2023
A Year in Review
A Message from Ovidia Lim-Rajaram, NUS Chief Alumni Officer
2023 was a significant year for NUS, punctuated by two honours in part attributable to the accomplishments of our alumni community. In June, the University broke into the world's top 10 for the first time, as based on the QS World University Rankings, and in November, NUS graduates were rated among the world's most employable by the Global Employability University Ranking and Survey.
Since taking on the position of Chief Alumni Officer in July, I've witnessed firsthand the strength of our alumni, including the tenacity, commitment to excellence, and fidelity to their alma mater that sets them apart from graduates of other institutions. As an NUS alumna myself, it has been an honour to be tasked to help strengthen this community, to forge new connections across our global network of alumni and to deepen the support offered by the University.
In 2023, we introduced new programmes such as the NUS Be A-HEAD career navigation series, and organised the biennial NUS Alumni Awards, which provided an opportunity to come together as a community to celebrate our illustrious and accomplished alumni.
The initiatives mentioned below are just a few highlights from the past year, and a representation of our commitment to meet the needs of our diverse and growing alumni community.
We hope you will draw inspiration from the stories of our alumni and programmes, and we look forward to seeing you at our future events.
Happy New Year!
Celebrating Longstanding Ties
After a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the UM-NUS Inter-University Tunku Chancellor Golf Tournament returned in June 2023 for its 52nd iteration.
Held at The Mines Resort and Golf Club in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the event celebrated and affirmed the longstanding ties between the two universities, with alumni and staff enjoying both social and competitive games of golf, as well as a formal dinner.
The special relationship between NUS and UM remains steadfast and endures, even in a world of change, uncertainty and disruption.
A Homecoming for All
Held on 1 July at the Bukit Timah campus, the annual NUS Homecoming brought together approximately 800 alumni to celebrate their shared connection to NUS.
Organised by the NUS Office of Alumni Relations and co-hosted by NUS Law and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP), the highly anticipated event was attended by multiple generations of NUS graduates for a fun-filled day of laughter and reunion.
Importantly, the event marked the first occasion where graduates from the Bukit Timah, Kent Ridge and Outram campuses came together for a combined Homecoming.
Morning activities consisted of insightful seminars and workshops hosted by NUS staff and alumni, with highlights including a conversation between Professor Wang Gungwu (Arts ’53) and Ambassador Chan Heng Chee (Arts ’64); a talk on “An Adventure in the Pursuit of Happiness” by Mr Jonathan Sim (Arts and Social Sciences ’13); a cocktail mixing session by Associate Professor Kevin SW Tan (Science ’94); as well as a line dancing lesson led by Mr Lim Chee Kiang (Engineering ’83).
In the afternoon, guests enjoyed a lunch while listening to performances from NUS musical groups Red Dot Baroque, Resonance and The Jazzlings.
The occasion saw the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, the 50th anniversary of the Class of 1973, and the 65th anniversaries of Eusoff and Raffles Halls.
New Beginnings
Over 10 days in July, close to 15,000 students graduated from NUS, marking their entry into the university's alumni family.
To celebrate the occasion, we hosted an interactive photo booth at the Commencement ceremonies, drawing inspiration from the design of The AlumNUS magazine and giving the new alumni the chance to be cover stars.
The creative booth was a hit at the event, with nearly 12,000 people stopping by to take photos.
NUS Be A-HEAD
In August, a new seminar series, NUS Be A-HEAD, was launched to help young graduates navigate the professional world amidst an increasingly complex work environment.
The initial three-month run of the series explored various topics related to early-to-mid career growth: from finding the right job fit, to grappling with imposter syndrome, navigating difficult professional relationships, and learning how to thrive at work.
Honouring Our Own
Every two years, the NUS Alumni Awards are held to recognise alumni who have distinguished themselves through significant and impactful contributions to their alma mater, society and the world.
This year, we honoured 21 individual alumni and three alumni teams, comprising another 14 individuals, at the NUS Alumni Awards 2023, held on 2 November.
Madam Halimah Yacob, the 8th President of Singapore and NUS' 10th Chancellor, was conferred the NUS Eminent Alumni Award at this special event.
"[These award recipients have] not only found success in their respective fields, but elevated what it means to be an alumnus or alumna of our institution: their achievements have enriched our culture, advanced our science, deepened our humanity, and bettered our society.”
Friends & Fairways
In mid-November, NUS staff, alumni and friends came together for the 29th NUS Alumni & Friends Golf Tournament, co-organised by the NUS Office of Alumni Relations and NUS Society.
Laughter was the soundtrack of the day as the group gathered at Keppel Club Singapore for a day of lunch and golf, saying hi to old friends and making new ones.
NUS Cares
NUS Cares is a movement for the NUS community of alumni, students, and staff to champion and volunteer in meaningful initiatives for society. Here are just a few examples of how the NUS community put compassion into action in 2023.
Tribute to Seniors
In February, 40 NUS Cares volunteers came together at the Blossom Seeds Eldercare Charity Lunch, Tribute to Seniors, held at the Fairmont Hotel. Serving as Befrienders, the volunteers spent the day ushering, interacting and bonding with 1,200 seniors, enjoying a performance, games and a meal with them.
Refurbishing Wheelchairs
In March, volunteers from the NUS Office of Alumni Relations and the NUS Senior Alumni group gave 53 wheelchairs some TLC at the Kampung Senang Mobility Aids Services & Training Centre. The wheelchairs will be used by the elderly and people with mobility needs across the island.
SG Clean Day
In May, NUS alumni, students and staff joined thousands of Singaporeans to clean up litter as part of SG Clean Day, a quarterly initiative by the Public Hygiene Council. The collective effort broke a record in the Singapore Book of Records for the greatest number of people cleaning up across multiple locations.
Spark the Change Fest
Held in conjunction with World Suicide Prevention Day in September, Spark the Change (organised by Samaritans of Singapore) shows solidarity and support for individuals facing crisis, with events including a charity walk, performances and workshops. NUS alumni, family and friends from Raffles Hall came together to support the event, packing goodie bags for event attendees.
The Boys' Brigade Share-a-Gift project
In December, more than 100 volunteers from the NUS community participated in the Boys' Brigade Share-a-Gift project, helping to distribute more than 400 grocery hampers to the less fortunate.
Our Global Network
NUS alumni are present throughout the world, with 20 overseas chapters providing connection and camaraderie. We take a look back at some activities involving global alumni in the past year.
In May, NUS Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost Professor Aaron Thean, Associate Vice President (NUS Enterprise) Associate Professor Benjamin Tee, and then-Chief Alumni Officer Designate Ms Ovidia Lim-Rajaram met up with alumni and friends in Palo Alto, California, USA, for dinner.
In May, the Melbourne alumni chapter gathered to celebrate #NUSCares in support of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre Feast for Freedom project.
In August, the Manila alumni chapter and the LKYSPP Philippines alumni chapter organised a networking event for more than 60 NUS alumni. The event was attended by Singapore Ambassador to the Philippines Her Excellency Constance See (Arts and Social Sciences '97) and Chief Alumni Officer Ms Ovidia Lim-Rajaram, and hosted by University of the Philippines President Atty. Angelo A. Jimenez (Public Policy '13).
In August, the San Francisco alumni chapter, BLOCK71 San Franciso, Enterprise SG and the Singapore Global Network organised "Kopi by the Bay: Unleashing AI's Potential in Healthcare."
In September, NUS President Tan Eng Chye and members of the NUS Enterprise leadership team travelled to Japan, where they connected with the alumni chapter in Tokyo.
In September, Deputy President (Research & Technology) Professor Liu Bin hosted alumni in Nanjing, China to dinner.
A group of 32 members of the NUS Alumni Sing-Along group travelled to Jakarta in September for their first overseas #NUSCares event, held in support of the Indonesian Street Children Organisation Foundation. While in Indonesia, they also connected with the alumni chapter in Jakarta.
In October, InnovFest China was held in two locations: Suzhou and Chongqing. The events served to connect China companies with innovative ideas from NUS, Singapore and beyond, while also providing opportunities for alumni gatherings and Alumni Innovation Forums.
In December, NUS Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost Professor Aaron Thean met up with alumni, faculty members and friends for lunch in Sunnyvale, California, USA.
Discover more about our overseas chapters
Further Reading
Catch up with the 2023 issues of our alumni magazine, The AlumNUS, to find exclusive articles and interviews.
Thank you for reading!
Check our website for the latest events and programmes, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
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