message from CHAIRMAN and PRINCIPAL & CEO

Mr Liew Mun Leong Chairman Board of Governors

The year in review was a meaningful one. We celebrated our 15th anniversary in 2005 and began 2006 with an attempt at a recordbreaking feat that galvanised all at TP into a collective effort to challenge our psychological and physical limits. In between, we recorded other milestones that marked our growth in our journey to educate and develop Singapore’s most valuable asset, our people.

Technical education in Singapore has transformed over the decades, reflecting the changes in the global economy. As Singapore has had to reinvent itself to remain relevant economically, our manpower development has needed to keep pace with it. At TP, we have moved beyond providing pre-employment education, to preparing our students for lifelong learning that will enable them to function in, and adapt to, the changing economy. We have pioneered and championed problembased learning since 1997, and imparted life skills to our students that go beyond their fields of specialisation. In 2002, we introduced a flexible academic system, called FAST, to give us greater flexibility in matching our students’ interests and aptitudes. Acknowledging the multi-disciplinary nature of work today, we introduced cross-disciplinary subjects with FAST. These allow our students to study subjects that are not ‘traditional’ to technical education. Today, an accounting student can, for example, study Design and an engineering student can study Psychology at TP, giving them far more exposure and a more competitive edge than ever before.

Mr Boo Kheng Hua Principal & CEO Temasek Polytechnic

Driven by developments in the economy, TP introduced six new courses in February 2006. The new courses were conceived and designed in support of the upcoming integrated resorts (IR) as well as imminent developments in info-comm technology and interactive digital media. The new courses, viz. the diplomas in Culinary & Catering Management, Leisure & Resort Management, Integrated Facility Design & Management, Cyber & Digital Security, Financial Business Informatics and Game & Entertainment Technology, were timely and turned out to be very popular. In a country as diverse and open as Singapore, global issues are never so far away from us that we can afford to ignore them. To ensure that our students are able to grasp this reality and develop the confidence to engage global issues, TP has worked to infuse global realities into our programmes.

“…at TP, we certainly have the talent. Our primary responsibility is to nurture and develop this talent to the fullest.”

Two cross-disciplinary subjects aimed at developing our students’ global mindsets were launched. One is called Global Citizenship, which helps students see their role as responsible citizens of the world and opens their eyes to opportunities in the region and beyond. A core component of this subject is a study trip to an emerging economy. This presents our students with first-hand experience of the vibrancy and enthusiasm displayed by their counterparts in these countries. Our students have visited universities and industrial sites in Ho Chi Minh City, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Suzhou. In the process, they engaged and learnt from the Vietnamese and Chinese students, as well as Singaporean businessmen in those countries. The other cross-disciplinary subject is Plugging Into the China Connections, a bilingual cultural subject. Consisting of modules in Chinese history and Chinese-English translation, the subject provides an excellent opportunity for students to become effectively bilingual and interact confidently with mainland Chinese businessmen and officials.

We have also worked to bring more of the world to TP. In June 2005, we held our inaugural Global Connect Festival, a series of activities to showcase our global initiatives. We brought the rising economies of Vietnam, China and India into focus in a seminar series and showcased the different cultures of these countries. We also launched the Global Connect Club, a student interest group set up with the support of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs. The Club aims to develop students with global mindsets and with the drive to network globally.

We sent more students and staff abroad on learning trips, internships and, just as importantly, for community service. Twenty-two students and three staff went to the CapitaLand-sponsored Cuiyun and Lancang Hope Schools in Yunnan, China and helped build their learning resource rooms, conduct basic IT and English lessons, and teach the children recreational games. TP students also went to Thailand to fabricate prosthetic legs for Thai amputees and set up an IT infrastructure for an orphanage in Myanmar.

Our students and staff continued to give us reason to celebrate. Our culinary instructor, Chef Jasmine Ng, led the national team of chefs to a prestigious win at the Igeho Salon Culinaire Mondial in Switzerland. The victory is regarded by those in the industry as equivalent to winning at the Olympic Games. It was a victory that brought special pride to all of us at TP. When Singapore celebrated its 40th National Day in August 2005, we were proud of the creative inputs of our staff and students in designing the official logo and website, as well as the funpacks, among others. There were many more achievements in the year, and they collectively tell us that at TP, we certainly have the talent. Our primary responsibility is to nurture and develop this talent to the fullest.

It has been an eventful and meaningful year for us. For their guidance, insight and continuing support of our efforts, we would like to record our appreciation to members of the Board of Governors, School Advisory Committees and our industry partners. We would also like to commend our staff for their hard work, commitment and dedication to the Polytechnic.

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