A conversation with Peter Lam, TP’s PCEO

By Ajay Suriyah s/o Asok Kumar, Dylan Tan & Seah Huilan

 

 

Stop Press has officially been rebranded as Stories & Co.! Following the launch of our new identity, as well as Temasek Polytechnic’s 30th anniversary (TP30) this year, we sat down for a cosy chat with our very own Principal and CEO (PECO), Mr Peter Lam.

 

During our conversation, Mr Lam, 48, shares candidly about what he perceives to be his greatest achievements during his four-year stint at TP, and which is his favourite canteen stall on campus.

 

 

Handling the Covid-19 Situation

 

Despite the suddenness of the announcement of the circuit breaker in early April, “we were actually pretty prepared,” said Mr Lam.

 

“From February, we actually were busy preparing to address the challenges that were caused by COVID-19,” he added. The four considerations that Mr Lam touched on were:

 

1. Monitoring the safety and well being of our students and staff

2. Making sure that our students learning did not get badly affected by Covid-19

3. Ensuring that all our students had the means to do online learning

4. Providing social emotional support for our students

He also shared with us some concerns he had, as well as some silver linings that he felt had emerged from this situation. Catch the following video to find out more about how TP has been handling the Covid-19 situation, as well as how Mr Lam feels about the pandemic.

Life in TP

Four years after taking on the mantle of PCEO, Mr Lam has grown very fond of the campus and its many nooks and crannies.

"When I first joined TP, I was interviewed by Stop Press and I took a picture in front of the library. I think that's still probably one of my favourite spots," said Mr Lam.

Here, he shared with us about some embarrassing moments that he experienced when he first joined TP, his favourite canteen in TP, some of his proudest achievements over the past four years and lots more.

TP30

TP is turning 30 in what has become an unexpectedly momentous year. While 2020 will surely go down the history books for being an annus horribilis, the polytechnic’s 30th birthday gives us an opportunity to celebrate.

 

 “Celebrating our 30th anniversary is a chance for us to remember that we must continue to remain bold in terms of the things that we want to do for our students,” said Mr Lam.

 

He spoke about the significance of this milestone to him, as well as his hopes and dreams for TP’s future. He also shared a special message for all our freshmen who joined TP in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Check out our last video from this interview to find out what TP30 means to Mr Lam, as well as what he hopes for TP to achieve in the future.