NTU’s year of celebration

The university will join the nation in SG50 celebrations, while positive rankings and new facilities mean there is much to look forward to.

By Toh Ting Wei, News Editor

MOVING AHEAD: While Professor Andersson was delighted with NTU’s academic and research achievements in the past year, he also spoke of the need to work harder to maintain and improve on these successes.(PHOTO: NTU)

This year’s NTU Fest will be part of the nation’s Golden Jubilee celebrations, on top of its role as a charity extravaganza.

Announcing this at the annual State of the University Address at the Nanyang Auditorium on 12 Mar, NTU President Bertil Andersson is looking for the event to follow in the footsteps of the 2014 NTU Fest, which he praised as “an absolute success beyond all expectations”.

Prof Andersson said: “The Minister of Education (Mr Heng Swee Keat) has asked the university to organise NTU Fest 2015 as part of the celebrations.

“NTU Fest is an example of how students, student leaders and the university can do big things and pull the NTU community together. I hope NTU Fest 2015 will be even more impressive and exciting in honour of Singapore.”

To be held on 29 Aug at The Promontory @ Marina Bay, the theme of NTU Fest this year is “Seeing Beyond Yourself”. It will highlight the “inclusiveness of family and contributions to society”. The event will see an attempt to create a record-breaking banner showing NTU Fest’s logo, formed by 10,000 photos of participants. Apart from announcing the milestone festivity at the address, there was also a celebration of teaching excellence, with the Nanyang Education Award (University).

Launched to recognise excellence in teaching, it is NTU’s most prestigious award for faculty members. Professors Vijay Sethi and Jenny Higham received the Gold Award, while Associate Professor Roderick Wayland Bates took the Silver Award. Meanwhile, Associate Professors Ruth Wong and Jung Younbo received the Bronze Award.

Prof Andersson also touched on the university’s performance in various rankings, lauding the results shown in both research and academic excellence. For example, in the 2014 QS World University Rankings, NTU was crowned the Best Young University among those established in the past 50 years.

Room for more

Students will stand a better chance to stay in Hall of Residences, with 16,000 — half the student population — expected to be housed on campus by 2017.

“More students will have the opportunity to immerse in university life 24/7, which provides further opportunities to develop students. We have developed a residential education model that will enhance intellectual growth, community development and personal engagement for our students.

“It is important to learn beyond the classroom and simple facts,” said Prof Andersson.

He added that this model will help students develop useful skills needed for the workforce. In order to build on this, NTU is considering the appointment of a dean to oversee the university’s residential education network.

Plans in the pipeline

Although some undergraduates might be more accustomed to seeing green construction boards on campus, Prof Andersson aims to paint the university in a different shade of green.

He said: “We are going to turn this campus into a botanical garden. We are starting to work together with Singapore Botanic Gardens to increase the biodiversity of plants on this unique tropical campus.”

While renovation is still under- going at Carpark A in the North Spine, this year has seen the completion of two construction projects — the NTU Learning Hub at South Spine, and the Nanyang Lake, which is located beside the Chinese Heritage Centre. Prof Andersson said he was looking forward to the official opening of the Learning Hub in August, declaring that it “will change campus life quite dramatically”.

In addition, he also discussed his ambition of expanding the current three-kilometre long jogging track to circle the whole campus. The rehabilitated Nanyang Lake was a particular point of delight for Prof Andersson, having promised to clean it up at last year’s State of the University Address.

He joked: “Previously, it was a muddy lake that I would never consider taking my wife to, but now, I will consider it.”