Mr Wee Heng Tin, Chairman, Board of Governors, NUS High School
Members of the Board of Directors and Board of Governors
Dr Hang Kim Hoo, Principal, NUS High School
Distinguished Guests
Teachers
Parents
The Graduating Class of 2008
Good Afternoon.
INTRODUCTION
1. I am delighted to be here, at the first Convocation of the NUS High School of Mathematics and Science.
2. Three years ago, I accepted your invitation to your first Speech Day at the temporary campus in Mount Sinai. I could sense the excitement of both the pioneer batch of NUS High School students and their teachers. They knew that they were pathfinders venturing into new educational vistas. For the students, they had entered this school after a rigorous application process. But more importantly, they were thrilled that they could focus on their passion in mathematics and science in this new school.
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
3. NUS High School was set up in 2005 to nurture students like yourselves. Singapore has already gained a worldwide reputation for high standards in mathematics and science. But in NUS High, we sought to create a peak comparable with the best in other countries.
4. We have many examples to learn from and to strive toward. The US has its Thomas Jefferson High School of Science and Technology in Virginia and Bronx High School of Science in New York, producing numerous luminaries including 7 Nobel laureates like Leon Cooper, David Politzer and Roy Glauber; Japan has the Tokyo Tech High School of Science and Technology; and Korea has the Korea Science Academy. These advanced countries have realised the multiplying effect of schools like NUS High - which nurture their talent from young to provide a steady pipeline of top research talents, to provide that country with a competitive edge and R&D capabilities in an increasingly technologically-driven future.
5. Research, Development and Innovation will continue to be the key driver in Singapore’s knowledge economy. Even in these times of economic uncertainty, demand for intellectual capital continues unabated and will rise. Countries that can continue to develop its human resources in this downturn will reap rich rewards when the economy recovers.
6. Despite the downturn, Singapore will persist in its R&D efforts and its focus on enhancing science and technology. Our total R&D investment last year was $6.3 billion, an increase of more than 50% since 2004. At 2.6% of our GDP, this is comparable to R&D investment in the US. We have over 24,000 employed in the research domain, a one-third increase from 2004, including more than 8,600 PhD holders. Our universities have formed tie-ups with top overseas research institutions such as Johns Hopkins Division of Biomedical Sciences and Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich to set up joint research efforts. They also work closely with industry to develop market-ready applications, one example being the rapid test kits for malaria and dengue fever, using technology developed by NUS. In total, R&D input by industry amounted to some $4.2 billion last year. This global downturn provides Singapore with a unique opportunity to attract and root more R&D and top-end educational institutions. We must be clever in making the most of these opportunities.
MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE EDUCATION IN SINGAPORE
7. For Singapore, we must continue building our core expertise in maths and science early – in our schools. Several of our schools host centres of excellence in research, science and technology. Over the last 10 years, MOE has provided funding support to schools, so that they can build specialised laboratories to promote the investigative teaching of sciences, and foster the ethos of scientific inquiry from a young age. The Science Research Programme, offering opportunities for JC students to work with university faculty is in its 20th year, while the Science Mentorship Programme, comprising 13 separate programmes in areas ranging from biotechnology to defence science, helps to stimulate secondary school students’ interest in research by exposing them to the latest scientific advances and honing their skills for investigative study.
8. NUS High has a crucial role to play in the promotion of research culture, providing a unique whole-school environment for talented students to immerse themselves in pursuit of research and learning in mathematics and science. I am happy to know that it has proven to be a fertile ground for research, with nearly 200 research projects supported by 90 university faculties this year alone, out of a small student population of 900. This is in no small part due to your teachers who share your passion in mathematics and science. Physics teacher, Mr Lim Kim Yong, is one good example. His passion for Physics has translated into countless hours spent outside curriculum hours guiding and inspiring students in research. Your NUS faculty mentors have also played a key role in your development. I heard that Professor Chin Wee Shong’s enthusiasm was so infectious that it spurred two students amongst you to a Gold Award-winning effort at the Singapore Science and Engineering Fair!
9. The majority of you have indicated your interest in pursuing mathematics, science and engineering-related fields in your further studies. You have made a good decision and a bright future awaits you. Reports from UK government sources show that the global demand for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduates remains high and is likely to increase over the next 10 years. In the UK, lifetime earnings for Physics, Chemistry and Engineering graduates tend to be higher than the average graduate.
10. Scientific breakthroughs continue to make news, and impact our daily lives. Just last year, engineers from the University of Michigan managed to create a transparent material out of clay that is lightweight but as strong as steel, that could be used for armour and aircraft bodies. Nearer home, researchers at NUS and NUH discovered that nerves – not osmosis – were responsible for wrinkling of fingers after swimming, and designed an economical test method for a nerve disorder. In June, the Chemistry Department at NUS, together with MIT, presented a self-assembling nanowire membrane that could absorb up to 20 times its weight in oil and that could be reused again and again to clean up oil spills. There are many more examples, but I have raised these few to encourage you to continue your research work, and hopefully discover solutions that will one day yield benefits for all.
FLYING HIGH
11. I am heartened to see that despite being a new school, NUS High has, in the short space of these past few years, already established itself as a premier school in Singapore’s education landscape.
12. Your students have competed and won competitions in Singapore and the international stage. 7 students – a high proportion considering a small cohort of only 88 students - have represented Singapore in various competitions and winning numerous awards. In total, of the 15 Singapore prize winners in the Olympiads across the different subject areas this year, 7 were from NUS Highs School. Two of you, Ms Zhao Ye and Ms Zhai Weichao, set a new record for Singapore when they clinched the First Award in the Team Project Category at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair 2008. Some of you were also co-authors of a research paper published in the internationally reviewed Applied Physics B journal.
13. While these achievements are laudable, they are incomplete if other important facets of holistic education are not developed. Beyond math and science, it is reassuring that you have also pursued other interests and demonstrated strengths outside of the classroom. For example, Ms Lee Yun Zhi volunteered her time at the Children At Risk Empowerment (CARE) Association and the National University Hospital’s Volunteer Befriender’s programme. At the same time, she was the Captain of the Canoe Polo team for 2 years, leading her team into national competitions. I am glad that many among you, like Yun Zhi, personify the Pioneers, Achievers, Thinkers and Humanitarians that this school seeks to produce, and hope that you will continue to contribute in all walks of life even after you leave the school.
14. Today, you will graduate with a Diploma that is both locally and internationally recognised. Besides NUS, NTU and SMU, many top overseas universities, such as MIT, Stanford, Yale, Cambridge, Oxford, Warwick, King’s College London and Australian National University, have already accepted the NUS High School Diploma for admission. These universities do so because they are convinced that the NUS High School curriculum provides a strong academic grounding that will meet their high standards. In fact, some of you have already been offered places at Imperial College, University College London, University of Glasgow, University of St Andrew’s and University of Michigan. 7 of you have also been offered provisional admission to the NUS Science Faculty and a faculty scholarship. NUS High has done well to expose its students to field work, competitions, a year-long boarding experience with your peers, and research projects under the guidance and mentorship of leading researchers and scientists from local universities and research institutions. These experiences will place you in good stead as you embark on your university education here and abroad.
CONCLUDING COMMENTS
15. As you gather here on this important occasion, take a moment to reflect upon the many challenges and successes that you have experienced in your time here.
16. Remember, too, the many people who have supported you on this journey. I will just name a few. The NUS High School Board of Directors and Board of Governors, who have been passionately guiding the school by setting clear strategic directions. Your founding principal, Professor Lai Yee Hing, who is also here today, started off the school on a firm foundation in research. Dr Hang, who after assuming the mantle last year, has been tirelessly knocking on the doors of top US, UK and Australian universities to raise the profile of the school and seek recognition for the Diploma that you are graduating with today. Your parents too, who have stood by you while you entered new terrain in pursuit of your academic dreams.
17. Your experiences in this school have equipped you well as creative thinkers and innovators, and we look to you, the pioneering batch of NUS High School to be the future leaders of Singapore’s knowledge economy as inventors, researchers, and technopreneurs, or whichever field that you may choose. Most importantly, we hope to see you dedicate yourselves fully in service to nation and community whatever you choose to do, wherever you are.
18. My heartiest congratulations to the Class of 2008!