80th anniversary bash for three Faculties

02 March 2009

HAPPY 8oTH BIRTHDAY (From left) Prof Tan Tai Yong, Dean of FASS; Assoc Prof Keson Tan, Dean of FoD; Prof Lily Kong, Vice President (University and Global Relations); Mr Joseph P Mullinix, Deputy President (Administration); Prof Barry Halliwell, Deputy President (Research and Technology); Prof Tan Chorh Chuan, NUS President; Prof Tan Eng Chye, Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost; Prof Andrew Wee, Dean of FoS and Assoc Prof Teo Choo Soo, Director of the Office of Alumni Relations and Chairman, 80th Anniversary Bash Coordinating Group Students, faculty members and alumni gathered to commemorate the 80th anniversary of three NUS faculties - Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry and Faculty of Science at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House (27 Feb). The anniversary celebration was marked by the launch of Faculty Square, located at the open space Alumni Terrace, by NUS President Tan Chorh Chuan together with the subsequent unveiling of 11 Faculty Sculptures by the respective Deans.

In his speech, Prof Tan said that the 80th anniversary bash signified the celebration of the past, present and future dedicated to the pursuit of excellence. He noted that the NUS community could be proud of the collective achievements of faculties and alumni as generations of students had "discovered their talents and developed their potential".

To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Faculty of the Arts and Social Sciences and to mark the lineage of its predecessor institution Raffles College, Dean Prof Tan Tai Yong announced the launch of two new chaired professors - the Raffles Professor of Humanities and Raffles Professor of Social Sciences. These professorships are aimed at faculty members who have achieved high distinction in their respective areas of research.

All three faculties have grown in size since they were first established. The Faculty of Science has grown to be the largest faculty in NUS with a total of some 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences began with an initial cohort of 20 students in 1928 and it now boasts of some 5,000 undergraduates and 900 graduate students pursuing studies in its 16 departments. The Faculty of Dentistry, which started with a class size of seven, has seen more than 1,700 graduates over the years.


TOGETHER IN CELEBRATION: (From left): Prof Tan Tai Yong, Dean of FASS; Assoc Prof Keson Tan, Dean of FoD and
Prof Andrew Wee, Dean of FoS Assoc Prof Keng Siong Beng, an Assistant Dean at the Faculty of Dentistry, still remembers his time as a staff 20 years ago. Classes then were held at the Singapore General Hospital before the Faculty moved to the National University Hospital in 1986. He said the demands of modern dentistry have resulted in a curriculum change for students with an emphasis on research and the use of IT.

Science alumni Kong Kwok Ying, Lauw Cheng Hong and Lau Jun Choy, from the class of 1968, said that their group gets together every two weeks for fellowship and friendship as well as a yearly "lo hei" dinner. Previously staying at hostels at the Bukit Timah campus, they were glad for the opportunity to forge bonds with other fellow hostelites from the various faculties.

Within 80 years, the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences has built a 41,000-strong alumni community while the Faculties of Science and Dentistry have 30,000 and 1,800 alumni members respectively.