The Energy Market Authority (EMA) has launched an Intelligent Energy Systems pilot project. The project will test the components of "smart grids" that aim to make energy use cheaper and more efficient by employing a range of technologies. The focus of the pilot project will be NTU, its neighbouring CleanTech Park at Jalan Bahar and selected residential, commercial and industrial buildings. NTU was selected as the focal point of the project as it had the research and technological capabilities to facilitate the testing of smart grid applications and solutions.

Assoc Prof Tai Xue-Chen from SPMS was awarded the 8th Feng Kang Prize in Scientific Computing. He was one of only three scientists in the world to receive this prestigious award given by China this year. Assoc Prof Tai has been working on numerical analysis and computational mathematics, in particular, image processing in recent years.

The Feng Kang Prize in Scientific Computing is awarded biennially to honour Chinese scientists for their significant contributions in the broad areas of scientific computing. The Prize is dedicated to the memory of the late Professor Feng Kang (1920-1993), a pioneer in the field of Chinese computational mathematics.

Prof Tai's mathematical modelling method has been used to restore images that have been degraded due to wear and tear. He has also developed new models for magnetic resonance imaging and other medical and industrial applications.

Four senior officials from China have been awarded the prestigious Lien Ying Chow Legacy Fellowship, a joint initiative by NTU and the Lien Foundation to groom established and emerging leaders from Singapore and China. Through policy research, the scholars will draw lessons from Singapore’s economic and social policies and governance to foster positive change in China.

Berita Harian (19 Nov, Pg 4) and Turkish English daily Today’s Zaman (19 Nov 09) reported on NTU’s collaboration with four leading Turkish universities - Istanbul Technical University (ITU), Middle East Technical University (METU), Istanbul University and Yildiz Technical University. BH quoted NTU President Dr Su Guaning, who said the collaboration would not only further enhance the learning experience and research opportunities for NTU’s students, faculty and staff by tapping the individual expertise and strengths of the four universities, but also open up a new dimension of academic and research collaboration between Singapore and Turkey. The report also included quotes from the Presidents of METU and ITU, who praised the collaboration and said they looked forward to partnering NTU, a globally renowned university.

In conjunction with the Global Entrepreneurship Week, Mr Inderjit Singh, a member of NTU's Board of Trustees, deputy chair of Action Community for Entrepreneurship and Member of Parliament, reflected on Singapore’s entrepreneurship journey over the last six years. He highlighted that to become a truly entrepreneurial nation, Singapore should focus on the key areas of regional thought leadership, entrepreneurship education, attracting and anchoring foreign entrepreneurs and enterprise incubation.

NTU has inked a Memorandum of Understanding each with four leading Turkish universities - Istanbul Technical University, Middle East Technical University, Istanbul University and Yildiz Technical University. NTU’s new tie-up with the four universities is aimed at promoting collaboration in joint research activities, including the supervision of PhD students and the organisation of joint workshops. The MOUs also cover student and faculty/staff exchange and the exchange of information, such as research publications and library materials.

NTU’s S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) has launched a new Distinguished World Leaders Lecture Series. The lecture series is a platform for heads of states, heads of governments and leaders of international organisations to enunciate policies or share their views on issues of regional or international importance. Japan's Prime Minister, Mr Yukio Hatoyama, delivered the inaugural Distinguished World Leaders Lecture on 15 Nov 09. He spoke on Japan's renewed commitment to Asia and his initiative for an East Asian community, highlighting four key areas of cooperation - regional prosperity, the environment, protecting human life and maritime safety. This was the first announcement on the new Japanese government’s policy on Asia, since PM Hatoyama took office in mid-Sep 09.

Wee Kim Wee SCI Assistant Professor Foo Tee Tuan shared his views on how cable channels had eaten into free-to-air television's share of the viewing pie in Singapore. He pointed out that the 10 or so free-to-air channels were competing with over 140 StarHub channels. He also noted that Mediacorp needed to produce more original programming in order to compete but free-to-air also needs to cater to the segment of the population that does not have cable as well.

A group of 23 trainee teachers from the National Institute of Education has been helping foreign workers learn English two nights a week. The lessons were initiated by the first-year trainee teachers as part of their community service project.

In ST Review’s weekly column Daedalus, senior writer Dr Andy Ho highlighted that Prof Geoffrey West of the interdisciplinary Santa Fe Institute would be speaking on complexity theory at NTU. He mentioned that though a theoretical physicist by training, Prof West now works on “universal scaling laws that pervade biology”. Dr Ho wrote that in Prof West’s original field of theoretical physics, it is now known that at the smallest levels of reality, everything – including length, mass and time – is composed of indivisible “quanta”.

In 1982, a French team demonstrated that subatomic particles far apart from one another can indeed communicate instantaneously and thus “non-locally”. To explain how this is possible, some physicists postulate an ether that pervades all reality – an ancient idea – the fluctuations in which guide quantum particles to behave as one united whole. But where is this ether asked Dr Ho. He ended his article by stating that NTU might want to channel its energies into looking for that out-of-the-world ether – Singapore’s first Nobel Prize might lie there.

HSS Assistant Professor of Economics Dr Choy Keen Meng’s commentary on Rethinking The Singapore Growth Model discusses how Singapore can keep its economic recovery in full swing for years to come.

On how the economy can be kept buoyant, Asst Prof Choy's suggestions include: manage growth expectations, increase lower-end wage levels, target recession-proof industries, boost local consumption, diversify from manufacturing, and reduce reliance on foreign workers.

NTU has launched new alumni associations in Hong Kong and Yunnan, China. The two new associations bring the total number of NTU alumni associations to 15 in China and 20 internationally.

Asst Prof Lucy Davis from NTU's School of Art, Design and Media, has unveiled a new solo exhibition, Together Again (Wood: Cut) Part II, at the Substation Gallery. Her new show, inspired by a humble teak bed, is a continuation of her show in May, where she traced the roots of everyday wooden objects using DNA testing.

The NTU Muslim Society recently organised 'Islamic Awareness Week' on campus. The event, themed “Unveiling the Beauty”, aimed to raise awareness and understanding about Islam among the NTU community. This year's programme was conducted on a larger scale than before, with an exhibition about the Prophet Muhammad and a series of seminars on various aspects of Islam. An excursion to Arab Street was also organised to enable participants to experience Islamic culture at first hand. Prof Lok Tat Seng, Dean of Students, who graced the opening of the exhibition, said the university was a suitable educational environment for students to learn about other religions and cultures. Students should therefore make full use of such opportunities to enrich themselves.

Asst Prof Lucy Davis from NTU's School of Art, Design and Media, has unveiled a new solo exhibition, Together Again (Wood: Cut) Part II, at the Substation Gallery. The exhibition, which will run until 22 Nov, is the second part in a series of artistic investigations by the artist on the “secret lives” of timber objects. It consists of a series of animated videos and collages made of woodcuts, drawings and prints featuring “protagonists” who have dealt one way or another with flora and fauna from the past and present.

NTU is now a member of the iBridge Network, a leading US innovation catalyst with an online community that allows universities, companies and entrepreneurs to connect, collaborate and license research, products and services. The university is iBridge's first partner outside the US, and joins universities such as the Johns Hopkins University and the University of Michigan in the network. The network is an initiative of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

NTU and the University of Warwick have launched a new Double Masters Programme in International Studies. The programme will capitalise on the strengths of the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies at NTU and the Department of Politics and International Studies at Warwick.

In this instalment of the Nanyang Business School-Business Times Roundtable discussion series, research board members and senior professors at the Nanyang Business School suggest that Asian companies would benefit from taking a more strategic view of IT and leveraging it to enhance their global reach.

Mohammad Hilmi, a second-year visual communication student at NTU's School of Art, Design and Media, recently received the Goh Chok Tong Youth Promise Award. The award is given to students who show good potential in non-academic fields, such as design, arts and music. Hilmi has received several awards previously for his creative designs. In 2005, Hilmi won the first prize in the Philips Customer Satisfaction competition, for designing a projector shaped like a flower.

NTU, in collaboration with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)'s Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences (ICES), German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and Unifying Concepts in Catalysis (UniCat), jointly presented a symposium dedicated to the advancement of catalysis on 2 Nov 09 at the Biopolis. The symposium, which is the first of its kind, provided the institutions involved with a platform to collaborate on catalysis research to develop next generation catalysts and environmentally friendly catalytic processes.

Prof S Viswanathan and Assoc Prof Rohit Bhatnagar from Nanyang Business School's Division of Information Technology and Operations Management highlighted that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) should take a strategic view of operations. SMEs need to make the transition from being operationally excellent to becoming market responsive, and thus, more competitive.

Nanyang Venture II, a car built and raced by NTU students, has done well in the World Solar Challenge, one of the harshest solar car races in the world. Thirty-one solar cars from around the world started the 3,000-kilometre race from Darwin to Adelaide, which flagged off on Oct 25. First-time entrant Nanyang Venture II is Singapore’s sole entry in the World Solar Challenge, which is held every two years.

Environmental biology is making a comeback here as well as worldwide, as universities recognise the discipline's role in the study of climate change and environmental issues like pollution.

NTU plans to revamp its curricula to include more topics in the field. It has also applied for funding to set up a Research Centre of Excellence for Environmental Science.

NTU campus will be an environmentally-friendly Youth Olympic Village. Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Environment and Water Resources) Dr Amy Khor revealed that equipment such as motion sensors for lighting, water-saving devices and energy-efficient air-conditioning units will be used to reduce the carbon footprints of the 3,600 athletes expected for the Aug 14-26 Games, as well as NTU hostelites who will use the facility after the YOG.

NTU will jointly offer a master's degree in infrastructure engineering and management with the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB). It will be a full-time 18-month course comprising 3 semesters. Students will spend one semester each at NTU and IITB, and the third semester undertaking an industry-related project.

Two NTU student-athletes, Ms Cheryl Lim and Ms Crystal Wee, from the University's inaugural Bachelor of Science in Sport Science and Management programme, were the first to receive the Adam Scott Foundation Asia Scholarship. Each scholar will receive $30,000 over four years of study. The degree programme is conducted by the National Institute of Education.

Mr Girija Pande, a member of the Nanyang Business School Advisory Board and executive vice president of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), discusses his company's "IT-as-a-service" offering to small and mid-sized businesses in Singapore in an interview with The Business Times. Under this service approach, TCS will offer a small firm the hardware, generic software such as payroll and accounting packages and all the industry-specific applications needed to power its operations.

At the fourth Singapore Economic Policy Forum, NTU economist Choy Keen Meng was quoted that a “long-held bias in favour of manufacturing must be shed” so as to develop the services sector, which is more recession-resilient and would also lift domestic demand. Dr Choy said that a stronger services sector would help temper volatility and stimulate private consumption. He expects services to make up 70 percent of output in future. The forum was organised by the NTU Economic Growth Centre and the Economic Society of Singapore.

An educational trip to Sichuan initiated by NTU's School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) students and organised by CEE Club and LIEN Institute for the Environment (LIFE) was held in May 2009, which marked the one-year anniversary of the tragic earthquake. NTU student Huang Zirui shared the valuable experience that the students have gained from the trip.

The Straits Times ran an article on the global solar car race now underway in Australia, where NTU's entry, the Nanyang Venture II, are among the sleek wing-shaped vehicles racing through the desert. The article noted that which team claims the chequered flag will depend on more than just technology. It also needs a creative race strategy. The NTU team noted that as with any race, a good race strategy is vital to stay ahead of the competition.

NTU’s Nanyang Venture II solar car is racing against 31 other cars in the ongoing World Solar Challenge in Australia. The 23-strong NTU team comprises undergraduates, alumni and staff/faculty members from the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) and the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. The NTU team is Singapore’s sole representative at the race. The race from Darwin to Adelaide will see the teams cover some 3,000 kilometres. The solar cars race for nine hours each day and team members camp by the road at night to rest and recover. The fastest vehicles are expected to reach Adelaide by Thursday, depending on weather conditions.

The 1960s saw the start of a 15-year period when the local industry generated hundreds of films. Then tragedy intruded in the form of the Khmer Rouge, and Cambodia's film industry was destroyed in 1975. The exhibition, Golden Reawakening - '60s Cambodian Film Festival and Exhibition, in Phnom Penh, is the first of its kind in the country to celebrate this unique period in Cambodian history. The report quoted Professor Adam Knee, the head of cinema studies at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, NTU, who said that a lot of the history and continuity of Cambodia has been lost, and that is why it is so important that this group of students is trying to get together the people who are still around who have information. Prof Knee said it was "symbolic of trying to retrieve a lost time in Khmer history."

Asst Prof PerMagnus Lindborg has composed a soundtrack for the silent film Nosferatu, which was screened as the closing film of the Monster Mania! film festival, organised by students from the Wee Kim Wee School Of Communication and Information. For its entire 94-minute duration, the 1922 German black-and-white movie featured an original soundtrack by Prof Lindborg and two young musicians, Derek Lim and Kwong Jie Bao. Prof Lindborg, a Swedish composer who teaches at the School of Art, Design and Media, spent more than 200 hours composing and producing the soundtrack for the film, which is adapted from Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Twenty-six NTU alumni were honoured at the prestigious Nanyang Alumni Awards on Alumni Night, Saturday 24 October – the centre-piece of the University's Homecoming weekend. The alumni were chosen based on their professional achievement, track record of public service and dedication to the NTU community. Leading the roll of honour with the Nanyang Distinguished Alumni Award (南洋卓越校友奖) were Mr Chia Ban Seng (Class of 1961), Dato’ Er Kok Leong (Class of 1966), and Dr Tan Kian Meng, William (Class of 1980).

Singapore’s Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) are attracting outstanding talent to work on projects to strengthen Singapore’s defence science and technology research and development (R&D) capabilities.

Both parties formalised their intent by inking a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the DSO National Laboratories today.

The MOU governs the setting up of the Temasek Research Fellowship and the Nanyang-DSO Post-Doctoral Fellowship schemes.

The Straits Times and The Business Times reported that Nanyang Business School (NBS) has risen 10 places in the global MBA ranking by The Economist. The NANYANG MBA is now ranked 71st globally and sixth regionally. NBS improved its ranking due to advancements in areas such as careers and alumni. The school has devoted more resources to its career services and has managed to place more jobs through The Nanyang MBA career services. Apart from expanding its overseas alumni network and engaging alumni more actively, NBS has also worked on recruiting more high-quality faculty.

The Residues and Resource Reclamation Centre (R3C), a new research centre at NTU, aims to establish community resource recovery centres to deal with household waste at a local level.

The Nanyang Business School (NBS) moves up 10 places in The Economist 2009 ranking of global MBA programmes to claim 71st position and it is also now sixth in Asia, ahead of other Singapore business schools. This was the best showing yet for NBS' NANYANG MBA which has been in the world's top 100 MBA list since 2004. Improved provision of career opportunities for its full-time MBA graduates, and a better alumni network are among the reasons for the school's achievement. For instance, under the "diversity of recruiters" criterion, it came in fifth globally - indicating the wide spectrum of industries in which graduates can develop their careers.

The next big earthquake in Sumatra may hit Indonesia's Sumatra island within 30 years, triggering a tsunami and making last month's deadly temblor look tiny by comparison, warned Professor Kerry Sieh, head of NTU's Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS). "We expect it will be about a magnitude 8.8, plus or minus say 0.1," said Prof Sieh. Last month's magnitude 7.6 Sumatra quake lasted about 45 seconds. "This one'll last about five minutes," Prof Sieh said at the screening of the documentary “People-Coral-Mentawai.” The documentary - written and directed by EOS Artist-in-Residence Professor Isaac Kerlow - is an inter-disciplinary collaboration between EOS and the School of Art, Design and Media, and shows the science behind Prof Sieh's prediction of Indonesia's next big earthquake and tsunami.

A team of three outstanding economics graduates from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) - Mr Chiam Yee Hong, Ms Zhou Yuan and Mr Yos Virin - has been awarded the Ministry of Trade and Industry (Economist Service) Best Thesis Prize for their thesis “Double-Index Value at Risk Model and Skewed Distribution of Indices”. Another HSS student, Christabelle Soh Ning En, who is in the honours year of her Bachelor of Arts degree programme in Economics, received the MTI (Economist Service) Book Prize. They received the awards, which come with a $2,000 book prize each, from Mr Lim Hng Kiang, Minister for Trade and Industry at the MTI Economic Dialogue 2009 on 13 October 2009.

A team led by Assistant Professor Lee Yee Hui from the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering is working on a project to predict and improve the robustness of high-speed satellite communication links. The team is also looking at the possible applications of this technology in collaboration with the Japan Aerospace eXploration Agency (Jaxa) and the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (Nict), which launched a satellite in February 2008. The satellite is able to produce the world's fastest satellite Internet connection of up to 155Mbps.

Prof Kerry Sieh, Director of the Earth Observatory of Singapore, NTU was featured in “The ST Interview.” The interview highlighted the science behind his prediction that the next major earthquake in Sumatra, dubbed the “Big One” will strike within decades. He and his Indonesian colleagues are now eyeing a 400km section beneath the Mentawai Islands west of Sumatra, which is under tremendous and increasing stress. When - not if - it reaches its breaking point, it will trigger an earthquake similar to the one that caused the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami. The prediction: an 8.8-magnitude quake within a few decades.

NTU alumnus Colin Er Wenjie won $25,000 (Level 6) in the Mandarin singing contest ‘Don’t Forget The Lyrics’. Er, a first-class honours graduate from the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (Class of 2009), was still a student (scholar) at the time of the show's filming.

NTU's electrical engineering graduate, Mr Tan Wee Beng, is the director of Enterprise 50 2008 award-winning firm Wee Tiong Pte Ltd, a rice and sugar trading company. Mr Tan was roped into the family business by his father and brother in 2002 to bring fresh ideas into the company.

Two combined teams of six debaters from the business schools of the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), National University of Singapore and Singapore Management university sparred in an interactive debate at NTU this morning.

The topic: Corporate Social Responsibility is the key to a competitive European Union.

NTU President Dr Su Guaning shared his views about China’s international role in the next decade. He said he expects China to continue to grow at a rapid rate over the next 10 years, with growth increasingly driven by internal demand rather than exports. China will become a much more important economic engine for the world, particularly for Asia. With increasing economic prosperity, China will have considerable manoeuvring space and resources to overcome its formidable challenges and take its place among the leaders of the world.

The participation rate of NTU’s Graduation Class Gifts programme, an educational and long-term relationship building initiative to encourage graduating students to give back, rose from 8% in 2005 to 46% in 2009. The number of alumni donors participating in the Alumni Giving programme also increased from 143 to over 5600 by the end of 2008. Mr Chew Kheng Chuan, NTU’s Chief University Advancement Officer, shared that the university has implemented a series of annual giving programmes in the last five years to nurture a culture of giving that matches the needs and means of its donors.

An economy in recovery calls for a different dose of medicine.

NTU has moved up four notches, from 77th to 73rd position in this year's Times Higher Education-Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings. This places NTU in the top 1% of the world's universities and in the company of excellent institutions like Washington University in St. Louis, KAIST, Utrecht University, which has recently won Nobel Prizes, and Uppsala University, which has over the last century produced five Nobel Laureates.

Dr Su Guaning, President of NTU, said, "NTU will continue to focus on systematically improving the quality of our research, education and learning environment, things that will make a university great." He stressed that NTU has always believed in pursuing improvements so its students and faculty can excel, while "letting the rankings take care of themselves".

Singapore and France have set up a new alliance to develop a state-of-the-art nanotechnology laboratory for defence and commercial applications. The laboratory will be located at NTU's Research Techno Plaza as part of a programme that includes France's National Center of Scientific Research (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique or CNRS), the largest governmental research organisation in France, and Thales, the French electronics giant.

Business Times reporter Ms Lynette Khoo, who is an alumna of the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information (Class of 2006), won the Most Promising Journalist of the Year Award at this year's Securities Investors Association (Singapore) or SIAS Investors' Choice Awards. Commenting on Ms Khoo’s work, Mr Alvin Tay, editor of The Business Times said: “Lynette is a driven and committed journalist. She will not rest easy if there is no story to pursue, and her willingness to chase down every lead is highly commendable”.

The newly opened Residues and Resource Reclamation Centre (R3C) will research on converting waste to energy and fertiliser. The energy obtained from the waste will be used to power up homes in the future. R3C will focus on three research themes – waste to materials, waste to energy, and contaminated site remediation. The Centre will serve as a major resource for Singapore’s environment and water industry. Along with the R3C, two other centres under NTU's Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute (NEWRI) – Singapore Membrane Technology Centre and DHI-NTU Water and Environment Research Centre and Education Hub – were officially opened on 5 October.

The Business Times carried an interview with renowned scholar Prof Huang Yasheng, professor of political economy and international management who holds the International Programme Professorship in Chinese Economy and Business at the Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Prof Huang was in Singapore at the invitation of NTU’s Nanyang Business School to participate in the Global Social Innovators Forum 2009 and to deliver a lecture to the school’s EMBA students. Prof Huang spoke on China’s economy after the global financial crisis, lessons China can draw from Singapore’s experience, as well as the key differences between the economies of China and India.

NTU launches a new research centre focusing on research in recovering resources from waste. The Residues and Resource Reclamation Centre (R3C) will develop technologies to separate waste at source and convert it into energy.

Renowned Chinese scholar Prof Wang Hui, Tan Lark Sye Professor at NTU and professor at Tsinghua University’s Department of Chinese Language and Literature, delivered a public lecture entitled "The issue of Tibet between the East and the West" on 4 October 2009 at the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry auditorium. Jointly organised by NTU's Centre for Chinese Language and Culture (CCLC), Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao and the Association of Nanyang University Graduates, the public lecture was part of CCLC's Tan Lark Sye Professorship in Chinese Language and Culture public lecture series.

Some 200 representatives from industry and academia attended NTU's inaugural UK-Singapore Water Futures Forum to share the latest in water technologies and to explore new opportunities for collaboration in the strategic area of water security. Gracing the event is His Royal Highness The Prince Andrew, The Duke of York, who is visiting Singapore in his capacity as the UK’s Special Representative for International Trade and Investment.

Mr Chew Kheng Chuan, Chief University Advancement Officer of NTU, offered insights on how to improve one's odds as a recruiter. Recalling his past experience, Mr Chew cautioned that when we interview for a job, whether as interviewer or interviewee, we are in danger of being akin to being in love, because of our great mutual need, and this is characterised by an unconscious sense of delusion. Hence one needs to make a conscious effort to be objective, rather than rely principally on how one feels.

Professor Kerry Sieh's expert comments on the 1 October Indonesian quake aftershocks were reported by The Straits Times, Channel NewsAsia, Channel 5 News and 938LIVE. Prof Kerry said that more aftershocks could be expected, but anything below a magnitude 7 quake would unlikely have any major impact here.

The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) and the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) have announced the sponsorship of six PhD students under the new EDB Joint Industry Postgraduate Programme (JIP) agreement signed with NTU and NUS. The six students will be employed by EADS Innovation Works for three years and will be jointly supervised by a university professor and a researcher from EADS Innovation Works Singapore. They will work on topics such as electro-magnetics, signal processing and data stream mining.

Two renowned universities, the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, and the University of Warwick, the United Kingdom (UK), this morning signed an agreement to set up a collaborative programme of neuroscience research.

On the eve of Children's Day and The Business Times' 33rd anniversary, the newspaper arranged to take 1,000 underprivileged children to the Singapore Zoo as part of an outreach event, Children for Children on 30 Sep 09. The event was jointly organised by BT, CHIJ (Kellock) and The Arts House. A total of $231,908 was raised from the event. BT listed NTU's faculty members among the donors. They had contributed over $10,000 towards the event.

Director of the Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS), NTU Professor Kerry Sieh's expert views on the 7.6 magnitude earthquake which struck Indonesia on 30 September was reported in The Straits Times, Channel NewsAsia, Channel 5 News and TODAY. Prof Sieh warned that the earthquake situation around the Pacific Ring of Fire is getting worse and added that the escalating intensity of quakes in the region in recent years will eventually be followed by a massive quake. Prof Sieh added that the Sumatran earthquakes of the past ten years were quite unusual, and explained that yesterday’s earthquake was particularly worrying because it was right on the edge of a 400km rock patch.

Professor Francois Raymond Mathey, a Nanyang Professor with the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, has been awarded the People’s Republic of China’s highest award for foreign experts, the Friendship Award, for promoting scientific research and nurturing talent at the Zhengzhou University (ZZU) in Henan province. The Friendship Award is a state-level award set up by the Chinese government to honour foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to China's economic construction and social development. Prof Mathey received the prestigious award at a ceremony held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

A 34-year-old Physics lecturer from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) received the Young Scientist Award for his research on metal oxide nanostructures and graphene, which are used to develop nanodevices and harvest energy. Dr Yu Ting, who won in the Physical, Information and Engineering Sciences category of the Young Scientist Award, is an Assistant Professor with the Division of Physics and Applied Physics at NTU’s School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences.

Mr Shafie Shamsuddin, a Nanyang Business School graduate (Class of 1996) was recently appointed as the CEO of Carrefour Indonesia. He started working in Carrefour Singapore as a management trainee and was promoted eight times over nine years to become the first non-French CEO of Carrefour Singapore and Malaysia. In his interview with Berita Harian, he discusses his philosophy for success and the challenges of taking charge of Carrefour Indonesia, which has 75 branches in 15 cities.

NTU's Centre for Chinese Language and Culture (CCLC), Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao and the Association of Nanyang University Graduates are organising a public lecture entitled "The Issue of Tibet between the East and the West" by Prof Wang Hui, Tan Lark Sye Professor at NTU and professor at Tsinghua University,on 4 October 2009,at the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry auditorium.

Some NTU faculty members have donated over $10,000 towards the community event Children for Children, taking the total amount raised so far to almost $230,000. This is significantly higher than the $205,000 raised last year. Dr Su Guaning, President of NTU, led by example by pledging $1,000. Children for Children aims to bring together 250 CHIJ (Kellock) students with 1,000 underprivileged children for an activity-filled afternoon at the Singapore Zoo on 30 September, the day before Children's Day.

Research associate from the School of Computer Engineering’s (SCE) Computational Arts Group, Li Yixiang, NTU alumnus Eko Pranoto Tjoa, and first-year SCE undergraduate, Aaron Ng Shuo, were among 26 local software developers featured in The Straits Times’ Digital Life in recognition of their contributions to Singapore’s efficiency and good reputation as an IT hub. Yixiang, who graduated from SCE in 2005, developed AniMaker, a software application for stop motion animation. Eko created scholarship search tool, Brightsparks, while Aaron developed an awards registration software for the Singapore Navy.

Third-year Malay/Muslim undergraduates - Mr Muhammad Azhar Mohamed Shukor and Ms Sharhana Yusof - are fasting during Ramadan and celebrating Hari Raya Aidilfitri away from home this year. Muhammad Azhar, from the School of Art, Design and Media, is currently in Maryland Institute College of Art, USA, while Sharhana, from the School of Biological Sciences, is in Dong-A University, Busan, South Korea. The students are taking part in NTU’s International Student Exchange Programme with overseas partner universities.

MediaCorp TV 5 (22 Sep 09, 7.30pm) featured NTU’s Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS) during the second semi-finals of the National Science Challenge 2009. Three teams – River Valley High School, Raffles Girls’ Secondary School, and Raffles Institution – visited EOS during the Studio Demonstration round. Prof Kerry Sieh, Director of EOS, introduced the topics of earthquakes in Sumatra and subduction to them. Prof Sieh appeared in this second semi-final round as a guest judge, together with Assoc Prof David Butler (NTU's School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering), who is the resident judge for the National Science Challenge 2009.

NTU and top Swedish medical university Karolinska Institute have launched a joint PhD programme in the field of biomedical science. The joint PhD programme is the third that NTU has established over the last five months. NTU has similar agreements with the Imperial College, London, and Technische Universitat Munchen in Germany. Provost Prof Bertil Andersson said that establishing strategic links with the institutions - world renowned in engineering, medicine and the biological sciences - was is in line with the university's bid to strengthen its research base in the biomedical and health sciences. The latest agreement with Karolinska Institutet will see up to four places offered to students from both universities at the start of each academic year, for the next five years.

NTU held its fourth China Convocation on 19 September 2009 at the Xiamen International Conference Centre in Fujian Province. A total of 288 China-based graduates completed NTU’s China-focused Master’s programmes this year. The 2009 cohort of graduates are from the Master of Science in Managerial Economics, Master of Public Administration, Nanyang EMBA, Master of Science in Technopreneurship and Innovation, Master in Educational Administration and Master of Science in Finance programmes. The convocation ceremony in Xiamen was attended by some 140 graduates.

In a proposal submitted to the Ministry of Education (MOE), Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) has been identified to partner NTU to set up the third medical school in Singapore. NTU Provost Prof Bertil Andersson said that TTSH is NTU's primary clinical partner, although it will not be the only one. If NTU's proposal is approved by MOE, the new medical school could open as early as 2012.

NTU's Economic Growth Centre (EGC) predicts that Singapore's recovery path now lies between a V and a W, and that the GDP will shrink a smaller 2.2 per cent this year, with an 'upside surprise'. The EGC has also called for a review of the Jobs Credit Scheme and foreign labour policy in order to boost productivity and competitiveness.

Three emerging civil servants have received the Lien Ying Chow Legacy Fellowship. The three scholars are Mr Lee Yuen Hee, Deputy Secretary (International) of the Ministry of Transport, Mr Teo Eng Cheong, Competition Commission of Singapore Chief Executive , and Dr Foo Suan Nan Hua High School Principal. The scholars will select and develop their research topics based on their individual speciality field and research interest. They will also will join study tours to participating institutions, such as the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Commerce and Beijing Normal University. The fellowship is a joint initiative launched in September 2007 by NTU and Lien Foundation to groom established and emerging leaders in Singapore and China, and to give them the opportunity to interact and develop professionally.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong addressed over 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students at the NTU Students' Union Ministerial Forum on Tuesday, 15 Sep 09. PM Lee stressed that the interests of Singapore citizens will always come first. But there is also a need to attract talented immigrants for the long-term interest of Singaporeans and the growth of Singapore. PM Lee urged local universities to try harder to integrate their international students by ensuring that faculties, residences and societies do not promote segregation. In the question and answer session that followed his speech, international and local students alike sought PM Lee's views on a range of issues such as political engagement of youth, new media, the economy, education and religion.

In this instalment of the Nanyang Business School-Business Times Roundtable discussion series, panellists from the Nanyang Business School looked into the human psychology of investors and how individuals’ ‘animal spirits’ through their mood and emotions affect the stock market.

NTU and Sweden's Linkoping University, together with the Austria Research Centre, will join forces to open a centre dedicated to biosensing technology. The Centre for Biomimetic Sensor Science will develop systems that mimic cells to aid the diagnosis of diseases and track toxic emissions. The development of 'artificial noses or artificial tongues' has potential applications in biomedical research, food production and homeland safety, said NTU provost Bertil Andersson. The 200 sq m facility, which comprises one main laboratory, will be located at NTU. It is expected to be operational by next year.

The alumni of NTU were in China's Sichuan province over the weekend for the Nanyang Business School’s China Business Forum, and a ceremony to re-name the “Shuangdong Nanyang Primary School”. The NBS Business Forum, entitled "The New World Economic Order and its Implications for Businesses" was held in Chengdu on 5 Sep 09. The event, which was attended by some 200 NTU alumni, academics, government and business leaders, featured distinguished speakers from China and Singapore, including Dr Chen Dongqi, vice-head of macroeconomic research at China's National Development and Reform Commission and Prof Tan Kong Yam, renowned economist and Director of NTU’s Asian Research Centre. The “Shuangdong Nanyang Primary School” is being rebuilt after the devastating earthquake in May 2008, with the support of a RMB1 million donation from the "Nanyang Love and Care Fund for Education". The Fund was set up in July last year by the Nanyang Executive Master in Business Administration (EMBA) alumni.

NTU co-organised and hosted the Young Innovators' Fair 2009, which is part of The Innovation Programme(IvP) under MOE’s Gifted Education Branch. More than 600 primary and secondary school students developed their inventions in nine months under the supervision of teachers and expert-mentors, including professors from NTU. NTU’s Senior Associate Provost, Professor Er Meng Hwa, said that IvP provides an opportunity for students to develop their problem solving and inventive skills. “Over the years, IvP has contributed to the development of an innovative and inventive culture in our Singapore schools. It has served as an excellent platform for our young people to gain first-hand experience in applying the principles of science and technology to real-life problems as well as to showcase their innovations,” said Prof Er.

The Confucius Institute of NTU (CI-NTU) has doubled its enrolment in the last two years. Centre director Koh Hock Kiat said that the Centre is now known as a place for kids, literature and basic Chinese, similar to what the British Council or the Japanese Association offers. The Confucius Institute was jointly set up by the NTU and Beijing's Office of Chinese Language Council International, better known as Hanban. It also has China's Shandong University as its academic partner. It is among 331 Confucius Institutes the Chinese government has initiated in 83 countries and territories in the last four years. Programmes offered by the Confucius Institute in Singapore have diversified beyond Chinese language teaching. They include traditional Chinese medicine, pop music composition and immersion camps for children.

An environmental engineering PhD student at NTU, Mr Lim Chun Yong, had set up Intelligent Commuter (Icom), which runs the website http://www.intelligentcommuter.com. Those looking for a faster and more comfortable commute can register themselves on the website and submit a request for the route they want. When enough commuters are amassed for a route, Icom will work with a private bus operator to offer it, said Mr Lim, the company’s director for business development.

NTU alumnus Mr Lim Chow Kiat has been appointed by the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) to the new senior post of President (Europe) with effective from 1 Sep 09. Based in London, Mr Lim will cover Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He will be the most senior GIC representative in these areas. After graduating from NTU with a first-class honours degree in accountancy, Mr Lim joined GIC in 1993.

NTU is expanding the capacity of its China Affairs Office (previously known as the China Strategy Group) to further enhance the development of its China-focused programmes and initiatives. Dr Wu Wei, Associate Dean of College of Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences, who has been appointed the Director of the China Affairs Office, will be assisting NTU President Dr Su Guaning in overseeing the university’s China-related activities and operations. From initial short-term management training for provincial officials, the university now conducts six Master’s degree programmes in Mandarin for senior officials, businessmen, educators and entrepreneurs from China.

NTU has teamed up with Temasek Foundation to bring earthquake-resistance technology to earthquake-prone regions in the People’s Republic of China. The project aims to promote safer construction practices and enhance the skills of those involved in the construction industry in China. The programme will be implemented by NTU’s LIEN Institute for the Environment (LIFE) in Sichuan, Hebei, Liaoning, Jiangsu, Shaanxi and Yunnan.

Associate Professor Lam Yeng Ming, 35, a lecturer with the School of Materials Science and Engineering at NTU, has been awarded one of the three inaugural L'Oreal Singapore for Women in Science National Fellowships 2009.

ZDNet Asia online (28 Aug 09) interviewed Professor S. Viswanathan, head of IT and operations management of Nanyang Business School, who suggested that ICT managers eyeing chief information, technology or operating officer positions should consider an advanced degree course such as the MBA (Master of Business Administration), if they have not had formal tertiary training in business.

ideas.inc. is a new national business competition that combines funding support and mentorship for young aspiring entrepreneurs. The competition, which runs from August 2009 to July 2010, is jointly organised by NTU’s Nanyang Technopreneurship Centre and SPRING Singapore.

The Straits Times carried a full-page feature on Professor Linda Darling-Hammond, Stanford University's Professor of Education, who received an honorary degree of Doctor of Education from NTU at its 2009 Convocation. The report highlighted that as one of the international advisers to NIE, she found that Singapore’s school system was “making strong, amazing educational progress” to prepare students for the future. The article noted that besides NTU, eight other universities around the world have awarded her honorary degrees.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has inked a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) with NTU to work on transport-related projects as part of LTA’s Singapore Urban Transport Solution (STARS) programme launched in November last year. Under the programme, LTA is also collaborating with NUS, SMU, A*Star, and the Institute of Systems Science. The Straits Times article highlighted that under the MOC, NTU and SBS Transit is developing Singapore’s first fuel cell bus which will run on electricity converted from hydrogen and oxygen. The bus is expected to be ready by next March and will be used during the Youth Olympic Games in August. Associate dean of research at NTU’s College of Engineering Prof Soh Yeng Chai said that after YOG, the bus will be put into service by SBS Transit on a trial basis.

Three students from the Nanyang Business School (NBS) at NTU clinched the title of L'Oréal Brandstorm National Champions 2009 on 20 May 2009. The NBS trio, Magnifique, comprised Britney Cheong, Ng Yi Han and Jessica Ong. Find out more about how the team impressed the judges with their creative business plan.

Professor Kerry Sieh, Head of the Earth Observatory of Singapore, NTU predicted that the next big earthquake to rock Southeast Asia can be narrowed down to a 400 km stretch off the west coast of Sumatra. Professor Sieh said the odds of a magnitude 8.8 quake happening within the next 30 years are “10-to-one” and the quake would likely be 600 km from Singapore. The renowned geologist was speaking at the 6th annual meeting of the Asia Oceania Geosciences Society, held at Suntec this week.

NTU and SingBridge International Singapore have signed a memorandum of understanding with two Guangdong government bodies to collaborate on research, education and training in the proposed Guangdong Knowledge City. The MOU was sealed on 17 July 2009 at the inaugural Singapore-Guangdong Collaboration Council meeting in Guangzhou city.

A team of NTU researchers led by School of Computer Engineering's Prof Seah Hock Soon spent four years to develop CACAni, the Assisted Celluloid Animation software that reduces time needed to produce animation from days to minutes. The technology is almost ready for commercial application.

A team of scientists led by the head of NTU’s genomics and genetics division, Assoc Prof Peter Droge, has discovered what gives cancer cells eternal youth. The scientists have uncovered a gene – HMGA2 – which repairs DNA damage so that cells do not die. The study is the first that links the DNA repair activity of HMGA2 to chemoresistance of cancer cells, and has the potential to help address diseases such as liver cirrhosis, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

NTU and top-ranked Italian design school Domus Academy are offering a joint Master of Arts in Interactive Design programme. This is the first time Domus Academy is joining hands with a foreign partner to establish a joint Master’s degree programme outside Italy. It is hosted by NTU’s School of Art, Design and Media, starting January 2010. The intensive coursework-based programme is designed to enable students to understand interactive design in greater depth and enhance their professional competence. Students can look forward to spending six months in Milan, training and interacting with Italian professors and practitioners in design industries. They will spend another semester in NTU to develop the Master’s thesis and apply what they have learnt in Italy to the Far East context. The partnership will bring some of the finest European designers to Singapore.

Miss Sarinah Sabari and Miss Siti Sarah Salim are two of the 31 students from the pioneer batch of Art, Design and Media graduates, who showcased their best works in an exhibition titled ‘Party of Tomorrow. The exhibition, which started on 12 June 2009 at Old School, 2902 Gallery, ended its run on 21 June 2009.

About 800 students from Nanyang Technological University’s (NTU) School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering (MAE) developed 63 technological innovations over a span of five weeks, as part of the Engineering Innovation and Design Competition 2009 (EID09). Organised by MAE, the competition motivates students to create innovative products that have social relevance and economic viability.

NTU has appointed Mr Chew Kheng Chuan as its Chief University Advancement Officer, a newly created post to spearhead the university's development initiatives, strengthen engagement with alumni and donors, and oversee corporate communications. Harvard-educated Mr Chew, who was previously vice-president of endowment and institutional development at NUS from 2003 to 2008, is reputedly one of Asia's most successful fundraisers.

NTU celebrates the official launch of two new alumni chapters in Sichuan and Hunan to cater to the growing number of alumni members in China now totalling more than 10,000 from NTU’s 120,000 alumni strong global network. NTU President Dr Su Guaning officiated at the launch in Sichuan on 31 May 2009. Dr Su will be officiating at the launch of the alumni chapter in Hunan on 13 June 2009.

Three students from NTU – Brendan Goh, Tsang You Jun and Fan Shufen – topped the youth category of this year’s Start-Up@Singapore business plan competition. Team E-Thermnity's winning product is a non-toxic, lightweight and durable baby milk bottle that changes colour according to the temperature of the contents.

The S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) received US$2.5 million from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to conduct research in non-traditional security and regional security cooperation. The grant is part of a US$68 million Asia Security Initiative by the MacArthur Foundation over a seven-year period to develop new ideas to address Asia’s security challenges. RSIS is the largest beneficiary of the Initiative and is the only Singaporean institution selected as a core institution to lead research in one of 3 research clusters.

The Nanyang Venture I, an eco-friendly car designed and built by a team of 25 students from NTU's School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) and School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE), wowed many at the Shell Eco-marathon Europe 2009 held in Germany, from 7 to 9 May 2009. The NTU eco-car turned in the best results of the Singapore entries on the first day of the two-day race on 8 May 2009. At the end of the final day of the race, the car came in 4th in the Prototype (Solar) Category (out of 8 in that category) and clinched second place of the 'Safety Award' in the 'Special Awards' category. It was a remarkable achievement for a team which has participated in the Shell Eco-marathon Europe for the first time this year.

Prof Jin Guantao, Chair Professor at Chengchi University of Taiwan and Tan Lark Sye Professor at NTU, offered his insights on the two enlightenments in the Chinese History at the public lecture jointly organised by NTU’s Centre for Chinese Language and Culture (CCLC), Lianhe Zaobao, the Association of Nanyang University Graduates and Ee Hoe Hean Club on 2 May 2009. The event was part of CCLC’s Tan Lark Sye Professorship in Chinese Language and Culture public lecture series. Renowned scholars and academics also shared their views on the May Fourth Movement and Singapore Chinese Intellectuals at the seminar held in conjunction with the public lecture.

Senior professors at the Nanyang Business School highlight some of the systemic failures and the lack of transparency that allowed corporate chiefs to be unfaithful in discharging their responsibilities. They also suggest some possible ways of tightening checks to prevent fraud and strengthen corporate governance standards.

Students and faculty at NTU can look forward to a series of distinguished public lectures by eminent professors from Harvard University with the introduction of the Harvard Ezra F. Vogel Malaysia/Singapore Initiative. Sponsored by the Lam Kin-chung Morning Sun Charity Fund, the programme aims to strengthen Harvard University’s links with universities across Southeast and South Asia, starting with Singapore and Malaysia. The Singapore lectures will be hosted by NTU’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) twice a year, for a period of five years, opening up new opportunities for students and faculty to interact with internationally acclaimed Harvard academics from various fields. Prof Arthur Kleinman, the Victor and William Fung Director of Harvard University Asia Centre, delivered the inaugural public lecture on “The Global Economic Crisis and Moral Changes” on 26 March 2009. The lecture examined the moral problems and dilemmas in society, economics, politics and professions in face of the global economic crisis.

In this instalment of the Nanyang Business School-Business Times Roundtable discussion, senior professors at NBS analyse the new marketing challenges being faced by businesses in the current gloomy economic climate. They also suggest some possible strategies for successful marketing in a recession.

A team of four business students from NTU's Nanyang Business School has been crowned the Asia Pacific champion in this year’s Global Investment Research Challenge, beating eleven university teams from countries such as China, India, Japan and New Zealand. The competition – which aims to promote the practice of professional investment research among university students – requires participants to conduct investment research and analyses into publicly listed companies. The NBS team, which represents the entire Asia Pacific region, will travel to London in April to compete against teams from the Americas and Europe in the final round of the challenge. Some 890 students from over 200 universities worldwide have participated in the prestigious competition.

The “Chinatowns in a Globalising Southeast Asia” photo exhibition - a project by the Chinese Heritage Centre which involves the launch of a book - attempts to tell the stories behind the Chinatowns in Southeast Asia through the highly accessible medium of photography. It captures the sights of the human side of Chinatowns in face of the ever-increasing rate of globalisation. The photographs featured in the book and the exhibition are the work of young photographer Zhuang Wubin – a recent alumnus of NTU’s Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information. The roving exhibition, currently held at National Library, will travel to other places after March.

Experts from NTU's Asia Research Centre and Xiamen University's Macroeconomic Research Centre released the latest assessment of China's 2009 economic outlook at a conference held in Beijing on 28 February. The assessment was made using a quarterly macroeconometric model co-developed by the two universities in 2006 for forecasts of the Chinese economy and policy simulations.

NTU's Welfare Services Club first conceptualised and launched Patchworks of Flavours, a community cookbook in English some two years ago. It showcases Singapore's culinary heritage because the recipes are handed down through the generations from contributors, who are mostly elderly Singaporeans. The 102-page book raises funds for three elderly homes and a senior volunteer programme (the Kheng Chiu Loke Tin Kee Home, the AWWA Community Home for Senior Citizens, the Geylang East Home for the Aged and the Retired & Senior Volunteer Programme). Selling well on the shelves, it has thus far raised over $30,000 from the sale of more than 2,000 copies and spawned a Chinese version, launched last month. It is available at Books Kinokuniya and 10 Kopitiam outlets.

It was a grand turn-out with games, activities and 13 retailers ready to introduce their wares and impart knowledge to undergraduates at NTU about wine culture. Started on 12 Feb just two days shy of Valentine's Day, Valenwine 2009 is the first-of-its-kind exhibition organised and hosted by the students' club, NTU Wine Society. Feted by undergraduates from NTU, NUS and SMU, many came to NTU's Nanyang auditorium to get better acquainted with vintages, vines, wines and much more.

Final year students from NTU, Angeline Leow, Priscilla Li, Jasmine Ng and Carmen Lee, use their final-year project to campaign on an important social issue for teens. Having worked at the Centre for Promoting Alternatives to Violence (PAVe), they chose to put their first-hand experience of how violence can be spurred by young romance to good use.

A team of scientists from NTU and Rice University, US, have successfully created a new super environmentally-friendly green chip which uses 30 times less energy while running seven times faster than existing chips. Mobile phones that could need re-charging just once every two weeks or surgically-implanted devices lasting several lifetimes could be a reality a few years down the road. This out-of-the-box concept was conceived in 2005 by the director of NTU’s Institute of Sustainable Nanoelectronics and Rice University computer scientist Professor Krisna Palem. Team member Assoc Professor Yeo Kiat Seng, NTU’s Head of the School of EEE’s circuits and systems division, says that the chip is able to make such a leap over current chip technology because of its design. Professor Yeo reckons it will take about four years for actual products to appear. The new technology has also been endorsed by Intel Microprocessor Technology Lab director Shekhar Borkar, who called the 'energy and speed advantages' of the new technology a 'significant achievement'.

More than 1300 were up at the crack of dawn on Sunday, 8 February, to take part in the challenge of climbing 60 floors up the Republic Plaza situated at Raffles Place. Known as NTU National Vertical Marathon (or NTU's NVM), it is organised and conceptualised by the University's students from the NTU Sports Club. Mr Oon Jin Teik, Chief Executive Officer of Singapore Sports Council was Guest-of-Honour for the official flag-off at 7.30am. His presence was instrumental in NVM's objective to support the 2010 Youth Olympic Games where several mini sports games were available at the NVM carnival grounds. One of the annual event's most ardent fan is 83-year-old veteran who has participated for 11 years running. NVM 2009 also saw a 12-year-old male taking his first shot at the stair-climbing challenge. A new category aptly named Lovers' Challenge, was introduced this time that allowed couple participants to climb the storeys hand-in-hand as well.

Final-year undergraduates from NTU's Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information initiated the launch of a unique cause that hits close to home. Dating Violence Awareness Week (7 – 14 February 2009) is the first-ever nationwide campaign targeted at young Singaporeans aged 17 to 25 year-olds. Initiated by social workers from the Centre for Promoting Alternatives to Violence (PAVe) and NTU’s communications undergraduates as a part of their final year project, the public educational campaign aims to raise awareness of dating violence and to inform victims where and how they can seek help. The inaugural was launched by Guest-of-Honour, Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman, Parliamentary Secretary for National Development on 7 February, Saturday at Tampines Mall, Level 4, Open Plaza. The week-long event incorporates various activities that urge all young Singaporeans to "Choose Love, Not Abuse" with a website for the cause at www.chooselovenotabuse.com.

NTU is going all out to help graduating students secure jobs amidst this economic gloom. In addition to working closer with SMEs and Government agencies to explore career options for graduating students, NTU also launched an SMS job alert service which aims to provide students with a timely update of available jobs.

In an interview with Channel 8, third-year NBS student Lee Kheng Siang gave his perspective on the challenges facing youngsters during the current financial turmoil. He also shared his views on Budget 2009, career prospects, as well as opportunities ahead.

Following the recent Financial Times MBA 2009 rankings where the Nanyang MBA programme was ranked 24th, NBS has set its sights on gaining further ground with a special focus on China and India. Prof Jitendra Singh, dean of NBS and Shaw Foundation chair, said that in the years to come, he hopes to eventually get into the top 10. He added that to stay on top, innovation will be key in NBS’ business model and NBS has an edge over other global and Asian business schools as they have a diverse faculty and student base and with plans to have on board global business leaders who can offer international insights to the students. In addition, NBS also aims to start a customized programme for life sciences graduates within the next two years.

NTU has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Business China to provide internship opportunities to its undergraduates from the university's flagship Global Immersion Programme (GIP), helping them gain valuable working experience in the China market and giving them a more comprehensive global learning experience. The partnership also includes preparatory workshops to help these students better prepare themselves for studying and working in China through sharing sessions.

Draconika, Nanyang Technological University's first entry at Chingay Parade Singapore 2009 and has been crowned the tallest float on parade. Standing high at a whopping nine metres tall, Draconika will be a vision of engineering feat not seen at the local popular parade before.

Nanyang Business School's MBA programme has jumped more than 20 places to be ranked 24th among the top MBA programmes worldwide in the Financial Times 2009 Global MBA Rankings – the highest achieved by a Singapore institution so far. Making it to the top 25 in this year's ranking places NBS in the league of the elite business schools worldwide.

The government has set aside S$48 million over the next five years for 100 scholars from NTU and NUS to conduct research at the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART). Education minister Ng Eng Hen said that the funding will boost the research efforts of NTU and NUS, and ensure a steady supply of PhD students for Smart.

At the Singapore-MIT Alliance's (SMA) 10th anniversary dinner, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the programme would attract young research talent locally and across the region to 'work with Smart researchers to discover the next breakthrough idea'.

"NTU is committed to fostering innovative research and applying new technologies in the industry. We are very happy to reinforce our long-standing collaboration with MIT and NUS in this new programme. It will definitely provide the impetus to attract promising great minds into Singapore for cutting-edge research. Such global research networking will undoubtedly step up the exchange of knowledge and research collaboration between the universities," says Dr Su Guaning, President, NTU.

The inaugural International Science Youth Forum organised by NTU’s Institute of Advanced Studies and Hwa Chong Institution sees three of the world's best scientific minds in Singapore with a mission to inspire some of Asia's brightest young students in their pursuit of scientific knowledge and excellence. Over the next four days, Sir Anthony Leggett and Professors Douglas Osheroff and Kurt Wuthrich - all Nobel laureates - will engage eighty-two students representing 25 secondary schools and junior colleges from countries that include China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore - in a series of dialogues and discussions to share their experiences. Professor Phua Kok Khoo, Director of IAS, said that the forum aims to inspire young minds beyond what textbooks can offer by enabling participants to cultivate 'out of the box' thinking.

In a NBS-Business Times Roundtable discussion, Assoc Prof Tan Khee Giap, Assoc Prof Angela Tan and Assoc Prof Cao Yong gave their take on how the Singapore Budget, to be presented to Parliament on Jan 22, can help to turn around the economy and set it on the growth path again.

A group of Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Art, Engineering and Science students design and build a multi-faceted launch mechanism for the Singapore 2010 logo. The 14 undergraduates, hailing from three distinct disciplines — NTU’s School of Art, Design and Media (ADM), School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (SPMS) and School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) — have combined artistic, scientific and engineering solutions to simulate mechanical actions symbolic of the 26 sporting categories the athletes will be participating in, come August 2010. The model is intricately developed with multiple steps to generate a chain reaction. Standing at a height of 2.5 metres by 7.6 metres, it presents distinctly differing actions – downward, upward and sideway motions – with the use of rolling balls, sports apparatus and many others as triggers. Computer modelling was used to simulate each mechanical movement and improvement was made to achieve a better design. To overcome budget and time constraints, the students creatively recycled used items and use materials that are cheaper and readily available.

The newly launched Global Alliance of Technological Universities seeks to address global issues through leading-edge science and technology.

NTU's Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS) brings leading-edge research and new urgency to its task of making the region safer.

NTU's debut at this year's Chingay Parade was a blast! Voted favourite float, it wowed spectators with its combination of bold engineering and fantastic fire, water and lighting effects.

NTU's vibrant entrepreneurship eco-system gets an added boost with the establishment of the first Kauffman campus outside of the United States.