LEaRN-ing to be leaders

August 2008

Some of the student leaders from the region with NUS Acting President Prof Tan Chorh Chuan and Mr Benedict Cheong, Temasek Foundation’s Chief Executive Officer, at the launch of the inaugural Temasek Foundation (TF) - NUS Leadership Enrichment and Regional Networking (LEaRN) Programme

This semester (August – December 2008), NUS is playing host to 39 young guests – all top students from leading universities in ASEAN, China, Hong Kong and India the region.

These promising student leaders are among the first batch of participants at the inaugural Temasek Foundation (TF) - NUS Leadership Enrichment and Regional Networking (LEaRN) Programme.

The Programme – which aims to groom the next generation of Asian leaders and foster close relations among them – is made possible by an S$850,000 grant from Temasek Foundation to NUS.

Not only does the LEaRN programme provide up to 100 regional undergraduates the opportunity of participating in a semester of student exchange at NUS, it also gives 50 local undergraduates the opportunity to embark on overseas exchanges at renowned Asian universities.

A total of seven NUS undergraduates are currently on exchange to partner universities in the ASEAN region, with three of them in Thailand, two in Indonesia and two in Vietnam.

Mr Benedict Cheong, Temasek Foundation’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “Temasek Foundation is pleased to partner NUS to offer student leaders in Singapore and across Asia opportunities for leadership development, cultural exchange and networking. The LEaRN programme is closely aligned to the foundation’s mandate in building bridges between peoples in Asia and we hope the students will continue to be closely connected even after their exchange programme ends.”

Said Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, NUS’ Acting President: “As potential leaders in Asia, I am confident that TF-NUS LEaRN award recipients will emerge as change agents to serve our countries and meet the pressing needs in our communities. We are living at a historic time as Asia’s importance and strategic role on the world stage continues to grow rapidly. I believe that TF-NUS LEaRN has the potential to equip and empower the students to play their part in this transformation.”

One of the programme’s key objectives is to nurture socially-conscious youths. All participants are required to put in a minimum of 10 hours in at least one local community project.

Ms Ameya Kilara, a fourth-year undergraduate at the National Law School of India University, said: “This programme gives me the opportunity to contribute to NUS student societies and groups oriented around community service and share philosophies, ideas and best practices. I hope to channel what I learn from these groups towards enhancing the efficacy of community service initiatives that I contribute to in India.”

Leveraging on the strong spirit of community involvement at NUS, exchange participants now in Singapore will be running meaningful community service initiatives with the NUS Volunteer Network. The student-initiated network synergises volunteer-related efforts in NUS and it comprises four NUS societies and groups: NUS Students’ Union Volunteer Action Committee, NUS Students’ Union Students’ Community Service Club, NUS Chapter of the Singapore Red Cross Society and NUS Rotaract Club.

Regional participants like Ms Kilara will experience on-campus living in one of the student residences. They will also have the opportunity to experience life in the Singapore heartlands when they get attached to host families under the NUS Host Family Programme.

Plans are underway for NUS to host a conference at the end of the year for all participants from Singapore and the region.