Thank you to those who attended Global Networking Night on Wednesday, June 15 at TAP Craft Beer. Nearly 70 alumni were there to meet new people, catch up with old friends, and grow the Harvard Network! For those of you who weren't able to join us, we hope to see you at the next GNN on January 11, 2017. In the meantime, reach out and connect with your fellow alumni on Facebook through the Harvard University Association of Alumni in Singapore (HUAAS), whose president is "KC" CHEW Kheng Chuan AB '82. The group is a great place to stay in touch with fellow alumni in Singapore and hear about upcoming networking opportunities and special events, like faculty and alumni lectures.
0 Comments
A 35+-strong crowd gathered on Tuesday morning May 24th to hear a talk and discussion led by educator and author Maya. Drawing on her own experience as a mother and educator, her research, and the material from her book “Beyond The Tiger Mom: East-West Parenting for the Global Age”, Maya started the session by posing this question to the audience “what do you want your child to learn / what do you want for them in their education” - and the discussion took off from there. She structured most of her presentation on the two basic skills of reading and math; on how to supplement what is done at school in the home and had very practical pointers of application to create a positive and supportive environment in the home; for both young children and older children alike.
As quote from Mark Twain: “He who does not read good books has no advantage over he who cannot read them” - Maya’s message of how to create the love and curiosity for learning resonated deeply with the audience. On May 20th, Prof Phillip A Griffiths from the Institute for Advanced Study (Harvard Dwight Parker Robinson Professor of Mathematics 1972-1983) will be speaking in Singapore for people interested in studying math. The event is sponsored by the Singapore Mathematics Society. Please note that Prof Griffiths is also the father of alumna Kirsten Conrad AB '83. Please register at the following links: May 20 11am to 12pm NUS lecture - How Mathematics Fuels the Knowledge Economy May 20 4:30pm to 5:30pm NTU lecture - A Tale of Two Mathematicians Nearly 2 dozen Harvard and Singapore alumni listened as RYDE app founder Terence Zou described his challenges and experiences launching an innovative start-up in Asia. RYDE (www.rydesharing.com) is Singapore’s leading carpool app, with over 30,000 subscribers, and recently launched in Hong Kong. It recently received seed funding of US$1.5 million, and has been featured in Forbes, Bloomberg, Tech in Asia and the Straits Times. RYDE matches users via GPS, emphasizes the social aspects of carpooling, and broke new ground when it recently received insurance for users from Aviva. Terence Zou (HBS ’09) is a former Singapore Navy commander turned tech entrepreneur and NUS lecturer. The event was hosted by the Harvard University Association of Alumni in Singapore (HUAAS) and the Stanford Club of Singapore. Thanks to VP Oscar Tan for hosting the event at the offices of DLA Piper in Singapore.
SUP was founded by Harvard and Stanford graduates, to help you find your friends to join you for a specific activity like drinks. This offer is only available to select university alumni clubs in Singapore, including Harvard, UPenn, INSEAD and Berkeley.
The Drinking Society: A 1st of Its Kind Membership Club for nightlife Connoisseurs in Singapore For only $80 a month, punters can enjoy access to Free-Flow alcohol at Singapore's hottest watering holes every night of the week. Members also get the opportunity to visit different establishments that range from casual to premium-classy. Membership options are highly flexible, with a choice between three, six and twelve month membership plans. Reservations are on a first-come-first-served basis so you can enjoy an intimate drink with family and friends (old and new) without the usual dread of overcrowding.
Professor Mikinori Kuwata (Postdoc 2009-2013 with Prof. Scot Martin, SEAS) of the Earth Observatory in Singapore gave a talk on Haze and Deforestation in Indonesia to a group of alumni and friends, the first event by the newly elected HUAAS committee.
Prof. Kuwata gave an overview of the research available on haze and health, and the current understanding of the haze from peatland fires, which is unique to Indonesia. Despite the many incidents of smog and haze worldwide, there are few studies on their impact on human health. The few reports available show a troubling trend of increased mortality with pollution. Prof. Kuwata also explained the economics side of the haze issue. Oil palm is 4-5 times more productive than other oil crops current being farmed, such as soybean and rapeseed. Moreover, oil palm is an easy crop to grow, giving an annual harvest while needing little weeding and one application of fertilizer each year. Many different products sold worldwide use oil palm in their manufacturing, such that it is impossible for Singapore to boycott any one product to have an effect. This is unlike the situation in Brazil, where the Amazon rainforest was razed in part to raise cattle. Consumer pressure on a large buyer, such as McDonald’s, was sufficient to reduce demand for Brazilian beef, and thus reduce the amount of deforestation. Prof. Kuwata also explained his novel findings measuring the haze, and introduced his collaborators, many of whom have trained or worked at Harvard. It will take a few more years before the research that him and his collaborators are doing is ready for publication. Majority of the funding for the Indonesian haze research comes from Japan, although the EU is getting more interested in the issue. This is due to the massive carbon emissions from the Indonesian haze, which is wiping out any hard-earned gains in reducing carbon emissions in Japan and the EU. The audience in attendance was surprisingly well-informed about many issues, asking detailed questions about PM10 and PM2.5 measurements, and questioning the relationships between small farmers and large conglomerates. Attendees without a technical background were able to follow the entire exchange, and found the session informative and fun. When asked how he decided to become a haze researcher, Prof Kuwata explained that he was a chemistry major in college. Because he did not want to spend all his time indoors, he chose to go into atmospheric chemistry, which requires field work. The Indonesian haze was a natural topic of interest when he was thinking about what to study in Singapore. We're sharing the following message from the Harvard Club of New York City. They are offering our members preferred pricing and access to their overnight rooms. They are located in the center of midtown Manhattan not far from Grand Central Station. It's the ideal place to stay for all of your personal and professional needs. ----------------------------------------- For a limited time, the Harvard Club of New York City is offering special room rates to members of other Harvard Clubs and SIGs around the world. With an array of dining options including a new Rooftop Bar + Terrace, fully equipped fitness and squash facilities and a dedicated concierge, the Harvard Club of NYC offers quality services and amenities to rival any traditional hotel. To learn more and to book a reservation, please contact the Harvard Club of NYC at 212.827.1212 or via email at [email protected]. If you have any questions, please contact Chad Belisario, Director of Admissions, Marketing & Communications, at [email protected]. With thanks for helping us spread the word, Charlie Brock President Harvard Club of New York City
Professor Dwight Perkins, (MA '61, PhD '64) - the Harold Hitchings Burbank Professor of Political Economy, Emeritus of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences, was in Singapore for a few days of "rest and relaxation" with his wife Julie after presenting at the HAA Asia-Pacific Regional meeting in Manila this past weekend (March 18-20).
They were kind enough to agree to a very small lunch with friends and Harvard affiliates: which included Prof Wang Gungwu (the University Professor of NUS) and his wife, prominent economist Dr Lee Tsao Yuan (PhD '82), associate professor of NUS Davin Chor (AB '00, PhD '07), and a few members of the HUAAS committee. Many had studied under Prof Perkins during their times at Harvard, so the conversation was a lively mix of reminiscing over "Harvard days", quirky anecdotes of past experiences and people, and more serious discussions and comparisons over the economic developments within Asia - why has the trajectory of each country been different / or similar. It certainly was a engaging 2 hours! Unfortunately, Adrian Foo '04 and Oscar Tan LLM '07 left just before the group photo above. The Annual General Meeting was held on 10 March 2016. The first elected committee is comprised of the following:
Executive Committee "KC" CHEW Kheng Chuan, AB ‘82 - President Oscar Barcelona Tan, LLM ’07 - VP Adrian Foo, AB ‘04 - Secretary Stephen Jacob, MPP ’00 - Treasurer Committee Members Huiyi Chen, AM ’07, PhD ’12 Michael Horn, JD ’89 Meiyin Lin, EdM ’10 Mathew Welch, MBA ’93 Rebecca Woo, AB ’89 In addition to the 22 alumni who attended the meeting, over 200 alumni voted on the original selection of 15 candidates via electronic polling. The meeting was held at the LKY School of Public Policy which happens to have a long history with the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. The recent election was mentioned in the Straits Times. "New Harvard club get's Uni's backing" This week, we were blessed to have an engaging conversation with former minister George Yeo (MBA '85). Although he is currently in the private sector, he spent nearly two decades in public service. First as a Brigadier General in the Singapore Armed Forces followed by several ministerial posts (Finance, Information, Health, Foreign Affairs to name a few).
His recent appointments to the Vatican Council on the Economy and chancellor of Nalanda University in India provided him with a broad set of experiences to engage the audience of over 100 interested attendees. During the course of the hour-long program, he touched on a wide range of topics. He gave his opinion on the recent finding of gravitational waves and confirmation of Einstein's General Relativity. In response to a question the Vatican, he recounted how humble Pope Francis was to admit his naivete with regards to financial matters. As this was the first semi-public event organized by the Harvard University Association for Alumni in Singapore (HUAAS), his talk was even covered by the Straits Times. http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/domestic-and-external-challenges-intertwined-george-yeo |
|