1. education
2. alumni and reunions

THE NTU MAGAZINE
NOV–DEC 2014
NO. 19
D A SIA 2
014 ; G L O
MM PRIX
AWA RD &
RLD AWA
R D 2 013
MY F
WA R
PRWEEK A
NCE CO
BA L A LLIA
DEN WO
IPR A GOL
IRS
T
OV
Lingo bingo
WHAT FOREIGN LANGUAGE
SHOULD YOU LEARN?
ER SE
AS JOB
Placesto
chow
and
chill
oncampus
Double the fun
or twice
the trouble
Is your
smartphone
making you
smarter
or lazier
you are my
sunshine
SStefanie
tefanie SSun’
un’s latest
latest h
honour
onour & n
next
ext a
adventure
dventure
WIN!
KARAOKE VOUCHERS • SHOPPING SPREE • ICE-SKATING PASSES • LYON FLASH DRIVES & LUGGAGE COVERS
KEEP IN TOUCH!
We welcome your ideas,
views and contributions.
Email us at hey@ntu.edu.sg
™
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b
/NTU
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twitter.com/NTUsg
linkedin.com/company/ntusg
CHIEF EDITOR
Dr Vivien Chiong
EDITOR
Eileen Tan
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Chrystal Chan
WRITERS
Derek Rodriguez
Aaron Corbett
Jeremy Ee
Siddiqua Ovais
VIDEO PRODUCER
Ei Ei Thei
CONTRIBUTORS
Aloysius Boh (Class of 2016)
Andrew Toh (Class of 2015)
Goh Wei Choon (Class of 2014)
Sam Chin (Class of 2012)
Zach Chia (Class of 2014)
DESIGN
Loo Lay Hua
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2 FYI 4 FEATURE THREE FOR THE WIN Irish acclaim
for NTU trio 5 FEATURE FIRST AND FOREMOST
#1 in more ways than one 6 FEATURE WHERE I
WENT LAST SUMMER Globe-trotting interns
11 FEATURE THE BIG DRAW Mural of the story
12 FEATURE TWO IS BETTER THAN ONE Twin
tales 18 FEATURE IS YOUR SMARTPHONE MAKING
YOU LAZIER, SMARTER OR MORE POLITE? Pocket friend or fiend?
21 HOT SHOTS MAKE A DATE
WITH US Join the fun in 2015
22 FEATURE LINGO BINGO
Merits of multilingualism
24 FEATURE CHOW AND CHILL
Yummy galore 27 FEATURE
AND THE WINNERS ARE…
Alumni wisdom and wit
28 UNPLUGGED YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE Stefanie Sun shines brighter
31 THE P FILES INSPIRING TIM(E)
Chat and learn 32 THINKING ALOUD
STOCKHOLM SYNDROME Andrew Toh
reporting from Sweden 35 FEATURE
FANCY A BATTERY THAT LASTS 20 YEARS?
Battery tech makes a quantum leap
36 MY SPACE BEDSIDE MANNERS Future
doctors’ pad 37 FEATURE WE ASKED…
YOU VOTED Poll position
HEY! CATCH US ON...
GET MORE FROM HEY!
When you see the
icon, you
can enjoy exclusive stories, videos
or photos via the desktop, mobile
and tablet versions of HEY! Online
at www.hey.ntu.edu.sg.
DOUBLE
DUTY
WONDER
Creative
Bloom
In the near future, you can design
and print your own jewellery
and accessories. An NTU
team showed how with
a 3D-printed metal
orchid that was named
Best Creative Part
in an international
competition in Sweden.
The orchid jewellery was
designed by a team led by
engineering PhD student
Tan Yu Jun and art, design
& media students Audrey Ng,
Jin Su Huan and Liew Ming Jia,
before it was 3D printed in metal
by Dr Tan Xipeng at NTU.
ARTOF
MEDICINE
The inaugural batch of students at the Lee Kong Chian
School of Medicine made history in August last year as
the first NTU medical students. Now they are putting
their creative work down for posterity by helping to
create a wall mural made of clay tiles. The clay tiles are
handmade by the students and personalised with their
creative imprints of what it means to become a doctor.
About two hundred pieces will be used for the unique
wall mural called Apollo’s Dream, which will become a
permanent feature at the school’s upcoming Experimentall
Medicine Building at the Yunnan Garden campus.
2
Here’s one to be charged up about.
Electric cars may become a practical
reality sooner, with more space in the
car for bigger batteries that can go
the distance. Scientists at NTU and
the German Aerospace Centre (DLR)
have invented a two-in-one electric
car motor by combining the motor
and air-conditioning compressor.
The space-saving and efficient design
makes possible the use of bigger
batteries, so electric vehicles can stay
up to 20% longer on the roads before
needing to be juiced up again.
NTU’s
very own
Wall Street
Wall Street has arrived at Nanyang
Business School, which has just
set up the largest finance lab in
Singapore, named the Centre for
Applied Financial Education. The
lab has more than 80 terminals
with direct links to live data from
Bloomberg and Thomson Reuters,
so students can access
real-time financial, economic
and business information.
CONGRATULATIONS...
Smart sign of the times
Life’s going to get better for your parents or grandparents. NTU and the
University of Bristol will work on smart, wearable healthcare innovations that
take the strain out of ageing. NTU President Prof Bertil Andersson signed the
agreement between the two universities, witnessed by Singapore President
Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam, who was on a state visit to the United Kingdom. In
London, Prof Andersson attended a state banquet hosted by Queen Elizabeth II
at Buckingham Palace, spoke at a Royal Society panel discussion, and met NTU
students on exchange at Imperial College London.
BRAINY BEAUTY
Flower
power
Used as a natural blue dye in Malay
and Peranakan cuisine, Clitoria
ternatea – commonly known as
the blue pea flower – may have
important uses outside the kitchen.
Researchers from the School of
Biological Sciences successfully
extracted a new enzyme from the
plant, which can join together
chains of amino acids. This
breakthrough can potentially speed
up the development of new drugs
to fight cancer.
H E Y ! NOV– DEC 2 0 14
It was triple joy for communication undergrad
Kimberly Lam when she walked away with the First
Runner-up title at Miss Singapore World 2014, as
well as the Miss Personality and Miss Photogenic
titles. Kimberly was also our November girl in the
2014 NTU calendar. Way to go, gal!
GOOD CATCH
Motorists who’ve illegally modified their vehicles with
loud exhausts may need to make a return trip back
to the workshop. A traffic noise-monitoring system
developed by Research Associate Apoorv Agha and
Assoc Prof Gan Woon Seng clinched a top award at
the regional 2014 Engineering Impact Awards. The
system works by helping traffic cops automatically
capture the licence plate numbers of any illegally
modified vehicles passing by.
Correction:
In the story “Extreme profs” in the previous issue of HEY!, it was
incorrectly stated that Assoc Prof May Oo Lwin had won a medal in
the Asian Games. She actually won in the Asian Championships.
We are sorry for the error.
3
Feature
THREE
FOR THE
WIN
Three NTU students have come up tops in their fields, beating out contenders from universities like
Harvard, Oxford and Yale at the Dublin-based Undergraduate Awards 2014, and get an all-expenses-paid
trip to Ireland to attend a global summit. Zach Chia speaks to the trio to find out more about their
prize-winning work
N & MEDIA
WILFRED LIM ART, DESIG
HOME SPUN
& MEDIA
ANDY LIM ART, DESIGN
Wilfred grew up in the Malaysian town of Pengerang, which is
currently being redeveloped into an oil refinery. The relocation
of homes brought to his attention the idea that living space
is one of the most basic human needs. His project has
been showcased at the Singapore International Photography
Festival and at Singapore’s newest art space, DECK.
“This series for my final-year project
is made up of 12 photographs. The
project allowed me to explore how humans
define their living space. To get the photos I wanted, I had to
overcome unpleasant conditions like submerging myself in a
pool of filthy water, but this project gave me an opportunity
to reconnect with my homeland. I have also learnt a lot about
myself through self-portraiture.”
TEST FLY
The challenge was to design an unmanned flying vehicle that can travel continuously
for 24 hours on solar power at a fairly high altitude. To help make this happen,
Kim Siang designed and tested a scale model of a wind tunnel and even went abroad
to test his vehicle.
“My solar drone and test report was part of an industry
project with DSO, so I knew it would come with plenty
of deadlines and expectations. But how often do you get
to learn from experts in the aerospace
industry? I even got to travel to India to
conduct a test in a professional wind
tunnel facility. There, all that
I learnt in my intercultural
communication classes at NTU
came alive.”
4
REMEMBER
THIS
Mnemonics are memory devices that help
people remember information, but few know
how to use them properly. Andy created a
“memory toolbox” as part of a course project to
illustrate how mnemonics can help boost our long-term memory.
“The mnemonics kit I designed introduces the principles
and techniques of mnemonics. It functions as a training
kit to help students learn in a smarter way. Working on
this project, I’ve realised it is important to keep an open
mind, take a break and have a coffee when you feel
you’re running out of ideas.”
Feature
H E Y ! NOV– DEC 2 0 14
EXTRA
Video: Ones
to watch
5
Feature
WHERE I WENT
LAST SUMMER
my" country" won
the World Cup
WEEE HO
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HONG
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SCCHO
SCHOOL
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MECH
MECHANICAL
CHAN
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IC
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AEROSPACE
ROSP
SPAC
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ENGINEERING
NGI
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NEER
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INGG
INNTE
INTERNED
T RN
RNED
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DLR,
LR, BBRAUNSCHWEIG,
RAUN
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WEIE G,
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6
Has your country ever won the World Cup? Mine
has. Well, my adopted country of five months
anyway. Watching the World Cup with German
football fans was truly electrifying; witnessing the
entire town explode with spontaneous celebration
was something I will never forget.
The World Cup took place at the tail end of
my internship in Braunschweig with DLR, the
NASA of Germany. There wasn’t much to cheer
about at the beginning of my internship as I
took some time to adapt to the climate. It was
absolutely freezing!
I soon settled quickly into my work. After
learning more about air traffic management
and getting acquainted with the software I had
to use, I was given a project in which I had to
conduct human trials. This was the first time I
was entrusted with such a huge responsibility and
I gained a lot of confidence from it.
A career abroad is a reality in
today’s global workplace and
at NTU, undergraduates get the
first taste of it through overseas
internships. HEY! talks to fi ve
NTU students about that coveted
first overseas work experience
by Derek Rodriguez and Chrystal Chan
The internship
int
n er
ernship was a blast. In Singapore
Singapore,
the aerospace industry focuses mainly on
maintenance, repair and overhaul work and
I wanted a unique experience. I wanted to
encounter a different working culture and
Germany was also a good base from which to
explore Europe on my days off.
One thing I didn’t expect was to fall in love
with Braunschweig. It’s a small town that isn’t
very cosmopolitan, but therein lies its charm.
It’s as German as they come and dripping in
local culture. I lapped it all up, not least of all the
amazing beer.
On my second last day, I was imbued with
sudden clarity. I took a helicopter ride for research
purposes – the first time I was on one – and
looked down. It hit me then; the moment I knew
that I was on the right track with my work and
studies. This was where I belonged.
H E Y ! NOV– DEC 2 0 14
I worked
with
models
LOURENCE STEVEN
RENAISSANCE ENGINEERING PROGRAMME
INTERNED AT CARL ZEISS MEDITEC, CALIFORNIA,
RNIA,, USA
One of the highlights of the
Renaissaince Engineering
Programme was getting to intern
n
at a company in the USA. I landed
ed
d
a 10-week internship at Carl Zeiss
ss
where I worked with models –
CAD models.
I mastered Creo Elements/
Direct Modelling Express 18.1,
a CAD software. It was new to
me but with the 3D modelling
techniques I learnt in NTU, I
picked it up within a few days. I was gradually
given more
d
projects and am proud to say I really pulled my weight.
It was important that I did well – I was the first NTU
student interning at the company and how I performed
was going to determine if Carl Zeiss hired more NTU
students in the future.
I worked very closely with my mentor, the director of
mechanical engineering. Our daily meetings lasted almost
four hours and his insights always left me thinking: “Why
didn’t I think of that?” Outside of work, he also helped me
to settle down. He invited me over to his place to meet his
family, and brought me for a concert and a picnic dinner.
Working in the USA is different from working in
Singapore. The work culture is flexible, and this gives room
for creativity.
I felt really sad on my last day at Carl Zeiss. But I had
a lot of fun and left with a sense of satisfaction. As I was
walking past the cubicles, the VP of R&D called me over
and told me he appreciated my work and that I was always
welcome there. Getting recognition from someone like
him even though
g I was just
j an intern was indescribable.
7
m
g
o
n
u
i
ntai
v
o
M
ns
ISELLA LIM
NANYANG BUSINESS SCHOOL
INTERNED AT NEC CORPORATION, TOKYO, JAPAN
INTE
There’s an old Japanese
saying
that goes: “He who
s
climbs
Mount Fuji once is
c
a wise man; he who climbs
it
i twice is a fool.” So by
all accounts, I must be
pretty wise.
I didn’t feel quite so
wise, though, halfway up
the 3,776m-high mountain
at 3am in the morning. I
was
w starting to regret my
impromptu decision as
the climb was extremely
strenuous
and gruelling,
stren
especially in the cold.
That was on week six of
my eight-week internship in
Tokyo with NEC Corporation,
where I worked on business
development plans.
Before the internship, I was
filled with uncertainties about
what to expect as well as the job
etiquette. Also, as I was unable to
speak a single word of Japanese, I
was worried I wouldn’t be able to
8
express myself
lff adequately.
d
t l
The internship turned out
to be very fulfilling as NEC
invested time and effort in
interns like me. I was assigned
work just like a permanent
staff and allowed to attend
seminars as a representative
of the company. My boss and
colleagues also heard me out and
seriously considered some
me off my
ideas – even bringing them
em
to the implementation stage.
age.
On weekends, I spent
most of my time travelling
ng
around Japan, visiting
the outskirts of Tokyo.
I travelled alone half thee
time, but I found that
extremely refreshing and
d
memorable, as I made
many new friends along
the way.
It was a short twomonth stint, but I got to
experience the day-today life of the Japanese,
including
i l di their
th i workk culture.
lt
I have also grown to become
more independent. This is
especially true since I was living
alone abroad in a country whose
language I did not speak. It
was really quite something to
experience the hospitality of the
Japanese and their impressive
work ethic.
French
connection
LAUREN TAN
SCHOOL OF ELECTRICAL &
ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
INTERNED AT DSO, FRANCE
Like a character in a Woody
Allen movie, I spent my
summer in Paris, in the
outskirts of the City of Light.
Of course, I didn’t take a
ride back in time in a horsedrawn carriage or meet Ernest
Hemingway. But it was magical
all the same.
I interned with DSO and
spent six months in a SONDRA
facility, Singapore’s only offshore
defence R&D laboratory. Before
leaving for France, I was feeling
a little tentative about the
journey ahead, mostly because I
was going alone and wasn’t sure
what to expect since this was the
first time an NTU student was
selected for the programme.
On the other hand, I was
quite excited with the prospect
of hobnobbing with high-level
scientists within SONDRA, a
joint laboratory comprising
learning institutions and top
research companies in Singapore
and France.
At work, my main duty
was to program a sensor unit.
The nature of the job was
individualistic and I was
expected to work independently.
I was given the freedom to
choose how I wanted to carry
out my work. My favourite
part was getting to pilot a UAV
(unmanned aerial vehicle) while
I was working on its orientation
measurement unit.
Throughout the internship, I
was part of a multidisciplinary
environment with researchers
and PhD students from all over
the world. There was a good
deal of cultural exchange, which
was enriching.
H E Y ! NOV– DEC 2 0 14
Internship advantage
Each year, over 4,300 NTU students
go on internships at about 1,500
companies, both in Singapore and
overseas, with about 30% receiving a
job offer at the end of the internship.
On weekends, I ventured
out to the cities in France – my
favourites were Lyon and Cannes.
One such weekend, I visited
Cannes during the Festival de
Cannes and caught a film there.
I had a two-week Easter break
and travelled to Amsterdam and
Brussels, to catch up with my
friends who were studying there. I
also went to London for Singapore
Day. It was great seeing so many
fellow Singaporeans and to have a
taste of Singapore food again.
This internship made me a lot
more self-reliant, besides giving
me a clearer idea of my career
goals. I’d be glad to work abroad
in future, that’s for sure.
In the last three years, two in
three graduating NTU students
secured a job before leaving
university, an impressive statistic
that is helped by NTU’s
industrial attachment programmes.
“Internships are very important.
They allow students to have exposure
to the working world and to see how
things you have learnt in class work
in real life,” says Prof Kam Chan Hin,
Senior Associate Provost
(Undergraduate Education) at NTU.
NTU students have interned in
organisations in Asia, Europe,
North America and Africa. The most
popular countries include Switzerland,
the United States, France,
China and Japan.
9
Culture. vultures
MOHAMMAD HARIZ BIN BAHARUDIN
WEE KIM WEE SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION & INFORMATION
INTERNED AT NEPALI TIMES, KATHMANDU, NEPAL
10
another story. We saw
50 vultures strip the meat
off a fully-grown cow to
bare bones in less than an
n
hour. I felt like I’d stepped
d
right into the pages of
National Geographic.
One of the biggest takeaways of the
internship is learning how to appreciate
what I have, and I now know for sure that
this path is the one I want to be on. I am
already counting down to the day when
I make my return trip.
WIN
this!
30 snazzy Lyon luggage
covers up for grabs
A compilation
of portraits
I took for
Women’s Day
made it to the
front page of
the paper.
To win a luggage cover featuring the
NTU mascot, name three countries
NTU students do their internships in.
Email your answer, with “Lyon cover giveaway” as the
subject line, to hey@ntu.edu.sg by 10 December
2014. Include your full name, NTU school and year
of study or graduation, contact number and email
address in your entry. Multiple entries from the
same person will not be accepted. Winners will be
picked from among entries with the correct answer
in a lucky draw and informed via email. All prizes are
to be collected from the Corporate Communications
Office, NTU.
PHOTOS: HARIZ BAHARUDIN, TAN PEI LIN
Kathmandu is like a labyrinth. I found
that out the hard way on my very first
day at work. I misread some directions
and ended up on a slightly more scenic
route to work. There was no help from
the office or my editor, so I had to put my
rudimentary knowledge of conversational
Nepali into action that morning and
figure out how to get to the office.
I only found out later that my editor
had met with an accident. Such is life
in the densely populated city that is
Kathmandu, where I interned at Nepali
Times as a reporter for six months.
Like many students my age,
travelling is one of my passions. So
is reporting. When I was offered
the chance to do both, I jumped
at it. Besides, Nepal has always
fascinated me.
My internship was filled with
memorable moments. I was given
relative freedom to roam around
and work on my own stories, one
of which was a piece on vulture
conservationism.
Vultures in Nepal are dying
and conservationists are trying
to save them. My friend and I
chanced upon a feeding session
while out on assignment for
Feature
The big draw
NTU graduate Wong Weiloong, 25, was recently
commissioned to create a larger-than-life murall
that has been drawing attention at Esplanade
– Theatres on the Bay. Aaron Corbett finds that
the intrepid designer doesn’t let himself hit the
wall in his quest for artistic expression
Broad strokes
Great brush with art
“Esplanade approached
me to do an illustration
for National Day this year.
They wanted to feature
local characters interacting
with the defined space. I’ve
done small posters before,
but never a mural of this
scale which took up two
large walls at Esplanade’s
upper concourse.”
“Though I didn’t take formal
al
art classes before joining
NTU’s School of Art, Design
n
& Media, I drew a lot in
my spare time. In junior
college, I started to think
about what I really wanted
to do. Previously, I just
assumed I was going to do a
professional degree like law or
architecture. Researching the
local universities, I found that
NTU’s visual communication
course matched my interest
in doing something creative,
and it would also allow me
to experiment.”
Say it with pictures
“Esplanade defined the
overall concept, but I
was given the freedom to
execute it in my own style.
I took a month to complete
it, from sketching the
initial designs on paper
to making sure the final
piece fits the walls. The
last part was colouring
on a computer, so it was
a good blend of old and
new techniques. The
designs were printed on
large strips of laminate and
glued to the walls the night
before National Day and
just after my convocation
at NTU.”
PHOTO: DIOS VINCOY JR
Prime spot
“It’s a panoramic image
that’s mainly narrative but
ambiguous, too. I hope the
audience will spend time
scanning through it to
discover the little details.
Esplanade tells me it’s very
popular with children, and
the walls now seem to be a
hot spot for photos.”
H E Y ! NOV– DEC 2 0 14
Reach for the moon
“Our NTU professors
expected a lot of us, but also
gave us the freedom to define
how far we wanted to go. This
gave me a lot of drive. I also
enjoyed the courses we were
required to take outside of our
main discipline, especially the
science ones like astronomy,
which I applied to my
work, Moongrazing (2013).
Looking back, I’m glad I did
visual communication – it’s
a versatile field and the job
opportunities are very varied.”
Art rules
“Most people assume that
the visual arts is a free and
unrestrictive field, but
actually, there are many rules
to respect. And paradoxical
as it sounds, it’s easier to
be creative when you set
boundaries for yourself.”
Go abroad
b d
“My first NTU internship
was at a local start-up that did
branding communications
for a very diverse clientele.
I created everything from
brochures to interface
design. This experience
helped me secure my second
internship in the US in my
final year.”
A bite of the Big Apple
“I wanted to get more
exposure by interning
overseas. My professors
at Emily Carr University
of Art + Design in
Canada – where I did
my exchange in my third
year – recommended that
I go to New York as it’s a
major centre of design.
I managed to secure a
four-month internship
with an e-commerce firm
after contacting over 50
companies. NTU gave me
a term off to complete the
internship during my final
year, which was great.”
So far so good
“I love the work culture in
New York, where people
have a way of pacing
themselves and getting
things done at the same
time. So I’m in the process
of applying for a visa
Wong Weiloong’s mural,
Sprout, was commissioned
by Esplanade to kick off the
centre’s festival to celebrate
Singapore’s National Day and
is on display till January 2015.
“Esplanade constantly seeks
new and rising artists, giving
them opportunities to gain
exposure and showcase their
works to the community,” says
y
Agnes Lim, Producer
ducer at The
Esplanade Co Ltd.
to work there. In the
meantime, I’m doing
graphic design work for
companies like Esplanade
and Sentosa.”
Art and soul
“I’m young, so it’s a
great time for me to try
out as many things as I
can. Like the historical
polymath Leonardo
da Vinci and Chinese
strategist Zhuge Liang, I
hope to cross boundaries
and be truly creative.”
11
o
n
a
h
t
r
e
t
t
e
b
s
i
Two
Feature
Are twins double the
fun or twice the trouble?
Chrystal Chan and
Derek Rodriguez talk to
four pairs of twins in
NTU and find out where
their similarities end
12
ne
Twin findings
Twins, who sometimes look like
carbon copies of each other,
are often raised in the same
environment. Are they also the
same beneath their skin?
Lee Wen Di and Wen Li are
NTU freshmen on the CN Yang
Scholars Programme. Wen Di
is a materials science student,
while her younger-by-fourminutes sister is a chemical
and biomolecular engineering
undergraduate. They both chose
to apply to NTU because of the
exciting opportunities available
and their interest in research.
Are you best friends?
Wen Li: We have been close
since young. She’s more than a
best friend; we share everything.
Our mum is a twin too, so she
knew how to bring us up and
keep us close.
Wen Di: I think we are one of
the closest twins. Although
we quarrel, we patch up very
quickly. I always have someone
to talk to that I trust completely.
And she totally understands me.
Do twins have special powers?
Wen Di: We have telepathy!
Sometimes, she’ll be humming
a tune from a classical piece
and I’ll be thinking of the same
segment of the tune, too.
Do you have the same taste
in fashion?
Wen Di: Our parents used to buy
us the same clothes, because we
always wanted to dress the same
way. When we look at old photos,
we usually identify ourselves by
the colour of our hair ties. We
still share the same fashion sense
and the same wardrobe.
H E Y ! NOV– DEC 2 0 14
How about hobbies?
Wen Di: Our parents
exposed us to music from
a young age and it is a big
part of our lives. We were
in the Chinese orchestra
group throughout secondary
school and junior college.
I play the suona, a Chinese
trumpet. And both of us
play the piano and guitar.
We like classical symphonies
and Romantic composers
like Beethoven, Tchaikovsky,
Brahms and Chopin.
Wen Li: We like sports, too.
We run and play badminton
together. There’s two of us,
so it’s very easy to find a
partner to do things with.
In what ways are you different?
Wen Li: Our personalities
are different. People usually
differentiate us by our
personalities. She’s calm,
reliable and quite crazy. She’s
the more outgoing one.
Wen Di: She’s quite lively
when you get to know her
better. She’s also meticulous
and thoughtful. People tell
us the way we smile is
different too.
Have you ever been mistaken
for each other?
Wen Li: Actually, yes, though
we weren’t the ones being
mixed up. We thought our
mum’s twin was our mum.
She had to tell us: “I’m not
your mummy.”
Do twins mirror
each other?
“Twins who are brought up
together tend to share more
similar experiences than even
close siblings, so they can appear
to have very similar likes and
dislikes. Naturally, variation
in experiences abounds and it
would be dangerous to assume
that such likes and dislikes
extend to all pairs of twins or
all situations,” said Assoc Prof
Kerry Lee, Head of the Research,
Education & Cognitive
Development Lab at the National
Institute of Education.
Do relationships differ
between fraternal twins
and identical twins?
“I found that parents
of twins, whether fraternal
or identical, reported their
children as spending all their
time together. The caveat is that
this study was with six- to
11-year-olds, so it could be
for pragmatic reasons.”
“Parents of fraternal twins and
identical twins show a similar
behaviour in giving their children
similar sounding names, dressing
them alike and preferring that
they participate in the same
activities,” said Asst Prof Setoh
Pei Pei from the Division of
Psychology, School of Humanities
& Social Sciences.
PHOTOS: DEREK RODRIGUEZ
Two peas in a pod
13
Playing doubles
You can tell Syahirah (Hirah) and Syahidah (Sya)
Rostam apart easily from the colour of their clothes,
but the gregarious pair is similar in many other ways.
Now into their second year at NTU, they are pursuing
Sport Science & Management degrees and have the same
passion for soccer and silat.
To complicate matters, they are close friends with
another set of twins whom they met on campus.
Rashiqah and Rasyidah Tumiran hate beansprouts
and horror movies, and are studying Sport Science &
Management and Mechanical Engineering respectively.
14
Can you describe
each other?
Hirah: She’s
unpredictable
and random. She
looks at things
in different
ways and thinks
outside the box.
But what I really
admire about her
is her patience.
Sya: She’s very
direct and
needs every
instruction to be justified. And
she is huggable.
What’s the best part about being
a twin?
Hirah: We have each other as
our daily diaries. We tell each
other how we feel and give and
receive feedback as to how we
can improve ourselves.
PHOTOS: AMIN SHAH, DEREK RODRIGUEZ
What’s the downside of being
a twin?
Hirah: For us, it’s our names.
They are almost the same, so
sometimes our lecturers or the
system will overlook one of us.
We also need to tolerate each
other’s attitudes because we
are always together.
Sya: I look the same as her,
so I feel responsible for her
image and I’m conscious of
my own behaviour.
H E Y ! NOV– DEC 2 0 14
Why did you decide to come to NTU?
Hirah: We were working at
Fandi Ahmad Academy as sales
and marketing managers before
we entered NTU. Our family
wanted us to continue working
there as we were drawing a good
salary, but we wanted to broaden
our knowledge in sports
management, so we decided to
pursue this degree.
What’s your best memory of NTU
so far?
Rashiqah: This year’s freshman
orientation camp that we
organised for the juniors. My
course has a small intake, so the
organising committee was about
a quarter of the class. We got to
know our classmates better and
formed close bonds with them.
Rasyidah: Mine is playing hockey
for Hall 14. It’s a sport that I
really love and the end of the
match that clinched us a spot in
the final was a touching moment.
he explains the subject clearly.
When he solves a question, he
shows us how he arrived at the
answer step by step.
Have you had any strange
“twin moment”?
Rashiqah: When we are doing
something together, I can tell
what she is going to do next. For
example, when we are playing
hockey, I can tell what her next
move is going to be. And she’ll
know when I have questions on
my mind even if I keep quiet.
Rasyidah: One time, after we ate
roti kirai, she got a stomachache.
I had a stomachache a few days
later for no reason. And in
Secondary Two, she fell sick for a
long period of time. And then I
got sick too for no reason again.
Who are your favourite professors?
Rashiqah: Asst Prof Yang Yifan
and Asst Prof Veni Kong. Their
classes are always full. I like the
way they teach; they make their
subjects interesting and easy to
understand.
Rasyidah: For me, it’s Asst Prof
Hirotaka Sato, who teaches
engineering dynamics. His
presentations are engaging and
15
Transat lantic t wins
Twins Seah Jia Min and Jia
Xin have never been more
than a quick car journey away
from each other. The past few
months, though, they have
been separated by an ocean. Jia
Xin is in Oslo, Norway, while
Jia Min is in Montreal, Canada.
The third-year students, who
are both pursuing a double
degree in accountancy and
business at the Nanyang
Business School, are on a sixmonth exchange programme.
What’s the funniest “twin
moment” you both had?
Jia Xin: Recently, I was trying
to use the microwave at my
hostel and was wondering why
it wasn’t working. I realised I
had forgotten to set the time!
That week, when I Skyped Jia
Min in Montreal, she happened
to be doing the laundry and
was having some difficulty
starting the washing machine.
16
As I was
telling her my
“microwave
story”, she burst
out laughing
and said she
just realised she
couldn’t start
the washing
machine because she also
forgot to set the time!
How close were the two of you
growing up?
Jia Xin: We were very close
because we were always in the
same school, took the same
subjects (except in university
now), and always had the
same co-curricular activity
– badminton. We did almost
everything together such that
when there was something that
involved only one of us, the
other would feel slightly lonely.
What’s the hardest part about
being a twin?
Jia Min: Being associated with
her when she does something
wrong and hence getting
judged despite not doing
anything wrong. But no matter
how hard it might get, it is still
worth it.
What do you like the most about
each other?
Jia Xin: We are willing to be
honest with each other, be
serious when the other has
opinions or troubles to share,
and advise each other.
Jia Min: I like how we’re so close
we can laugh at each other after
an argument.
How did you both end up in the
same course in NTU?
Jia Min: We wanted to do
Accountancy and Business
because it is a practical
choice, and also because the
Nanyang Business School has
a strong tradition of producing
successful business graduates.
How are you two most alike?
Jia Xin: We have similar
tastes in movies, food
and hobbies, but that’s
where the similarities
end. We have different
tastes in fashion and
boys. While we might
define the perfect guy
in similar ways, we
eventually end up liking
different types of boys.
Perhaps you could call it
same tastes, different fates.
Advertorial
ACE
THAT JOB
INTERVIEW
A LITTLE PREPARATION GOES A LONG WAY
HERE’S HOW TO GET A DISTINCT EDGE OVER OTHER JOB APPLICANTS
Research the company
Always do your homework and find out as much as you can about
the company and job you’re applying for. Visit the company’s website,
check its social media sites and do simple Google searches. Read up
on its future plans and be prepared to talk in-depth about the company
and the job with your interviewer. This shows your enthusiasm for the
position, which is vital. Having zero knowledge about the business
or job is a big no-no and leaves a bad impression.
Plan your route
Being late is another scenario to avoid. Carefully plan your route to
the company. Don’t sabotage your chances before you even arrive.
Figure out how long the trip will be, either by car or public transport.
Find out where to park once you arrive and always have the contact
details of the person you’re meeting, just in case you’re held up.
Be punctual
Arriving too early is better than being late. Reach at least 15 minutes
before the interview to give yourself time to rest and to compose
yourself. It’s bad to look all hurried and flustered, and to enter the
meeting room with a sweaty shirt or blouse.
Rehearse
Always rehearse the interview beforehand. Review classic interview
questions and prepare intelligent answers for them. Conduct a mock
interview with friends or family members to get a feel for how you’ll
perform on that important day.
Dress professionally and conservatively
As a rule of thumb, dress professionally for the interview. Your attire
determines how seriously you’ll be taken by the interviewer. Dress
conservatively and ensure your clothing is neat and well-pressed.
Be well groomed with clean nails and neatly-trimmed facial hair.
Keep any tattoos under wraps and remove facial piercings. Ladies,
this is not a party or a date, so don’t wear loud accessories or heavy
makeup. Feel free to call up the company’s HR representative to
ask about the appropriate attire for the interview. It’s always better to
clarify than to get there under-dressed.
Bring along important documents
Have all necessary documentation with you, such as your resume,
portfolio, identification card and a recent photograph. If the company
requires other documents that you didn’t bring, provide the necessary
materials as soon as possible after the interview.
Prep yourself just before the interview
Once you have reached the company, visit the restroom to tidy
yourself up. Wipe off any perspiration and ensure you look neat and
H E Y ! NOV– DEC 2 0 14
proper. Ladies, touch up your makeup to give yourself a more polished
look. While waiting for the interviewer, switch off your mobile phone
to prevent any interruptions during the interview. Before entering the
meeting room, take a few deep breaths to calm your nerves.
Be courteous
Be personable and show courtesy to everyone during, before and
after the interview, from the reception staff to the interviewer. Look
everyone in the eye, smile radiantly and remember their names.
You can only make a first impression once, so make it a good one.
Sell yourself
The interview is a golden opportunity to get on your prospective
employer’s good side. Highlight all your strengths, experiences
and unique selling points. Be confident and talk audibly with
precise enunciation. Tell your interviewer how you can contribute
to the company with your skills and talents.
Ask good questions
No one is impressed by a candidate who sits and nods in silence.
Participate actively during the interview. Ask your interviewer at least
three thought-provoking questions that reflect your interest in the
company and the job. To show your enthusiasm, instead of giving
monosyllabic answers, probe your interviewer for more details.
If you’re not sure about something, it’s okay to admit it. Tell the
interviewer you’ll get back about it soon.
Follow up
Don’t forget to follow up with the company at an appropriate time,
restating your interest in the job. If there’s no reply after a week,
call and politely ask when a decision will be made.
Preparation is a prerequisite for success, so do it right. You just
might land the job of your dreams!
Source: This article was brought to you by
STJobs.sg is a comprehensive and informative platform for job seekers to post
their resumes and get matched with potential jobs. The website has almost
40,000* updated job listings spanning across a broad spectrum of industries
posted by employers in Singapore. Additionally, users can find information
and interesting tools on STJobs such as Salary Benchmarker, where they can
view the average salary for a variety of job functions and industries locally; or
Career Resources, where they can get employment tips from articles published
by Singapore Press Holdings. STJobs received a Silver Award in the General
Website Categories (Employment) of the 2013 W3 Awards, organised by The
International Academy of Visual Arts (IAVA). The entries were judged based on
standards of excellence determined by IAVA.
*As of October 2014
17
Feature
My friends and I are lounging
by the pool in Bali. On vacation,
none of us are relaxing. One
is talking to her boyfriend
on FaceTime. Another is on
Google Maps, searching for the
location of dinner tonight. I’m
frowning at my screen, trying
to edit my photos so they’ll look
good on Instagram.
This is the era we live in,
where nary a day goes by
without our mobile phones –
even when we are on holiday
– and where social media
channels like Instagram and
Facebook are tools for us to
connect to the world and all our
800 friends.
18
Always “there”
“People these days can’t do
without their smartphone
because it offers great
convenience in serving many
of our needs,” says Prof Richard
Ling, a media technology expert
at the Wee Kim Wee School of
Communication & Information.
“Through it, we expect others
to be ‘there’. One of the reasons I
make sure I have my phone with
me is in case someone wants to
contact me.”
He added that there is also
habitual use, where we find
ourselves automatically reaching
for our phones as we have repeated
this process so many times.
These days, mobile phone
ownership brings with it
problems our smartphone-less
ancestors never had to face,
such as a culture of immediacy.
People today want everything
and they want it at once.
Unlike in the days of “snail
mail”, a reply is generally
expected within the hour,
whether by text message or via
a phone call. This puts plenty of
stress on us, be it self-imposed
or from peer pressure.
“Your friends should be able
to understand that you may be
busy with something and can’t
text back immediately. What
I like about instant messaging
It’s hard to go anywhere without our
mobile phone, so what happens when
two students forgo their phones for an
entire day? Chrystal Chan investigates
and hears from a few experts
However, as phones get
“smarter”, there is the worry
we’ll eventually lose the ability
to do things now easily done
by technology. One extreme
example is penmanship
becoming a forgotten ability
since typing is so much simpler
and more efficient. And with
all the numbers we need
conveniently stored in our
Contacts list, we don’t give our
brains a workout remembering
phone numbers anymore.
“A recent study showed that
when we believe something will
be saved on our computer or
phone, we’re less likely to make
the effort to remember it,” says
Asst Prof Patterson.
But this is not all bad. “When
cars started becoming popular,
people were worried they would
eventually lose the skills needed
to saddle a horse,” says Prof Ling.
“That’s true, but when was the last
time you had to rely on a horse?”
So our skill sets are essentially
changing, says Prof Ling. Humans
aren’t becoming less intelligent,
but simply doing things in
different ways. In fact, believe it
or not, smartphones can make us
smarter in increasing our ability
to multi-task.
Brain booster
is that it allows multi-tasking,
so you can respond a little
later while doing something
else,” says Asst Prof Michael
Patterson, who does research
in cognitive psychology and
neuroscience.
Fiend or friend?
There have been various organised
attempts to encourage people
not to use their phones during
meals, an act which can be
viewed as rude and “anti-social”.
As a reminder to prize face-to-face
interaction over our phones, a
group of final-year communication
students carried out a project
called Put It On Friend Mode.
H E Y ! NOV– DEC 2 0 14
“The overdependence on and
excessive use of mobile phones
is a problem we all feel strongly
about,” says Chan Jing Hao.
“But it wasn’t until we spoke
to our peers that we discovered
how widespread the problem is.
We wanted to raise awareness of
this ‘anti-social’ behaviour and
correct it through this campaign.”
On the other hand, experts
believe the transition from calling
to texting has made people more
polite and less disruptive.
“When you call someone,
everyone else around you knows
you’re doing it. Now you can sit
quietly and text, and not disturb
others,” explains Prof Ling.
A study conducted by Asst
Prof Patterson and graduate
student Adam Oei found that
participants who played more
complex games like Cut the Rope
for as little as an hour a day for
a month could switch between
tasks 33% faster. They were
also 60% better at blocking out
distractions and staying focused
on tasks.
It’s not just games that make
us more effective. The apps
on our phones help us do
everything under the sun, from
tracking the number of steps
we take to telling us how much
we’ve spent this month. It’s
even possible to learn a foreign
language on the go.
One thing’s for sure, our
phones will continue to pervade
our consciousness in various
ways. So use it wisely.
19
A day without my smartphone
“I have all th
the social media
channels like
lik Instagram
and Facebo
Facebook, but I’m not
with updating
obsessed w
call me a
them. My friends
f
texter’ as I don’t reply
‘lazy texte
messages promptly.
mess
Perhaps that was why
Perh
I felt I could survive
without my phone.
witho
During class, I
Dur
discove
discovered the first
inconvenience. I couldn’t
inconve
down important
take dow
points us
using the Notes app
on my ph
phone. Nor could I
take pho
photos of the lesson,
and I ha
had to fall back on
pen and
an paper.
Aft
After class, I starting
feeling a little lost
feelin
without my phone
with
as I had to attend a
project meeting and
pr
was worried I might
w
nnot know about a
change in the meeting
chan
place or time.
Aside from the occasional
feeling that I might
nagging feelin
be missing calls and texts,
I coped well.
w In fact, I
a lot more
found myself
m
focused during tutorials.
But I could
cou no longer use
my phone as a security
blanket. FFor example, when I
accidental eye contact
make acci
strangers, I usually
with stran
take my pphone out and look
distracted. This time, I could
away awkwardly.
only look aw
I think the best part of this mobile-free day was how
liberated I felt, as there was less pressure to reply text
messages immediately. I am going to try to be less attached
to my phone as I feel it’s bad to be a slave to technology
and miss out on what’s happening around me.”
– Sabrina Ng, Economics
20
“The first thing I do every morning is check WhatsApp and
my Instagram and Facebook feeds.
During this one-day challenge, I instinctively reached
for my phone a few times to discover it wasn’t there,
and found myself thinking about all the text messages
I could be missing.
The withdrawal symptoms escalated during lunch when I
was alone with no one to talk to over the meal. This would’ve
been fine if I had my phone to turn to. This time, I decided to
just observe what was going
on around me.
Before the challenge, I
had set a time and place to
meet a friend for dinner. After
waiting for 10 minutes, he still
didn’t appear. I later found out
he’d tried to call me to tell
me he
would
be late.
After
dinner,
I walked
faster than
usual to get
back to my hall
room at NTU. The first
thing I did was launch
myself onto my desk
and seize my phone. It
felt like I was reunited
with a part of myself.
I’m glad this challenge
wasn’t done on a day I
had to travel further,
because I doubt I’d be
able to survive without
my music, Google Maps
and just knowing I’m
connected to the world.”
– Isaac Lim, Sociology
Hot Shots
Make a date with us
There’s never a dull moment at NTU, the world’s best young university.
Catch the action in NTU’s 2015 desktopp calendar – and whe
when you’re on campus
GLIDE ON No ice-breakers needed
with cool NTU President Prof
Bertil Andersson.
es
BEST FRIENDS FOREVER You make the good tim
er.
better and the bad times easi
MILESTONES Watch out world
ld, here we come!
20 calendars to be won!
PICTURE PERFECT The NTU campus is listed as one
of the top 15 most beautiful in the world.
H E Y ! NOV– DEC 2 0 14
Look out for the NTU calendar giveaway on
NTUsg Facebook in November.
Or get your copy at the Union Shop
(Student Activities Centre)
from December.
21
Feature
Lingo
HellL
Hola
la B
Bonjour
bingo
go
g
Guten tag
by Derek Rodriguez
effectively with the outside
world and therefore enhance
the political, economic and
cultural ties between Singapore
and other parts of the world.”
The Asian wave
While
on exchange
in Japan, Li Ruixue (above)
found that being able to speak
Japanese helped her make
friends easily with the locals.
Says Ruixue, who is pursuing
a double degree in information
engineering & media and
economics: “Most of the
international students hung out
with other international students,
but I became firm friends with
the Japanese students.”
Ruixue is one of about
2,500 students taking various
language modules each
semester at NTU’s Centre for
Modern Languages, which runs
courses on Arabic, Chinese,
French, German, Hindi, Italian,
Japanese, Korean, Malay,
Spanish, Thai and Vietnamese.
Assoc Prof Francesco
Cavallaro, director of the
centre, says: “Students who
learn another language here are
equipped with the linguistic and
cultural knowledge that will
enable them to communicate
22
The two most popular
languages are Korean
and Japanese, which make
up more than half of this
semester’s intake.
Lecturer Agnes Ryoo
attributes the popularity of
Korean to three broad
reasons.
“Other than the K-Wave,
there are compelling reasons
to learn Korean. This year,
about 600 NTU students went
to 10 Korean universities for
summer studies. Students
seeking to make the most of
these exchange programmes
often take the Korean language
course,” she explains. “And
with the key Korean industries
growing rapidly, learning
Korean is a wise career
investment.”
For business
student Melissa
Phang (right),
who is in her
graduating
semester as a
tourism and
hospitality
major, taking the Korean
language module lets her “kill
many birds with one stone”.
“First, it’s a great way to clear
electives. Second, I get to attend
lessons I find interesting. And
best of all, I have an avenue to
practise the language.”
Thai language coordinator
Dr Sureenate Jaratjarungkiat
conducted a survey of her
students over two semesters and
found that almost half of those
surveyed learnt Thai so they
could speak the language while
travelling in Thailand. This is
also true for students taking
Vietnamese.
Third-year accountancy
student Trixy Fong (right) is
a case in point. She picked
up the language before her
latest trip to Thailand and
was rewarded with a richer
experience. “I could appreciate
what was happening around me
– what the buskers’ signs said,
and what they were singing
on the streets. I
could converse
with the street
vendors.
I felt less
like a
tourist,
and more
like a
traveller.”
Second-year communication
student Pang Xue Qiang (above),
too, got a better deal. Bargaining
for the best prices was not a
problem, as he practises haggling
in his Thai classes. “We get to
role-play situations like ordering
Thai food and going shopping,”
he explains.
A taste of Europe
Among the European language
courses, the French module
has the most students.
Dr Karen McCloskey
says: “Some students
take it because they
have a connection
with someone
who is French, but
usually it’s because
they are drawn to
the elegance of the
language. Sometimes,
all it takes is the bite of
a macaron to unleash
the desire to find out more
about the French culture
and language.”
Jenzi Chua believes French
has a certain je ne sais quoi,
or pleasing, elusive quality.
Says the fourth-year biological
sciences student: “I took it
because I thought it sounded
beautiful. I also love everything
French – the country, the
pastries and the clothes. NTU’s
H E Y ! NOV– DEC 2 0 14
French language
module fills us
in on details
about the
French lifestyle.”
In the case
of the German
language, tutor
Patricia Lorenz
explains: “Many
students learn German
for practical reasons, mainly
because they want to study
in Germany. Engineering
students, for example, are
drawn to the precision of
German expertise and learning
the language enables them to
understand it more fully.”
Think learning a new
language is too hard? Try
Italian, Malay or Spanish,
which are three of the easiest
languages to pick up. Spanish
language coordinator Ms
Cristina Ruiz says: “The
Spanish vocabulary is simple
and straightforward, and
the words are in most cases
written exactly as they are
pronounced.”
With over 400 million
people in the world speaking
the language, Spanish is
more widely spoken
than English. “It is
an extremely useful
language, especially
if we consider
the fact that
Latin American
economies are
booming,” adds
Ms Ruiz.
Second-year
civil engineering
student Zhang
Qiyu (right) spent
the summer practising
the language in Spain,
where she witnessed the
crowning of King Felipe. She
says: “When you learn Spanish,
you can feel the warmth, the
happiness and the sunshine
of the Spanish-speaking
countries.”
The number of students
taking Chinese has been rising
steadily over the last few
years. This, says lecturer Dr
He Xiaoling, is because more
international exchange students
are learning the language.
“China has become the second
largest economy in the world
and its economic and political
influence is growing.”
After Spanish, English and
Chinese, Hindi is the fourth
most spoken language in the
world and Arabic is fifth. Both
have grown in importance
for Singapore in terms of
commerce.
“The Middle East has a
leading role in the global
energy market,” says Arabic
language coordinator Mr
Shuaib Silm. “The ability to
speak basic Arabic will open up
more business opportunities for
those venturing there.”
23
24
Feature
Chow and chill
NTU has been dubbed the “foodiest university in the world”
by Makansutra guru KF Seetoh, and its range of yummy
delights just grew wider. Third-year undergrad Aloysius Boh
gives the lowdown on the new campus eateries
LOL Bakery & Cafe by:
LLO
MM.I.S. With LOVE
Located by the pool at
L
the
th open courtyard of
the
t newly refurbished
Campus
Clubhouse,
C
this
tth café and bakery
sells
freshly toasted
s
sandwiches,
pastries and
s
other
local delights from
o
noon
to 8pm daily. An
n
ideal
id place for lunch,
tea
t or chit-chat sessions
with
w friends. On
Wednesdays,
enjoy a bowl of mee
Wednesda
W
d d
siam for just $2.80.
Pizza Hut Express
KFC
If you need your fix of fried chicken
and soda in air-conditioned
comfort, this is the place for you.
Though with Pizza Hut Express
right beside KFC in the same
enclosed space, you might be
tempted by the pizzas too once
you’re here.
H E Y ! NOV– DEC 2 0 14
Basically a smaller version of your
usual Pizza Hut, this outlet is also
the first of its kind in Singapore and
Asia as it offers pizza by the slice.
The $5 – $6.90 combo meals are
ideal quick bites for the busy NTU
student who only has 30 minutes to
spare between lectures.
Pizza flavours include Hawaiian,
Pepperoni, BBQ Chicken, Veggie
Lover’s, Margherita and Meat
Galore. If you aren’t in the mood
for pizza, sweet and spicy chicken
drumlets and garden salad are
available, too. But if you and your
friends have room for a 16-inch
pizza, you can all share one for $21.
25
Art Pastry @ ADM
If you have a hankering for
roasted Peking duck and chilled
osmanthus jelly, you can satisfy
those cravings on campus now.
Yes, the gong has been sounded
for Peach Garden. This chain of
restaurants has a loyal following
and has won numerous accolades
for its Cantonese cuisine. Dim
sum, anyone? Look out for the
opening specials.
North Spine Food Court Extension
You can’t miss the new food
stalls just beside Peach Garden
Chinese Restaurant. This is a very
international stretch, with everything
from xi’an cuisine and Japanese and
Korean food to Italian fare.
Pioneer Food Court
This is a food court with the usual
staples for ravenous students. When
fully open, there will be 12 stalls to
choose from. For an inexpensive and
filling meal, the “economy rice” stall
is a good choice.
Or
O go for the ayam
penyet,
a perennial
p
favourite,
which
f
ccomes at $4.50 with
a huge chicken leg
aand a sizeable chunk
of tempeh. There’s
o
aalso Korean food if
yyou’re craving some
rramyeon. A little
bird told us to expect
b
French cuisine at the
F
Western stall, bringing
W
such cuisine to NTU
ssu
for the first time. Oui!
ffo
266
Starbucks
This popular American coffee chain
is back again after a brief hiatus,
with an air-conditioned outlet
beside Subway at the North Spine.
Now you can easily grab your
favourite brew with a sandwich
or wrap before going for your
morning lecture at LT1. All food
and drinks here are 10% cheaper
than at stores off campus.
Llaollao
Ever since it arrived in Singapore
from Spain, this frozen yoghurt
chain (pronounced yow yow) has
been wowing crowds, with snaking
queues at its 313@Somerset and
other outlets. You can soon have
its healthy and delicious frozen
yoghurt at Canteen B – a great way
to reinvigorate
your palate
after a greasy
lunch or dinner.
Skimmed milk
and fruity or
cookie toppings
are part of
the nutritional
package.
PHOTOS: SAM CHIN, PEACH GARDEN CHINESE RESTAURANT, PIZZA HUT, EILEEN TAN
Peach Garden Chinese Restaurant
No starving artists here.
Pastries and art meet
in NTU’s most unique
building. From chicken
pie to chocolate éclairs and
even hot pasta meals and
bento boxes, various yummy
treats are on tap to keep those
creative juices flowing.
Feature
And the winners are...
Chrystal Chan taps four winners of this year’s Nanyang Alumni Awards
for their nuggets of wisdom and wit
Tan Chade-Meng, 43
Karen Wee, 28
Nanyang Alumni Achievement Award
Jolly Good Fellow at Google and New York Times
best-selling author
Nanyang Alumni Service Award
TCM physician and founding Chairman of the NTU Chinese
Medicine Alumni Association
Congrats on your win! Tell us what you
think of this award in 10.5 words.
Humbled they awarded me this
even though I’m full of sh... (show)
Tell us the TCM cure for the Monday blues.
There is no direct cure for the Monday
blues. It is all about your mindset and
finding interest in your job.
You are funny, smart and successful.
Tell us something about yourself that
nobody knows.
I’m actually very good-looking, but
you can’t tell just by looking at me.
What’s one problem you wish TCM could
solve in a jiffy?
Age-related chronic illnesses,
since we’re facing an
ageing population
that needs more care
and attention. Growing
old is inevitable, so
wouldn’t it be great
if we could make
this process more
enjoyable, without
any pain and suffering?
What’s a happy problem to you?
Too much good sushi. Yes, it
happened to me once. The sushi
was great, but the sushi chef
kept serving us sushi, it was like
climbing sushi Everest.
Teo Shun Xie, 25
Dr Marcel Thom, 38
Nanyang Outstanding Young Alumni Award
2014 Commonwealth Games Air Pistol Gold medallist
Nanyang Outstanding Young Alumni Award
Partner and Managing Director at
The Boston Consulting Group
Since you have perfect aim, what
are you shooting for next in life?
Time is always something I don’t
have enough of. I hope to get
more of it to spend with my
loved ones.
What would you say is the best
thing about shooting as a sport?
It helps you learn how to control
your thoughts and emotions
during stressful times.
What is the most important
lesson you’ve learnt?
Hard work pays off eventually.
You may be experiencing
a thunderstorm now, but
hang on, because you’ll see
a rainbow soon.
H E Y ! NOV– DEC 2 0 14
You’re well-versed in business
strategy. How can this be applied to
everyday life?
In business strategy, you have to
combine long-term planning with
short-term decision-making. This
applies directly to everyday life.
For example, preparing a merger
and preparing a wedding are not
that different!
What advice would you give to
students who aspire to be like you?
It ain’t over till it’s over! Don’t give
up easily when things don’t turn
out the way you want them to.
Always push ahead, because new
opportunities will arise along
the way.
27
Unplugged
Life for third-time Nanyang Alumni
Award winner, proud mum and
internationally renowned superstar
Stefanie Sun is looking pretty rosy
right now, especially after her
recent sell-out Kepler World Tour
concerts. Chrystal Chan speaks
with Singapore’s most successful
Mandopop singer to find out how
she’s keeping it all together
28
Congrats on winning NTU’s
Nanyang Distinguished Alumni
Award! How do you feel about the
accolade? Is there anyone you’d like
to dedicate the award to?
I would like to thank NTU for this
third honour. I feel especially
cia
iall
llyy
privileged to be able to
continue doing what I enjoy.
njo
joy.
y.
I dedicate the award to
o
my family. Their steadfast
st
love and support has made
adee
ad
it possible for me to go
further in my career with
h
peace of mind.
As a mum, are there challenges
career-wise that you didn’t have to
worry about before? Scheduling
of activities now requires more
thought and I also try to avoid
longer trips away from home.
Between your second
award and this latest one,
ne,
a lot has happened in your
ourr
life. If you could sum up
p
your past three years in
one word, what would itt
be? There’s no one word
to describe it; there havee
been too many emotionss
and events. Although I
have taken on additionall
roles in life, life feels a lot
ot
simpler. The lack of timee
means I have to focus on
n
the things that matter.
Has being a parent
changed your views and
d
thoughts on life and your
ur career?
I think being a parent is
demanding and it has made me
more self-reflective. Even the
most mundane things have to
be done; there is no instruction
booklet tailored for you, and
definitely no entourage there
when your child cries.
While it takes some getting used
to, the journey has been fantastic,
and I mean that both sincerely
and sarcastically. (Laughs)
Has it also changed your songs?
I think parenthood has inevitably
changed my artistic directions and
the things I’m drawn to. Colours
are more exciting. Literal things are
purely literal. Now’s a good time to
recapture the purity of thought.
H E Y ! NOV– DEC 2 0 14
I’d wish them the knowledge to tell
between a life calling and a hobby.
The last three years at NTU have
been ones of change. We have two
new condo-like halls called Pioneer
and Crescent
Cresc Halls, a medical
school
and a soon-to-bes
ready
24-hour learning
r
hub.
h Would any of these
entice
you to come back
e
to
t NTU as a student?
These new facilities sound
amazing.
Learning can be
a
a lot of fun when it’s with
like-minded
people and in
lli
comfortable
surroundings.
c
I’ve
I always imagined myself
going
back to school one
g
day.
d I just have to find the
right
rri course!
We
W would love to have
you
yyo back! So what do you
think
tth your time at NTU
wouldn’t
have been the
wo
w
same
ssa without? It wouldn’t
have
ha been the same without
h
Hall
Ha 6. I remember having to
H
plan,
plaa host and perform for
pl
p
a show
sh during social night. I
also
aalso remember performing
at
Lake with our
a Nanyang
N
resident
band.
resi
rre
si
Which of your albums is the most
special to you? I think my latest
album, Kepler, signifies a big moment
of my life. It feels current to me.
What’s the best or worst thing
anyone has said to you or written
about you? I try my best not to take
things personally. Articles that upset
me are usually the ones written by
journalists who attempt to paint
an unfair or untrue picture of my
intentions. As for music or fashion
critics, what they write about is too
subjective to be malicious.
What would you say to NTU
students and alumni keen on a
music career? No one person is
the same. While I wouldn’t want
to impose my opinions on them,
Your father was an NTU professor
and you are an NTU graduate. Will
you send your son to NTU in the
future? That depends on his interest,
but it’ll be nice to see that happening!
Where do you see yourself in five
years? Still doing the things I enjoy,
and being more involved in my
son’s developmental years. I would
also like to find new areas in life
to explore.
If you weren’t Stefanie Sun, the
singer, you would be… Stefanie Sun,
the closet singer.
What’s success to you? Having loved
ones around you no matter where
your life is heading.
29
Bag a $40 shopping 300 LLyonn flash drives
driv upp for
f grabs!
grabs
abss!
spree!
Let the lovable
ble NNTU masco
mascot
helpp you store
your most
re yo
important
in
porta documents
ocum
onee place,
keep your
plac and
nd ke
keys
close too you
you.
ys clo
Dazzle this holiday season!
Subscribe to our digital
editions and you could
walk away with $40
worth of Zalora shopping
vouchers to get yourself
a party-worthy look.
To win
in one
one, simplyy answ
answer this:
Namee three
thre new
w eateries
eate onn campus.
cam s.
(Hint: Check ou
out Chow and
nd chill in this issue.)
ue.)
Email your
our answer,
answ with “Lyon flash drive giveaway”
eaway” as thee subject
subje
jeect
ect line,
line to hey@ntu.edu.sg
hey@ntu
tu.edu.sg
edu sgg by
ember 2014.
20 Include your full name, NTUU school aand year of study, co
ber and eemail
12 December
contact number
iple entries
entri from thee same person
p
ac
nners will
wi be
addresss in your entry. Multiple
will not be accepted.
Winners
wer in a llucky draw and informed
infor
picked from amo
among entries from NTU students with the correct answer
ail. All prizes
priz are to be collected
collect from thee Corporate
Corporat Communications
ications Offi
O ce, NTU.
via email.
Subscribe now at www.hey.ntu.edu.sg
Print. Online. Tablet. Mobile. TV.
Sing away…
Skate at
The Rink for free
40 pairs of ice-skating passes to be won
Glide away with a friend for two hours.
Inclusive of skate boots rental.
You could be one of
50 lucky readers to
win a karaoke session
for two.
Simply name two foreign
languages that students
can learn at NTU.
(Flip to Lingo bingo now.)
To win, name a successful NTU alumnus who
received the Nanyang Alumni Award this year.
(Tip: Check out the cover of this issue.)
Email your answer, with “Free ice-skating” as the subject line, to hey@ntu.edu.sg by 12 December
2014. Include your full name, NTU school and year of study or graduation, contact number and
email address in your entry. Multiple entries from the same person will not be accepted. Winners
will be picked from among entries with the correct answer in a lucky draw and informed via email.
All prizes are to be collected from the Corporate Communications Office, NTU.
3 hours of singing (inclusive of KOD and cover charge) at Tang Music Box for two people. Inclusive
of two drinks and one snack per person as well as a complimentary Tang Music Box membership.
Email your answer, with “Tang Music Box giveaway” as the subject line, to hey@ntu.edu.sg by 12
December 2014. Include your full name, NTU matriculation card number, contact number and email
address in your entry. Contact details of winners will be sent to Tang Music Box for the purpose of
prize collection only. Multiple entries from the same person will not be accepted. Winners will be
informed via email, along with details of the prize redemption. The vouchers are not valid on Friday
and Saturday nights (from 7pm to 1am).
Lyon saves the day…
Lyon Flash Drive Just launched!
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Take home NTU’s mascot at these
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Offers valid till 31 January 2015
30
Lyon
Keychain
$5
Inspiring Tim(e)
PHOTO: LESTER KOK
by Jeremy Ee
It is hard to zone out during
Assoc Prof Timothy Tan’s class.
The Associate Chair at
the School of Chemical &
Biomedical Engineering is
known for his interactive
teaching style that sees him
move around the lecture theatre
and even walk up to students
seated at the back to tell them
what’s on his mind. Tutorials
with him are like chat sessions.
“There’s never a dull moment
during his tutorials,” says
Chinmayi Bhatt, a first-year
undergraduate who faithfully
attends his materials science
classes. “He’s extremely friendly
and welcomes all sorts of
questions in a way that makes
us feel involved and motivated
to keep learning and clarifying
our doubts. In fact, he keeps
us on our toes because of the
barrage of thought-provoking
questions he fires our way.”
Adds Chinmayi: “He’s never
judgmental, which gives even
the shyer students the courage
to ask questions.”
Assoc Prof Tan’s personable
disposition also enables him
to empathise with his charges,
especially the top students who
may be under a lot of pressure.
“For the class of Renaissance
Engineering Programme
students I teach, I decided not
to give them a mid-term test
because they already have a
lot of tests and exams. Instead,
I planned lab sessions for
them and asked them to give a
presentation on a topic which
was then graded by everyone
else in class. I believe this will
improve their creativity, team
work and project management
skills, and also enhance
dynamic learning.”
H E Y ! NOV– DEC 2 0 14
Science-sational
Research is a big love of his,
and he tries to get his students
hooked by helping them connect
the dots to see the relevance
of their studies beyond the
classroom, including the
“downstream applications”.
“He’s never judgmental,
which gives even the
shyer students the
courage to ask questions.”
Dr Gladys Teo was one such
undergraduate on the receiving
end of this. Assoc Prof Tan,
38, supervised her final-year
project and after getting her
undergraduate degree, she went
on to pursue a PhD at Imperial
College London under a
scholarship. She graduated with
a doctorate in Materials this year
and has already filed a patent in
her short research career.
Says Dr Teo about Assoc Prof
Tan’s teaching style: “He enjoys
what he does – you can see this
through his sincere engagement
with his students during lessons.
He reminds me to follow my
heart and to pursue my interests,
saying it is important to excel
and to do things with passion
and excitement.”
Success stories like Dr Teo
are the “intangibles” that
motivate the youthful professor
with trendy threads. In fact,
his own students often inspire
him. “I have come across
many students who speak with
passion and maturity about
their lives and what they like to
do, and I applaud that.”
31
Thinking Aloud
STOCKHOLM SYNDROME
by Andrew Toh
Andrew Toh is an
aspiring journalist
who hopes to go into
conflict reporting
someday. The
former Opinions
Editor of The
Nanyang Chronicle
developed a passion
for international
and financial
reporting after
a six-month
internship at
Thomson Reuters.
Stockholm, Sweden’s capital city,
is known for many things, among
them, being the birthplace of
the Nobel Prize, a melting pot
of ethnicities and a darling of
the developed world for its
egalitarian values and socially
progressive ideas.
Underneath the city’s pristine
surface, however, tensions have
been simmering.
In May last year, the city made
headlines around the world when
it experienced one of its worst
racial riots in decades. The scale
of the violence shattered the
illusion of the Scandinavian state
as a perfect society, and brought
its standing as a safe haven for
refugees into question.
Rising income inequality and a
surge in far-right nationalism in
the recent national elections have
also left a blemish on Sweden’s
previously spotless reputation.
In September, 14 of us from
the Wee Kim Wee School of
Communication & Information
made our way to Stockholm
as part of the school’s Going
Overseas for Advanced Reporting
(Go-Far) programme, which
challenges journalism students
to gather compelling news
stories in a foreign environment.
The broadcast team spends the night discussing
their shots and the next day’s shoot.
32
The choice of Stockholm for
this year’s Go-Far programme
was a departure from previous
years. It was the first time the
programme ventured out of the
Asian hemisphere and was not
involved in disaster reporting
like the previous year’s trip to
Japan, which covered the 2011
tsunami recovery efforts.
The 10th instalment of the
programme also saw two Go-Far
alumni – Cheryl Ong and Jamie
Lee – re-join the programme to
provide guidance to their juniors.
Cheryl, currently a subeditor at The Straits Times,
said accompanying the team
to Stockholm was an entirely
different ball game from
her previous Go-Far trip to
Bangladesh in 2009.
“The past trips have tended
to focus more on our regional
neighbours,” the 27-year-old
said. “The challenge here was to
find stories that resonate well
with Singapore readers.”
Prof Charles Salmon, the
Chair of the Wee Kim Wee
School, was in Stockholm for
the first four days of the trip to
watch the team’s progress and
give advice. The instructors
for the trip were Ms Hedwig
Alfred, Mr Tay Kay Chin
A
aand Mr Samuel He.
The timing of the
ttrip coincided with the
rrelease of the names
of the Nobel Prize
o
winners, the first of
which was announced
on 6 October.
A curtain-raiser
on the Nobel Prize
presentation written
by one of the Go-Far
students – featuring
of the prize and
the history
hist
background of its creator,
Speaking to construction workers to find out more
my story on eroding labour standards in Sweden.
Alfred Nobel – ran in The
Sunday Times on 5 October
while we were in Stockholm.
“From day one,
we hit the streets
running to find
the stories that
best captured
the developments
in the city.”
Tension and apprehension
We arrived in Stockholm on
28 September to overcast skies
and temperatures that were 20
degrees below what we were
used to in sunny Singapore.
There was little trace of the
violence that had disfigured the
city little more than a year ago.
It was not hard to discern the
cause of the tensions. On the
streets, we saw large numbers of
immigrants from Asia, Africa
Go-Far
photographers Tan Pei Lin (left) and
G
H Baharudin ready their equipment in
Hariz
a train station as they prepare to shoot
m
members
of the Planka.nu community –
f
fare-dodgers
who jump or squeeze through
t fare gates to avoid paying for their ride.
the
PHOTOS: GO-FAR SWEDEN TEAM
about their working conditions, as part of
and the Middle East, a reminder
of Stockholm’s racial diversity.
From our conversations with
them, it was clear that many
of the immigrants still faced
difficulties integrating into the
Swedish way of life.
Stories like Mr Chamoun
Zitou, 50, a Syrian who moved
to Stockholm two years ago,
were not hard to find.
Originally from Aleppo, Mr
Zitou left Syria to escape the civil
war engulfing the country. He was
reunited with his family when they
came to join him in March.
Immigrants like him banded
together for support when they
arrived in Stockholm, forming
pockets of communities around
the city.
From day one, we hit the
streets running to find the
stories that best captured the
developments in the city.
But for the budding
journalists with little experience
reporting abroad, it was not
all smooth-sailing.
For some, interviews proved
hard to secure, and stories had to
be unexpectedly shelved.
H E Y ! NOV– DEC 2 0 14
Go-Far photographer Tan
Pei Lin, 22, for instance, based
her photo essay on the city’s
Romanian beggars, many of
whom line the streets in the day.
Apart from the language
difficulties she faced while trying
to interview them, there were
also other hurdles.
“It was hard to communicate
with them because they’re wary
of foreigners, especially if you
have a camera,” she said.
For a particular interviewee
she had fastened upon as the
main subject of her story,
information wasn’t forthcoming.
“Suddenly, she didn’t want to
be photographed anymore. She
told her relatives about it and
they told her the media wasn’t
good for their lives,” she said,
referring to previous media
reports that had cast the beggars
in a negative light.
She continued: “These kinds
of things take time. When you
point a camera at them, they feel
very conscious and that’s a huge
barrier to cross. They need time
to trust you.”
The story was almost lost until
she found a replacement for her
main subject.
As the reporting picked up
pace, many in the team also had
to battle sickness as the stress
and near-freezing temperatures
took a toll on their health.
However, it was through
such incidents that we learnt
to work together.
We helped one another to
find new angles when stories fell
through and shored each other
up when the going got tough.
Ultimately, that was the
objective of Go-Far: to hone
the skills of journalism students,
test their resolve in foreign
environments and prove their
mettle in chasing stories.
Our stories will speak for
themselves when they are
published in December, and,
hopefully, will be true to the
story of Sweden we have set
out to tell.
Stories by the
Go-Far Sweden
team will be
published in a
compilation and
distributed at a
Go-Far exhibition
at the Wee Kim
Wee School of
Communication
& Information
in January.
33
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33
Singapore's No.1 Hit Music Station
Feature
Fancy a battery that lasts
Fancy a battery that lasts
20
years?
20 years?
Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has developed next-generation batteries that have a lifespan of up
toNanyang
20 years.Technological
Infographics journalist
CHIE
takes a light-hearted
lookbatteries
at the technology
UniversityTEOH
(NTU)YIhas
developed
next-generation
that have a lifespan of up
to 20 years. Infographics journalist TEOH YI CHIE takes a light-hearted look at the technology
A team of four scientists led by Associate Professor
Chen Xiaodong from NTU embarks on this battery
research project three years ago.
By mixing titanium dioxide and sodium
hydroxide and stirring at a certain temperature,
a gel-like material is created that can replace
the graphite-based electrodes (anode) typically
used in lithium batteries.
Hi, guys,
I’m a gel
now.
Titanium dioxide
is an abundant,
cheap and safe
material that is also
commonly used in
sunscreen lotions.
The project is funded by the National Research
Foundation, Prime Minister’s Office, under
the Campus for Research Excellence and
Technological Enterprise programme.
Anode
The titanium
dioxide gel
structure is made
of nanotubes,
which are a
thousand times
thinner than a
strand of human
hair.
Tests have shown that the new battery
technology can charge a battery up to 70
per cent in two minutes.
We’re now using
titanium dioxide
instead of
graphite as our
anode.
We have
removed the
doors so we
can pack more
lithium ions in
faster.
When charging a
battery, positivelycharged lithium
ions will move from
the cathode to the
anode through the
electrolyte in the
circuit.
Cathod
e
How battery charging works
e
Anode
made of
graphite
+
Li
Li +
Power source
Separator
Li+
Cathode made of
lithium cobalt oxide
Old battery technology
During charging, the positive lithium ions move
through the electrolyte solution and attach to
the graphite. The charged anode stores electric
power.
e
Anode
made of
titanium
dioxide
Li+
Li+
Future impact of new
battery technology
Power source
Electrolyte
Li+
New battery technology
The titanium dioxide’s gel-like properties increase
the contact surface, which allows more lithium
ions to be attached to speed up the charging
process.
Using the new titanium dioxide
technology, batteries can now
last up to 10,000 cycles because
they deteriorate slower.
Electric cars will become more attractive, as
the time spent on recharging is on a par with
pumping petrol. There will also be cost
savings because the more durable batteries
will not have to be replaced as often.
SOURCE: THE NEW PAPER
H E Y ! NOV– DEC 2 0 14
© SINGAPORE PRESS HOLDINGS LIMITED. REPRODUCED WITH PERMISSION.
35
I’ll have to make do with
this play-doctor kit from my
seniors until I get a real one
These snapshots from my
18th birthday celebrations
always cheer me up
Halloween-themed treats that satisfy
my cravings for healthy snacks
Decor from Ikea – time
seems to fly by so
quickly in NTU
This photograph reminds me of the many
new friends I made at orientation camp
This Polaroid photo
wall contains four
years of memories
A room-warming gift and
my reliable bedfellow
My Space
More time for shut-eye and more
room for shopping. “They’re
what I love to do in my spare
time – sleep and shop!” says
medicine freshman Felicia Ng,
laughing. Having recently moved
into her double room at the
brand-new Crescent Hall, she
is all praise for her new “home”
and its lush, green surroundings.
Air-conditioned reading rooms,
a well-equipped gym, barbecues
by the water and the convenience
of a 12-stall canteen – what more
can a student ask for?
Living with a roommate – fellow
medicine freshie Chua Min Kuan –
is all about sharing, which means
36
more than sufficient meals, books
and even clothes and shoes for
both. “It’s fun having a roomie as
there’s always company around.
And, having a double room means
having more space when friends
come over to chill.”
A doctor in the making, Felicia
has known her calling since her
childhood days. Unlike other
kids, frequent trips to clinics
didn’t fill her with dread. “It’s
because the doctors were so
friendly and the visits meant a
lot of lollipop treats,” she adds
cheekily. Also, she finds helping
others and making them smile
very rewarding. – Siddiqua Ovais
Video: Future
doctors’ pad
PHOTOS: AMIN SHAH
Bedside manners
EXTRA
H E Y ! NOV– DEC 2 0 14
H E Y ! M AY– J U N 2 0 14
37
TURNING
GREEN
INTO
GOLD.
Champion