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Embracing passion,
seizing opportunities
Want to go places? Mary Lim discovers the world’s within reach at NUS, thanks to
abundant opportunities that connect students and alumni to global organisations Come
Justin Lee
Discover
Computing graduate Justin Lee, 27, believes that entrepreneurs need to develop the NUS
Difference
networks and look beyond Singapore for global opportunities. That is one of
the reasons why he decided to bring Facebook to Singapore.
While at NUS, Justin spent a year in Silicon Valley, California, on the NUS Overseas
Colleges programme. This programme aims to nurture students into enterprising,
A leading university, the
resourceful, independent self-starters who will eventually blossom into successful
entrepreneurs by immersing them as interns in high-tech startups located in the leading National University of Singapore
entrepreneurial hubs of California, Philadelphia, Shanghai, Stockholm and Bangalore. (NUS) offers the widest range of
At Silicon Valley, Justin pitched to Facebook to open up its network to undergraduate courses among
universities in Singapore. This led to NUS, the Nanyang Technological University the local universities. There are
and Singapore Management University becoming Asia’s first universities to be vast opportunities for students
added to Facebook’s previously private network. to pursue more than 60 different
And to help nurture companies in the interactive digital media scene, Justin majors from its 14 faculties
helped establish The Garag3, a partnership with NUS and the Media Development and schools.
Authority. In addition to organising networking activities for aspiring entrepreneurs,
it also offers grants and advice to start-up companies. Faculties / Schools:
Says Justin: “I want Singapore to be better plugged into the global ecosystem l Arts and Social Sciences l
of entrepreneurial activity. We have to embrace globalisation and develop the Business l Computing l Dentistry
foresight to equip ourselves with the skills for tomorrow. l Design and Environment l
“My education at NUS has enhanced my global mindset. Besides its diversity Engineering l Law l Medicine
of students from the world over, the school also offers various overseas
(including Nursing) l Music
immersion programmes. NUS has prepared me well to take on the challenges of
the ever-changing global landscape.” l Science l University Scholars
Programme l Lee Kuan Yew School
of Public Policy l NUS Graduate
Farhan Ali School for Integrative Sciences and
Engineering l Duke-NUS Graduate
To 25-year-old Farhan Ali, thinking global is important.
That is why he joined the University Scholars Medical School Singapore
Programme (USP) when he enrolled at NUS. Most extensive offering of
“USP gave me the opportunity to experience an concurrent degree, double degree,
interdisciplinary and flexible education system, and
double major programmes in
I was able to participate in interdisciplinary research
and in numerous overseas programmes. I cherished Singapore.
the sense of belonging and empowered intellectual
and personal development from the programme,” says A globally-oriented
Farhan, who graduated last year with a Bachelor of educational experience at NUS
Social Sciences in Psychology. is complemented by innovative
In 2005, he clinched a Don Rosen Research Award at the prestigious Willi Hennig double degree and joint degree
Society Meeting, which brings together students of cladistics, a study of classification programmes with leading partner
of species based on evolutionary ancestry. Farhan, two other undergraduates and a universities like Australian National
USP alumnus became the first Asian students and only undergraduates to achieve University, Carnegie Mellon
top honours by bagging four out of five awards at the event.
University, Columbia University,
Reveals Farhan: “Our win highlighted the ability of NUS students to perform
on a larger stage in evolutionary biology and biodiversity, an area of research New York University, Peking
previously dominated by the American and European universities.” University, University of Melbourne,
Later this year, he will realise his dreams of becoming a scientist when University of North Carolina at
he pursues his PhD studies at Harvard University, where he was awarded a Chapel Hill and many more.
competitive summer research attachment in 2006. More information can be found at
“Many biological problems and diseases go beyond national boundaries, so http://www.nus.edu.sg/oam/course/.
having a global mindset and perspective is crucial. And I appreciate my education There are also overseas
at NUS for helping me cultivate this mentality,” he says. exposure and entrepreneurship
opportunities, such as student
exchange programmes and NUS
Lucasfilm Animation Singapore
Photo: Daniel Bayona of