Enhanced Ngee Ann Learning Model Graduation Special New Specialist Diploma in Franchise Management

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1 A news magazine of Ngee Ann Polytechnic Permit no. 143/05/2004 November 2004 Issue 128 Enhanced Ngee Ann Learning Model Graduation Special New Specialist Diploma in Franchise Management

2 contents A news magazine of Ngee Ann Polytechnic November 2004 Issue 128 On the cover: Shaan Akhtar, this year s Lee Kuan Yew Award winner and Ngee Ann Kongsi Gold Medallist. Highlights 02 Create your own learning experience 03 Record $16.1m from Kongsi First Specialist Diploma in Franchise Management 04 Meet the student MD Fried ice cream, anyone? 05 Out rolls the green FOX Here s looking at you, ladies A Star for Mr Choo Feature Special 06 Ngee Ann graduates over 4,800 students Take a Bow 08 FMS wins nine MDA awards 09 Fencing across the globe Mr Nice Guy 10 Ching brothers write Maths series 11 Another gold? 12 Silver at last! Raihan Smashes 33-year record Campus with a Heart 13 Thank you, Mr Lee Fun way to raise funds Happenings 14 Mind the cockroaches! 15 Wonders of Science Be dazzled by their talents With effect from November 2004, NP News will be printed on a quarterly basis. highlights Create your own learning experience CHOOSE your own learning pathways. Stretch your imagination, and exploit your resourcefulness and creativity. That is the challenge for students from the next academic year in 2005 under an enhanced learning model introduced by Ngee Ann Polytechnic to anchor innovation and enterprise traits in the curriculum through action learning. The enhanced learning model is a followup of the Polytechnic s broad-based Ngee Ann Learning Model (NLM) launched in July Unveiling the plan for the enhanced learning model at a media briefing in August 2004, Mr Chia Mia Chiang, the Principal, listed the different action learning pathways that students can choose to work on: Community, Environmental, Health & Lifestyle Management, Events Management or Entrepreneurship. Mr Chia stressed that unlike conventional projects, the evaluation of action learning will not focus too much on the outcome of the student s initiative but on the process itself. Innovation and enterprise is a spirit. It can only be nurtured and encouraged, not taught. Our main challenge is to create an environment and design a curriculum that are conducive for the spirit to develop, he added. News on the enhanced learning model has already sparked interest among students like Charlene Chai. If I can plan my learning path, it s easier for me to display my other capabilities and excel in something that I have always liked to do, said Charlene, 18, a second-year Banking & Financial Services student. About 100 modules are now offered by the School of Interdisciplinary Studies (IS), the driving force behind the NLM, to From 2005, Ngee Ann s enhanced learning model will allow students to choose their own learning pathways broaden students perspectives beyond their core academic disciplines. The pioneer batch who had benefited from the NLM graduated in One of them is Shaan Akhtar, a Mechatronic Engineering graduate, who said the NLM had given him a better appreciation of current affairs and different professions. Looking back, he recalled stepping into the Singapore Art Museum for the first time in his life because of his Artwork Appreciation module. With the new knowledge that I gained, my friends and I could actually critique the artwork as if we were art collectors, said Shaan, who garnered both the Lee Kuan Yew Award and the Ngee Ann Kongsi Gold Medal.

3 3 highlights First Specialist Diploma in Franchise Management The donation of $16.1 million from Ngee Ann Kongsi will be used towards more student development programmes in the Polytechnic Record $16.1m from Kongsi NGEE Ann Kongsi has donated a record sum of $16.1 million to Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP). The amount is a 33 per cent increase over its donation of $12.1 million last year. Funds from the Ngee Ann Kongsi over the years have helped the Polytechnic expand and grow in leaps and bounds, said Mr Richard Lee, Chairman of the Ngee Ann Kongsi Education Committee. The cheque presentation ceremony on 8 Oct was witnessed by Dr Amy Khor, Mayor of the South West District Community Development Council, and Member of Parliament for Hong Kah GRC. The Kongsi s contributions have enabled the Polytechnic to offer a wide range of local and overseas student development programmes, she said. Dr Khor also highlighted how the Kongsi s contributions have enabled the Polytechnic to provide interest-free loans to enable needy students to own a notebook and benefit from the Polytechnic s Mobile e-learning (MeL) experience. Funds from the Kongsi are also used to promote student innovation and enterprise. To date, 17 student enterprises have been supported under the Polytechnic s EnterpriZe! cofunding scheme. Thanking the Kongsi for its generosity, Mr Tan Hup Foi, the Chairman of the NP Council, said that through the Kongsi s contributions, many of the students are able to extend their educational horizons. This year, more than 1,400 students, as compared to 1,000 last year, will participate in a variety of overseas programmes, said Mr Tan. Stressing the importance of an overseas experience in preparing students for a highly competitive global economy, Mr Tan said: Looking ahead, Ngee Ann Polytechnic is working towards a target of providing every student with an opportunity of participating in at least one overseas programme during their three-year stay at the Polytechnic. The Kongsi is a philanthropic foundation set up by Teochew immigrants. ASPIRING entrepreneurs who wish to obtain specialised knowledge and skills in the area of franchise management can now opt to study for a specialist diploma at Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP). Singapore s first Specialist Diploma course in Franchise Management will start in Dec 2004 to train manpower for the fast-growing franchise business. The programme, conducted on a part-time basis over a duration of up to 12 months, is jointly offered by NP and the Franchising & Licensing Association (FLA) Singapore. Mr Chia Mia Chiang, NP s Principal, said: The course will be rich in both practical learning experiences and indepth knowledge. It will offer potential or existing franchisors a head start in starting or managing a franchise business professionally. Over the last four years, there is a 40 per cent growth in the number of franchise concepts and a threefold increase in the number of franchisees. FLA s membership has also risen from 113 in end June 2003 to 227 in end June Modules include international marketing and country-specific issues in franchise operations. The course also focuses on the strategic and operational requirements for a successful franchise operation.

4 highlights Meet the student MD YOU climb up to the top of a three-storey pole, steady yourself and leap across to another pole like a trapeze artist. Dangerous as the stunt may seem, you are protected by a harness and safety ropes supported by your team-mates from below. This is one of the teambuilding and leadership development programmes offered by Ventureprise, a company founded and run by six Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) students. So far, they have conducted a course for students of the Multidiscipline Engineering Division and a camp for an event management company. Yeo Teck Chye, 20, the Managing Director of Ventureprise and a final-year Marine & Offshore Technology student, said: Through outdoor adventures and Enterprising members of Y2Y Training Entreprise, one of the student ventures supported by the EnterpriZe! Scheme overseas exploration, we aim to instil self-confidence, team spirit and leadership qualities in our trainees. This is one of the interesting initiatives under Ngee Ann s EnterpriZe! Scheme to provide up to 70 per cent of the proposed capital or a maximum of $3,000 for enterprising students and staff to execute their business ideas. In January this year, the Office for Innovation & Enterprise (IE) was also set up to promote and nurture a dynamic culture of innovation and enterprise among staff and students. Besides the Young Entrepreneurs Congress last December, IE also organised the Entrepreneur Incubationcum-Team Building Camp in May this year for students to develop their leadership skills and entrepreneurial spirit. Another student venture that has benefited from the scheme is the Y2Y Training Enterprise that trains other youths, ranging from primary school to tertiary students, in creativity and enterprise. Esther Lim, 20, a Banking & Financial Services graduate and the Finance and Marketing Manager of Y2Y, said: As students, it s hard for us to fork out money to set up a business, so the scheme provides us with a budget for marketing our company and maintaining our corporate website. Fried ice cream, anyone? FRIED ice cream, instant noodles cooked on the spot and durians were some of the items vying for customers taste buds at the Life Sciences & Chemical Technology (LSCT) Student Bazaar in September. To make the programme more meaningful, the students were encouraged to donate some of their profits to the Red Cross Home for the Disabled. Total donations amounted to about $250. Benson Tay, 17, one of the six students who managed a fried ice cream stall, said: We donated $40, about one quarter of our profits to charity as we think that it s for a good cause. The budding businessmen and businesswomen were quick to pick up sales tactics to market their products. Among them was Lim Yin Xin, 17, a first-year Biotechnology student who ran an instant noodles stall with two friends. On the first day, when our business wasn t so good, we had to approach other stall owners and students at The Atrium to buy our instant noodles. In order to attract more customers, we LSCT students set up stalls during the Student Bazaar to get practical experience in managing their own businesses also had to ensure that we provided good services, said Yin Xin. Her business partner, Vivian Soh, said she might even consider becoming an entrepreneur in future. I was very satisfied when I managed to attract people to buy my products, especially when I saw them slurping their bowls of hot noodles. The entrepreneurial programme was started last year by the LSCT Entrepreneurship Committee to train the students to be self-reliant. Participants had to attend a training session in related skills such as stock purchase, negotiation with suppliers and marketing.

5 5 Out rolls the green FOX WHAT S green, has three wheels and is able to take you from point A to B at a speed of up to 15km/h? Answer: A fuel cellpowered personal transporter (right) known simply as FOX. This product is jointly developed by staff and students of Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) and GasHub Power Pte Ltd, a local fuel cell company. Light, compact and portable, FOX incorporates the latest technology in green energy solutions and is designed as an environmental and userfriendly mode of personal commuting over short distances in today s fast-paced world. It can be brought up escalators and into elevators. Speaking at the launch of FOX in July 2004, the Polytechnic s Deputy Principal, Mr Tan Hang Cheong, said: Students were able to produce the three-dimensional model WHAT do women, or more precisely, Singaporean women really want? Well, quite a lot, it seems. They want love. Yet, despite their desire for romance, most of them remain conservative. So, Students and staff from the Mechanical Engineering Division collaborated with GasHub Power to develop a fuel cell-powered transporter using state-of-the-art computer aided design software before building it. We are also proud that through working on product development based on sustainable and renewable energy sources, we are doing our bit to contribute towards a greener world. Mr Roger Khoo, the Chief Here s looking at you, ladies men will still have to work harder to ignite the sparks and win the hands of their fair ladies. Singaporean women also place a premium on quality. Given the means, they would prefer to drive BMW cars, watch TV from Sony sets, chat on Nokia handphones and flash expensive Rolex watches on their wrists. These juicy details and more were presented by Ngee Ann Polytechnic s School of Business & Accountancy (BA) to practitioners from the advertising, marketing and media industries as well as Executive Officer of GasHub Power Pte Ltd, said FOX is the prototype of Singapore s first fuel cell-powered personal transporter and is a celebration in local innovation and expertise. Power for the personal transporter is derived from an electrochemical reaction that combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, resulting in clean by-products such as water and heat. In principle, the fuel cell used in the personal transporter acts like a battery. However, unlike a battery, a fuel cell produces energy on demand and does not need to be recharged as long as hydrogen and oxygen are available. Interest in fuel cells is keen as they are seen as a cleaner alternative to existing fossil fuels, said Mr Khoo. Ngee Ann and GasHub Power Pte Ltd had also inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to seal their partnership on future fuel cell applications development and commercialisation activities. research companies at York Hotel. The findings were based on a comprehensive survey on Singaporean women by BA s Marketing Section. It covered a wide variety of topics, including the respondents perceptions and values on issues like male chauvinism, relationships, dating, working environment, cohabitation, family planning, children and happiness. More than 100 people attended the presentation on 25 Aug. About 1,350 Singaporean women, aged 21 to 55, were surveyed in February. highlights A Star for Mr Choo MR Choo Chiau Beng (below), the former Chairman of the Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) Council, was among those honoured this year with National Day awards. He was given the Public Service Star (BBM). Fondly remembered by NP staff and students, Mr Choo was responsible for steering the Polytechnic towards new heights of quality, excellence and innovation during his sterling leadership from 1995 to Several key initiatives were implemented during his term at NP. One of these is the Ngee Ann Learning Model (NLM), a broad-based approach to learning that better prepares students for lifelong employability and the rigours of working life. Ten NP staff also received National Day awards this year: Dr Victor T Valbuena Mrs Tang-Lim Guek Im Mr Tan Buck Soong Mr Goh Peng Wah Mr Chan Siew Leong Mr Chua Soo Nam Mr Abd. Halim bin Abd.Aziz Mrs Tay-Lim Geok Lan Alice Mdm Saleha Bte Mohd Salleh Mrs Tan-Leong Shuet Fung

6 eaturespecial Ngee Ann graduates over 4,800 students Top graduates of 2004 are (from left to right) Shaan Aktar, Jillian Lim Ai Lin and Shi Liting MORE than 4,800 students graduated from Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) in 2004, taking with them fond memories of their learning experience and the friendships that they had forged in campus. The August sessions, which were held from Aug, were launched by Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Law and Ministry of Home Affairs, on 14 Aug. NP News takes a look at the top graduates this year: Lee Kuan Yew Award and Ngee Ann Kongsi Gold Medal Winner: Shaan Akhtar from the Mechanical Engineering Division, School of Engineering Other awards: Motorola Gold Medal, Diploma with Merit, Festo Prize and Gold Certificate of Achievement in CCA Shaan Akhtar completed his education at Ngee Ann Polytechnic in a blaze of glory, edging out other exceptional students who graduated this year. Reaching for the stars seems to be very much in keeping with his character. After all, here is a guy who managed to earn a private pilot s licence from the Singapore Youth Flying Club at the tender age of 18. There were no short cuts to his success. Just good old hard work, dedication and commitment. Not that it was easy. He would be the first to tell you that. Juggling the course work with my flight and tennis training schedules was tough. But, achieving a successful balance of these commitments has helped me to become a more disciplined and focused person, said Shaan, who graduated with a Diploma in Mechatronic Engineering. Inspired by Tom Cruise in the movie, Top Gun, he enrolled for flying lessons. The training was rigorous but he s not complaining. Flying gives him a real high, teaching him to be disciplined and to make quick, on-the-spot decisions. Born to a Pakistani father and a Chinese mother, he credited his mother, who died of cancer four years ago, with being the silent driving force which spurs him to achieve greater heights. Her death actually motivated me to do well because she had always wanted me to do well in school, said Shaan. He hopes to do his degree abroad after National Service. After that, who knows? The sky, after all, is the limit. Tay Eng Soon Gold Medal Winner: Jillian Lim Ai Lin from the School of Business & Accountancy Other awards: Diploma with Merit and Singapore Management University Prize Jillian Lim had never aimed for any awards. So, winning the Tay Eng Soon Gold Medal was really a bonus. All I wanted was to do well enough to go to the university, said Jillian, who graduated with a Diploma in Accountancy. Life in NP was fun, she recalled. And certainly better than she expected. Before joining Ngee Ann, I wondered whether the lecturers would look down on students

7 7 featurespecial OTHER GOLDEN GRADS 2004 School of Business & Accountancy Logistics Engineering & Management Gilbert Lew Teck Loong SembLog Gold Medal Banking & Financial Services Ng Chi Hung DBS Bank Gold Medal Business Information Technology Xie Caiyun Accenture Gold Medal Business Studies Lye Siyin Lee Wee Nam Gold Medal School of Engineering Building & Real Estate Management Karen Chong Siow Ching REDAS Gold Medal Building Services Engineering Lau Shiao Ching The Singapore Contractors Association Gold Medal Civil & Environmental Engineering Ng Wai Ling Shell Gold Medal Quality Management & Engineering Lee Yiing See Dr A.V. Feigenbaum Gold Medal School of Film & Media Studies Mass Communication Ow Pei Shan MediaCorp Gold Medal Film, Sound & Video Daryl Yap Kuang Wern The Shaw Foundation Gold Medal School of InfoComm Technology Information Technology Chung Wing Kei IDA Gold Medal Multimedia Computing Jillian Lam Peishan IDA Gold Medal School of Life Sciences & Chemical Technology like me. It turned out that I was wrong. The lecturers were not only approachable but also very sincere and encouraging, said Jillian who misses the mouth-watering food at the campus canteens. Jillian hopes to become an auditor before landing a teaching job at a Polytechnic or Institute of Technical Education (ITE). Just to repay what her wonderful teachers had done for her. Lien Ying Chow Gold Medal Winner: Shi Liting from the School of Business & Accountancy Other awards: Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Singapore Gold Medal, Diploma with Merit, Chio Lim & Associates Prize, The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants Prize, Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Singapore Prize and Gold Certificate of Achievement in CCA No difficulties. Just challenges. That is how Shi Liting described her life at Ngee Ann. Sometimes, you d be pressed for deadlines. Other than that, it s pretty all right. The environment was very conducive for studying and the lecturers were just fantastic, said Liting who graduated with a Diploma in Accountancy. Numbers figure prominently in her horizons for she hopes to carve a successful career in accounting, finance and investment analysis. I want to work in a dynamic environment which offers excellent training and career advancement opportunities to managerial level, she added. Electrical Engineering Toh Kok Onn Siemens Gold Medal Biomedical Engineering Inge ST Electronics Gold Medal Electronic & Computer Engineering Wong Jit Chin Creative Technology Gold Medal Electronic & Telecommunication Engineering Phang Tze Seng MICRON Gold Medal Mechanical Engineering Benjamin Tan Rui Ming Lim Teck Lee Gold Medal Marine & Offshore Technology Koh Shu Yong Society of Naval Architects & Marine Engineers, Singapore Gold Medal Engineering Informatics Foo Yong Kai IDA Gold Medal Biomedical Science Adeline Chew Lai San NUH Gold Medal Biotechnology Ng Shea Ling GlaxoSmithKline Gold Medal Chemical Engineering Arthur Wu Wenqing Shell Gold Medal Horticulture & Landscape Management Linda Song Meihui Lady Yuen-Peng McNeice Gold Medal Early Childhood Education Programme Early Childhood Education Lena Tay Yu Ying MCDS Gold Medal

8 take a bow FMS wins nine MDA awards NGEE Ann Polytechnic s School of Film & Media Studies (FMS) won nine awards under the Media Development Authority (MDA) Media Education Scheme. Explaining the reason for this achievement, the Deputy Director of FMS, Mrs Choo Cheh Hoon, said: Our students stood out during the interviews because of their passion and outstanding show reels. For instance, one of the awardees, Amelia Su, is very shy and seems such an unlikely candidate. But MDA said she impressed them with her focus, passion and technical competency demonstrated in her show reel. She added: MDA is aware that FSV is an extremely rigorous programme, and so students graduating with distinctive records must be very solid. One of the recipients, Daryl Yap, 23, won a scholarship of $75,000 to study for a degree in communication studies in an overseas tertiary institution. My course had trained me well in terms of techniques, interpreting media content, etc. So now, I want to go further into communication studies to gain a broader knowledge of the media, said Daryl, the top graduate for Film, Sound & Video 2004, who obtained 32 distinctions in his coursework. Daryl hopes to make a difference in the local media industry through policy making in future. I hope to be more involved in planning and strategising so that I can mould the vision of the media industry in Singapore said the guy who sees communicating with people as my job. MDA set up the Media Education Scheme to nurture talents in the media industry. Recipients of the scheme can pursue a media-related advanced diploma or degree course at a local or overseas institution. This year, there were 25 recipients in all. Snippets Scholarships for BA grads The University of Melbourne's Faculty of Economics and Commerce awarded two of its recently instituted Whitlam Scholarships to two graduates from Ngee Ann s School of Business & Accountancy (BA). They were Teoh Rui Yi and Tung Ter Soon. The University also awarded an International Undergraduate Scholarship to another BA graduate, Wang Miaoshe Daphne. Five OARS Awards Five Ngee Ann Polytechnic students and graduates have received the Outstanding All- Rounder Students' (OARS) Awards organised by the North West Community Development Council. The winners were Alton Neo, Chen Jun, Koh Shu Yong, Ramanathan Thurairajoo and Shaan Akhtar. Now in its fourth year, this award aims to recognise students who excel in both academics and co-curricular activities. Daryl Yap, the top grad for Film, Sound & Video 2004, was one of the recipients for this year s MDA scholarships Graduates Koh Shu Yong (left) and Ramananthan Thurairajoo won the OARS Awards with their excellent academic and CCA records

9 9 take a bow Fencing across the globe DAVID Chen(left), a third-year Biotechnology student, was on an overseas attachment in Kent, United Kingdom, when he paid for his own expenses to join in two fencing competitions in Newcastle and London. I seldom get to combat against Europeans in Singapore, so I thought it was a great opportunity to challenge the Caucasians at their own game, said David who towers at 1.89m. He represented Singapore and Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) at the Sabre World Cup Satellite competition in Newcastle and University College London Open competition in London respectively. At the latter competition, he was ranked sixth out of 25 fencers. He has also competed in other countries such as Malaysia, Thailand and Australia. The 20-year-old, who fell in love with this sport four years ago, said that fencing is like physical chess with many Only 20, but David Chen is already a veteran fencer, having competed in countries such as United Kingdom, Australia and Thailand rules to follow. But you have to try different ways to bend the rules and play mind games in order to win, he added. Besides training six days a week at Clementi Sports Hall under the national team, he also helps to train more than 20 members at the NP Fencing Club which he co-founded with three friends in I love the feeling of defending, especially when I keep seeing my opponent not being able to attack the vital points, said David. Mr Nice Guy LECTURER Terence Choo has added another star to his four-year teaching career chart by winning the PS21 STAR Service Award this year. Terence is the only polytechnic lecturer to clinch the STAR Service award which is presented to public service staff in recognition of their excellent service. This year, 69 winners were selected from more than 120,000 public officers. As long as it can help someone to get the work done, I ll go the extra mile, said Terence of his service philosophy. The award-winning lecturer from the School of InfoComm Technology has clinched the Ngee Ann Teaching Award in 2001 and 2003, as well as the Go the Extra Mile (GEM) Award in While the Teaching Award recognises staff's excellence in their academic function, the GEM award recognises the efforts of staff members who have gone the extra mile to serve their customers. Described by his colleagues and students as exemplary in his service attitude, Terence goes all out to offer his help. In one instance, when he noticed a Lecturer Terence Choo (right) receiving his PS21 STAR Service Award from Minister of Defence, Rear-Admiral (NS) Teo Chee Hean colleague hobbling to work due to a severe ankle sprain, he volunteered to take over his colleague's tutorials and practical for that day. He even re-scheduled one of his classes to bring his colleague to the hospital to have his ankle treated. I just try my best in whatever I do. It s added bonus when people recognise and appreciate my effort, but even if it goes unnoticed, I m happy as long as others have benefited, he said.

10 take a bow Ching brothers write Maths Series TWO lecturers at Ngee Ann Polytechnic s School of Engineering had a taste of journalism when they penned a Maths series for readers of The New Paper (TNP) recently. Billed as the Get Smart at Additional Maths for Poly series, it ran for 20 weeks from April to September 2004 and was written by Mr Lee Ching Kee and Mr Lim Ching Kwang. Both are Engineering Mathematics lecturers at the Polytechnic. The aim of the series was to help students who wish to study Engineering but have no background in Additional Mathematics. Besides explaining important concepts such as quadratic equations, trigonometry and differentiation in a simple and concise way, the lecturers also added value by Snippets A date with Germany Ng Wai Ling is raring to visit Europe to pursue her pet interest environmental conservation. Wai Ling, one of the four local winners of the Bayer Young Environmental Envoys Award 2004, will join 50 envoys around the world in November to learn about environmental protection in Germany during the week-long trip. I want to learn their recycling practice and management, and see how we can modify to Lecturers Lim Ching Kwang (left) and Lee Ching Kee wrote an Additional Maths series for secondary students in the The New Paper illustrating how such concepts could be applied in the real world. Jokes, cartoons and crossword puzzles were regular staples to spice up the series and keep readers entertained. Describing the experience as fun, Mr Lee recalled how well promote recycling in Singapore, said Wai Ling, a Civil & Environmental Engineering graduate. Creatively Ngee Ann: Creativity is well and truly alive at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, which won two prizes on the first episode of Creatively Mine, a MediaCorp Channel 8 variety programme to showcase the inventions of local youths. The first prize of $1,200 of Creative Technology vouchers went to graduates Wong Chee Wai Anthony, Lim Her-Yi and Yeo Shufen from the Electrical Engineering Division for he and Mr Lim worked as a team to make it all happen. I really enjoyed the opportunity to do long-distance teaching via The New Paper, said Mr Lee. Agreeing, Mr Lim said that the Ching brothers, as they GERlock, a baby stroller that has an automatic wheel-lock mechanism. Another NP invention, HealthCare Suit, won the second prize of $800 voucher. The beauty of this suit is that it helps to keep you cool besides protecting you from airborne germs. It was the brainchild of three Mechanical Engineering graduates Kee How Tiong, Lee Wei Siong and Ng Chea Hung Sebastian. Third in RoboCup 2004: Ngee Ann proved its prowess in robotics yet again when it won the third place in RoboCup 2004 Small Size League held in Portugal call themselves, effectively complemented each other s work. Each of us has our own strengths. Ching Kee was very careful and sharp in checking for errors while I was more the one who came up with ideas such as the Maths jokes, teasers and crossword puzzles, added Mr Lim. Both had to constantly race against time, balancing their newspaper job with their usual teaching duties at the Polytechnic. Mr Lim, for instance, was constantly sacrificing his weekends to work on the series so that Mr Lee could edit it on Mondays. It was incredible to spend Sunday after Sunday at home most of the time, with my two kids sitting beside me, patiently watching their dad writing Maths examples and so on. We also had to call the TNP artist, Pat Chia, at all sorts of odd hours to get him to make corrections, said Mr Lim. There was no payment at all, said Mr Lee. But we feel a tremendous sense of satisfaction with what we ve achieved, he added. from 27 June to 5 July The students, Liew Chong Boon, Ker Young, Huang Junjie and Lee Zi Hui, were all from the Electronic & Computer Engineering (ECE) Division. Using their remote control, they pit their robots against other teams on a miniature field. A camera is mounted above the field to send information about the robots positions and speeds to an external computer. A total of 21 teams from more than 10 countries took part in the Small Size League, a competition to encourage research in robotics development.

11 1 take a bow Snippets Aaron Tan (left), chatting with Education Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Muraliraj Rajoo (below) will represent Singapore in the Worldskills Competition in Finland next year Another gold? ACHILDHOOD dream of representing the country will become a reality for Muraliraj s/o Rajoo when he represents Singapore in the International Worldskills Competition next year. We went through two years of intensive training for this competition, so I must do my best and be the best, said Muraliraj, 19, a final-year Electrical Engineering student. He clinched the Gold award in the Industrial Control category during the Worldskills Singapore 2004 Competition held from 1-3 July. In this category, the participants had to design and execute an industrial automation and control project within 18 hours. Their electrical control circuits would then be judged in the areas of design, modification and troubleshooting. This year, Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) clinched three Gold awards and three Diplomas of Excellence at the competition which was held at Balestier Institute of Technical Education. NP was also ranked an overall second among the various participating institutions and organisations. Another NP Gold winner, Aaron Tan Wei Cheng, 19, a recent graduate from the School of InfoComm Technology, will also be representing Singapore in Finland. He won the newly introduced Web Design category which required him to design and publish an Internet website within a specific time. Aaron said his biggest obstacle was not being able to gauge the standard of the other competitors. But, keeping his composure throughout helped him to emerge top in the competition. Meanwhile, Aaron and Muraliraj are geared up for the hectic training to prepare themselves for the challenge ahead. Although it s going to take up a lot of my personal time, it s worth the sacrifice for myself and for Singapore. I m confident of winning something at the international competition, said Muraliraj who underwent more than 1,000 hours of intensive training before the local competition. Worldskills Singapore is a biennial competition for youths to compete in technical skills. There are 10 categories this year, including Automotive Technology, Information Technology and Mechatronics. Selected gold medallists will represent Singapore at the 38th Worldskills Competition in Helsinki, Finland, in May Two management prizes Two teams of students from the School of Business & Accountancy won the second place and a merit prize at the Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) National Management Competition It was a very competitive environment as we had to compete against 18 other teams in the finals, so we had to strategise and outwit other teams through careful business planning, said Jaslin Lee, one of the team members who won the second prize. The annual event, organised by SIM, is a computer-simulated business competition. Participants, in teams of two to four, had to register a company and try to keep maximum profit for their companies. Musketeers in 2nd place A team of three musketeers from the School of InfoComm Technology (ICT) emerged as the first-runner up at the finals of the NUS Computron quiz in August. Days before the competition, we had to stay late in school till about eight every night to receive extra training from our lecturer. It was tiring but winning the second prize was worth the effort, said Law Kay Hui, 19, a third-year ICT student. Other members are Tan Shu Ren and Gio Wee Siang. The Computron quiz, organised by the NUS Students Computing Club and the Singapore Computer Society, quizzed the participants on general computing concepts, programming of algorithms and mathematical languages. Contestants had to go through three rounds of competition to enter the finals.

12 take a bow Silver at last! NGEE Ann s soccer team finally tasted success when they won the silver medal in the Institute-Varsity- Polytechnic (IVP) Games, breaking a seven-year drought without medals. Spirits were high when Ngee Ann led by 1-0 in the first half of the match against the combined Institute of Technical Education (ITE) team. However, the ITE team managed to even the score in the second half. Ngee Ann lost marginally after a 7-8 penalty shoot-out. Mr Gopinathan Retnam, the Student Development & Alumni Relations (SDAR) officer in charge of the Ngee Ann team, said: Their morale was high and the students were hungry to win something because we had not won anything for quite a while. So, what went wrong? I think we lacked a little bit of luck in the finals, but to get the silver medal was really remarkable because we were in the sixth position last year, said Captain Muhd Yazid Bin Harun, 23, a second-year Electrical Engineering student. He remains optimistic about Ngee Ann s chances next year. Hopefully, our team can win the Full Colours Award for the Student Excellence Day, said Yazid. The Full Colours Award is given to any individual or group when they win the IVP or any national Ngee Ann soccer team won a silver medal in the IVP competition after seven years without a medal championship, or represent Singapore at the national level. The finals between Ngee Ann and the combined ITE team was held at ITE Balestier on 3 Sept A total of nine teams from universities, polytechnics and ITEs took part in the soccer competition. WINNING the gold medal at the Women s 200m event during the Institute-Varsity- Polytechnic (IVP) Games was a breeze for Raihan Mohd Dzuleqhram (left). Besides clinching the gold medal, Raihan also broke the won four silver medals in other events such as the long jump and 4x100m relay. I train six times a week and more than two hours each time. So basically, my life revolves around school, tuition and training, she said. team came in an overall third position at the IVP Games. This was a great improvement from last year s seventh placing. The ladies team also did NP proud by coming in second place in the ladies overall. Raihan smashes 33-year record 33-year record of 26.2sec. I was quite confident because my personal best was 25.9sec during training, said Raihan, 18, a first-year Accountancy student, who now holds the IVP record at 26.0sec. She also Raihan, who is in the national squad, said she hopes to represent Singapore in the next SEA Games and make a difference. This year, the Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) Track & Field Another star athlete was Shao Biaoming, 18, a first-year Chemical Engineering (CE) student. The national runner won a gold in the men s 800 m event and a bronze in the 1500m event.

13 1 campus with a heart Thank you, Mr Lee WHEN lecturer Jonas Lee first met wheelchair-bound Jan Lee Jun Hui at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, he was full of concern. So, he went out of his way to help the student in various ways. Like initiating the idea of installing a lift at The Atrium to enable Jan to go up easily to the Lifestyle Library on the second floor. I feel that we need to have our hearts connected with the students in order to unlock their talents, and in the case of Jan, I hope to help him in every way to realise his potential. said Mr Lee. The two are now firm friends. Mr Lee, who used to teach Statistics at the School of Business & Accountancy, also helped Jan in his school work, often stayed back after class to offer extra coaching. Mr Lee even helped to borrow a suit for Jan s graduation last year. Knowing my financial situation, Mr Lee told me not to buy a suit just for the occasion. Instead, he tried to borrow a suit for me from his friends and relatives. When he finally managed to borrow one, he specially delivered it to me from his place at Tampines to mine at Jurong, said the Accountancy graduate who suffers from a rare disease of the spinal cord that has left him immobile since the age of 10. Jan is now an assistant accountant at the Society for the Physically Disabled. Mr Lee was awarded the Supportive Teacher award by the Asian Women's Welfare Association's TEACH ME Services in July in recognition of his dedication to helping Jan. TEACH ME recognises the efforts of youths with physical Lecturer Jonas Lee (left) was nominated for Supportive Teacher award by his student Jan Lee Jun Hui Fun way to raise funds disabilities in surmounting the odds to achieve excellence. Youths are invited to nominate teachers who have been exemplary in promoting integration of physically disabled students in schools. All his kind gestures have touched me and my family. I m very lucky to have met Mr Lee because he s more like a family friend than a lecturer, said Jan who nominated Mr Lee for the award. The respect is mutual. Jan has a positive attitude towards life and has never complained about his condition. Jan s presence has brought his classmates closer as they often come together to help him, said Mr Lee. KILLING two birds with one stone, Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) held a Fun Fair and Family Day for students and staff to raise funds for the Assisi Home and Hospice. Food stalls and games were Staff and students interacting with old folks from the Lion's Home for the Elders set up at the Atrium and on the field to raise funds. It s good that we re able to volunteer for a good cause and at the same time, gain some experience in managing a business, said Muhammad Ferhandi Jaka Perdana, a second-year Early Childhood Education (ECH) student and the Vice- President of ECH society that sold brownies and refreshments at the fair. First-year Accountancy student, Magdalene Seetoh contributed to charity by taking fun rides that cost $3 to $5 per ride. I like thrills and it s fun to take rides with friends in school. The event, held on 6-7 August 2004, was organised by NP Students Union and the Family Day Organising Committee. More than $50,000 was raised. Two dramas and a concert were also staged in support of the President s Challenge. The dramas, entitled Bottled Dreams and Hide It, were put up by the Poly Stage Factor on 24 Sept. This was followed by a concert, De Dolce Luna (The Students enjoying a ride at the NP Fun Fair Graceful Moon), on 25 Sept. More than 10 clubs and societies joined hands to put up the show, which was also enjoyed by some very special guests in the audience - about 15 old folks from the Lion's Home for the Elders.

14 happenings FIVE students from Anglo- Chinese School (Independent) walked away with the top prize of $1,000 at Ngee Ann Polytechnic s Biotech Fair 2004, thanks to sweet potato leaves and some cockroaches. The boys had discovered an enzyme called Chitinase in the leaves, which can be used to eliminate the dreaded creatures. They also picked up a useful skill, going by what team member Kevin Chong, a Secondary Three student, had to say. The best thing I ve learnt after doing this project is how to catch cockroaches in the fastest way catch them by their feelers, he said laughingly. The team s project, including some of their live cockroaches, was among those that were exhibited at the 14th Biotech Fair, which was opened by Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, the Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, and Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry. Another attraction was a forum on Human Cloning: Playing God? which offered a platform to exchange ideas and delve into the controversial issue of cloning. A workshop was also held to demonstrate how Dolly The Mind the cockroaches! Board Game can be used as an innovative teaching tool to illustrate the scientific basis for cloning and the ethical issues that arise as a consequence of this emerging technology. Biotech Fair 2004, which is aimed at promoting life sciences among the young, was held at the Ngee Ann Convention Centre from 2-3 Sept. It was jointly organised by the School of Life Sciences & Chemical Technology and the Singapore Science Centre with the support of A*STAR and the British Council. Snippets Calorie converter Combining IT skills and business plans, about 10 teams of students from secondary schools and Institutes of Technical Education submitted their Web services application projects during the finals of Ngee Ann-Microsoft Business IT Challenge. Students from the National Junior College Integrated Programme clinched the first prize with their Electronic Food e- Ordering System. The team of five won a Microsoft Xbox game station each. Ngee Ann Polytechnic s School of Business & Accountancy organised this nationwide contest with Microsoft Singapore Pte Ltd to encourage students to apply Web services technology and turn it into bright business ideas. Sunflower Fest Sunflowers bloomed in full glory during the Sunflower Festival organised by the School of Life Sciences & Chemical Technology. Participants are required to grow a champion sunflower after taking part in an earlier preparatory workshop to pick up tips from Ngee Ann lecturers. Greenridge Secondary School won the first prize. Hit the bull s eye How does a miniature vehicle surmount obstacles to hit the bull s eye without sensors, timers or controllers? Well, more than 100 secondary school students took up the challenge by drawing computer graphic models during the firstever Bull s Eye 2004 Competition held at Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP). The students had great fun using Pro/DESKTOP, a design software programme that aids in mechanical design and 3D modelling. Bukit Batok Secondary won the first prize in the Design and Built category, while River Valley High topped the Design and Model category. Ngee Ann, Parametric Technology Corporation and Product Development Solutions sponsored prizes for the event. Held on 11 Sept, the competition was organised by the School of Engineering. Students from Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) showing their winning product to Dr Vivian Balakrishnan Home, not so sweet home Laundry hung outside parapet walls and vandalising of lifts were some problems that students identified during the Challenges of Public Housing Management & Maintenance competition on 13 Aug. To hone their problem-solving skills and creativity, the secondary school students had to present their solutions through skits. Geylang Methodist Secondary School won the Gold Award of $500. The event was jointly organised by the Building & Environment Division and various town councils.

15 1 happenings Wonders of Science HOW did students create the effects of tornado tearing down a region by using simple materials? Well, four students from Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Secondary School did it by using cardboard, plastic food wrapper and frying pan. And this won them the gold prize of $400 and a trophy in the Wonders of Science Project Presentation Competition. Doing the project helps me to apply the concepts of Geography and Physics, and at the same time, I gained confidence when I did the presentation to such a big crowd, said Wilson Chee, one of the winning team members. Participants from 25 secondary schools were required to use any home appliances to demonstrate the principles of science and then present their results. Other winning projects included a Nouveau Bin and a Swiss water purifier. The projects were judged on their relevance, presentation style, aesthetics and creativity. Said Dennis Tam, a member of the organising committee and lecturer from the Electronic & Computer Engineering (ECE) Division: This is the first time we organised a science project competition that also Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Secondary School clinched the first prize at the first Wonders of Science Project Presentation Competition tested the students presentation skills. We hope to train the students application skill in science as well as public speaking ability. The competition was part of the Science 04 programme for secondary schools to promote the learning of Science. About 260 secondary school students attended the finals held on 4 Sept Be dazzled by their talents DAZZLING costumes, nifty footwork and soothing songs captivated the attention of more than 800 people during the finals of the Aaraathanaa Competition Held on 11 Sept, it provided a platform for more than 30 teams of students from secondary schools to tertiary institutions to showcase their talents. Organised by the Ngee Ann Polytechnic s Indian Cultural Society (ICS), the annual competition also helps promote traditional Indian arts and culture. Mr Yokanathan Ramakrishnan, the Mass Communication lecturer in charge of the competition, said: Such competitions enable teenagers to be more involved in their culture. Junaidah Bte Syed Abdul Kader, 20, the President of ICS, said: This year s participation rate is the highest ever. I hope we ll exceed that number every year because it means more Indian youths are in touch with their culture. The competition was divided into four categories namely the dance, customary costume parade and talent time in solo and duet. The biggest winner of the night, Dover ITE, garnered the first prize in both the dance and duet singing categories. Singapore Institute of Management won the customary costume parade, while National University of Singapore won the solo talent time competition. The guest of honour for the event was Mr Nithiah Nandan, nominated Member of Parliament and Vice-President of NTUC. One of the guest performers at Aaraathana 2004

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