#60 [🎓 Reconnecting with Roots: A Special Visit to NUS] 【🎓 重返母校：一场意义非凡的NUS之行】
中文版在英文刊文的下方。
Returning to my alma mater, the National University of Singapore (NUS), was more than just a nostalgic visit — it was a heartfelt reconnection with familiar grounds and a renewed commitment to shaping the future.
I had the privilege of joining Professor Eng Chye Tan, President of NUS, over lunch in an intimate and thought-provoking session with leaders and changemakers from diverse industries. I was also glad to reconnect with Joan Tay, whom I’ve worked closely with through the NUS Uplift Mentoring Programme over the past few years — a cause that empowers students from less-advantaged backgrounds to rise and thrive.
Among the inspiring attendees were:
🔹 Mr Chua Ching Hock, General Manager, Seletar Airport
🔹 Mr Ying Loong, Chin, Regional Managing Director, ASEAN and SAGE, Oracle
🔹 Mr Danial Hakim, Senior Policy Manager, Strategy Group, Prime Minister’s Office
🔹 Mr Kevin Ben Laurence, RPh, Apt, Ph, BCMTMS, Founder and CEO, SingMed Clinic
🔹 Mr Ronny Sondjaja, VP & Head of R&D Innovation (Region Asia), Evonik
🔹 Ms Rachel Ai Phang Foo (IHRP-SP), Country HR Head, Merck Group
🔹 Mr Vincent Ong, Senior Director, Head of New Product Development and Introduction Lab, HP R&D Singapore
🔹 Ms Ovidia Lim-Rajaram, Chief Alumni Officer, NUS
🔹 Ms Chui Leng Yan, GCDF, CCSP, Deputy Director, HR, Tan Tock Seng Hospital
Our conversations were wide-ranging and deeply relevant:
💬 Mental wellness — a growing priority in both education and the workplace 💬 The dynamics of intergenerational workforces, especially Gen Z, their expectations, and evolving work values 💬 Internships as crucial pathways for youth employability and industry readiness
On the topic of internships, Ying Loong shared Oracle’s active engagement in this space, including their collaboration with Minister Tan See Leng. This brought back memories of my own journey — over 20 years ago as a social entrepreneur and NUS undergraduate, I co-founded InternSG, Singapore’s leading internship portal at the time. It was a grassroots movement to connect students with opportunities, and I’m proud to see it still supporting career exploration today.
When the table turned to the topic of Southeast Asia, I shared that the region — with its 700 million population — is fast becoming the fourth-largest trading bloc globally, reflecting its strategic importance and untapped potential. Singapore’s positioning as a trusted hub is both an opportunity and a responsibility.
We also explored the global talent landscape, and how Singapore remains a magnet for professionals seeking residency. At the same time, the group acknowledged the challenge of sustaining our social compact while tapping into the economic benefits of foreign talent.
Unsurprisingly, AI and data analytics, including AlphaGo (now AlphaEvolve — see my recent article), were prominent discussion points. Prof Tan Eng Chye shared how NUS has embraced digital transformation, with plans to scale further as the student population approaches 50,000, and the alumni community reaches over 400,000. He called for more alumni engagement to guide and mentor the next generation — sharing industry expertise, wisdom, and lived experience.
Before I end, I want to express my sincere gratitude to Jacqueline See, Senior Associate Director at the NUS Centre for NUS Centre for Future-ready Graduates, whose thoughtful follow-ups and warm professionalism ensured my participation despite a packed schedule. In alumni engagement — just like in customer success — the frontline matters. It’s the difference between a 5-star experience and a 6-star one: the prompt service, the attention to detail, the human touch with a smile. Jacqueline exemplifies that distinction.
As we build the future, let’s remember the foundations that built us. And let’s keep giving back — because the next breakthrough may start with a conversation just like this.
#NUSAlumni #FutureOfWork #Mentorship #AI #AlphaEvolve #SoutheastAsia #GenZ #Leadership #MentalWellness #InternSG #Education #GivingBack #LifelongLearning #Singapore #SocialImpact #CustomerSuccess #AlumniEngagement
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【🎓 重返母校：一场意义非凡的NUS之行】
重返母校——新加坡国立大学（NUS），不仅仅是一场怀旧之旅，更是一次发自内心的连结与对未来愿景的重新承诺。
我有幸受邀与NUS校长陈永财教授共进午餐，并与来自不同行业的杰出校友与变革推动者们，展开了一场深具启发性的思想交流。同时也非常高兴能与我在过去几年里合作无间的Joan Tay重聚。我们在NUS Uplift 导师计划中携手努力，为来自弱势背景的学生赋能，帮助他们向上成长。
出席的嘉宾阵容非常精彩，包括：
🔹 蔡清福先生，实里达机场总经理
🔹 陈应隆先生，甲骨文东盟及SAGE区域董事总经理
🔹 Danial Hakim先生，总理公署战略组高级政策经理
🔹 Kevin Ben Laurence先生，SingMed Clinic 创始人兼首席执行官
🔹 Ronny Sondjaja先生，赢创亚洲研发与创新副总裁
🔹 傅欣如女士，默克公司新加坡人力资源主管
🔹 王荣先生，惠普新产品研发与导入实验室高级总监
🔹 林若霞女士，NUS校友事务总监
🔹 徐翠玲女士，陈笃生医院人力资源副处长
我们围绕以下议题展开了深度交流：
💬 心理健康 —— 已成为教育与职场日益重要的议题 💬 跨世代职场 的差异，尤其是Z世代的工作理念与价值观 💬 实习机制 的关键作用，连接学术与产业、教育与就业
在谈及实习话题时，陈应隆先生分享了甲骨文公司在推动青年实习方面的努力，并提到其与陈诗龙部长的合作。这让我回想起20多年前大学时期作为社会企业家的一段经历 —— 我和一群NUS同学共同创办了InternSG，当时是新加坡领先的实习平台。这是一个草根倡议，旨在为学生创造更多实践机会。今天，InternSG 依然在支持青年探索职业方向，我感到无比自豪。
当讨论到东南亚发展时，我指出这个拥有7亿人口的区域正快速崛起，有望成为全球第四大贸易集团。这不仅是一个机会，更是一份责任。新加坡作为可信赖的枢纽，必须积极作为。
我们也讨论了全球人才竞争格局，以及新加坡如何继续吸引希望落地扎根的专业人才。同时，大家也意识到，在欢迎外来人才带来经济价值的同时，如何维系新加坡社会的社会资本与社会契约，是一项关键挑战。
不出所料，人工智能与数据分析也是本次讨论的重点之一，包括从AlphaGo演进至AlphaEvolve 的趋势（详见我近期的相关文章）。陈永财教授分享了NUS如何积极拥抱数字化转型，并计划扩大学生宿舍等基础设施，以应对即将迈向5万名学生的总数，而校友人数也已超过40万名。他呼吁更多校友能回馈母校，以自身的行业经验与人生智慧，引导下一代走得更远。
在此，我特别感谢Jacqueline See 女士，NUS未来就业中心（Centre for Future-ready Graduates）高级副主任。尽管我行程紧凑，她仍持续跟进并热情邀请我参与本次交流。这份细心与专业正体现了前线服务人员的重要性。在校友参与度提升方面，就如同客户成功与客户体验的关键所在 —— 正是那种5星与6星酒店之间的差距：来自前线员工的及时响应、细致入微、带着微笑的服务，才是真正打动人心之处。Jacqueline 展现了这一份六星精神。
在我们共同建设未来的同时，别忘了孕育我们成长的地方。愿我们持续回馈，不忘初心，因为下一个突破，也许就从这样一场对话开始。
#NUS校友 #未来工作 #导师计划 #人工智能 #AlphaEvolve #东南亚崛起 #Z世代 #领导力 #心理健康 #InternSG #教育变革 #回馈社会 #终身学习 #新加坡 #社会影响力 #客户成功 #校友参与
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