02
February
2015
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00:12
Asia/Singapore

NUS begins Celebrations of 110th Anniversary with Launch of New Community Initiative "NUS CARES"

  •  Anniversary theme of'Because We Care' to emphasise the University's long tradition of service to the community
  •  New'NUS CARES' initiative to leverage on NUS' research and academic expertise to find solutions that would improve lives

The National University of Singapore (NUS) kicked off its 110th Anniversary celebrations with a special community event at Taman Jurong Community Club today. Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, graced the launch of NUS110 celebrations today as the Guest-of-Honour. Ms Denise Phua, Mayor of Central Singapore District, attended the event as a special guest.

More than 1,000 NUS staff, students and alumni, residents as well as members of the public participated in health talks, games, children activities at the public event. Visitors also toured the'Because We Care' exhibition, which featured community projects spearheaded by the University's students.

In conjunction with its 110th Anniversary celebrations, the University announced the'NUS Community Advancement with Research and Education Synergies' (NUS CARES) initiative, which adds a new dimension to NUS' efforts at giving back to the community.

110-Year Tradition of Service

Mr Wong Ngit Liong, Chairman of the NUS Board of Trustees, said,'NUS is honoured to celebrate our 110th year of founding together with Singapore's Golden Jubilee. Over the past century, NUS remained steadfast in our commitment to educate and nurture generations of talented individuals. Our alumni have made, and continue to make, significant contributions to Singapore and the world beyond. As we reflect and are proud of the many achievements of the NUS community, we continue to strive towards becoming a leading global university in Asia that influences the future.'
In this milestone year, NUS takes on the theme'Because We Care' to commemorate its widespread community programmes and volunteer efforts. It will hold a series of signature events and initiatives, many aimed at helping the underprivileged, which will take place throughout 2015.

Some of these key public events include an exhibition showcasing the University's cutting-edge contributions to Singapore's Science and Technology research and development, an international conference where renowned thought leaders will discuss 'future-proofing' Singapore for the next 50 years, as well as the official opening of the country's first natural history museum. Please refer to Annex 1 for details on NUS110's signature events.

NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan said,'NUS 110 is indeed a timely opportunity for us to reflect, share and celebrate the University's long tradition of service to the community. Giving back to the community has always been an integral part of NUS' education philosophy. Our students and faculty have consistently dedicated themselves towards making a difference to society.

Today, we are pleased to also launch the new NUS CARES initiative, a community advancement platform where we will work with partners to find solutions to complex community problems. This, we believe, will create a new and innovative platform for our university to work with partners to contribute meaningfully to the wider community.'

NUS CARES

Under the NUS CARES initiative, NUS faculty, researchers and students will work with partners to identify community issues and draw upon the University's research and academic expertise to find creative and practical solutions to them. Going beyond volunteerism, NUS CARES is envisioned to be a community advancement platform that is sustainable and scalable for the long term.

As a start, NUS will work with three partners – Central Singapore Community Development Council (CDC), National University Health System (NUHS) and the NUS Medical Society (MedSoc):

  • Central Singapore CDC will partner NUS CARES to look into addressing issues faced by the elderly and needy residents in the use and maintenance of wheelchairs;
  • NUHS will collaborate with NUS CARES to examine the underlying social and medical factors associated with repeated admissions and to devise intervention strategies aimed at reducing the episodes of frequent readmissions in the National University Hospital; and
  • MedSoc will team up with students trained in social impact measurement from the Chua Thian Poh Community Leadership Programme to conduct a social return on investment (SROI) analysis of the Neighbourhood Health Service (NHS) to review the impact and effectiveness of NHS and to identify areas for further improvement.

Please refer to Annex 2 for details on NUS CARES.

NUS Science & Technology Exhibition:'Building our Nation through Science & Technology'

To be held from March to April 2015 at the University Cultural Centre (UCC) at NUS, this public exhibition will showcase research, innovation and inventions by NUS Engineering, Science and Computing. Displays will be featured under five themes: Digital Nation, Multimedia Nation, Smart Nation, Sustainable Nation and Healthy Nation.

Following the UCC, this roving exhibition is expected to move on to two other public locations to be confirmed.

Please visit nus110.sg for more information on NUS' 110th Anniversary celebrations.