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Moving ahead in a global world
There is no doubt that universities are engines of Beyond its primary mission to train university students,
economic growth. NTU will be reaching out to its alumni and the wider
public as a lifelong partner in continuous learning.
As centres of knowledge creation and transfer, Through the University’s new College of Professional
universities are a focal point of discoveries, development and Continuing Education, it can help the Singapore
and innovations, where the best and brightest come work force – of whom NTU alumni are a big part –
together to build on past successes for a better future. to keep their edge in an interconnected world where
knowledge becomes obsolete very quickly.
Singapore can be proud that NTU, a young public
university, has risen so rapidly in higher education. Having emerged from yet another inspirational academic
NTU is today known internationally for its quality year, the University is on a solid growth path. I would
education and global research. like to thank the leadership team, led by the indefatigable
pair Prof Bertil Andersson and Prof Freddy Boey,
If you look around the world, it is not hard to find for instituting the many changes that have fast-tracked
centres of innovation anchored around great universities. NTU’s performance.
For example, it is no accident that Silicon Valley is
what it is. While its DNA – the culture and attitude of We also thank our key stakeholders – the government,
its community – plays a part, it also matters that you Board of Trustees members, donors and academic and
have universities like Stanford University, University of industry partners – for their support in the University’s
California, Berkeley, and Santa Clara University in a continued transformation. I would like in particular to
concentration. The innovation that comes out of the acknowledge the contributions of Mr Lim Chee Onn,
east coast of the United States is also driven in large who stepped down after seven good years on the
part by the cluster of universities there, from the likes NTU Board.
of MIT to Harvard University.
Continued growth is not something we can take for
I see NTU contributing in a similar way to the knowledge granted. We can go down just by working a little less
wealth bank of Singapore, competing and also hard, and we need to have the ambition to go beyond
collaborating with the other local universities to spark what we have achieved. Embarking on the next lap,
the kind of disruptive innovation and knowledge creation NTU should strive to maintain its momentum of
that generates economic success. excellence and continue to contribute to Singapore’s
future, transforming lives with impact.
NTU’s national role extends to being a “star neighbour”
in the backyard of western Singapore. The University is Mr Koh Boon Hwee
already a great partner of industry, from conglomerates Chairman, Board of Trustees
to smaller made-in-Singapore companies, working Nanyang Technological University
to raise living standards and sharpen Singapore’s
economic edge. NTU can be the epicentre of a strong
collaborative ecosystem as part of the Jurong Innovation
District, Singapore’s largest living lab for the testing and
development of new technologies.
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