S'pore's first satellite to launch today The Straits Times Apr 20, 2011 It'll blast off on Indian rocket and take photos to measure soil erosion By Jermyn Chow , DEFENCE CORRESPONDENT SINGAPORE will finally head to space this afternoon, after a series of stops and starts that lasted more than four years. The Republic's first locally-built micro-satellite will blast off on an Indian rocket at 12.42pm, Singapore time, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in India, barring last-minute hitches.
First S'pore-built satellite now in orbit The Straits Times Apr 21, 2011 By Jermyn Chow, Defence Correspondent An Indian PSLV-C16 rocket blasting off at Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh yesterday. It carried three satellites, one of which was built in Singapore - the micro-satellite X-Sat. -- PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESS LIFT-OFF, finally. Singapore's first locally built satellite has officially been launched into space. Riding on a rocket owned by the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), the micro-satellite X-Sat blasted off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in India yesterday, more than four years late. The 105kg fridge-size satellite, which will be used to take photographs to measure soil erosion and environmental changes on Earth, was one of three riding on Isro's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C16). The other two were built by India and Russia. Yesterday's launch, at 12.42pm Singapore time, was PSLV's 18th successful lift-off since its maiden flight in 1994. Only two launches have failed. X-Sat is designed and built from scratch by scientists and engineers from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore's defence research body DSO National Laboratories. Now in orbit, X-Sat is establishing communication contact with ground control in NTU, a process likely to take up to a week. Once contact has been made, an 'initial health status of the satellite will be ascertained and confirmed', said an NTU spokesman.
Woman engineer blazes trail at NTU Apr 21, 2011 IN THE ST NEWSPAPER TODAY By Sandra Davie, Senior Writer Prof Fouke hopes to inspire women considering a career in science and technology. THE hunt for someone to head Nanyang Technological University's (NTU) engineering school is over - after more than 100 candidates were considered. The Straits Times has learnt that American Janie Fouke, 60, will take over from Professor Pan Tso-Chien in July, and make history as the first woman to head an engineering school here.
VJC student wins 2010 Angus Ross Prize The Straits Times Apr 21, 2011 By Cao Baoying Victoria Junior College student Sophie Chew has been awarded the Angus Ross Prize 2010. -- ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM VICTORIA Junior College student Sophie Chew has been awarded the Angus Ross Prize 2010. The Angus Ross Prize is given to the best performance in the November GCE A-Level Literature in English examinations by a non-UK candidate, and is open to all candidates (outside the UK) taking the various A-Level Literature in English syllabuses examined by University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE). A spokesman from University of Cambridge International Examinations said: 'The Cambridge Angus Ross Prize is open to students around the world, and once again it has been won by a student from Singapore - an impressive record of achievement.' The Angus Ross Prize winner is selected by a group of senior examiners who look for, among other criteria, maturity of thought and brilliance of expression in students' scripts. The prize is named after Dr Angus Ross in honour of his long association with CIE as chairman of the A-Level Literature in English Examiners.
S'pore-M'sia roaming rates to fall from May 2011 The Straits Times Apr 21, 2011 By Irene Tham From May, Singaporeans travelling to Malaysia will see their roaming bills shrink by 20 per cent for voice calls and 30 per cent for SMS messages. -- ST FILE PHOTO IT IS official: Singaporeans travelling to Malaysia will see their phone bills shrink by as much as 30 per cent in May 2011, and up to 50 per cent a year later. A landmark bilateral agreement - inked after more than two years of negotiations - was announced by Singapore's Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts Lui Tuck Yew, Wednesday afternoon in Kuala Lumpur. From May, Singaporeans travelling to Malaysia will see their roaming bills shrink by 20 per cent for voice calls and 30 per cent for SMS messages. The maximum reduction of 30 per cent for voice calls and 50 per cent for SMS messages will be effective from May 1 2012. The cuts will apply to both prepaid and postpaid subscribers in what Mr Lui described as 'yet another significant milestone' in the relationship between the two countries. 'The peoples of Singapore and Malaysia share close inter-personal and business linkages, and mobile telephony plays an important role in promoting and facilitating such close ties,' Mr Lui said.
PM's TV forums a hit with audiences Channel NewsAsia Posted: 20 April 2011 1812 hrs PM Lee and forum participants SINGAPORE: A total of 866,000 viewers aged 15 years and above tuned in over the last week to watch Question Time With The Prime Minister. The television programme was hosted by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong with 24 members of the public. It was telecast over MediaCorp's Channel NewsAsia, and Channels 5 and 8. The one-hour English forum on April 12 went out "live" on Channel NewsAsia with 12 panellists. The Prime Minister also took questions via SMS and email and the programme was repeated over Channel 5. In all, 396,000 viewers watched the "live" and four encore telecasts. The Mandarin forum with a different set of 12 panel members was shown on Channel 8 on April 16 and 18. Some 547,000 viewers tuned in. In both forums, the Prime Minister held discussions with a cross section of people. These included grassroots leaders, workers, political commentators, retirees, businessmen and students. They discussed a broad range of topics and issues facing Singapore. Video clips of the forums are also available on channelnewsasia.com and xinmsn. As of Tuesday, April 19, netizens viewed the clips 10,069 times.
Tennis: STA name eight for Spain stint Channel NewsAsia By Low Lin Fhoong, TODAY | Posted: 20 April 2011 0633 hrs Photos 1 of 1 (From left, back row): Isaac Ong, Joshua Liu, Rohan Kamdar, Sherwin Foo. (Front row): Joy Chia, Geraldine Ng, Angela Lim, Charmaine Seah. (Photo by ERNEST CHUA) - TODAY SINGAPORE: Touted as the Republic's future tennis stars, eight children aged between 11 and 15 have been picked for a month-long trial at the Madrid Tennis Federation's (MTF) academy, the Magic Box. The four boys and four girls, who leave for the stint during the mid-year school holidays, will spend almost nine hours daily picking up the finer points of the game and the Spanish language. Based on their performance, the group will be whittled down to four, who will then embark on an 18-month programme under the Singapore Tennis Association's (STA) S$500,000 scheme announced last April. Details of the programme were revealed to the players and their parents during a dialogue at the Chinese Swimming Club on Tuesday night. The children's training will be supervised by the academy's chief coach Juan Luis Rascon, Ana Salas and Singapore national coach Daniel Heryanto. The month-long trip will cost an estimated S$55,000, covering training fees, accommodation, local transportation and airfares, and parents will have to co-pay S$2,715 each. The lucky four will then start the next phase of their programme, which will see them taking part in tournaments in Thailand, China, India, Hong Kong and the Singapore ITF Junior Championships (August to October), overseas training for 11 months, followed by more regional tournaments (October to December 2012). Said Rutger Oudejans, an STA selection committee member: "The four boys and girls will be rigidly assessed by STA and MTF, where they will also know for themselves if this is the life they are willing to lead in future." Oudejans also stressed that the association's commitment could extend beyond this initial group. "The idea behind this is to always look for new talent in Singapore because what we want to achieve is to have high-ranking ATP or WTA players on tour in a couple of year's time." National under-18 boys' champion Rohan Kamdar, 14, who had a taste of the rigours of full-time training at Barcelona's Sanchez-Casal Tennis Academy last year, said he is looking forward to the challenge. "It will help me in all aspects like fitness and my mental game and you are always occupied there, and hopefully, I can become a top regional player," said the Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) student. Loo Wei Wei, mother of the group's youngest player, Charmaine Seah, 11, is not too worried about her daughter's ability to cope with training and living 11,400km away from home. Said Loo: "This is a positive thing and it's good as the kids learn to be independent." Players: Boys: Sherwin Foo (13 years old), Rohan Kamdar (14), Joshua Liu (14), Isaac Ong (13); Girls: Angela Lim (13), Charmaine Seah (11), Geraldine Ng (13), Joy Chia (15)
Foreign workers help to create more good jobs for Singaporeans: PM Channel NewsAsia By Millet Enriquez, Chris Howells | Posted: 21 April 2011 1146 hrs SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that by allowing the controlled entry of foreign workers, Singapore has attracted one of the largest investments in the country and created more jobs for Singaporeans. Mr Lee said this during a speech at the opening of chipmakers Intel and Micron's joint venture manufacturing plant IM Flash Singapore Nand Flash Wafer Fab on Thursday. The 300 millimetre NAND facility is a first in Singapore and is one of the largest investments at US$3 billion. The plant manufactures NAND flash memory chips using the 25 nanometre process technology that are used in smartphones and tablets. Mr Lee said it is expected to bring significant spinoffs to supporting industries. Currently, IM Flash Singapore employs 1,200 workers of which six in 10 are Singaporeans and permanent residents (PRs), while four in 10 are foreigners "Without the foreign workers, we would not have attracted this US$3 billion investment, and Intel and Micron would have built its wafer fab elsewhere," PM Lee said. "But by allowing in a controlled number of foreign workers, far from disadvantaging Singa­porean workers, we have created more good jobs for Singaporeans," he continued. "For every one foreign worker, we have created 1.5 local jobs in this project," PM Lee said. So far, Singaporeans and PRs take up about two-thirds of the managerial and professional positions, while two-thirds of technician and manufacturing jobs are done by the foreigners. The opening of the facility comes as demand for consumer electronics is increasing amid better economic conditions globally. The construction of the facility was put on hold in 2008 as consumer sentiment collapsed in the wake of the financial crisis. It now aims to be at full production levels later in 2011. Save Baglee, vice president and director of NAND manufacturing and operations at Intel said, "The IM Flash joint venture has been able to create tremendous momentum and industry leading manufacturing capabilities. We look forward to adding IM Flash Singapore to our global manufacturing network."
National University Heart Centre officially opens Channel NewsAsia By Sara Grosse | Posted: 21 April 2011 2110 hrs Photos 1 of 1 Artist's impression of NUHC facade. SINGAPORE: The new premises of the National University Heart Centre was officially opened Thursday, where it will house a wide range of cardiovascular services to provide a one-stop centre for its patients. At the opening was Health Minister, Mr Khaw Boon Wan, who first announced the formation of the National Heart Centre in 2008. Located at National University Hospital's East Wing, the new facility will provide more outpatient clinics, multi-disciplinary care rooms, a cardiac rehabilitation centre and a pharmacy. There will also be a women's heart health clinic, something the previous cardiac department under NUH did not have. The centre will also have research and teaching facilities. Mr Khaw said that while enhancing hospital care will continue, he is focused on enhancing care outside of the hospitals over the next decade. "It is outside of the hospital care which we need to make it world class and that may take 10 years but if you stay the course, five years can make a critical difference. Community hospitals, home care and nursing home care which we need to upgrade significantly," said Mr Khaw.
New flora and fauna exhibition at HortPark Channel NewsAsia By Millet Enriquez | Posted: 21 April 2011 1715 hrs HortPark SINGAPORE: The public will now have a chance to view some of the recent plant and animal discoveries in Singapore through an exhibition at HortPark Gallery starting today. The National Parks Board (NParks) and the National University of Singapore's Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research (RMBR) have put together an exhibition that features "A decade of biodiversity conservation and discoveries in Singapore." About 500 species of plants and animals are said to be new to Singapore, of which, more than 100 species are also new to science, NParks said in a joint news release with the NUS. Some of these discoveries will be featured in the free exhibition which will run from April 21 to May 2 from 7am to 10pm. "Singapore has showed that a city need not be an enemy of nature and biodiversity. It demonstrates that achieving economic prosperity need not be at the expense of care for the environment," said Professor Tommy Koh, Ambassador-at-Large, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. NParks CEO, Mr Poon Hong Yuen said that through the exhibition, the organizers hope the public will become more aware and have better appreciation of the rich flora and fauna in Singapore. After its run at HortPark Gallery, the exhibition will move to the libraries, City Square Mall and Wisma Atria throughout the year. The exhibition is part of the activities lined up by NPArks to commemorate the United Nations' International Year of Forests this year. Among these are the launch of a book featuring dragonflies discovered in Singapore and a one-stop integrated portal on plants and animals. NParks said the public can access information on over 2,500 plant and 1,000 animal species here via the portal http://florafaunaweb.nparks.gov.sg. Nparks said it is also organising a special contest where the public can share their photographs and experiences of their visits at the parks and nature reserves, or about their favourite tree, plant or forest animal. Five winners will be selected every month until the end of the year.
Sports: SSC CEO Lim out to inspire commitment, engage sports fraternity By Low Lin Fhoong, TODAY | Posted: 22 April 2011 0634 hrs Photos 1 of 1 SSC CEO Lim Teck Yin. (Photo by Low Lin Fhoong - TODAY) SINGAPORE: Lim Teck Yin is a man of action. Sitting down for his first interview with MediaCorp since he was named as Singapore Sports Council's (SSC) new chief executive officer (CEO), he threw out the first question before he could be asked one. "Do you play sports? Yes, then we can talk," he said, breaking the ice. Peppering the interview with anecdotes and illustrations on a whiteboard, the 48-year-old, who took up the post on April 1, spoke passionately about sport. Little wonder, as the former national waterpolo player helped Singapore win six gold medals at the biennial SEA Games (from 1985 to 1995) before serving a two-year term as vice-president of Singapore water polo from 2006 to 2008. The former commandant of the SAFTI Military Institute calls himself a "military leader", but not in the conventional sense. "Leadership ... is when you inspire commitment and you have to spend time engaging the staff. There is no substitute, and you can't do it by email or directives." Lim was appointed after a three-month search. Like his predecessor Oon Jin Teik, his focus will be on producing a pipeline that churns out world-class athletes, growing the sports industry and convincing Singaporeans to participate regularly in sports. He spent the last three weeks meeting staff and familiarising himself with the 63 national sports associations (NSA) and getting up to speed on sports developments and policies, "Singapore sport has come a long way from the time when I was a schoolboy and athlete ... ," he said. "We have a fair number of NSAs and sports people who are contenders on the world stage. We have the infrastructure, quality of coaches, expertise and other capabilities like sports marketing. We are well on our way, but there's still work to be done." He cites the Singapore Table Tennis Association and Singapore Bowling Federation as NSAs who have done an excellent job in producing medals and reaching out to the community. But Lim says the model is not cast in stone. Referring to disagreements from time to time between NSAs and SSC, he said: "We are in the business of developing capability, and NSAs are co-developers. Somehow over time SSC has been seen as the enemy ... we have to do better to help people appreciate what we do." Two immediate priorities for Lim will be Singapore's performance at next year's Olympic Games in London and the S$1.33 billion Sports Hub at Kallang, which is scheduled to be ready by April 2014. "We are at an important juncture where Singapore as a whole and ourselves ask what's next. We aspired for an Olympic medal, we got one, and we can aim for a few more," he said. "We are also working with People's Association to deliver a Singapore National Games by next year. School sports is at a high in terms of quality." Always taking his time with answers, Lim believes there are no easy solutions to some of the hot topics in local sports today. These include foreign-born sports talent, the attrition rate among junior athletes, national service, and generally low spectatorship at events. But being a man of action has some advantages, and one gets the sense that this CEO has a plan for the future. His predecessor oversaw a period when the women's table tennis team won silver at the 2008 Olympics to end a 48-year medal drought. Singapore held the inaugural Asian Youth Games in 2009, Formula 1 came to our shores in 2008 and the Sports Hub idea achieved lift-off. Lim admits there will be comparisons, but said: "The mark that I leave behind is not for me, it must be for the organisation and for Singapore." - TODAY
SJI foundation to support its schools The Straits Times Apr 24, 2011 Foundation will also be platform for exchange of ideas and provision of feedback By Jane Ng Brother Visitor Thomas Lavin, of the Christian Brothers, with Foreign Minister George Yeo at the official launch of the SJI Foundation yesterday. -- PHOTO COURTESY OF BRIAN THENG St JOSEPH'S Institution (SJI) yesterday launched a foundation to allow its family of seven schools to work together to share their experience, expertise and resources. The SJI Foundation, made up of mostly old boys, will also help with fund-raising for the schools. It aims to raise $10 million for a start, and ultimately set up new Lasallian schools in poorer countries in the region by working with local communities. Old boy Derek Loh, 45, chairman of the management committee for the new foundation, said one way the foundation can be useful to the schools would be in the connections of the alumni. Their companies can, for instance, offer internships to students from SJI International, the global school of the Lasalle group of schools. 'They can share their experience so that young people will see the value of contributing, and when they grow up, they can contribute back to society,' he said. The foundation will also be a formal platform for the schools in the Lasalle family to exchange ideas, provide feedback and support the Christian Brothers in their work. The schools previously shared ideas on an ad-hoc basis. There are seven Christian Brothers' Schools of the De La Salle Order in Singapore - with 159-year old SJI its oldest and four-year-old SJI International its youngest.
Facebook co-founder has eyes for S'pore tech scene The Straits Times Apr 24, 2011 By Grace Chng -- ST FILE PHOTO WHEN he first set foot here 18 months ago as part of a world tour to find out how people in various countries use Facebook, Mr Eduardo Saverin was struck by the sight that greeted him. 'I got out of Changi Airport and was amazed by the line of trees and saw how clean and green Singapore was,' said the co-founder of the most popular social networking site in the world. 'Then I discovered the various entrepreneur programmes and the long list of government funding available for start-ups. 'I decided I must live here.'
How to make Lim Swee Say cry Apr 24, 2011 ONLINE EXCLUSIVE By Wong Kim Hoh Minister in the Prime Minister's office Lim Swee Say (in red) teared as his grassroots leaders sent him off while singing a Mandarin song during a farewell dinner thrown by Buona Vista residents at Commonwealth Crescent. -- ST PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG HER name is Fresh, and she is from China. Her matronly figure was sheathed in black tights and a gold sequinned top, at least a size too small. But her voice was big, and full of feeling as she crooned the Teresa Teng classic, The Moon Represents My Heart, just for Mr Lim Swee Say. She was part of the entertainment at a boisterous farewell dinner thrown for the labour chief by Buona Vista residents at Commonwealth Crescent on Friday night. After 15 years, the Minister in the Prime Minister's office recently left the ward to helm the People's Action Party in East Coast GRC. The organisers of Friday's shindig - which also celebrated the third anniversary of My Buona Vista Place community service centre - wanted not just to pay tribute to Mr Lim but also to make him cry. After all, he has been known to turn on the waterworks quite easily. He wept copiously when an unseeded Thai player trounced and deprived Singapore's badminton ace Ronald Susilo of a place in the Olympics badminton semi-finals in 2004. 'He even cried at movies like Homerun and 881,' said My Buona Vista Place chairman Jackie Goh, 37, referring to the two melodramas by filmmakers Jack Neo and Royston Tan respectively. No effort was spared to elicit Mr Lim's tears at the party, initially planned for just 200 but which finally accommodated 1,500 residents and supporters. They dined on an eight-course Chinese dinner under a white marquee, next to an open carpark. Holding court in Hokkien, Mandarin and English was master of ceremony Lee Pei Fen, decked out in her getai best. All she needed to do was exhort, and the crowd would gamely wave their the night's equivalent of xylume sticks: handheld plastic fans bearing Mr Lim's face. A contingent of singers and dancers - many in sequins, feathers and thigh-high leather boots - bravely worked the crowd, belting out Mandarin, Hokkien and Malay songs. In between, grassroots leaders including Major-General (NS) Chan Chun Sing - Mr Lim's successor at Buona Vista - took to the stage to pay tribute to, and spill a few 'secrets' about the MP, such as his penchant for bawdy jokes. The organisers later upped the ante with a video. Set to suitably sappy music, it featured a collage of photographs and featured interviews with people who had worked alongside the minister, as well as residents who have fond memories of his time in Buona Vista. As fried prawns were served, Mr Lim went on stage to receive gifts and tokens of appreciation from residents and stakeholders in the area. A 15m scroll bearing the well-wishes and signatures of more than 1,000 residents was dramatically unfurled by a cavalry of grassroots leaders. Other gifts from groups such as the Holland Village Shopkeepers' Association included a framed calligraphic couplet, a giant eagle statue and a plate with a beautifully painted carp, the Chinese symbol of success and abundance. Although moved, Mr Lim's tears did not materialise, not until the finale when he stood on stage, flanked by grassroots leaders, residents and performers. The band struck up the opening notes of Emil Chau's Friend, and on cue, diners waved their fans, picked up the lyric sheets thoughtfully placed on their table and sang along with gusto. The English lyrics - With our hearts in unison, we convey our heartfelt thanks; here we are wishing you all the best in future - verged on the corny but the sentiments and affection were heartfelt and reverberated loudly in Commonwealth Crescent. And that's when the dam burst. Mr Lim took off his glasses, reached into his pocket for his handkerchief to wipe the tears away. He looked down the stage to see a long line of residents - young and old - waiting to shake his hands and bid him adieu. He cried again.
Heart-pumping F1 action on Orchard Road Channel NewsAsia By Millet Enriquez | Posted: 24 April 2011 2215 hrs David Coulthard Heart-pumping F1 action on Orchard Road SINGAPORE: Shopping fever was overtaken by Formula One fever on Orchard Road on Sunday afternoon. More than 50,000 shoppers and fans were treated to an hour of heart-pumping moves by former Red Bull racing driver David Coulthard. The Scotsman is in Singapore for the Red Bull Speed Street at Ngee Ann City. He tore down the lanes, covering an 800-metre loop around ION Orchard, Scotts Road, the Heeren and Mandarin Gallery. And he impressed with the skills of the race circuit, such as short sprints, burnouts, engine breaks and donuts.
GE: Reform Party former vice-chairman Alec Tok joins SDP Channel NewsAsia Posted: 25 April 2011 1557 hrs Alec Tok SINGAPORE: Reform Party's former vice-chairman Alec Tok has joined the Singapore Democratic Party. Introducing the new member on Monday, SDP Secretary-General Dr Chee Soon Juan said although party treasurer Gerald Sng was initially slated to stand in Bukit Panjang, he has graciously agreed to let Mr Tok contest instead. He said he will stand in Bukit Panjang single-member constituency to challenge the PAP's Dr Teo Ho Pin. Also confirmed on Monday - Teo Soh Lung will be fielded in Yuhua SMC. The 62-year old retired lawyer and former Internal Security Act detainee said she has been making her rounds at Yuhua. She will likely stand against the PAP's Grace Fu.
NAFA launches music degree with London's RCM Channel NewsAsia Posted: 25 April 2011 1547 hrs Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts SINGAPORE: The Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) has launched a music degree with London's Royal College of Music. This programme allows students to enter the RCM's four year Bachelor of Arts of Music (honours) course in the third and final year. But they must first go through NAFA's Diploma in Music Performance. Classes will be taught at NAFA by RCM faculty with a seven-week study attachment in the second year of the programme. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong described the partnership as a milestone in Singapore's efforts to enhance arts education. He said a strong arts scene is not only critical to Singapore's economy just as importantly, a rich arts and cultural landscape enriches society and helps make Singapore an endearing home. NAFA's enrolment has grown in recent years and on Monday, it announced it will be developing a new campus space adjacent to its Bencoolen Street campus by 2017.
A grand table tennis plan STTA and PA join forces in a bid to produce world-class pipeline of talent by Low Lin Fhoong 04:46 AM Apr 25, 2011 SINGAPORE - The Republic's women's table tennis team are the current world champions. They won the silver medal at the 2008 Olympics and will look for more medals at the London Games next year. Singapore's paddlers rule at the SEA Games, consistently bring home a clutch of medals from the Commonwealth Games and also taste success at the Asian Games. Now, in a bid to ensure the Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA) produces world-class players consistently, the national sports association (NSA) has linked up with the People's Association (PA) to form the National Network of PAssion Table Tennis Clubs. By 2015, all 87 constituencies in the country will have at least one table tennis club at a community club, Residents' Committee Centre or neighbourhood committee to provide Singaporeans from all walks of life the opportunity to play the sport. The memorandum of understanding between the STTA and PA was signed at the launch of the Community Sports Festival 2011 at Yio Chu Kang Stadium yesterday and was witnessed by guest-of-honour, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. "Since three years ago when I came on board, besides maintaining the high standards of our national players, what we needed to do even more was to promote table tennis into the heartlands, and we chose the People's Association as a vehicle because they have very good outreach to the community," said STTA president Lee Bee Wah. "Together we hope to promote table tennis, and when there are more people playing table tennis of course we hope to have more players for us to train, and eventually we hope to have this as a means for talent scouting as well ... we also would like to organise one big table tennis outreach community programme at least once a year." The new table tennis clubs will be rolled out from now till March 31, 2015, and the initiative will also see the STTA's national coaches working to train volunteer coaches and talent-scout for young talent at the same time. On Aug 20, Suntec City's convention halls will also host Singapore's biggest mass table tennis event, which will feature over 1,000 paddlers from 88 inter-generation teams competing on 88 tables. According to the STTA, the equipment will be donated to community clubs and Residents' Committee Centres after the tournament. The network of PAssion Table Tennis Clubs - the PAssion card has over 900,000 members - is one of the NSA's outreach initiatives introduced in recent years. Others include the PAP Community Foundation Table Tennis programme for kindergarten children and Zone Training Centres. In the pipeline is a tournament planned for only local-born school players this year. Table tennis team gear up for world championships by Low Lin Fhoong From Nov 11 to 22, Singapore National Olympic Council vice-president Tan Eng Liang will head the Republic's contingent that will do battle at the SEA Games, which will be held in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia. While the biennial Games will not feature the men's and women's team events for table tennis, Singapore's paddlers will eye a clean sweep of the five gold medals on offer in the men's and women's singles and doubles, and mixed doubles events. The immediate task is of course the World Table Tennis Championships, which will be held in Rotterdam from May 8 to 15. The Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA) will send an 11-strong team to the Netherlands. The tournament rotates every year between a team contest and an individual event featuring singles and doubles play. After the women's team recorded a historic win over 17-time champions China to win the world title last year, the STTA have set a target of one individual medal this time around. The squad, featuring seven women, including world No 6 Feng Tianwei, and four men, have been training in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, since March 29 and will return to Singapore on Friday. According to STTA high performance manager Eddy Tay, they have been hard at work training, sparring and playing friendly matches with Taiwan's national team. Said Tay: "Overall, the morale is quite good and, after last year's camp, everyone was looking forward to going back to Taiwan. "It's a different ball game this year considering last year's was a team event. It's going to be tough but they are training very hard." Low Lin Fhoong
LKY School, Insead tie-up to offer 2 degrees The Straits Times Apr 26, 2011 By Amelia Tan Students at the Lee Kuan Yew (LKY) School of Public Policy and business school Insead will soon be able to earn two degrees from both schools in two years. -- ST PHOTO: MUGILAN RAJASEGERAN STUDENTS at the Lee Kuan Yew (LKY) School of Public Policy and business school Insead will soon be able to earn two degrees from both schools in two years. Under a new tie-up, Master of Public Administration (MPA) students from the LKY School at the National University of Singapore will have the opportunity to get a Master in Business Administration (MBA). Selected Insead MBA students can also head to the LKY School for a year and get a MPA. The new initiative will be offered to three students from each school as a start this year but places will grow in the future. To get selected, students will have to meet the requirements of the programmes at the schools but will go through an expedited application and admission process. They can get credits for some overlapping courses. They will pay for the tuition fees charged at both schools, which are $10,000 for the MPA course and about $100,000 for the MBA course. LKY School dean Professor Kishore Mahbubani said on Monday at a ceremony to launch the new tie-up that the recent financial crisis has underscored the importance of cooperation and collaboration between the private and public sector.
NAFA launches music degree with London's RCM Channel NewsAsia By Hoe Yeen Nie | Posted: 25 April 2011 1547 hrs PM Lee (standing, centre) at the signing ceremony in NAFA. SINGAPORE: The Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) has launched a music degree with London's Royal College of Music. This is the first time the London-based college is conferring degrees outside the UK. This programme allows students to enter the RCM's four year Bachelor of Arts of Music (honours) course in the third and final year. But they must be graduates of NAFA's Diploma in Music Performance or have similar qualifications. Applicants must also go through an audition before being accepted. Classes will be taught at NAFA with a seven-week study attachment in the second year of the programme. There are only 20 places available and classes will begin in August. 23-year-old Gabriel Lee is one of those gunning for a place. The violinist graduated from NAFA in 2009 and is currently serving his National Service. He has already got an offer from the Royal College of Music but said he is hoping to be accepted into the NAFA-RCM programme instead. "I've already done three years at NAFA, and if I have to start from scratch overseas, that will be another four years before I can continue with my Masters in music," he said. He added that staying on in Singapore would be cheaper too. The BMus (Hons) offered by NAFA-RCM is about S$28,000 before subsidies, compared to about S$38,000 for a year at the RCM. At the signing ceremony on Monday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong described the partnership as a milestone in the government's efforts to develop its arts education. He said: "We want to give our students full opportunities to excel, according to their differing aspirations and abilities. And therefore we've invested in arts education, technology, sports and many diverse fields. Because our aim is to create a mountain range with many peaks of excellence." Other efforts include creating more talent development programmes from the pre-school to tertiary levels; strengthening arts institutions through faculty and curriculum development; and the setting up of new arts institutions, such as the School of the Arts and the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory. Mr Lee added that improving Singapore's arts education is critical, not just to the economy, but to society too. He said: "Arts and music education will deepen the soul of our society and foster nation-building. "It will enrich our lives, stir our collective imagination, promote critical reflection and social dialogue, give voice to shared memories and experiences, and make Singapore an endearing home." NAFA moved into its Bencoolen Street campus in 2004, and from its initial size of 1,600 students, it has since reached full capacity about 2,300 students. For the last three years, it has had to cap its annual enrolment at about 700 students, despite growing application numbers. That is why it is looking to expand. By 2017, an empty plot of land adjacent to its existing buildings will be developed into its fourth campus site. NAFA President Choo Thiam Siew said besides creating more space to enlarge its student population, the primary aim is to create more social spaces for students. "It (should not be) a case of, come for the class and go after that. You really need the contact, the interaction, the freedom. This is what is lacking currently. So we hope the fourth campus can give us extra space, and the current three campuses can be put to optimal use," he said.
