DOCSLIB.ORG

Give Tinkerers More Room for Creativity

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Give Tinkerers More Room for Creativity homeí THE STRAITS TIMES SATURDAY, MAY 8 2010 PAGE B2 who was proclaimed by the Vatican as pa- tron saint of all teachers in 1950. The La- sallian curriculum emphasises all-round ‘Give tinkerers more excellence, sound moral values and serv- SJI to award ice to others. For a start, 20 scholarships will be giv- en next year and the number will be tri- room for creativity’ pled to 60 in a few years. Places are open to both Singaporean and foreign stu- dents, who will study for four years in SJI BY LEE SIEW HUA was “troublesome”. scholarships and continue at SJI International for two Mr Yeo dished out SENIOR WRITER years. these and other stories The foundation will also be an avenue SPRING Singapore chair- from his upstart career for old boys to contribute time, money or at the Fullerton-St expertise by organising mentorships for man Philip Yeo rejoices in being a tinkerer. Joseph’s Institution students, said Mr Sng, former president Leadership Lecture yes- from next year of the SJI Old Boys’ Association. Several In 1977, he bought 110 terday to make a larger old boys have indicated that they will carcasses of A-4 Skyhawk point: Leaders and par- leave money to the foundation in their airplanes that were ents can give more free Lasallian schools in poorer countries in wills, he added. scrapped after the Viet- Boys picked will study the region, working with local communi- Meanwhile, a decision has yet to be nam War and were lying in rein to non-conformists ties. made on whether SJI should cater more the Arizona desert. and tinkerers. at St Joseph’s Institution So far, 20 old boys, including Spring to Catholic boys and those from feeder He asked engineers to These may be the in- Singapore chairman Philip Yeo, Mr Ed- Christian Brothers’ schools or focus more take the planes apart and novators that Singapore and SJI International mund Tie, executive chairman of proper- on attracting top students, he said. This stick new F-18 Hornet en- needs, he emphasised. ty consultancy DTZ Debenham Tie Leung came under discussion at the old boys’ an- gines into them. “Parents scold chil- BY CHANG AI-LIEN (SEA), and Ministry of National Develop- nual general meeting in March. “Buy new planes, and Leaders and parents should give dren for taking things SENIOR CORRESPONDENT ment Permanent Secretary Tan Tee How, Mr Yeo, who was the guest speaker at you don’t learn anything,” non-conformists more free rein apart. How to be crea- have donated a total of $1 million to the the Fullerton-SJI Leadership lecture yes- said Mr Yeo, then the Per- to do their thing, says Mr Yeo. tive?” said Mr Yeo, also ST JOSEPH’S Institution and SJI Interna- charity. terday, recalled how during his time at manent Secretary for De- the special adviser for tional have joined hands to award scholar- Mr Michael Sng, a pro tem foundation SJI, the better students in the class fence. economic development ships to top primary school leavers. management committee member, said: helped the weaker ones. “From that effort, we built up Singa- in the Prime Minister’s Office. About 60 boys will be selected each “Our immediate goal is to set up the schol- “We were a diverse class and all the pore Aerospace,” he said yesterday. “You need teachers and principals who best students had a value system where can tolerate troublesome people,” added year for the scholarships, worth almost arship but the larger objective is to But his tinkering also required a “toler- $60,000 each, that lead to the Interna- spread Lasallian education in Singapore we tried to help our weaker classmates. Mr Yeo, an SJI alumnus. ant and nurturing boss”, in the person of tional Baccalaureate diploma. and beyond.” “The class was not elite but, in the When he was a pre-university student The money will come from the new SJI Lasallian schools were established by a end, 11 out of 22 got scholarships,” he former defence minister and economic ar- in SJI, he and his friends set up a chemis- Foundation, which aims to raise $10 mil- Roman Catholic religious order founded said. chitect Goh Keng Swee, who would laugh try lab in his aunt’s attic in Beach Road. lion and hopes ultimately to set up new by French priest John Baptist de La Salle, [email protected] when he heard complaints that Mr Yeo The boys bought pure acids from China- town, cycling back dangerously with the bottles. To finance the enterprise, he screened movies rented from Cathay Organisation in the school hall on Saturday nights. It cost $25 to rent the movie, and they made $125 from ticket sales to SJI boys, convent girls and other movie-goers. Eleven of his classmates won Colombo Plan scholarships – including Mr Yeo, a Toronto-trained engineer who went on to become chairman and then co-chairman of the Economic Development Board from 1986 to 2006. If he had his way, he said he would bring in foreign scholars at the youngest possible age – and also devote the best re- sources to primary schools, such as talent- ed teachers. Teachers are vital for primary school children who need guidance. By Second- ary 1, students are “more self-learning”, he noted. Leaders too, he said, are critical in building human capital that is Singa- pore’s key to success. Defining the qualities of a good leader, he said no leader is a lone ranger and must build a strong, diverse team. A leader is also a worker, he added. He himself taps out e-mail messages at 3am or 4am. Best of all, tolerate the troublemakers, he said. A replica of the famous Giant Buddha in Sichuan, China, sitting in the open space in front of Ngee Ann City. The face of the sculpture will be unveiled today at the official opening of the two-day Vesak festival, called Passport to Happiness, at Ngee Ann City’s Civic Plaza. ST PHOTO: DESMOND LIM TOMORROW IN Seven wonders of the world – Buddhist style TODAY and tomorrow, shoppers in Or- The “seventh wonder” is a booth stances into opportunities”. The weekend event is expected to chard Road will be able to visit the “Sev- where youths will introduce Buddhist To celebrate Mother’s Day tomorrow, draw more than 20,000 people. en Wonders of the World” – from a Bud- teachings using the Internet. Buddhist monks will perform a blessing Buddhists believe Vesak Day marks dhist perspective. The display is part of an annual ceremony for mothers. the birthday of the religion’s founder, Models of six famous Buddhist sites two-day Vesak programme that compris- Held two weeks ahead of the Vesak Gautama Buddha, and the day he from around the world are on display at es exhibitions, talks, a vegetarian food Day holiday on May 28, the festival – achieved enlightenment. the Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza. They in- fair, and open-air concerts. now in its sixth year – is organised and SBF’s president, Venerable Kwang clude the Mahabodhi Temple in India, Organisers said they hope the event, funded by the Singapore Buddhist Feder- Sheng, said he hoped the celebrations the Shwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar and Passport to Happiness, will encourage ation (SBF), with volunteers and staff will “inspire everyone to ponder on the the Tripitaka Koreana Temple in South visitors to “face difficulties in life posi- from the Kong Meng San Phor Kark See meaning of true happiness and pursue it Korea. tively and to transform adverse circum- Monastery. earnestly”. Make a pledge – to bond with family FUR-GET BY BRYAN TOH MR RYAN Lim loves nothing better ME than taking his wife, two young daughters and parents out to theatre performances. These outings, says NOT the 35-year-old director, allow him to spend quality time interacting Not likely, with his family. for He said: “You have to invest in your family and the biggest expres- today’s sion of love is giving your time to them. lucky pets. “Our outings allow us to interact and bond as a family.” Many Mr Lim’s desire for family time – including with the grandparents – is owners what the National Family Celebra- tions 2010 wants to instil in all fami- are willing lies here. The event this year, which will to spend carry the theme of Live, Love & Play on luxuries Together!, will be from May 25 to June 26. like Mr Lim Soon Hock, chairman of The biggest expression of love is giving your time, says Mr Ryan Lim, 35, seen here the National Family Council and one with daughter Sarah, three, and mother, Mrs Sue Lim, 59. ST PHOTO: CAROLINE CHIA spa of three co-chairs in the event’s or- ganising committee, hopes that this Pledge Movement. Being held for the NTUC FairPrice, is confident that sessions year’s event will draw at least first time, it will encourage Singapo- the new initiative will be a success. 400,000 participants. and reans to make a personal commit- He said: “People are more likely To achieve that, at least 250 activi- to stick to their commitments if they ment to their families. ties ranging from gaming competi- are written down and made public. I daycare tions to museum visits have been With already 100,000 pledges to am sure that we will hit our target of planned. date, Mr Seah Kian Peng, another 250,000 pledges.” services One of the celebration’s high- co-chair in the organising commit- Visit www.nfc.sg for more information lights will be the Singapore Family tee and chief executive officer of regarding the event and its activities..
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Enduring Ideas of Lee Kuan Yew
    THE STRAITS TIMES By Invitation The enduring ideas of Lee Kuan Yew Kishore Mahbubani (mailto:[email protected]) PUBLISHED MAR 12, 2016, 5:00 AM SGT Integrity, institutions and independence - these are three ideas the writer hopes will endure for Singapore. March 23 will mark the first anniversary of the passing of Mr Lee Kuan Yew. On that day, the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy will be organising a forum, The Enduring Ideas of Lee Kuan Yew. The provost of NUS, Professor Tan Eng Chye, will open the forum. The four distinguished panellists will be Ambassador-at-Large Chan Heng Chee, Foreign Secretary of India S. Jaishankar, Dr Shashi Jayakumar and Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed. This forum will undoubtedly produce a long list of enduring ideas, although only time will tell which ideas will really endure. History is unpredictable. It does not move in a straight line. Towards the end of their terms, leaders such as Mr Jawaharlal Nehru, Mr Ronald Reagan and Mrs Margaret Thatcher were heavily criticised. Yet, all three are acknowledged today to be among the great leaders of the 20th century. It is always difficult to anticipate the judgment of history. ST ILLUSTRATION : MIEL If I were to hazard a guess, I would suggest that three big ideas of Mr Lee that will stand the test of time are integrity, institutions and the independence of Singapore. I believe that these three ideas have been hardwired into the Singapore body politic and will last. INTEGRITY The culture of honesty and integrity that Mr Lee and his fellow founding fathers created is truly a major gift to Singapore.
    [Show full text]
  • Singapore — the Biopolis of Asia
    www.asiabiotech.com Singapore — The Biopolis of Asia Singapore — The Biopolis of Asia by Dr. Swan Gin Beh Director, Biomedical Sciences Group, Singapore Economic Development Board, Singapore ingapore’s vision is to become a global hub for the biomedical sciences (BMS). Although Singapore’s involvement in BMS goes back to the 1970s when Beecham Pharmaceuticals established a semi-synthetic Spenicillin plant, the major push started in year 2000 as part of the government’s effort to diversify the country’s economic portfolio. The goal is to develop the BMS industry — comprising pharmaceuticals, medical technology, biotechnology and healthcare services — into a key pillar of our economy. With this in mind, Singapore has built up world-class capabilities across the entire value chain; from drug discovery, product development and clinical research to manufacturing and health care delivery. Three agencies have the primary responsibility for implementing Singapore’s BMS initiative. EDB’s BMS Group (BMSG) formulates the industry development plans and attracts international companies to set up operations in Singapore. EDB’s biomedical investment arm, Bio*One Capital, makes strategic investments in companies with the aim of generating economic spin-offs in Singapore, while A*STAR’s Biomedical Research Council (BMRC) takes the lead in coordinating and funding public sector and academic research, as well as supporting the training of scientists. The effort is spearheaded by Mr. Philip Yeo, Chairman of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and Co-chairman of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) with specifically responsibility for the BMS initiative. Mr. Yeo was previously Chairman of EDB for more than 15 years and played a key role in developing Singapore’s disk drive, semiconductor and chemical industries.
    [Show full text]
  • Transparency and Authoritarian Rule in Southeast Asia
    TRANSPARENCY AND AUTHORITARIAN RULE IN SOUTHEAST ASIA The 1997–98 Asian economic crisis raised serious questions for the remaining authoritarian regimes in Southeast Asia, not least the hitherto outstanding economic success stories of Singapore and Malaysia. Could leaders presiding over economies so heavily dependent on international capital investment ignore the new mantra among multilateral financial institutions about the virtues of ‘transparency’? Was it really a universal functional requirement for economic recovery and advancement? Wasn’t the free flow of ideas and information an anathema to authoritarian rule? In Transparency and Authoritarian Rule in Southeast Asia Garry Rodan rejects the notion that the economic crisis was further evidence that ulti- mately capitalism can only develop within liberal social and political insti- tutions, and that new technology necessarily undermines authoritarian control. Instead, he argues that in Singapore and Malaysia external pres- sures for transparency reform were, and are, in many respects, being met without serious compromise to authoritarian rule or the sanctioning of media freedom. This book analyses the different content, sources and significance of varying pressures for transparency reform, ranging from corporate dis- closures to media liberalisation. It will be of equal interest to media analysts and readers keen to understand the implications of good governance debates and reforms for democratisation. For Asianists this book offers sharp insights into the process of change – political, social and economic – since the Asian crisis. Garry Rodan is Director of the Asia Research Centre, Murdoch University, Australia. ROUTLEDGECURZON/CITY UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG SOUTHEAST ASIAN STUDIES Edited by Kevin Hewison and Vivienne Wee 1 LABOUR, POLITICS AND THE STATE IN INDUSTRIALIZING THAILAND Andrew Brown 2 ASIAN REGIONAL GOVERNANCE: CRISIS AND CHANGE Edited by Kanishka Jayasuriya 3 REORGANISING POWER IN INDONESIA The politics of oligarchy in an age of markets Richard Robison and Vedi R.
    [Show full text]
  • 11.8 News Feat Yeo
    NATURE|Vol 436|11 August 2005 NEWS FEATURE A*STAR “As a bureaucrat, I don’t tell the scientists what to do. I let them decide.”— Philip Yeo An irresistible force Singapore’s impressive advances in biomedicine are driven by the energetic personality of Philip Yeo. David Cyranoski meets a man who just can’t stand still. odesty is not one of Philip Yeo’s specializing in genomics, bioinformatics, bio- and electronics industries that has under- faults. As we tour Biopolis, the processing and bioengineering. It is part of a pinned Singapore’s economic miracle. And futuristic complex that is the cen- multibillion-dollar investment in biomedicine, in a country where the boundaries between Mtrepiece of Yeo’s efforts to turn designed to nurture industries in biotechnol- government and business are somewhat Singapore into a powerhouse for biomedical ogy and drugs. Yeo has led from the front, blurry, he has also become a wealthy electron- research, he announces that he has never failed enforcing an aggressive schedule and attract- ics entrepreneur. in an attempt to headhunt a leading scientist to ing some of the biggest names in biology to join the campus. “I have patience,” he says with head the complex’s lavishly equipped labs. Island builder a wry smile. “He has so much energy. If you tapped it, you By the late 1990s, Yeo’s attention had shifted to Yeo’s friends and admirers will be amused could light a small city,” says cell biologist Axel the chemical industry. In his office, he proudly by this comment. Ask them for a description Ullrich, who was recruited from the Max shows me satellite images documenting the of him and the adjectives flow readily: persis- Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martins- year-by-year construction of an artificial island tent, passionate, provocative, even playful.
    [Show full text]
  • Integrating the Planning of Airports and the City: the Singapore Story 413858 1 78981 9
    Integrating the Planning of Airports and the City: The Singapore Story As a former British colony, Singapore had flourished as a trading port-of-call due to its strategic location along the shipping route between Asia and Europe. However, neither its STUDIES URBAN SYSTEMS past colonial links nor geography could guarantee its continued success in the oncoming jet age. For the newly independent government formed in 1965, there were several fundamental national priorities, such as housing, job creation, education and infrastructure. However, a strategic decision was taken to build a new commercial international airport at Changi—a hefty mega-infrastructure that carried both substantial costs and risks for a land-strapped island which already had four airports. Such a decision bore far-reaching consequences in terms of land use, transport, Story The Singapore the Planning of Airports and City: Integrating industrial planning, defence, residential and social spaces. Integrating the In this Urban Systems Study, readers will learn about the comprehensive planning that went into the development of Planning of Changi Airport, and the integrated manner in which it was carried out. It additionally explores Singapore’s experience in Airports and navigating the unique urban-planning constraints and trade- offs brought about by both civilian and military airports, and examines the systematic approach taken to capitalise the City: on airport developments to catalyse urban and economic development. The Singapore Story “ Changi Airport is our major investment to exploit our geographic location. Singapore must be prepared and ready to seize every opportunity that comes its way. Whether we have been extravagant in investing in an airport of this size and level of sophistication is a question worthy of a rhetorical rejoinder.
    [Show full text]
  • Mr. Philip Yeo, Executive Chairman, Singapore Economic Development Board, Joins the Board of Infosys
    PRESS RELEASE Mr. Philip Yeo, Executive Chairman, Singapore Economic Development Board, joins the Board of Infosys October 29, 1999 - Bangalore, India -- Infosys Technologies Limited today announced that Mr. Philip Yeo, Executive Chairman of the Singapore Economic Development Board, has been inducted into the Board as an external director. The appointment took place at a Board meeting held on October 29, 1999. This appointment will be placed for approval by the shareholders at the next Annual General Meeting of the company. As Chairman of the Economic Development Board, Mr. Yeo redirected its focus from the traditional fields to new areas of business such as promoting services, developing high-tech industries like semiconductors, aerospace and specialty chemicals, and nurturing local small and medium enterprises. As the first Chairman of the National Computer Board of Singapore, he played a leading role in formulating and championing Singapore's plan to take the nation into the information age. He has been helping drive Singapore's technopreneurship initiative and research capabilities since June 1999, as Chairman of National Science & Technology Board. He is the recipient of many international awards and honors including the Bintang Jasa Utama (the First Class Order of Service Award) of Indonesia, the Ordre National du Merite (National Order of Merit) of France, the Commander of the Belgium National Order of the Crown, and the Meritorious Service Medal of Singapore. He has also been conferred an Honorary Doctorate in Engineering by the University of Toronto. "I first met up with the Board and top executives of Infosys in August 1999. I was in Bangalore to review the Bangalore IT Park, which I helped to establish.
    [Show full text]
  • Remembering Dr Goh Keng Swee Dr Goh Keng Swee Page 1
    Issue 17 – August 2011 www.rsis.edu.sg News from the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies CONTENTS Remembering Remembering Dr Goh Keng Swee Dr Goh Keng Swee page 1 Second Singapore Global Dialogue Shaping Up page 2 Safe and Secure Seas for All, By All page 3 Prospects for Canada in a Changing Arctic page 4 Challenges of Climate-Induced Migration page 5 President Nathan and Dean Desker (third and fourth from left) with stakeholders of the book project. From left: Philip Yeo, APPSMO 2011 Tan Pheng Hock, Doreen Liu (of World Scientific Publishing) and Eric Tan (Director, National Archives) page 6 Green Growth: RESIDENT S R Nathan launched a book J. Y. Pillay. Also present were Deputy Prime Korea’s Response to titled Goh Keng Swee: A Public Career Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, the Challenge of Remembered, on 1 August 2011. Edited Teo Chee Hean; Minister for Defence, Climate Change P page 8 by Dean Barry Desker and Kwa Chong Guan of Dr Ng Eng Hen; Tan Pheng Hock, President RSIS, and jointly published with World Scientific and CEO of ST Engineering—a key sponsor TFCTN Workshop Publishing, with the support of the National in Sri Lanka Archives of Singapore, the book brings to light page 8 the multi-faceted contributions of the late Deputy “Virtual Classroom” Prime Minister Dr Goh Keng Swee (1918- on Asia Pacific Security. 2010) to Singapore’s political, economic and page 9 social landscape. RSIS Alumnus Appointed in The book consists of the recollections on Dr Congressman’s Office page 10 Goh at various stages of his public life by thirty- eight of his contemporaries, former colleagues RSIS Gets New and associates.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction 1
    346 Notes Notes Introduction 1. Deep K. Datta-Ray, ‘Securing India’s Security’, Hindustan Times, 16 October 2007. 2. Lee Hsien Loong, interview by author, Istana, 18 April 2008. 3. Jayan Jose Thomas, ‘India-Singapore Ceca: A Step Towards Asian Integration?’, ISAS Insights, no. 6, 5 September 2005. 4. Deep K. Datta-Ray, ‘Securing India’s Security’. 5. President S.R. Nathan, interview by author, Istana, 16 April 2007. 6. Today, 20 January 2006. 7. Rajabali Jumabhoy, in the Singapore Legislative Assembly, 10 January 1957. 8. Lee Kuan Yew, Interview IV by author, Istana, 12 March 2007. 9. Interview with Chandrasekhar Dasgupta, New Delhi, 12 June 2007. 10. Time, 24 August 1942. 11. Sunanda K. Datta-Ray, ‘Chopsticks and Victorian Values’, Time, 30 March 1998. 12. Loong, interview. 13. Lee Kuan Yew, Interview II by author, Istana, 18 December 2006. 14. See http://www.nerve.in/news:25350027296. 15. Lee Kuan Yew, Interview I by author, Istana, 11 November 2006. 16. Jaswant Singh, Interview by author, New Delhi, 30 May 2007. 17. Atal Behari Vajpayee, ‘India’s Perspectives on Asean and the Asia Pacific Region’, The Annual Singapore Lecture 2002. See http://mea.gov.in/speech/2002/ 04/09spc05.htm. 18. Straits Times, 8 January 2007. 19. http://www.meaindia.nic.in/speech/2007/06/20ss01.htm 20. Public Record Office, Singapore, Ref. WO 203/3994 78314 Political Intelligence. 21. Kamal Nath, India’s Century (New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill, 2008). 22. In India’s Century, Nath mistakenly attributes the encounter to the non-aligned nations summit six months earlier which Lee refused to attend.
    [Show full text]
  • Interview with Chairman Philip Yeo
    VOLUME 41 NO.11 NOV 2009 MICA (P) 031/01/2009 PRESIDENT’S FORUM AH GU HOBBIT TWELVE Reasons TRAVELOGUE PENANG: palate- pleasing paradise! Interview with Chairman Philip Yeo r Philip Yeo is Special Advisor for Economic Development in the Prime Minister's Office and also Chairman of SPRING MSingapore, a government agency with the mission of enabling Singapore's small and medium enterprises to broaden and deepen Singapore's economy. He was Chairman at the Economic Development Board (EDB) from Jan 1986 to Jan 2001 and then Co-Chairman EDB from Feb 2001 to March 2006 with the mission of building up the biomedical sciences industry. From Feb 2001 to March 2007, Mr Yeo was Chairman, Agency for Science, Technology and Research. Mr Yeo is credited as the driving force behind Fusionopolis and Biopolis, both of which are co-located to enhance collaboration across diverse scientific domains and pave the way for multi-disciplinary research. For his formative role in Singapore's life sciences industry, Mr Yeo was awarded the BioSpectrum's Asia Pacific Life Time Achievement Award in March 2009. Once-daily ® FEATURE Many scientists think that an idea is a business, but they are wrong. In the good old days, money could be As monotherapy or in combination with other widely prescribed agents raised easily, until these scientists finally realised that JANUVIA® delivers SUBSTANTIAL glucose VOLUME 41 NO.11 NOVEMBER 2009 an idea is not a business. An idea remains an idea, reductions for a broad range of patients until it is transformed into a product or service.
    [Show full text]
  • Engineering Our Navy
    ENGINEERING OUR NAVY “DTC IS THE SECRET-EDGE WEAPON OF THE SAF” DR NG ENG HEN MINISTER FOR DEFENCE II The opinions and views expressed in this work are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Ministry of Defence TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword Message Preface 1 CHAPTER 1 : Naval Engineers And Naval Systems Engineers – Who Are They and What Do They Do? 6 CHAPTER 2 : The Anti-Ship Missile 18 CHAPTER 3 : Beyond the Horizon 36 CHAPTER 4 : Collaborative Systems – Force Multiplication 40 CHAPTER 5 : Organisational System-of-Systems – Overcoming the Challenges of Size and Sustainability 43 CHAPTER 6 : Naval Platforms – Multi-Role and Multi-Dimensional 66 CHAPTER 7 : The Electromagnetic Battlefield 79 CHAPTER 8 : The Under-Sea Environment 87 CHAPTER 9 : The Information Domain 94 EPILOGUE 99 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 104 GLOSSARY 107 INDEX FOREWORD The journey of Singapore’s Defence engineers and scientists stands at the frontier The stories that are told in this book Technology Community (DTC) parallels of technological progress. Indeed the DTC is series chronicles should lift the spirits of that of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) the secret-edge weapon of the SAF. Singaporeans, old and young. They celebrate – indeed both were co-dependent and what pioneers and successive generations of iterative processes which fed off As the DTC celebrates its 50th anniversary, committed scientists and engineers have each other’s success. Pioneers in both we want to thank especially its pioneers accomplished over the years. But they also communities recognised very early on the who were committed to achieve the give hope to our future, as they will serve as stark limitations of a small island with no unthinkable and were not daunted by severe reminders during difficult times to overcome geographical depth and limited manpower.
    [Show full text]
  • Book Info on Neither Civil Nor Servant
    A NEW BOOK FROM EMBARGOED until 11 November 2016 @ 4pm Straits Times Press GeneraL Neither Civil Nor ServaNt the PhiliP Yeo Stor Y “Don’t call me a civil servant. I consider that an insult.” – Philip Yeo Philip Yeo is unlike any civil servant. He prefers action over talk, cartoons over words and speed over due process. The maverick was blunt, direct and not afraid to challenge the status quo, earning him a reputation not only as one of Singapore’s most accomplished government officials, but also among its most colourful bureaucrats. Neither Civil Nor Servant captures the half a century career of the former Economic Development Board chairman, telling the stories of brilliant achievements almost unparalleled in the history of the Singapore civil service. Yeo was the man who turned Batam into a household name in Singapore, created Jurong Island from seawater and put the country on the biomedical map globally with its iconic ISBN 978-981-4642-63-7 Biopolis. The famous rule breaker bulldozed his way through the Size: 152 x 227 mm (portrait) bureaucracy he was a part of, blazing new paths in a manner more 276pp, limp cover akin to an entrepreneur than a civil servant. In the process, he offended S$35.00 (before GST) S$37.45 (inclusive of GST) more than a few and was never afraid to challenge naysayers publicly, Available at all leading bookstores regardless of status and background. from October 2016 In the hands of acclaimed journalist and author Peh Shing Huei, FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: this authorised biography brings out Philip Yeo the private man behind ILANGOH THANABALAN the public figure and uncovers the behind-the-scene stories of some Marketing and Operations Manager of Singapore’s biggest post-independence military, economic and Tel: (65) 6319 8346 political adventures.
    [Show full text]
  • Biopolis: Asian Science in the Global Circuitry
    INTRODUCTION 381 Biopolis: Asian Science in the Global Circuitry MICHAEL M.J. FISCHER Biopolis is the major life sciences investment by Singapore to become a global player in a new knowledge economy, as well as a promissory construction, a future-oriented emergent form of life constituted by and constitutive of a series of ethical plateaus or terrains of decision-making under entrepreneurial, policy and scientific conditions of risk and inadequate knowledge. Singapore’s Biopolis partakes in general cultural shifts towards biological and ecological sensibilities as responses to fears of pandemics, climate change, destruction of biodiversity, and toxicities produced by industrial agriculture and manufacturing. The issue is learning about biorepair mechanisms and creating new ecologies of knowledge involving not only interest in infectious or chronic diseases but also stem and iPS cells, cancers and regenera- tive medicine. Using the Genome Institute of Singapore’s first ten years as a partial focus, this article suggests metrics of success (beyond merely money, jobs, patents) which lie in three arenas: infectious diseases, cross-national science diplomacy and regenerative medicine. In October 2010, Biopolis underwent a sudden shift towards ‘industrial alignment’, raising ethical questions about the nature of future biologies, bioeconomies and bioecologies that have been spliced into the messenger RNA of dif- ferent social networks and technical platforms of emergent twenty-first century biological sensibilities. Acknowledgements: This essay was written at the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore in January and July 2011, and revised in December 2011, as part of the work of the STS cluster, and I am deeply grateful for ARI’s support, and especially of that of Greg Clancey, the Leader of the STS Cluster, Lily Kong and Prasenjit Duara, the directors of ARI, and the members of the cluster and the participants in the January 2011 conference, ‘Biopoleis’.
    [Show full text]