Singapore Also Can

Hi Kiloo, good to know you have had a pleasant stay in Singapore recently.

Wish you a speedy recovery!

 

MediaCorp to telecast Singapore's table tennis win over China

Channel NewsAsia
03 June 2010 1609 hrs

SINGAPORE: MediaCorp will telecast on Sunday the historic win by Singapore women's team over China in the recent World Team Table Tennis Championships in Moscow.

Singapore's trio of Feng Tianwei, Wang Yuegu and Sun Beibei rocked the sports world when they beat reigning champions and world number one China 3-1 to become world champions.

The media group says it has just secured the telecast rights of the event.

It explains that "live" telecast rights were not made available to free-to-air broadcasters.

Channel 5 will air the event in its entirety at 3pm on June 6, with an encore telecast at 9am on June 12.

MediaCorp says its extensive TV coverage of recent SEA Games, FINA Arena Swimming and the recent AFC Asian Cup Qualifier featuring the Young Lions underlines its firm support of the sporting achievements of Team Singapore athletes.

The group says it will continue to bring key competitive events and matches to viewers, subject to broadcast rights considerations

 

Resorts World Sentosa unveils world's first garden in a casino

Channel NewsAsia
04 June 2010 2237 hrs

By Sharon See

It is a breath of fresh air in more ways than one.

At the 1,100 square metre Garden Court, there is ample daylight and six waterfall features. And patrons can dine al-fresco even within the casino.

With eating being a national hobby of most Singaporeans, they can also eat to their heart's content.

There is a wide variety of cuisine and promotions, starting with Penang hawker fare, which will last for two weeks.

 

JCube mall goes green

my paper
Fri, Jun 04, 2010

By Victoria Barker

COME early 2012, people living in the western part of Singapore will have a spanking new place to get their retail therapy fix.

A new mall, JCube - formerly known as Jurong Entertainment Centre (JEC) - is in the works at the intersection of Jurong East Central 1 and Jurong Gateway Road.

To be twice the size of JEC, JCube will boast five levels of retail and a rooftop landscaped plaza.

And best yet, the $200-million project will also be doing its bit for the environment, with the help of a slew of energy-saving and eco-friendly features.

Its Olympic-sized 30m by 60m ice-skating rink that will be located on the third level, for example, will come with a "grey-water recycling system", which will reuse the water generated from the ice rink. A rainwater harvesting tank will also be put in place.

The rink takes the place of JEC's Fuji Ice Palace. Complete with a 463-seat viewing gallery and changing rooms, the rink will be fully equipped to host international ice-skating and ice-hockey events and competitions.

Of its eco-friendly bent, Mr Simon Ho, chief executive officer of CapitaMall Trust Management Limited, which owns the development, said: "We have always been actively pursuing the design and development of 'green' malls...such as Plaza Singapura.

"Apart from being a responsible corporate citizen...going 'green' also makes good business sense by enabling us to reduce our energy and water usage, which will result in savings." The mall is in the early stages of construction, which began last month after stalling in 2008, when high construction costs and the competitive market for resources crippled the building industry here.

Though JCube's tenants have yet to be confirmed, it promises a good mix of shops that will appeal to every sensibility. Think high-street labels, the latest gadgets, beauty services, and a number of enticing dining and entertainment options - in the form of round-the-clock food-and-beverage outlets, pubs and bars (some of which will be located around the ice rink) - all under one roof.

Throw in a multi-screen cineplex and a supermarket, and, really, there's no reason to go anywhere else.

For residents in the area, JCube will be a welcome addition.

Tutor Liyana Mahmood, who lives in Jurong East, usually goes to Orchard Road shopping centres to scour for fashion deals and to watch movies.

"Hopefully, the new mall will have some trendy shops so that I do not have to travel so far to do my shopping," the 24-year-old said.

"I'm excited to see what it hasto offer."

Come early 2012, people living in the western part of Singapore will have a spanking new place to get their retail therapy fix. -myp

 

Flunked exams, still ended up in MIT

The Straits Times
Fri, Jun 04, 2010


He flunked Hong Kong's equivalent of the Primary School Leaving Examination and had to repeat his exams. -ST

MR LEE Kwok Cheong, 55, is chief executive officer of the Singapore Institute of Management (SIM).

Born and raised in Hong Kong, the eldest of six children started helping out in the family-run provision shop at eight. He went to primary school two years earlier than other children because of a shortage of day-care services and, as a result, flunked Hong Kong's equivalent of the Primary School Leaving Examination and had to repeat his exams.

But his faltering first steps in education did not stop him from excelling in his studies later. In 1973, he won a place at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to pursue a double degree in management and computer science. He supported himself by working three jobs.

In 1983, Mr Lee, then a high-flying IT consultant in Hong Kong, was headhunted to join the National Computer Board here, later known as NCS. He uprooted his family and became a Singapore citizen in 1986.

During his decade at NCS, Mr Lee transformed it into a regional IT and communications engineering services powerhouse with subsidiaries in eight countries. While he was there, NCS grew its revenue from $138 million in 1997 to $668 million in 2005.

He has also served as the president of the Singapore Computer Society, chairman of the National InfoComm Competency Council and member of the iN2015 Steering Committee - iN2015 is the Government's latest 10-year IT masterplan.

Although he admits to being known as the 'IT guy', education has always been close to his heart. That is why, in 2005, he agreed to head the global education arm of SIM that is tasked with running degree programmes in partnership with overseas universities.

Mr Lee was an Adjunct Associate Professor at Nanyang Technological University's business school from 1998 to 2002, and also sat on the boards of Nanyang Polytechnic and the Institute of Technical Education.

Because of his own childhood experience, he believes in educational opportunities for everyone, regardless of their learning pace: 'I was a late bloomer. Had I been written off when I didn't do well in my exams the first round, my life would have been very different.'

Mr Lee and his Japanese wife Sachiko, a housewife, have two sons and a daughter, all in their 20s.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.

 

Elite school or not doesn't matter: PM

The Straits Times
Fri, Jun 04, 2010

Success hinges more on what one makes of the opportunities given. -ST

By Cassandra Chew

FOR 20 years, the display band of Bowen Secondary School in Hougang has been top of the pops.

Next month, the neighbourhood school is set to march into the spotlight again, when its band becomes a star attraction at the opening ceremony of the annual Singapore Youth Festival.

Its achievements are not lost on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who held it up before 500 pre-university students yesterday when he stressed to them that their future success did not hinge on going to an elite school. It pivots on what they make of the opportunities they are given.

'Our education system provides something for everyone, not just in a few top schools, but in many good schools and JCs all over Singapore,' he said at the annual Pre-University Seminar at the University Cultural Centre.

Bowen, for instance, spares no expense in giving the best education to its band members, he noted.

Instructors are flown in from Japan and key members are sent to receive training alongside a famous band in Nagoya.

The school illustrates his point that good teaching, a varied curriculum and a wide range of activities are available in every school across the island, and not just 'elite' ones.

PM Lee's remarks were spurred by a debate in The Straits Times Forum pages on the stiff competition to enter elite junior colleges, or JCs.

He highlighted two letters.

One had a student arguing that those in non-elite JCs, which also offer solid education, have ample chances to do well if they put in the effort.

The other, from a Pioneer JC alumnus, pointed out that being in an elite JC is no indicator of future success.

The writer also said no JC in Singapore is inferior and that success should not be defined solely as getting into top schools.

PM Lee agreed with the letter writers, a nod of approval that resonated with many of the students.

Delia Toh from Raffles Institution said many parents feel 'anything outside of academic achievements is sort of a waste of time'. She asked what could be done to correct the mindset.

PM Lee said it is up to parents to believe that there are many places where students can get a good education.

'I believe it,' he added, pointing out that Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew attended the 100th birthday of his alma mater, Telok Kurau Primary School, to remind people that one does not have to go to a good school to do well.

'What counts, as the Pioneer JC alumnus said, is what you do with your life and that's quite fundamental,' he said.

Li Yi Jia from Dunman High asked how Singapore can progress as a meritocratic society without elitism rearing its ugly head.

By ensuring Singapore keeps its doors open for the talented and capable to contribute, PM Lee replied.

'That's one of the reasons we want to make sure all our schools are good schools... you don't have to go to the best school in Singapore or the most popular school in Singapore in order to get ahead,' he said.

 

Singapore's sensational triumph as World Champions in women's table tennis

I sacrificed my Sunday badminton session this afternoon to watch Singapore become World Champions in women's world team table tennis when she stunned WR1 China in Moscow's Olympic Indoor Arena on 30 May 2010.

I sat patiently through the TV from 3 pm to 7 pm to witness Singapore's three women paddlers
shocked their China counterparts 3-1.

Star player Feng Tianwen, 23
(Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feng_Tianwei)

and

Wang Yuegu, 29 (Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wang_Yuegu)

both beat China's WR1 Liu Shiwen, 19, 3-2 and 3-1 respectively to earn two valuable points for Singapore.

FTW also gave Singapore the first point when she came from 2 games down to win the next 3 against Ding Ning in the first match. Then came the stunning WYG's win over Liu in the 2nd match before Sun Beibei went down 1-3 to China's Guo Yan to get a delayed reprieve for China. The winning point from WR2 FTW over WR1 LSW sealed a historic victory for Singapore and put her on the World TT map ahead of China now.

This is Singapore's first major world team championship crown in Singapore's sports history. We are indeed proud of our women paddler's achievement, who also rewarded Singapore with a silver medal at the Beijing Olympics 2008.

Result:

Singapore 3-1 China

Feng Tianwei (SIN) beat Ding Ning (CHN) 8-11, 3-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-9
Wang Yuegu (SIN) beat Liu Shiwen (CHN) 11-7, 11-8, 2-11, 12-10
Sun Bei Bei (SIN) lost to Guo Yan (CHN) 11-6, 6-11, 4-11, 6-11
Feng Tianwei (SIN) beat Liu Shiwen (CHN) 11-7, 14-16, 11-7, 9-11, 11-7

It was not as easy as it seemed as 24 countries fought for the prized World Champ position in Div 1. Singapore was ranked 2nd behind China, followed by Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, Romania, Austria, Poland and Hungary in WR10. (Ref: http://ru.wttc2010moscow.com/files/2010_WTTC_Teams_seeding.pdf)

Singapore’s Road to the Final

Group Stage

beat Spain 3-0

Feng Tianwei beat Shen Yanfei 3-0
Wang Yuegu beat Zhu Fang 3-0
Li Jiawei beat Ramirez Sara 3-0

beat Czech Republic 3-1

Feng Tianwei beat Dana Hadacova 3-0
Wang Yuegu lost to Iveta Vacenovska 0-3
Li Jiawei beat Katerina Penkavova 3-1
Feng Tianwei beat Iveta Vacenovska 3-1

beat Netherlands 3-0

Feng Tianwei beat Li Jie 3-0
Wang Yuegu beat Li Jiao 3-0
Li Jiawei beat Elena Timina 3-0

beat Germany 3-0

Feng Tianwei beat Kristin Silbereisen 3-0
Wang Yuegu beat Wu Jiaduo 3-0
Sun Bei Bei beat Sabine Winter 3-0

beat USA 3-0

Yu Mengyu beat Ariel Hsing 3-0
Li Jiawei beat Natalie Sun 3-2
Sun Bei Bei beat Lily Zhang 3-0

Singapore finished as Group B winners. China, Hong Kong and Japan finished as winners of groups A, C and D respectively. Poland, Germany, Korea Republic and Chinese Taipei qualified for the round of 12 as group runners-up. Croatia, Netherlands, Hungary and Romania completed the line-up having placed third in their groups.

Knock-out Rounds[/B]

Round of 12 — Singapore received a bye into the quarter-finals as group winners

Quarter-finals — beat Hungary 3-0

Wang Yuegu beat Krisztina Toth 3-0
Feng Tianwei beat Petra Lovas 3-1
Sun Bei Bei beat Georgina Pota 3-1

Semi-finals — beat Germany 3-0

Feng Tianwei beat Wu Jiaduo 3-0
Wang Yuegu beat Kristin Silbereisen 3-2
Sun Bei Bei beat Sabine Winter 3-0

So in the end I tremendously enjoyed my afternoon just sitting down at home for 4 hours to watch our brilliant girls in action as giant-killers to break the monopoly of China as world champions.

However I wasn't alone as I had the famous John Burgess with his Russian friend Mikhail (?) as company as they commented on the proceedings. John was rather smart to allow Mikhail comment on the technical aspects while he was all enthused with performance of our girls. It was the first time that the Singapore flag was raised higher than others and our National Anthem "Majulah Singapura" was honoured at a world sports meet. John was just as happy as he had been living in Singapore for more than 30 years and had been involved in our sports scene either as coach (in Rugby not badminton or table tennis) or as sports commentator. When he first arrived he thought he could not last more than a couple of years!

 

More pictures of our women table tennis World Champions

All the pictures were taken from the TV screen yesterday when the World Championships finals were telecast.

They showed how Feng Tianwei won the decisive winning point for Singapore, her indescribable joy that was shared by her teammates who rushed to the court to hug her, the prize presentation ceremony that followed the honouring of Singapore as the new world table tennis champion, with the raising of the Singapore flag and the playing of "Majulah Singapura" for the first time in a world sports meet and the passing of the Corbillon Cup to Singapore after so many years in China's custody.

History of the Corbillion Cup

The Corbillon Cup, donated in 1933 by Marcel Corbillon, President of the French TTA, for the inaugural Women's Team event in the 1934 World Championships (held in Paris, December 1933). The original Cup disappeared during the early days of the Berlin occupation after World War II - the German Women's team won the Cup in the 1939 World Championships in Cairo. The German TT Federation paid for an exact replacement made in 1949. Will the original ever surface?

Despite the early dominance of the Hungarian men, and such stars as 5-time World Singles Champion Maria Mednyanszky, Magda Gal, Anna Sipos, Gizella Farkas et al, Hungary has never won the Corbillon Cup. China, the current holders, has won the Cup a record 16 times, beginning in 1965, and 15 of the last 16 World Championships! Japan has won the Cup 8 times, beginning in 1952, their last in 1971. Romania, with late legendary Angelica Rozeanu at the helm, has won 5 Cups (1950,51,53,55,56). Czechosolovakia won in 1935,36.38, while two-time winners are England (1947,48), Germany (1933/34,1939) and the USA (1937,49). South Korea won in 1973 and the Unified Korean team in 1991. The USSR won in 1969.

 

Yes John was biased but this time I can forgive him and I am happy he is happy. He had had his disappointments many times in the past.

 

Girl, 5, sets maths record

The Straits Times
Jun 7, 2010

Cherlyn Lee's score at olympiad best in S'pore

By Ted Chen

CHERLYN Lee is only five, but she is a computational whiz.

She correctly answered six out of 10 tasks - each involving the addition of 10 rows of 10-digit numbers - at a mathematical olympiad on May 30. The score is a new Singapore record. The 5min 17sec she took was also the fastest among 345 other contestants, most of whom were older than her.

By comparison, the world record holder is Mr Alberto Coto of Spain, who in 2008 got 10 out of 10 correct answers in 4min 26sec. He was 38 then.


Five-year-old Cherlyn Lee started on a course at CMA Mental Arithmetic school last year. -- ST PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG

 

Arts outdoors at Waterloo, Queen St

TODAY
05:55 AM Jun 07, 2010

Facelift to allow for street markets, performances

by Ong Dai Lin

SINGAPORE - A place where new ideas, works of art and creative products are incubated, with numerous exhibitions and fringe outdoor events including art-themed street markets and performances to attract visitors and locals alike.

This is the future of Waterloo and Queen streets envisioned by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), which has decided to give the neighbourhood a facelift.

The improvement works would cement them as the core arts and cultural streets within Bras Basah and Bugis, two decades after the area got a new breath of life as an arts and entertainment hub when the URA marked out Singapore's cultural district in its 1991 concept plan.

At that time, terrace houses and bungalows along Waterloo Street were restored and rented out to arts groups. A section of the street was converted into a no-car zone to make it more pedestrian friendly, and more MRT stations were planned to serve the area.

This time, pedestrian connectivity is again on the cards, but the URA's Request for Information document on government tender portal GeBiz suggests the greater aim is to facilitate the organisation of street events.

The works will include landscaping, reconstruction of roadside drains and creating spaces for regular outdoor performances. The project is estimated to cost $11.5 million. Construction is expected to start next April and be completed by February 2012.

When told of the Government's plans, some arts groups in the area came up with ideas for special festivals that could be organised for the community.

An annual Waterloo Festival could be one of them, Dance Ensemble Singapore founder Yan Choong Lian told MediaCorp.

This could be an occasion for "all the groups to showcase their arts. We can also invite foreign artists to the festival so that we can learn from them too". It would also be good to have a space for children to perform on special occasions such as Mother's Day or Children's Day, she added.

But some shop tenants in Waterloo Centre said any adjustments to the road may mean fewer parking lots and they are less than thrilled about any proposed changes.

"Customers now just park their cars by the roadside, walk in to buy their stuff and then drive off. There are already limited car park spaces here," said Mr Ong Ming Hor, owner of an automobile parts shop.

Ms Deborah Soh, owner of cake shop Room for Dessert, said: "This area has the artistic laidback vibe. If you have too many things happening here, it'll become another Orchard Road."

Some suggestions from architects on how to improve Waterloo and Queen Streets include better shade facilities.

Former president of the Singapore Institute of Architects, Mr Tai Lee Siang, said: "It's always so hot or raining ... We can't just imitate overseas types of outdoor street performances ... We can have pavilions with air-conditioning, but these must be built sensitively so that they don't stick out like a sore thumb."

According to an URA spokesperson, the project is to generate "more arts buzz in the area as the National Arts Council and National Heritage Board work closely together to organise art-themed street markets, performances and exhibitions".

The URA also recognises the demand for car parking around the area.

"As part of the improvement works, additional kerbside parking lots are planned to be provided along Waterloo and Queen Streets," the spokesperson told MediaCorp.

 

I think John is basically a nice fella who entertains us with his sometimes 'outrageous' comments but he meant no harm most times.

Having been in this part of the world for the most part of his adult life, I'm sure John will be most diplomatic when it comes to SIN/MAS rivalry.

 

More tourists coming to S'pore, staying longer with opening of IRs

Channel NewsAsia
07 June 2010 2000 hrs

By Teo Xuanwei

SINGAPORE : More tourists are coming to Singapore and staying longer since the opening of the country's two integrated resorts (IRs).

Even though both attractions are only partially opened, in-bound tour agencies said business has spiked by as much as 40 per cent.

Many tourists are also extending their stays here by another night or two.

They are also giving other attractions a miss to check out Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) and Marina Bay Sands (MBS).

One company described the IRs as "exciting properties" which tourists would want to see "even if they are not complete".

Both IRs have had a slew of hiccups since its opening.

RWS' Universal Studios Singapore lost its main ride, the Battlestar Galactica, to technical faults barely a week after the theme park opened in March. The ride remains closed.

Tour East Singapore general manager Yvonne Wong said: "Tourists just want to have a feel of the theme park first even if it's not fully open or some rides aren't working, because it's the newest in the region and has some unique rides."

She said the fact that they cannot try Battlestar Galactica now doesn't bother them.

"If they like the place, they can come back. The desire is based on the experience of the whole theme park, and not one or two rides," said Wong.

Marina Bay Sands also had problems with its conference facilities and hotel rooms.

MBS drew flak when it hosted its first event, the Inter-Pacific Bar Association's 20th annual conference last month. The conflict is the subject of a legal suit now.

But glitches aside, demand continues to flourish.

Tour agents said most tourists accept that kinks are common when mega-attractions open.

For now, the more family-friendly RWS appears to be ahead in the race to woo tourists.

But agents said MBS will put up a tough fight once its SkyPark and resident show The Lion King open.

The only question is when. The show's debut is expected to be delayed, as MBS' theatres will not be ready by September.


Tourists at RWS's Universal Studios Singapore

 

New research to help heart failure patients get faster treatment

Channel NewsAsia
07 June 2010 1336 hrs

By Claire Huang

SINGAPORE: The day may come when all it takes to tell if a person is suffering from heart failure is blood. This will mean saving time and life.

One in five patients land in the hospital's emergency department due to breathlessness and chest pain. Of these, a quarter suffer from heart failure.

But preliminary tests like ECG can be time-consuming and inaccurate.

That's why the Cardiovascular Research Institute will be trying out a new blood test developed in New Zealand on some 1,000 patients.

Of these patients, the institute will choose half with symptoms of breathlessness while the other half will have had chest pains.

Professor Arthur Mark Richards, director, Cardiovascular Research Institute, National University Heart Centre, Singapore, said: "The target here in this lab would be to develop measurement methods for markers in the blood that are important in detecting heart problems of several different kinds. And not only detecting it but also giving an idea about how serious it is, what the outlook for that person is and also giving a measure of how well you're managing it and how well you're controlling it."

Its newly-appointed director said this could reduce the time taken by doctors to make a diagnosis by two to three hours.

If the research is successful, a prototype kit may be developed to provide a diagnosis in about 15 minutes.

The lifetime risk of developing heart failure is quite high.

Professor Richards added: "Middle-aged Singaporeans have a one in three chance that heart failure will be a problem for them some time in their remaining life.

“This is something to be avoided if you possibly can, because having been given a diagnosis of heart failure, your survival is clearly reduced over the following year or five years, even more severely so than some forms of cancer.

“So if you can prevent if from happening or detect it quickly and treat it quickly, then you stand a good chance of improving those people's quality of life in their lifetime and their survival time."

Professor Richards hopes results will be available within the next 18 months.

The institute is also working with six restructured hospitals to find out more about the different types of heart failures.

Professor Richards said the information gathered from the research can help doctors better manage treatment.

He said: "We'll be comparing what the outcomes are like for these people, how they respond to treatment, what their survival is like, how high their risk of coming back into the hospital might be, how their blood tests differ from one another, and how the structure of their hearts differ from one another.

“All this will be done with the aim of understanding particularly the diastolic or preserved contract or function type heart failure better and finding an improved treatment or improved management for it.”

Data gathered from the different ethnic groups in Singapore and New Zealand will be used to see if genetic and biomarker differences may emerge.

The institute is receiving some S$6 million for the first two years from the National Medical Research Council for the research projects.

Doctors said heart failure admission rates have been going up in Singapore.

From May 2009 to April this year, there were more than 4,000 admissions. Heart disease is the number two killer in Singapore right after cancer.

 

Family is key institution underlying social policies: Balakrishnan

Channel NewsAsia
07 June 2010 1746 hrs

By Joanne Chan

SINGAPORE : The Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Vivian Balakrishnan, has stressed that the family is the key institution underlying social policies.

This comes even as Singapore faces a changing landscape and questions are raised about whether the family can continue to be the main support.

Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew once told Dr Balakrishnan that looking after the family is key to building a stable society. This principle has underlined many of Singapore's policies, but times are changing.

Speaking at a seminar on Singapore's social policies at the National University of Singapore on Monday, Dr Balakrishnan noted that although Singaporeans still value the family, some worrying trends have persisted.

These include low birth rates, marriages at a later age, and a rising number of divorces.

These developments have raised questions about whether the family institution can be relied on as the main provider of emotional and material support.

While recognising the stress placed on families, Dr Balakrishnan said the state cannot take over the role of providing support.

He said: "Government cannot be a surrogate family, we cannot be a surrogate husband or a surrogate mother, or even a surrogate child.

"Even as the family as an institution confronts greater challenges in the future, we need to make adaptations so that the family remains the crucial, social pillar of our nation and that we all continue to invest in it.

"And it requires people both young and old, it requires the state, it requires employers to pay attention to this aspect of it."

"I hope we will arrive at the situation where employers take into account the needs of families. So for instance, wherever possible, post both spouses overseas, give them good, fulfilling jobs overseas so that the family can stay intact. That would be so much better for our family stability."

Dr Balakrishnan felt that in order for Singapore to thrive in the future, the nation must stay open to newcomers and help them integrate into society.

The minister also highlighted the importance of helping all citizens own assets, which will ensure that they are invested in the nation's future.

Dr Balakrishnan continued: "It's not just giving welfare, but making sure that you've got mandatory savings - enough savings to last you a lifetime and to look after your family.

"To translate those savings into assets, housing or other investments which you can pursue through the CPF investment scheme so that these assets can be productive assets and produce reasonable returns to you."

He said the government will continue to ensure that homes are affordable, and cautioned owners against selling their flat for a quick profit.

 

Chinese tycoons among NUS, NTU alumni

The Straits Times
Tue, Jun 08, 2010

By The Straits Times China Bureau

BEIJING - The National University of Singapore (NUS) has produced more Chinese tycoons than top United States colleges like Yale, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Duke.

In the last 15 years, it has produced four Chinese multimillionaires, mostly from its business school.

On a list of foreign university alumni Chinese multimillionaires, NUS came in at No. 3, just behind Harvard and Stanford. Harvard produced six tycoons, and Stanford, five.

MIT was ranked fourth, and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) did well too, producing two Chinese tycoons to tie for fifth place with eight other schools.

The two Singapore universities were the only Asian colleges on the US-dominated list which appeared two weeks ago in a report by 21st Century Talent, a newspaper, and Cuaa.net, a website that serves Chinese university alumni organisations.

Covering Chinese tycoons worth over 100 million yuan (S$20 million) who had appeared on other rich lists such as Forbes and Hurun over the past 10 years, the report analysed their personal attributes such as place of birth, industry and the universities they graduated from.

Of the nearly 2,000 tycoons covered, some 130 had studied in universities abroad.

Of the four tycoons who studied at NUS, three went through the doors of its business school: real estate magnate Yang Yuyan, who at 2.1 billion yuan is the wealthiest of the four; Mr Chen Dan of Evergreen Group, who struck gold selling animal feed to farmers; and Mr Xu Liankuan, who heads bus manufacturing firm Zonda Group.

Mr Chen and Ms Yang had done NUS' Asia-Pacific executive master's in business administration (MBA) programme, which is conducted in Chinese.

The fourth magnate, Dr Lan Weiguang, holds a PhD from NUS' chemistry department, where he remains an adjunct associate professor.

The two multimillionaires from NTU - property magnates Geng Jianming and Wang Zhenhua - completed its Chinese-language executive MBA programme, which takes in 50 students from China every year.

The rankings are a boost for both Singapore universities, especially their executive MBA programmes.

NUS' programme was ranked 11th globally last year, up from 30th in 2005, according to the Financial Times.

The good showing by the business school's graduates, said its dean Bernard Yeung, 'attests to the rigorous, relevant and rewarding education that we have consistently provided to our students as Asia's leading global business school'.

NTU's business school dean Gillian Yeo too said she was proud of its successful alumni. She added that the school's course curriculum 'has helped to develop the business acumen and leadership skills of our graduates'.

Chinese education experts backed their comments, saying that the latest rankings burnish Singapore's reputation as an education powerhouse.

A survey last year by China's top overseas education consultant EIC showed that Singapore was the most preferred destination in Asia among China's students, beating Hong Kong and Japan.

Globally, the Republic was ranked fifth after the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.

'Among prospective Chinese business students, Singapore is even more attractive because schools there can teach them how to combine the international and Asian ways of doing business,' said EIC analyst Tian Chao.

'This is something lacking in American and British business schools.