FASS90 GALA DINNER | Looking Back, Pressing Forward

NUS FASS marked its 90th anniversary, the Dean delivered a strong performance on stage, and Guest of Honour Mrs Josephine Teo, Minister for Manpower, called for further government-academia collaboration on public policy.

From its beginnings in 1929 as part of Raffles College offering three-year diplomas in English, Economics, History and Geography, to its position today as a global top 20 provider of higher education in the Arts & Humanities and Social Sciences & Management, the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) has come a long way.

Mrs Josephine Teo, Minister of Manpower and Second Minister for Home Affairs, talked about the ways academia can help drive public policy and called for their greater collaboration with the government.Photo Credit: Ministry of Manpower

The Dean of FASS, Professor Robbie Goh, referenced this journey during his opening address at FASS 90th Anniversary Gala Dinner on Friday (15 November 2019) evening. “FASS began life…with the four founding majors of English, History and Geography. Its inaugural intake was 43 students,” said Professor Goh. “Fast forward 90 years…FASS takes in about 1,600 undergraduate students each, has 16 departments offering 20 majors, [and so far can count] among its alumni – a President, a Prime Minister, several Ministers and ambassadors, and other top civil servants of Singapore, along with notable CEOs, entrepreneurs, well-known actors, musicians and others who have contributed much to the world.”

Professor Goh performed for all supporters of FASS’s fundraising efforts.

Professor Goh proceeded to share details of initiatives and programmes already underway at NUS FASS with close to 300 alumni, staff, students and other supporters who packed the Empress Ballroom at Carlton Hotel in downtown Singapore to celebrate the Faculty’s 90th anniversary. These included the launch of: a new major under the Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE) programme; joint and double degree programmes with overseas partners (the latest being the University of California, Berkeley); the FASS Social Incubator Programme, which sees to the provision of seed money to students working on innovative solutions to social work issues; and the “Industry Tracks” programme, which seeks to enhance the employability of FASS graduates by giving them the training, guidance and experience they need to succeed in the key industry segments most likely to hire them.

Assembled to cut FASS’s 90th Birthday cake (from left): Professor Goh; Professor Ho; Emeritus Professor Edwin Thumboo; Mr Archie Ong; Mrs Tan Suan Imm; Mr Soh Yi Da; Ms Zoey Lim, President, NUS Students’ Arts and Social Sciences Club.

Guest of Honour Mrs Josephine Teo, Minister of Manpower and Second Minister for Home Affairs, a FASS alumnus herself, shared the Government’s current approaches to helping ensure Singapore’s ageing population have sufficient funds to retire comfortably. She cited some of the major contributions the academic community has made to Central Provident Fund (CPF) policy to date, and called for further Government-academia collaboration in specific areas of research and public communications. Among her suggestions are programmes that seek to answer questions such as: How can it be ensured that the Basic Retirement Sum (BRS) of each CPF member is sufficient to cover basic expenses in the future?; How can the Government increase understanding of and promote take-up of schemes meant to enable retirees to supplement their incomes by making use of their HDB apartments?; How can older workers be incentivised to start their payouts later, so they will have higher payouts when they eventually retire?

Professor Ho Teck Hua, Senior Deputy President and Provost, NUS, sealed the FASS Leapfrog Time Capsule.

“We can make our system better through constantly looking over the horizon and planning ahead. In that sense, the CPF must remain a ‘live system’, always evolving and ever-responsive to emerging needs,” Mrs Teo said. “We hope that the academic and social science research community can join us to make it better.”Immediately following a dazzling Malay dance performance by dance group NUS Ilsa Tari, came students Wesley Wang (Year 2 Linguistics Major) and Nediva Singam (Year 4 Geography Major) sharing their experiences and lessons learnt during their respective turns in overseas exchange study programmes. They spoke in support of the launch of the new FASS Student Advancement Fund that extends further financial support for needy students.

NUS Ilsa Tari in perfect form

The proceeds of the Gala Dinner went directly to this fund, and the generosity of all donors so moved Professor Goh that he dedicated his rendition of James Taylor’s classic You’ve Got a Friend and the timeless hymn by John Newton, Amazing Grace to them. The audience returned his gesture not just with heartfelt applause.

Professor Goh, Professor Ho Teck Hua, Senior Deputy President and Provost, NUS, Singapore’s legendary poet Emeritus Professor Edwin Thumboo, illustrious Singapore educator and alumnus Mrs Tan Suan Imm, and, distinguished alumni Archie Ong and Soh Yi Da, who played key roles on the FASS 90 Gala Dinner Committee, came together to cut FASS’s 90th birthday cake.

Vernon Cornelius (of the Quests from 1960s Singapore) and his band in action

The climax of the event was the sealing of the FASS Leapfrog Time Capsule in commemoration of FASS’s 90th Anniversary. Professors Goh and Ho placed items representing the Deanery, every department, alumni, student body, along with the day’s edition of The Straits Times into the time capsule, which they set to reopen in 2079 on the occasion of FASS’s 150th anniversary. Professor Ho then sealed it by pressing a virtual button on an iPad, setting off confetti and cheers from everyone.

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If you would like to find out more about Conjunct Consulting or how you may join training to become a student consultant, drop by either one of our info sessions!

Info Session 1:

Date: 19 January 2018 (Fri)
Time: 7pm to 8.30pm
Info Session 2:
Date: 23 January 2018 (Tues)
Time: 7pm to 8.30pm

The info sessions would be located at the NUS Mochtar Riady Building, NUS. Exact locations would be disseminated via email.

RSVP at: tinyurl.com/c2infosession18h1

Meanwhile, applications for training are now open and will close on 24 January at 2359hrs.

The application link is tinyurl.com/c2application18h1

Class Champions and Class Ambassadors Appreciation Dinner 2017

The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) held its annual Class Champions and Class Ambassadors Appreciation Dinner on 29 June 2017 at Picnic Singapore, marking the graduation of yet another batch of dedicated Class Champions.

As its name suggests, the purpose of the dinner was a simple one: to recognize and show our appreciation for FASS’ Class Champions, the leaders of the class giving effort for the graduating batch of their respective departments. This tradition exists to ensure that financially needy students will benefit from the same experiences as did the previous batches, and to make an impression on our students of the importance of giving back. Also in attendance were Class Ambassadors; members of the External Relations and Student Life (ERSL) team, including A/P Loy Hui Chieh, Vice Dean, and A/P Phua Chiew Pheng, Assistant Dean; Department Representatives, as well as Mr Chua Sin Chew from the NUS Office of Alumni Relations (OAR).

Armed with a bittersweet awareness that Commencement was quickly approaching, the students’ apprehension at starting a new chapter of their lives was nonetheless overwhelmed by the excitement of the beginnings of something new and rewarding. Teary goodbyes were also precluded, as the end of the students’ journey as Class Champions also marked their assumption of a new role: Class Ambassadors, whose role is preserve friendships and keep in touch with fellow alumnus; ensuring that they lose neither their friendships with each other, nor with the University and the Faculty, as they are kept updated on current happenings and upcoming events.

The atmosphere throughout the night was a lively one, as emcee Khoo Yi Feng kept everyone’s spirits high. As guests mingled over food and drinks, they were also treated to a surprise performance by Class Champion Lara Tay from the Department of English Language and Linguistics, who serenaded the audience with a number of hits that everyone couldn’t help but sing along to. The performance was quickly followed by games and a sharing session, which prompted much laughter from the guests.

The last segment of the night started with a presentation by Mr Chua Sin Chew from OAR, who highlighted the facilitative role that the University could play in organizing gatherings, such as by providing a venue free of charge. He also shared about several upcoming events from NUS Alumni, such as the upcoming Kent Ridge Alumni Family Day, and NUS Day of Service. This was followed by Ms Karen Wong’s presentation on the FASS Mentorship Programme, which encourages alumni who have since accumulated some experience in the working world to give back to FASS by mentoring current students and guiding them forward in charting a successful career path. The night concluded successfully with a lucky draw, as several students got to leave with special FASS mementos to call their own.

FASS would like to again extend our gratitude to our Class Champions and Class Ambassadors for their hard work in coordinating the Class Giving Effort, and for keeping each graduating class in touch with each other, as well as with the school. See you at the next gathering!

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FASS Career Preparation Workshop: Resume Writing & Interview Skills

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FASS Career Preparation Workshop: Resume Writing & Interview Skills

Choose only ONE of the sessions:

1) Thursday, 11 May 2017, 2pm to 4pm

Register at: https://tinyurl.com/fass-resume11may

or

2) Friday, 12 May 2017, 10am to 12pm

Register at: https://tinyurl.com/fass-resume12may

          Venue: YIH, Level 1, Training Rooms 1 & 2

Limited spaces available!

* Please bring along your resume to the workshop to maximize your learning experience. You may refer to page 31 of the NUS Career Guidebook for a sample resume template.

Please note that attending this workshop is a prerequisite for FASS students who intend to embark on internships with credit.