A garden party reunion under the stars
Alumni gathered at BTC for the Bukit Timah Homecoming on 6 July
Dressed in splendid tropical blooms, alumni who studied at the NUS Bukit Timah Campus (BTC) returned for a spectacular garden-themed Bukit Timah Homecoming celebration, organised by NUS Alumni Relations, and co-hosted by NUS Law and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKY School). Among those who returned to their former stomping ground included former Singapore President, former NUS Chancellor and NUS Science alumnus Dr Tony Tan, together with his wife, NUS Arts and Social Sciences alumna Mrs Mary Tan.
After a light shower in the late afternoon, the alumni filled the Lower Quadrangle amidst cool breezes. Against the archways of the Manasseh Meyer building and branches of the heritage angsana tree, NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye welcomed the alumni home and thanked them for their continued support. Soon after, the guests feasted under the stars on local delights such as roti prata, nasi lemak, satay, chendol and bandung.
Festivities included live performances by NUS alumni as they belted classic tunes such as Let Me Be There and 月亮代表我的心 (The Moon Represents My Heart). Prof Tan was persuaded to join in to deliver a tuneful 夜来香 (Fragrant Primrose) and had many alumni singing along.
The festivities were augmented by enthusiastic performances
A highlight of the evening was the cake cutting ceremony to commemorate the anniversaries of various NUS faculties and schools. At the event, the 90th anniversaries of NUS Arts and Social Sciences and NUS Science, the 50th anniversary of NUS Design and Environment and the Class of 1969, as well as the 15th anniversary of the LKY School were celebrated. Additionally, alumni from NUS Science and NUS Law took the opportunity to hold their own mini-reunions.
Alumni also had the opportunity to sign up for a campus tour. The tour took participants around the buildings in the Upper and Lower Quads, as well as to the Federal Building which is one of the purportedly haunted sites. The alumni enjoyed the tour, pointing out their favourite spots in the more iconic places and sharing their personal experiences. It was a lovely walk down memory lane, and many commented that the campus has not changed much.
Prof Tan (5th from left) and Dr Tan (6th from left) and other members of the NUS alumni community celebrating anniversaries of various faculties and schools
A panel discussion featuring Dean of NUS Law Professor Simon Chesterman, Dean of LKY School Professor Danny Quah, Dean of NUS Business Professor Andrew Rose, as well as NUS Law Associate Professor Jean Ho was held before the evening festivities. Over the course of one hour, the panellists exchanged views about the challenges of US President Donald Trump in power, Brexit being on the horizon and the looming US-China Trade War.
By NUS Alumni Relations
