Dr Chua Thian Poh, Executive Chairman, Ho Bee Land
Mr Nicholas Chua, CEO of Ho Bee Land and Board Chairman of Chua Foundation
Mr Ng Yat Chung, Chairman, Board of Trustees, SIT
Prof Chua Kee Chaing, President, SIT
Prof Tan Thiam Soon, Institute Professor, SIT
Ladies and gentlemen
Good afternoon.
1. Thank you for the invitation to this appreciation ceremony.
I am very glad to see many familiar faces.
Occasions like this are only possible because of the support of those who believe in the importance of education and who want to pay it forward.
2. Dr Chua has been a strong supporter of SIT’s mission and work.
His friendship with SIT started a decade ago, when he found out about the family situation of an SIT student whose father had died in a car accident.
He offered to support her and her education in SIT with a scholarship, the SIT-Chua Thian Poh Scholarship.
The Ho Bee Group, which Dr Chua founded, has donated generously to SIT over the years, such as supporting SIT’s future campus in Punggol and the Ho Bee Scholarship.
The latest endowed gift of $2.6 million by the Chua Foundation builds on this partnership.
3. Thank you, Dr Chua and the Chua Foundation.
Paying It Forward
4. Our education system aims to help every student do their best.
We want to help every student develop themselves and realise their potential.
At all levels of education, we want to imbue in students a love for learning and a desire to learn continually.
5. All committed and hardworking Singaporeans must have every chance to succeed and do their best with the opportunities given to them, regardless of starting point.
Financial reasons should not dissuade deserving students from challenging backgrounds from accessing higher education.
They must be confident that they are not disadvantaged compared to their peers.
6. The Chua Thian Poh Bursaries will support undergraduates who are financially disadvantaged.
This complements the Government’s efforts to uplift students from less privileged backgrounds.
7. We are glad that there are many examples of Singaporeans like Dr Chua Thian Poh, who share the convictions of paying it forward and supporting social mobility.
Bursaries like these have an added personal touch.
For the donors, it is an avenue to contribute to others in the community and give them a leg up.
For the recipients, it reminds them that someone in the community gave them an opportunity to start strong in life.
8. However, beyond the financial contributions, I also encourage for those who are more able, to come forward and give their “time” and “talents” to those in need.
This does not need to take place only through the formal platforms.
For all those who are able and willing, we can always find ways to contribute in our neighbourhoods, workplaces and social circles.
For example, beyond financial contributions, we can contribute our time and talent to mentor our young. Take an interest in their development and guide them while showing them the possible opportunities ahead.
Many of our kind donors like Dr Chua have also mobilized interested friends, family and colleagues to volunteer with community organisations and educational institutions, or start ground-up projects to reach out to the vulnerable around us.
9. And I hope that the future recipients of the Chua Thian Poh Bursaries will pay it forward when they can, in their own ways.
In doing so, we will reinforce a virtuous circle of contribution to our community.
Success is not defined by what we do for ourselves, but how we enable the next generation to achieve their fullest potential. Paying it forward is how we keep Singapore moving.
SIT as a Living Lab and Learning Hub in the Punggol Community
10. To honour Dr Chua’s contributions, SIT will name the Discovery Hub in SIT’s future Punggol campus as the Chua Thian Poh Discovery Hub.
11. We are now two years away from the completion of SIT’s Punggol campus.
The campus’ unique location in the Punggol Digital District allows it to build links with companies nearby.
The mutual sharing of skills and knowledge could shorten the time of knowledge transfer from industry to academia.
This not only help create learning opportunities for our students to be ready for the workforce, but it is also an important part of how Singapore stays competitive and build our capabilities to meet the challenges of tomorrow.
12. SIT’s state-of-the-art campus facilities will bring the learning experience of students to greater heights.
The Chua Thian Poh Discovery Hub will enrich student life.
It is designed as a unique learning space for individual work and group discussions.
SIT believes that the Discovery Hub will actively engage students as co-creators, planners and managers in their academic and research projects.
13. The Discovery Hub is just one part of the wider “Living Lab” concept for SIT’s Punggol campus.
Smart sensors and digital infrastructure are woven into the fabric of the campus.
Students and researchers can test their innovations in a real-life setting, without leaving the campus itself.
14. I also encourage SIT to continue exploring innovative ways to engage your future neighbours.
Go into the Punggol community, and help residents to see how SIT can add value to their lives.
Build relationships with schools in the area, so that their students see the breadth of education pathways beyond secondary school, and get students suited to an applied learning approach excited by what SIT offers.
Engage working adults and mid-career professionals on SIT’s programmes, such as Career Conversion Programmes and Work-Study Degrees. Bring them on board this journey to learn for life and prepare for the future.
15. SIT can also tap on its expertise in applied learning to strengthen businesses sited in Punggol, including small and medium enterprises.
Share useful examples of how the skills and methods of applied learning can transform their daily business operations.
SIT is already coaching local companies to apply “Lean Thinking” concepts to the workplace, and building a culture of continuous improvement.
SIT worked with the catering company Four Seasons Group, to streamline its work processes in areas such as stock replenishment of kitchen supplies, and food order preparations in the cold kitchen.
And I look forward to seeing more SIT faculty and students attached to such companies and bringing fresh perspectives to the workplace.
This could lead to useful collaborations between industry and SIT, and even industry spin-offs.
16. Even though SIT has not moved into its new campus, SIT is already an active partner of the Punggol community.
I am happy that SIT has reached out to schools in Punggol to organise science camps and competitions, and has set up a makerspace in the Punggol21 Community Club.
The new campus will have community spaces that are open to the public. There are also plans for community classrooms and smart playgrounds.
These will offer even more opportunities for SIT to reach out and become truly a part of the Punggol community.
17. In this spirit, I hope that SIT will be a node of learning in Punggol.
At the national level, SIT plays a special role in Singapore’s education landscape, with its emphasis on applied pathways and close links with industry.
At the local level in Punggol, SIT must be an important neighbour in the community, by helping Punggol residents and businesses learn continually.
Closing
18. In closing, let me once again wish Dr Chua Thian Poh and the Chua Foundation, for your commitment to education.
Your gift to SIT underscores its two main causes: fostering an inclusive community for the less privileged, and inspiring others to contribute.
19. Thank you very much.
Source: Ministry of Education, Singapore
