Keisuke Okada Makes Possible NUS-Kyushu Student Exchange Scholarship

Come 2007, a new exchange scholarship will give outstanding NUS students the opportunity to study for one academic year in Kyushu University, one of Japan's top tertiary institutions.

The NUS-Kyushu scholarship, made possible by former NUS Adjunct Lecturer Keisuke Okada, will be awarded each year to one outstanding student selected by the NUS Department of Japanese Studies. Associate Professor Thang Leng Leng, who heads the department, says the gift will "assist NUS in enriching its students' learning experience and enhancing the value of education afforded to them".

The S$50,000 expendable gift to the department is pledged by Lismore Investment Pte Ltd - of which Mr Okada is Director - over a period of five years, which translates to an annual value of S$10,000. The generous gift will qualify for double tax deduction. It will also attract the prevailing 1:1 Singapore Government matching grant.

Says Mr Okada, a Kyushu University graduate, "I appreciate Singapore, which has given me very good opportunities to work with Singaporeans for more than 19 years. My experience as an Adjunct Lecturer for five years at Department of Japanese Studies was also very stimulating."

Himself the recipient of a US Government scholarship which allowed him to study in the country, Mr Okada says that he has come to feel "a great debt of gratitude" to the societies where he has studied and worked. "I think we must be of help for our societies as much as possible, in return for what we received in the past."

He adds, "For elder persons, it is a joy to see the growth of young people. Kyushu University is located in my home town; therefore, I'm very happy if my small gift contributes in promoting our friendship between Singapore and Japan."

Mr Okada, who is also the Managing Director of Okada Trading Pte Ltd, Okada Ecotech Pte Ltd and Okada Industry (M) Sdn Bhd, was honoured at the NUS Department of Japanese Studies' 25th anniversary dinner in Oct 2006 for his long-time support to NUS. About 300 people attended the event, including delegates from the Inaugural Conference of the Japanese Studies Association in Southeast Asia (JSA-ASEAN) and speakers from the International Symposium.