haifeng is well known for having developed a series of highly innovative algorithms to limit the corruptive influences of Sybil attacks in distributed systems. He had also conceived an aggregate algorithm that could tolerate adversarial interference in sensor networks.

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NUS President Prof Tan Chorh Chuan attended the Global Summit of University Presidents and the Association of Pacific Rim Universities’ (APRU) 15th Annual Presidents Meeting, hosted by Tsinghua University (THU) in China, from 22 to 24 April 2011. The meeting, held in conjunction with THU’s 100th anniversary celebrations, was attended by more than 300 academic leaders and delegates from leading universities and academic institutions across the globe, including 29 university presidents from 34 APRU member universities in Asia, Australasia, North and South America. China’s President Hu Jintao, one of many prominent Tsinghua University alumni, also graced the event and gave an address at the Great Hall of the People.

Discussions at the joint meeting centred on the theme “Global Socioeconomic Development and Higher Education”. The academic leaders examined many factors critical to the future of universities and their role in social and economic development. At the breakout discussion, Prof Tan shared the NUS administrative model of university governance

APRU UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS AT TSINGHUA: (From left) Hong Kong University of Science and Technology President Prof Tony F Chan; APRU Chair and University of California, Santa Barbara Chancellor Prof Henry T Yang; Prof Tan Chorh Chuan; and University of California, Los Angeles Chancellor Prof Gene Block

Strengthening education ties with ChinaNUS hosted the inaugural China Education Exhibition, organised by China’s Ministry of Education in collaboration with NUS and the China Embassy in Singapore, on 6 May 2011. Under the facilitation of the China Scholarship Council (CSC), some 24 Chinese universities, including Fudan University, Peking University and Tsinghua University, participated in the event.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, China Ambassador to Singapore His Excellency Wei Wei commented that partnerships between Singapore and China had extended across many fields over the past 20 years, especially in terms of education exchange. He hoped that through this exhibition, the people in Singapore, particularly its youths, would gain a deeper understanding of higher

education and overseas study in China.

Noting the strong collaborations between China and Singapore in education, training and research, NUS President Prof Tan Chorh Chuan highlighted some ways in which NUS had contributed to this increased exchange between the two countries. He cited examples such as the Master’s in Public Administration and Management programme for senior officials from China, jointly offered by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and NUS Business School; and the setting up of the NUS Research Institute in Suzhou Industrial Park.

and its approach to balancing autonomy and accountability in order to address various challenges in university administration.

Established in 1997, APRU is a consortium of 42 leading research universities in the Pacific Rim. Prof Tan is a member of the APRU Steering Committee which provides leadership for the association.

– By APRU Secretariat

NUS President meets academic leaders at Tsinghua

PROMOTING CHINA-SINGAPORE RELATIONS: (From left) Mr Li Jianmin, H E Wei Wei and Prof Tan Chorh Chuan at the ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the opening of the exhibition

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Football League Hall of Fame member, judge and education activist; Lisa Randall, a professor of theoretical physics and a leading expert on particle physics and cosmology; Eric Shinseki, Secretary of the US Department of Veterans Affairs, former US Army Chief of Staff and a Duke graduate; and Mr John Chambers, the Chair and CEO of Cisco Systems.

Duke President Prof Richard H Brodhead read out a brief biography of Prof Tan’s achievements, citing his integral role in making the Duke-NUS partnership work, orchestrating Singapore’s multifaceted response to the SARS epidemic in 2003, and efforts in Singapore’s Biomedical Sciences Initiative. “Professor Tan, in you Duke recognises a hero in Global Health”, said Prof Brodhead. Prof Tan was hooded by the Duke University Faculty Marshall, and presented with his honorary degree by Prof Brodhead at a platform before graduands and parents.

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AMONG THE INAUGURAL BATCH OF DUKE-NUS GRADUANDS: Low Ying Hui hooded by Duke-NUS Vice Dean of Education Dr Robert Kamei at the Duke School of Medicine Diploma Ceremony

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CONFERRED HONORARY DOCTOR OF SCIENCE: Prof Tan receiving his honorary degree from Prof Brodhead at Duke University’s 159th Commencement

Tan Chorh Chuan receives honorary Doctor of Science at Duke UniversityNUS President Prof Tan Chorh Chuan was conferred an honorary Doctor of Science by Duke University at its 159th Commencement on 15 May 2011 in Durham, North Carolina, US. The honorary award was given in recognition of Prof Tan’s contributions as an international leader in biomedical sciences, public health and higher education.

Prof Tan was one of seven honorees who received their Duke honorary degrees before an estimated 14,000 attendees at the ceremony held at Duke’s Wallace Wade Stadium. Other honorary degree recipients included Rita Dove, an English professor, author and former US poet laureate; James B Hunt Jr, a former North Carolina governor and public education advocate; Alan Page, a US National

Inaugural Duke-NUS MD class celebrates completion of medical trainingThe first class of 24 medical students who joined the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore (Duke-NUS) in August 2007 celebrated the completion of their four-year Doctor of Medicine (MD) training on 28 May 2011. The pre-graduation celebration, graced by Singapore’s Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen and US Ambassador to Singapore Mr David Adelman, was attended by government and health leaders as well as faculty and family members.

Congratulating the students, Dr Victor J Dzau, MD, Chancellor for Health Affairs of Duke University and CEO of Duke University Health System, said: “As the students who have become the first to complete four years of a novel medical education paradigm, you have paved the way for future generations of physicians, physician scientists and leaders who will graduate from this school that you helped found.”

Also speaking at the celebration event, NUS President Prof Tan Chorh Chuan said: “To the Class of 2011, your future beckons you with great promise and potential. Your immersion in the

Duke-NUS’ culture of excellence, boldness and imagination; the innovative clinical and research training you have received; and the pioneering spirit you epitomise – all these will enable you to make a real difference to our patients, to our community and to society.”

The graduands will receive their MD degrees at the first NUS Commencement Ceremony on 4 July 2011.

HOODING CEREMONY: One of the graduands, Mr Chia Ghim Song, being hooded, signifying the successful completion of his graduate programme.

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NUS hosts inaugural APRU Provosts Forum

INAUGURAL APRU PROVOSTS FORUM: Involving 40 representatives from 26 universities

NUS welcomed some 40 representatives from 26 universities, including over 20 provosts, vice chancellors and vice presidents, at the inaugural Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Provosts Forum from 26 to 27 April 2011. Highlighting the significance of the event, which marked APRU’s first formal gathering of provosts since its inception in 1997, NUS Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost Prof Tan Eng Chye said: “The APRU Provosts Forum allows provosts to leverage on the alliance network, establish ties and engage fellow provosts in mutually beneficial dialogues and exchanges on critical trends and issues on academia.”

NUS ranked as one of the top 3 universities in Asia

review, student/faculty ratio, papers per faculty, citations per paper, international faculty review, international student review, student exchange inbound and student exchange outbound. Over 400 universities are assessed each year. NUS also did well in the QS World University Rankings® by Subject, which have been released in phases since March 2011.

NUS was once again ranked amongst the top three universities in Asia, according to the 2011 QS Asian University Rankings released on 23 May 2011. The University performed well across most of the indicators, emerging 1st in Asia for employer reputation and 2nd in Asia for academic reputation, international faculty and international students. On the rankings, NUS Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost Prof Tan Eng Chye said: “This is a strong affirmation of the outstanding work by our faculty and staff in research and education.” “Asian universities stand at an exciting phase of their development, and we observed great advances being forged by universities in China, South Korea and the rest of Asia. As a global university centred in Asia, we will continue to build strong alliances with partner institutions from around the world to leap-frog ahead. Leveraging on our insights and expertise in Asia, we will work closely with our Asian and global partners to contribute to setting the pace and trends in Asia and the world, in selected areas of education, scholarship and its application,” added Prof Tan. Launched in 2009, the QS Asian University Rankings is published annually and ranks Asia’s top 200 universities based on relevant criteria, including academic peer review, recruiter

WorldRanking

AsianRankingQS World University Rankings by Subject 2011

* The Social Sciences and Management Rankings will be released at a later stage

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ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

Chemical Engineering

Civil and Structural Engineering

Computer Science and Information Systems

Electrical Engineering

Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing

LIFE SCIENCES AND MEDICINE

Biological Sciences

Medicine

Psychology

NATURAL SCIENCES

Chemistry

Environmental Sciences

Metallurgy and Materials

Mathematics

Physics and Astronomy

ARTS AND HUMANITIES

English Language and Literature

Modern Languages

Philosophy

Geography and Area Studies

Linguistics

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Joint PhDs offered by NUS and University of EdinburghThe NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the University of Edinburgh to offer a joint PhD programme, allowing graduate students to pursue a doctoral degree in any subject offered by FASS and Edinburgh’s College of Humanities and Social Science. The programme will also allow students from both universities to study at each other’s campuses, undertake research activities and interact with faculty members. Supervision of the candidate’s thesis will be provided by a joint committee comprising faculty members from both institutions who are experts in the respective field. Similar to the general Student Exchange Programmes, students in this scheme only need to pay the fees of their home institution. The two partnering departments share a number of research interests, including Science, Technology and Society (or Science, Technology and Innovation Studies, as it is known in Edinburgh) which will

MOU SIGNING: (From left) Prof Dorothy Miell, Vice Principal and Head of Edinburgh’s College of Humanities and Social Science, with Prof Brenda Yeoh, Dean of the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

INSEAD and Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy launch Continuation Path Degree ProgrammeLeading international business school INSEAD and NUS’ Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKY School) announced on 25 April 2011 that the two schools would collaborate to provide their students with a continuation pathway from the INSEAD MBA to the LKY School MPA and vice versa. This would enable students from INSEAD to branch out into public administration, and students from the LKY School into business administration.

INSEAD students from both its campuses – Fontainebleau, France and Singapore – would be eligible to participate in this collaboration. Noting that it was increasingly critical for global business leaders to incorporate public policy issues into their management approach, Dean of INSEAD Prof Dipak C Jain said: “Our partnership with LKY School will enable students to have an advantage

when seeking prominent positions in economic and development institutions, government agencies, NGOs and private sector roles.” “The recent financial crisis has taught the world that we need greater cooperation and collaboration between the public and private sectors”, said Dean of LKY School Prof Kishore Mahbubani. Believing that the invisible hand of the markets must work hand in hand with the visible hand of good governance, he felt it was imperative for future generations of leaders to receive training in both public policy and business. The INSEAD-LKY School Continuation Path Degree Programme is clearly attractive, as participating students can not only pursue both study fields but also obtain two degrees, an MPA and MBA, in two years.

INSEAD-LKY SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP: (From left) Prof Jain; Governing Board Member of LKY School Mr Lee Hsien Yang, and Prof Mahbubani at the agreement signing ceremony

likely be the first topic in the exchange scheme. Other research areas of mutual interest to Edinburgh and NUS include migration, Southeast Asian and South Asian studies, development studies, cities and environment studies.

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Prof Alastair Campbell elected Corresponding Fellow of the Royal Society of EdinburghChen Su Lan Centennial Professor in Medical Ethics Prof Alastair Campbell, also Director of the NUS Centre for Biomedical Ethics (CBmE) at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, was appointed Corresponding Fellow by the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland’s national academy of science and letters. The CBmE is Southeast Asia’s first academic centre for biomedical ethics in a medical school. On his new appointment, Prof Campbell said: “While this is a personal honour, it is also a great tribute to the National University Health System and its commitment to an internationally renowned Centre for Biomedical Ethics, so ably promoted by the NUS Dean of Medicine Prof John Wong and the funders of my Chair, the Chen Su Lan Trust.” Prof Campbell was one of the 45 new Fellows inducted into the Society in May this year. The

new Fellows will be contributing to the objectives of the Society, such as the provision of expert policy advice to Government and Parliament, outreach education programmes for young people, public engagement events, as well as serve on the selection panels for research and enterprise Fellowships.

Established in 1783 by Royal Charter for the advancement of learning and useful knowledge, the Royal Society of Edinburgh currently has 1,500 Fellows who are peer-elected experts in the sciences, arts, humanities, professions, industry and commerce. Distinguished Fellows from the Society included John Logie Baird, Niels Bohr, Francis Crick, Charles Darwin, Adam Smith and William Wordsworth.

Two outstanding entrepreneurs receive inaugural I & E AwardsNUS Enterprise and the NUS Society (NUSS) unveiled the inaugural recipients of its Innovation & Enterprise (I & E) Award, that is supported by the National Research Foundation’s University Innovation Fund. In the Outstanding NUS Innovator Award category, the winners were NUS law graduate Mr Tan Min Liang and NUS engineering faculty member Dr Steven Zhou.

Mr Tan co-founded the gaming peripherals company, Razer, and led it to become an internationally recognised brand. Dr Zhou started his own company, MXR Corporation, after developing ground-breaking technology in Mixed Reality.

KAI Square, which was founded by NUS School of Computing alumni Dr Neo Shi Yong and Mr Victor Goh, emerged as the merit winner of the Promising NUS Start-up Award for innovation-based ventures in Singapore. Their company provides intelligence surveillance data processing solutions and services.

The I & E Award winners received their prizes at The Enterprise Connection, a networking dinner on 19 April 2011, which was attended by over 300 guests, comprising entrepreneurs, investors and other stakeholders in the entrepreneurial community.

OUTSTANDING NUS INNOVATOR AWARD: (From right) Mr Tan Min Liang receiving his award from NUS President Prof Tan Chorh Chuan and NUSS President Mr Johnny Tan

Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin also graced the event as the inaugural speaker of the new Global Entrepreneurial Leadership (GEL) speaker series.

The I&E Award and GEL speaker series are part of the highlights of InnovFest 2011, a festival of events that brings together industry experts and start-ups to connect and share ideas on entrepreneurship and innovation.

INAUGURAL GEL SPEAKER SERIES: Mr Saverin spoke on “Democratising Innovation”

PROF CAMPBELL: New Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh

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The stellar performance of second-year business student, Jasmine Ser Xiang Wei, at last year’s Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, certainly made Singapore proud. She won two gold and two silver medals in Shooting and set two new Games records, in the 10-metre Air Rifle (Singles) event and the 50-metre Rifle 3 Positions (Pairs) event (with Ms Aqilah Sudhir).

For her outstanding achievements, Jasmine was crowned “Sportswoman of the Year” at the Singapore Sports Awards 2011 ceremony on 26 May. She was also a gold medallist at the Southeast Asian Games 2009 and NUS Sportswoman of the Year 2010. In an interview with Knowledge Enterprise, Jasmine shares her thoughts on …

Being named “Sportswoman of the Year”“It’s my honour to receive the award. I feel blessed to have enjoyed so many opportunities through the years which have enabled me to perform my best. It’s heartwarming to be recognised for your efforts while you are striving constantly to do your best and achieve greater heights for the future.”

Winning attributes“In training, you have to be patient when you encounter difficulties. In competition, you must have the fighting spirit to persevere, and also the strong desire to excel and win. I believe that’s what makes a champion.”

Sporting journey“I took up this sport as a CCA (Co-Curricular Activity) when I was in Secondary One. My sister, who started before me, was winning competitions and bringing home medals, which made me both envious and curious about the sport. I got involved later and was soon training three times a week. The following year, I represented my school in the national competition. I did well and was talent-spotted by the Singapore Shooting Association. By Secondary Three, I was in the national team.”

NUS student named Singapore’s Sportswoman of the Year

Love for the sport“In a competition, you’re supposed to hit 40 shots and the maximum score for each shot is 10, that is, if you hit the bull’s eye. The excitement lies in how many perfect 10s we can score.”

Pursuing Air Rifle as a competitive sport “I believe I can excel in this sport because overall, I find myself improving through the years, though there were ups and downs in my performance at times. I want to know how far I can go, especially now when I’m devoting a lot more time to training.”

Next target “I’m training for my next competition in Germany to qualify for the Olympics.”

Personal gains “I’ve gained a broader view of life, having travelled to many countries and getting to know

people from various backgrounds. As athletes, we do go through times when we train too hard, get frustrated and feel like giving up. I’ve learnt to be more patient in such situations – to take a step back and look at the bigger picture; appreciate how far I’ve come and tell myself that it is only a temporary setback.”

NUS experience“I’m grateful for the constant encouragement I’ve received from the NUS Business School. Allowing me to select the number of study modules for each semester has helped me immensely in coping with both my studies and sport.”

SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR: NUS business student Jasmine Ser

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AT A RECONNAISSANCE FIELD TRIP: (From left to right) Assoc Prof Sithithaworn, Dr Grundy-Warr, Dr Feng Chen-Chieh from NUS Department of Geography, and Assoc Prof Andrews

Role of new fusion gene in some stomach cancersAn international team of scientists identified a fusion gene that appears to play a direct role in some stomach cancers. The study – spearheaded by researchers from Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore (Duke-NUS) and involving scientists from the NUS, Genome Institute of Singapore, National Cancer Centre of Singapore, Howard University in the US, and Yonsei University College of Medicine in South Korea – was published in the 6 April 2011 issue of the Science Translational Medicine journal. The Singapore-based research group used a novel approach, known as genomic breakpoint analysis, to home in on abnormal genes in 133 stomach cancer tumours and cell lines. It found evidence of a single genetic error, common to four of the cancer samples, which led to the discovery of the CD44-SLC1A2 fusion gene. The SLC1A2 gene is associated with the metabolism of the amino acid glutamate, which can work like a fertiliser encouraging tumour growth and survival, while the CD44 gene serves like an “on” switch. Melded into one, the CD44-SLC1A2 hybrid appears to fuel stomach tumours.

Principal Investigator of the study, Assoc Prof Patrick Tan from the Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Programme at Duke-NUS, said that the discovery opened up a potential role for fusion genes in cancer diagnostics and treatment.

As part of the study, the researchers used a gene silencing approach to decrease the levels of CD44-SLC1A2 in cancer cell lines. This caused a reduction in the glutamate levels of cancer cells, and made the cells more vulnerable to the effects of cisplatin, a common chemotherapy drug. The test implied that drugs that inhibit SLC1A2 function could be used to sensitise tumours to chemotherapy.

PART OF THE RESEARCH TEAM: Assoc Prof Patrick Tan (second from right) with his team members from Duke-NUS, NUS and NCCS

Reducing the prevalence of liverflukes through food safety educationSome staple dishes made of raw or partially cooked freshwater fish, much loved by inhabitants of the Mekong River and those living in northern Thailand, are often contaminated with a trematode parasite, Opisthorchis viverrini (liverfluke), that could lead to a fatal cancer of the bile duct. A group of researchers – Assoc Prof Alan Ziegler and Dr Carl Grundy-Warr from the NUS Department of Geography; Assoc Prof Ross Andrews and

Assoc Prof Paiboon Sithithaworn from the Faculty of Medicine of Khon Kaen University, Thailand; and Dr Trevor Petney from the University of Karlsruhe, Germany – argued that the problem of liverflukes should be addressed with food safety education, in conjunction with medical and scientific approaches.

Their research, which was published in the Science journal early this year, highlighted how food safety education might be the most expedient way to control the disease, opistorchiasis. Caused by Opisthorchis viverrini, the prevalence of opistorchiasis is essentially linked to human behaviour.

The researchers recognised that common misunderstandings among the Thai villagers, such as certain beliefs on food preparation and the treatment of infection, needed to be addressed. Dealing with cultural perceptions of eating raw fish as a way of life passed down from ancestors also posed a challenge.

Today, more than 45 million people in Asia, including at least 10 million in Thailand and Laos, are infected with liverflukes.

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NUS-AGILENT COLLABORATION: Researchers involved in lipidomics analysis at the NUS Centre for Lipidomics - (from left) Dr Federico Torta, Assoc Prof Markus Wenk, Dr Guanghou Shui, Dr Anne Bendt, Ms Lissya Lettisya Santoso and Dr Amaury Cazenave Gassiot

AT A G L A N C E

ADVANCING SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP: (From left) Director of the NUS Entrepreneurship Centre Prof Wong Poh Kam, Founder and Creative Director of GCL Mr Hans Reitz, and NUS Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost Prof Tan Eng Chye at the signing ceremony of GCL@NUS

NUS and Agilent Technologies advance research in lipidomicsNUS and Agilent Technologies signed a research collaboration agreement on 30 March 2011 to develop expertise and knowledge in the area of analytical lipidomics. Agilent is the world’s premier measurement company and a technology leader in chemical analysis, life sciences, electronics and communications; and this is its first collaboration in lipidomics research and development worldwide. Agilent will supply sophisticated instruments for the separation and analysis of lipids from complex mixtures, and will give NUS access to its pool of scientists located in Asia and the United States. NUS will serve as a reference site for Agilent, allowing the company to better understand the needs of the

research community so as to further develop and enhance its instruments. The instruments provided by Agilent will be housed under the NUS Centre for Lipidomics headed by Assoc Prof Markus Wenk from the Departments of Biochemistry and Biological Sciences. The Centre will also host researchers and scientists from clinical and commercial organisations in Singapore and the Asia Pacific region. “Integrated tool development programmes, such as this new Centre for Lipidomics, greatly support applications in life and environmental sciences,” said NUS Deputy President (Research

and Technology) and Tan Chin Tuan Centennial Professor Barry Halliwell. “We are delighted by the substantial industry interest and welcome Agilent as a partner in this endeavour.” Highlighting the importance of the partnership, Mr Rod Minett, Agilent’s General Manager, Life Sciences Group, South Asia Pacific and Korea, said it would “raise the level of knowledge for lipidomics and potentially pave the way for development in related fields of research such as life sciences, nutritional sciences or environment sciences.”

• TheGrameenCreativeLab(GCL)andNUSEntrepreneurship Centre inked an agreement on 16 March 2011 to promote and incubate innovation-based social businesses in Singapore, marking the first partnership between GCL and a Singapore-based organisation. Related activities that will be rolled out over a two-year period include social business competitions, public lectures and educational workshops.

• Gamesa,aworldleaderinwindenergytechnology, is partnering NUS, Nanyang Technological University and Singapore’s Institute of Materials Research and Engineering in three important research projects. NUS engineering researchers will be working with Gamesa on the research and development of lightweight and strong fibre-reinforced composite materials and structures for wind turbines.

SEALING THE RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP: (From left) José Antonio Malumbres, Gamesa’s Chief Technology Officer, and Prof Lim Hock, Director of the Division of Research Governance and Enablement, NUS Office of the Deputy President (Research and Technology)

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Commencement4-15 July 2011University Cultural CentreKent Ridge Campuswww.nus.edu.sg/commencement/2011

Freshmen Inauguration1 August 2011University Cultural CentreKent Ridge Campus

NUSSU Rag and Flag

Flag Day3 August 2011

Rag Day9 August 2011The Promontory@Marina Bay

www.nus.edu.sg/ragandflag2011

Commencement4-15 July 2011University Cultural CentreKent Ridge Campuswww.nus.edu.sg/commencement/2011

Freshmen Inauguration1 August 2011University Cultural CentreKent Ridge Campus

NUSSU Rag and Flag

Flag Day3 August 2011

Rag Day9 August 2011The Promontory@Marina Bay

www.nus.edu.sg/ragandflag2011

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Editor: Fua Lee Na n Writer: Veronique Y W Ah Sen n Distribution Manager: Matthew Seah

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ISSN 0219-614X Company Registration Number: 200604346E Cover photo courtesy of MCS Lifestyle Photography

KNOWLEDGE ENTERPRISE n MAY/JUNE 2011 VOLUME 10 NO. 10

Duke-NUS students to receive Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple ScholarshipThe Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple, a well-known institution with a long history in Singapore, has donated S$2 million to the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore (Duke-NUS) to establish the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple Scholarship. This Scholarship will support needy Singaporean students pursuing a four-year Doctor of Medicine programme at the Duke-NUS. Dean Prof Ranga Krishnan said that Duke-NUS is very grateful for this gift “as the scholarships will go a long way towards helping our students to fulfill their

medical aspirations and make notable contributions to society.” Expressing support for the School’s mission to transform medicine and improve lives, Chairman of the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple Dr Tan Choon Kim added: “The scholarships affirm the principles and values behind our beliefs. In helping to develop promising medical students, the Temple will be able to bring comfort to the sick and suffering as there will be more medical doctors to serve Singapore’s growing population.”

Prima’s gift to Yale-NUS College The recently-announced Yale-NUS College, Singapore’s first liberal arts college which will open in 2013, has received a gift of S$1 million from Prima Limited Singapore. The gift, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of Singapore’s oldest flourmill, will be used to establish the Prima Scholarship at the College.

A collaboration between NUS and Yale University, the Yale-NUS College, an autonomous college of NUS, brings together two universities with distinctive strengths to create a model of residential liberal arts education that is unique in Asia. With this new education model, the College seeks to prepare high potential students – from Singapore, the rest of Asia and beyond – for leadership and engaged citizenship in today’s complex and rapidly changing world.

NUS Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost Prof Tan Eng Chye said: “Yale-NUS College will feature a new curriculum and integrated residential education model that draws on the finest intellectual traditions of East and West. We believe that Prima’s generous gesture will go a long way in ensuring that our students will have access to the quality education they deserve and inspire them to give back to society.”

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Prima Limited Mr Primus Cheng said: “Prima has chosen to

support the cause of education because we firmly believe that education is the foremost fundamental enabler.”

In addition to student support, Yale-NUS College is seeking philanthropic support for professorships and fellowships, research funds and programmes.

For further information about making a gift to NUS

or Yale-NUS College, please contact Ms Ho Yuen

Kwan on 6516 5755 or email askdvo@nus.edu.sg .

GENEROUS DONATION FROM PRIMA: Prof Tan Eng Chye (extreme right) receiving the gift on behalf of NUS from Prima Group Founder and Honorary Life President Mr Cheng Tsang Man, while Mr Primus Cheng looked on