The Power of Potential | 1 ISSUE 8 / JANUARY 2017 INFLUENCING THE FUTURE THROUGH PHILANTHROPY The higher the quality of a university’s research, the greater its social and/or economic impact locally and globally. Once a university is recognised for its research excellence, it will be able to recruit the best academic talent from around the world, attract high quality students from local and international sources, and secure partnerships with premier academic institutions, key government agencies and leading industry players. Has this been true for NUS? Has research played a key role in establishing our reputation? Yes, it most certainly has. The Singapore government has been investing significantly in public sector research and development (R&D) Source: The Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. since the year 2000. As a result, more funding for grants and facilities has become available and NUS researchers have competed successfully for this CREATING NEW KNOWLEDGE, funding. The additional resources have also enabled us to recruit more top-notch scientists to join NUS. The volume and quality of our research output have risen steadily since then GENERATING NEW IDEAS and this has played a major role in NUS’ rapid rise to the top of the world Professor Ho Teck Hua, Deputy President (Research and university rankings. Technology) and Tan Chin Tuan Centennial Professor, National “The volume and University of Singapore (NUS), explains the relationship quality of our between a university and research and the role of philanthropy research output in helping to find solutions to complex problems. have risen steadily Why is research important to knowledge. Hence it is important and this has played a university? for a university to actively discover a major role in NUS’ and create new knowledge and to A university’s reputation and academic generate new ideas, which in turn rapid rise to the standing are built upon the quality of lead to new approaches to solving top of the world its research. important problems. The source of all this new knowledge and new ideas university rankings.” The central mission of a university is the research carried out by the is the creation and dissemination of university’s faculty and students. Continued on page 6 LLOYD’S REGISTER CDL FUNDS LKF Medical FOUNDATION SETS UP BUILDING Company GIVES 03 RISK INSTITUTE 06 RESEARCH 08 TO RESEARCH Produced by the NUS Development Office. If you want to know more about NUS Giving or if you would like to enquire about making a gift to the University, email [email protected], call +65 6516-8000 or visit www.giving.nus.edu.sg 2 Enabling Transformative Research The Power of Potential | 3 Our Champions, Our AmbassadorS Gifts take med-tech LAUNCH OF THE LLOYD’S REGISTER We would like to thank the following volunteers who are involved in supporting and advising on giving to the University (as of 31 December 2016). solutions from FOUNDATION FOR THE PUBLIC Development Committee of the Board of Trustees Wong Ngit Liong ’65 (Chairman) Chairman & CEO, Venture Corporation Limited Tan Chorh Chuan ’83 UNDERSTANDING of risk at NUS President, National University of Singapore concept to reality Mr Goh Yew Lin Managing Director, G.K. Goh Holdings Limited Dr Noeleen Heyzer ’71 Philanthropic support for MERCI, part of the NUS Yong Established with a generous gift of £10 million from Lloyd’s Register Foundation Social Scientist and former United Nations Under- Secretary General Loo Lin School of Medicine, fosters innovations that and £11 million in funding from NUS, the new Institute is a first in Asia to enhance Mr Chaly Mah Chee Kheong Former Chief Executive Officer, Deloitte Southeast Asia have the potential to benefit millions of patients. public understanding of risk. Mr Abdullah Tarmugi ’69 Member, Presidential Council for Minority Rights and former Speaker of Parliament An electronic device that rotates It is designed to reduce sleep disruption, Ms Elaine Yew Wen Suen bedridden patients’ bodies to prevent and has the benefits of being small, “This new Institute Member, Global Executive Committee Egon Zehnder them from developing bed sores. portable and affordable. will spearhead Mr Johnny Tan ’82 (Co-opted) A removable barrier in the stomach Immediate Past President, that helps resolve Type 2 diabetes by National University of Singapore Society (NUSS) transformative limiting the absorption of food and creating a feeling of fullness. President’s Advancement Advisory Council research on Ambassador Chan Heng Wing ’69 These are just two innovations to Singapore’s Non-resident High Commissioner to the the scientific People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Ministry of Foreign Affairs improve the lives of patients that were Mr Chew Sutat taken from concept to reality thanks understanding of Executive Vice President, Equities and Fixed-Income, Singapore Exchange Ltd (SGX) to gifts to the Medical Engineering Dr Vikram Chhatwal ’94 Research & Commercialization risk and its practical Chairman, MediAssist India TPA Pte Ltd Initiative (MERCI) at the Department Mr Choo Heng Thong application” Former Founder and Managing Director, of Surgery at the NUS Yong Loo Lin Spindex Industries Limited School of Medicine. Mr Setyono Djuandi Darmono President Director, PT. Jababeka Tbk Dr Bill Foo Say Mui “It is very challenging to obtain Foundation for its generosity and Chairman Asia, Unigestion Asia Pte Ltd funding to transform an idea from The Flipod, a MERCI innovation partnership, and for sharing our conviction Mr Gan Chee Yen ’84 CEO, Fullerton Financial Holdings Pte Ltd being just an idea into a tried and in pushing for pioneering work in this area Ambassador Giam Chin Toon ’67 tested proof of concept that can be The Gastroduodenal Sleeve (GDS), of significant and growing importance. Our Senior Partner, Wee Swee Teow & Co. goal is to carry out research, education Singapore’s Non-resident Ambassador to the used to apply for government or designed to resolve both Type 2 diabetes Republic of Peru, Ministry of Foreign Affairs other grants. These philanthropic gifts and obesity, mimics the effects of and public outreach programmes that will Dr Farid Harianto provide a much-needed leg up for bariatric surgery, where parts of the have a high impact in advancing public Former Special Advisor to Vice President, Republic of Indonesia our team who are working hard to stomach and intestines are removed to discussion and understanding of risks in Mr Yaya Winarno Junardy understand what clinicians need and reduce weight and bring diabetes into areas which are of importance, particularly President Commissioner, PT Rajawali Corpora to translate those needs into products remission. The GDS is a safe, minimally for Singapore and Asia.” Mr Hermawan Kartajaya From left to right: Prof Richard Clegg, Managing Director of Lloyd’s Register Foundation, Mr Founder & President, MarkPlus Inc. that will make a difference to patients’ invasive and reversible solution that is Professor Lee Chuen Neng ’75 lives,” shares Professor C N Lee, Chair, endoscopically inserted and anchored Lawrence Wong, Minister for National Development and Second Minister for Finance, Mr Lambros Managing Director for Lloyd’s Register Chairman, Centre for Healthcare Innovation & Varnavides, Lloyd’s Register Foundation Trustee, Prof Tan Chorh Chuan, NUS President. Medical Engineering, National University of Singapore MERCI. in the stomach. By occupying space Foundation Professor Richard Clegg said, Mr Edward Lee Kwong Foo ’70 in the stomach, the GDS prevents the “We are delighted to be working with NUS Chief Executive, PT. Ekalumintas Mr Prajogo Pangestu supported absorption of food and reduces appetite. in establishing this first Institute for the Singapore’s Former Ambassador to Indonesia, Ministry of Foreign Affairs MERCI as a seed gift partner in 2009 It can easily be removed at the end of NUS and Lloyd’s Register Foundation have The Lloyd’s Register Foundation Institute public understanding of risk centered in Mr Leong Yue Wing ’76 to support groundbreaking research the treatment. launched the Lloyd’s Register Foundation for the Public Understanding of Risk was Asia. The Institute will play a vital role in Former CEO, TCL Multimedia Technology Holdings Limited Asia and internationally in helping policy Former Executive Vice President, in medical devices. His gift has Institute for the Public Understanding of Risk established through a generous gift of £10 Philips Consumer Electronics contributed to MERCI’s success by “The gifts to MERCI have a multiplier at NUS, the first international academic and million from the Foundation, a charitable makers, decision makers, and opinion Dr Lim Cheok Peng ’72 enabling the team to address many effect: they have the potential to change public outreach institution of its kind in Asia. foundation based in the United Kingdom formers in government, industry, regulators, Chairman, Ophir Ventures Sdn Bhd. Mr Liu Chee Ming ’76 of today’s top medical conditions by the lives for the better of not one patient (UK) that works to enhance the safety the media, and the general public make Managing Director, Platinum Holdings Company Limited bringing innovations to patients to but millions of patients. Moreover, In its academic role, this new Institute of life and property and advance public better decisions on risk issues. The public Mr Albert Liu Chung Hsing will spearhead transformative research education. This is the Foundation’s largest understanding of risk is one of the four Managing Director, UBS AG help reduce suffering