“I want to tell you all about what made this country. Hard work, persistence and a first generation that always sought hard seats – not the cushy seats we were sitting in for the dialogue session.” So said our Sixth President of Singapore, S R Nathan, a few months before his death in 2016 when he kindly addressed a small group of our alumni, mainly our younger members who we invited to meet and hear from the great man.

At his request, that session was an intimate, closed doors dialogue, limited to a dozen. Though already ill, Mr Nathan graciously spent two hours with us to share his thoughts on social mobility, leadership and the future of Singapore. With true candour, he also shared his concerns for the less fortunate in our Society, his worry about stress, mental illness and suicides amongst our younger Singaporeans and exhorted us as privileged members of Society (especially our millennials) to feel a duty to put back into the country and to not just be takers.

Inspired by Mr Nathan’s call to emulate the public service and sacrifice of Singapore’s first generation leadership, the Oxford and Cambridge Society of Singapore inaugurated the Annual “S R Nathan Hard Seats” Lecture Series with eminent leaders as an annual keynote event of The Oxford and Cambridge Society, in memory of our beloved former President of Singapore.

The aim of the “Hard Seats” Lecture Series is to provide a platform for us to learn from leaders and changemakers from varied walks of life who have overcome and tackled challenging circumstances to bring about impact and change in their various spheres.

Watch the introductory video here.

Minister Chan Chun Sing (an alumnus) gave the inaugural lecture on 11 January 2018, talking about the issues that irk our society and sharing his views on Singapore’s future, our challenges and how we help the less fortunate.

Dato Paul Supramaniam, President of the Oxford and Cambridge Society of Singapore, gave the opening speech at the lecture.

You may watch a video of it here.

Watch a slideshow featuring the highlights of the evening here.

While the Oxford and Cambridge Society of Singapore hosts a plethora of events belonging to the different series every year, there are some that stand out and as such do not belong to any of the series. These so-called special events range from a collaboration with the Singapore Film Festival to an exclusive tour of the Singapore Gardens. Another such event was the Remembrance Ceremony, where the President of our Society, Dato Paul Supramaniam, was invited to lay a wreath commemorating the lives lost in World War I, which ended a century ago. Such events, as well as offers for exclusive tours and discounts, can be found in this special events page.S

“DEMYSTIFIYING THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION” – September 2019 The two speakers were Choy Siew Kai, former Managing Director at GIC and the first Singapore born Fellow of Stanford University’s Distinguished Careers Institute;  and Dr MarkShmulevich, Chief Operating Officer of TAIGER and the former Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Technologies of Russia. Siew Kai was part of the inaugural group of MDs appointed in GIC. His career spanned over 30 years in investment management, including 20 years at GIC where he held key leadership positions in Equities, Risk & Performance management, enterprise Data & Analytics, Governance and GIC Innovation Labs. Whilst at GIC, Siew Kai has studied the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on industries, business models and jobs, and was a guest speaker on “Technology Disruption – insights and perspectives” at the Stanford Graduate School of Business’ “Innovative Technology Leader” course from 2016 to 2018. Mark is a senior executive in technology business, innovator and thought leader in digital transformation, with a professional track record that includes both public and private sector experience. He has been COO at TAIGER, a fast-growing AI software company since 2018. In 2012, at the age of 29, Mark was appointed Deputy Minister of ICT of Russia, and served until 2014. He currently holds positions across various institutions, including Director of Zimin Institutes, Board Member of the Zimin Foundation, Advisory Board Member of the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology Innovation Centre (ICT branch), and Vice-Chair of the Digital Transformation Chapter of SGTech. For most of us GIC as well as the Fourth Industrial Revolution are “black boxes”, so come join us for what is sure to be an enriching dialogue over dinner and drinks! Sign up via Peatix now! The Speakers: Choy Siew Kai Former Managing Director, GIC Private Limited Distinguished Careers Institute Fellow, Stanford University (from Sept 2019) Siew Kai will be a Fellow of Stanford University’s Distinguished Careers Institute from September 2019. He has over 30 years of experience in investment management and retired from Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, GIC Private Limited, after 20 years of service. He was a Managing Director of GIC and held key leadership positions in Equities, Risk & Performance Management, enterprise Data & Analytics, Governance and GIC Innovation Labs. He was also a member of the Corporate Management Committee and Group Risk Committee. Siew Kai has a deep interest on the impact of the 4th Industrial Revolution (especially cyber-physical/bio/social systems) on industries, business models and jobs. He was a guest speaker on “Technology Disruption- insights and perspectives” at Stanford Graduate School of Business’ “Innovative Technology Leader” course from 2016 to 2018. He formulated GIC’s “ODE” (offense, defence, enterprise) Technology strategy and led the revamp of internal investment analytics and data science initiatives.  He currently acts as an independent investor/advisor/mentor to Banking, Fintech, Insurtech, Regtech, Medtech, Blockchain, Cybersecurity and multi-industry DeepTech listed & private companies/funds located in Singapore, USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Netherlands and Estonia. He is a contributing speaker to the “AI in Finance” online course by Ngee Ann Polytechnic and CFTE and has given talks on “New approaches to Active Investment Management, new product manufacturing flexibility and new Wealth Advisory models” at INSEAD’s MFin programme and STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Professionals).  In his earlier career, Siew Kai had the startup experience of building from scratch all key front, mid and back office functions of a boutique fund management company and also leading change initiatives in one of the largest South East Asian banks. Siew Kai holds a BSc in computer science and management science (joint honours) and has attended The Wharton School’s Advanced Management Program for Senior Executives. Dr Mark Shmulevich Chief Operating Officer, TAIGER Director, Zimin Institutes & Board Member, Zimin Foundation Vice-Chair, Digital Transformation Chapter, SGTech Mark Shmulevich is a senior executive in technology business, innovator and thought leader in digital transformation. He is an avid supporter of education, talent development, science and technology as key drivers of societal progress. Mark’s professional track record includes both public and private sector experience, while the industry domains he has worked in range from space and quantum technologies to artificial intelligence (AI). Dr. Mark Shmulevich has been COO at TAIGER, a fast-growing visionary AI software company, since 2018. TAIGER pioneers next-generation AI products that use human-like logic to automatically read, understand and extract information. Its clients range from large enterprises and financial services institutions to government agencies. The company has offices in Madrid, Singapore, Hong-Kong, New York and Mexico. Previously, Mark was Chief Strategy and Operations Officer at Acronis, a global software and services company working on efficient data storage, protection and security. Based in Singapore, he managed Acronis HQ’s development in in the region, including creation of a software R&D center. Acronis achieved the revenue of $150 millions and serves over 500,000 customers worldwide. In 2012, at the age of 29, Dr. Shmulevich was appointed Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) of Russia, responsible for policy making in IT and IT industry support. He suggested and implemented changes to legislation allowing small and medium IT companies to enjoy a tax regime more beneficial for innovation, as well as simpler employment schemes for highly qualified foreign talent. He established the Expert Council on IT Industry Development, and in collaboration with the Minister of ICT of Russia and IT entrepreneurs, initiated setting up a new technology-driven city Innopolis and a new private University in Tatarstan, Russia. The University is now chaired by Deputy Prime Minister of Russia who is responsible for digital technology and innovation development. Mark’s early career was in space and quantum technologies. He joined a space technology enterprise in Russia as a research engineer in 2008. Later, when the company grew into the largest space technology holding in the country, Russian Space Systems Corporation, Mark helped establish and then ran a new business development department on the corporate level. Under his supervision, the first joint venture in satellite navigation between USA and Russia was established, and Mark continued as its board member. Dr. Shmulevich was also a member of the working group improving interoperability and compatibility of the Russian GLONASS satellite navigation systems with US GPS, European GALILEO, and Chinese BEIDOU systems. Simultaneously, Mark together with a group of partners launched an international research center for quantum technologies, Russian Quantum Center. Mark worked as its Chief Development Officer and steering committee member. He has helped transform the center from greenfield to a steady state with several research groups and strong international connections. In 2014 Dr. Dmitry Zimin, a philanthropist and founder of VEON, the seventh largest mobile network operator in the world, invited Dr. Shmulevich to join the Council of Dynasty Foundation, the key programs of which were later transferred to Zimin Foundation. He has served on the Foundation’s board, focusing on strengthening its programs relating to science popularization and support. Mark’s particular role is leading the Zimin Institutes, the Foundation’s arm, which supports scientific research projects with high potential for positive, real-world impact. Zimin Institutes collaborate with the top universities in the world to jointly promote this vision and drive its implementation. The first Institute (Zimin Institute for Engineering Solutions Advancing Better Lives) was inaugurated at Tel Aviv University (TAU) in late 2017. Dr. Shmulevich is an advisory board member of Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) Innovation Centre (ICT branch). SMART supports entrepreneurship in Singapore, providing grant support and mentoring to the project teams.  He is also a board member of SGTech, the largest technology business federation in Singapore. In 2018, Dr. Shmulevich was appointed Vice-Chairman on its Digital Transformation Chapter. Mark was born in Moscow in 1982 and graduated from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, where he earned his B.A., M.Sc. cum laude and Ph.D. degrees in Applied Mathematics. His research focused on data mining and AI. Since then, Dr. Shmulevich co-authored over 20 patents.

THE ‘BEYOND 200’ BALL – 11 MAY 2019

Dear Oxford and Cambridge Society of Singapore,

Thank you all for a wonderful May Ball 2019. The photographs are on the Busybody May Ball 2019 Site:   https://images.busybody.sg/?e=R5548345PS2A . I hope you will enjoy them. 

Please join me to thank our very generous donors, Dr Stanley Lai SC, Justice Valerie Thean, Justice Hoo Sheau Peng, and Mr Dilhan Pillay.  We had kind support and sponsorship from Mr Andrew Khoo (Laura Ashley PLC), Andrew Dixon (The Island Foundation), Mr Patrick Low (Lee & Oak Wines) and Tony Chew (Grand Royal Whiskey).  

Grateful thanks to HE the British High Commissioner Scott Wightman for his kind hospitality at his residence at Eden Hall, and our speaker the Senior Minister of State Dr Janil Puthucheary for his address “Beyond 200,” and for headlining a lively and memorable Fireside Chat. Thanks to our President Mr Paul Supramaniam for his Welcome Speech, and Mr Toh Han Li for his Latin Grace and Chat moderation.

A very special thanks to all the Committee, especially Ng Yeau Chong, Tan Yi-xun, Rachel Chew, Paul Supramaniam, Toh Han-li, Lien Choon Luen, Mark Nelligan, Becky Walker, Purnima Gandhi, Anupum Khaitan, Manisha Tank, Andrew Khoo, Shaw Soo Wei, and Paul Broom, and all other members, partners and volunteers, who pitched in.  The situation would have been vastly different if Yeau Chong, Anupum, Yi-xun and Rachel had not given their time and efforts to identify the sign-up, secure payments, do the programme, ascertain security clearance and confirming Main Course choices (which allowed us to cut down catering costs significantly). Thank you Yeau Chong for spending your May Day and weekends on contacting each guest and creating the Master Spreadsheet, which allowed all subsequent steps to be taken quickly and efficiently.  Thank you all, most sincerely!

I hope the Boat Club made their target – well done to Mark Nelligan, Becky, Van, Ame and Yeau Chong for the Charity Bar, Boat Race Telecast, Auction, Appeal, and endless popping of champagne corks which were such a pleasant accompaniment to the evening’s festivities.

We were privileged to have the performances of Mr Kevin Loh, Music Scholar at Girton, half-Blue Ballroom Dancer Ms Patricia Vlad and Ms Lauren Yeo, Soprano.

Thank you to Geraldine Leong and her capable team from Creative Eateries.  The set-up and kitchen took 5 days’ meetings and 3 days’ hard work on site by a 25-member catering team.  Thank you, all!  The tables were indeed elegant.  The place-cards done by Geraldine’s team gave a lovely individual touch and personal welcome to each guest.  It also cut down on ushering time, allowing guests to find their own seats. As each place-cards bore a colour icon indicating the Main Course, dinner was served in just 40 minutes.  The crew worked efficiently to turn each room around, from Dining Room to Fireside Chat, from Ballroom to Dance-floor, in 30 minutes, allowing the Dance Class and Fireside Chat to begin sharply at 9.15 pm. 

Thank you to Sunder Nathan of NLX Events for handling the back-of-house and installing our audio, public address and sound systems, photographer and videography.  Thanks to Sunder and his team, all the speeches and announcements went smoothly and we were able to keep to schedule. The sound system allowed all 180 guests to listen to the guitar recital, speeches, chat and dialogue and etc, wherever they were in the Hall or Garden.  It was a difficult but worthwhile effort which demanded his team of 11 musicians and 3 technicians to spend many hours at the Hall, checking, rehearsing and setting up.  Very well done! 

Paul Rodriguez and the team from Eden Hall must be congratulated for clearing and then resetting the house in record time!  In fact on my departure at midnight, there was very little evidence of May Ball Mess (ruined carpets, spilled drinks, drunks on the lawn).  Instead, a long parade of buses, trucks, vans and taxi’s carted guests to the AfterParty, and the truckloads of table-ware, kitchen and cooking equipment back to the depots, transported the 40 staff back to their homes, and cleared away every bit of chaos!  After midnight, neatness reigned at Eden Hall yet again.  It was highly impressive!

Well done to Geraldine, Sunder and Paul.

I am indeed proud of the Oxford and Cambridge Society of Singapore for the May Ball 2019.  Let’s look forward to similar success at the upcoming Hard Seats Annual Lecture, the “Row For Hope” Boat Race on the 8^th June 2019 at Kallang, Fireside Chats, Entrepreneur Series, Debates and the many other events to come.  Please do encourage fellow alumni to join the Society, and invite your Guests to support the Society’s events.

All the very best,

VP for Oxford, Melanie Chew

CC Paul Supramaniam (President)

CC Toh Han-li (VP Cambridge)

 

FEBRUARY 15TH, 2019

Private Tour of the Singapore Bicentennial Exhibition, “Raffles in Southeast Asia”

Friday 15 February 2019, 6.30 pm to 9.00 pm, Asian Civilizations Museum.

We are pleased to announce a private tour for members of the Oxford and Cambridge Society of Singapore, of the Singapore Bicentennial Exhibition, “Raffles in Southeast Asia”.  The Director of the Museum, Mr Kennie Ting, will personally guide our exploration of the 240 objects on display, drawn from the life, work, and collections of Sir Stamford Raffles (1781 – 1826).  

Raffles spent two decades in Southeast Asia as agent of the British East India Company.  With extraordinary vision and foresight, he promoted the “wheel-and-spoke” model of global trade:   a linked chain of free, open and well-governed trade capitals, connecting their respective regions to world markets, with Singapore functioning as regional hub for Southeast Asia.  In this regard, his contributions to modern Singapore are profound and ongoing

Singapore International Film Festival

Posted on November 7, 2018

Dear Oxbridge Members,

The Oxford and Cambridge Society of Singapore is proud to announce a special collaboration with the upcoming Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), which will run from 28 November – 9 December 2018.

Founded in 1987, the SGIFF has become an iconic event in the Singapore arts calendar that is widely attended by international film critics, and recognized worldwide for its focus on Asian filmmakers and the promotion of Southeast Asian films.

With over 100 films from over 44 countries showcased at the festival, SGIFF has curated some films below for our members. We are happy to also offer a discount available with the promo code below.

Remembrance Ceremony, Sunday 11th November, 7am

Posted on October 31, 2018

Dear Members,

The Remembrance Ceremony is held annually at the Kranji Commonwealth War Graves, to commemorate the contribution of the British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women in the two World Wars and later conflicts.

It is held on the the Sunday nearest to 11 November, being the date of the end of World War I in 1918. The Ceremony is led by the British High Commissioner, supported by other High Commissions and Embassies and in partnership with the Singapore Armed Forces Veterans League and the SAF.

This year’s Remembrance Ceremony is special as it is the 100th Anniversary, to the day, of the end of WWI, and will take place on Sunday, 11 November. To honour the contribution of Oxbridge Alumni in both World Wars, the President of the Oxbridge Society of Singapore, Dato Paul Supramaniam, has been invited to lay a wreath on behalf of the Society at the Ceremony.

Should you wish to attend, details are as follows (no sign up necessary):

Date: Sunday, 11 November 2018
Time: 7am (service begins at 7.30am)
Venue: Kranji War Memorial, 9 Woodlands Rd, Singapore 738656

VIP Tour of the Singapore Garden Festival

Posted on July 25, 2018

Update:
Dear Members,

Good news! Due to overwhelming response, we will be able to offer a discount for groups of 30 and above!

The new, discounted prices are as follows:

Adult Ticket to SGF and Flower Dome: $10
Adult Ticket to SGF and Flower Dome, with entry to OCBC Skyway: $18
Child (3-12 yrs old) Ticket to SGF and Flower Dome: $6
Child (3-12 yrs old) Ticket to SGF and Flower Dome, with entry to OCBC Skyway: $11

To enjoy these special prices, please confirm your attendance and make payment by tomorrow, Saturday, 28 July, 11pm via Peatix here.

For those who previously registered, please make your payment by tomorrow, Saturday, 28 July, 11pm via the new event on Peatix here.

Sign up now!

We look forward to seeing you this Sunday, 29 July at 6:00pm. Please note that the tour will start promptly at 6:15pm.

–

Dear members,

Join us for a VIP tour of the award-winning Singapore Garden Festival (SGF) with behind the scenes and horticultural insight into the creation of landscape and fantasy gardens led by National Parks Board Group Director, Ryan Lee.

The first festival in Asia to clinch the prestigious International Garden Tourism – Achievement of The Year Award, the SGF is the first show to bring together top international landscape and garden designers, florists and horticulturists from around the world who are invited to the Festival to work alongside Singapore’s own talented horticulturists.

Bringing to life elements from the storybook “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett, the Secret Garden of Edibles will take members through the themes of rejuvenation and adventure with a flavourful twist. This display will feature more than 50 species of edibles, including a collection of citrus fruits, a variety of cherries, unique tomato cultivars, fragrant herbs as well as espaliers like persimmon and coffee. Members can also see plants usually grown in temperate climates such as grapes, apple, pear and lavender.

The Community Garden Edibles Competition yielded its heaviest winter melon weighing in at 33.82kg and the longest edible seen thus far – the snake gourd measuring a grand length of 192cm. Members can also expect to be wowed by a Hawaiian-themed garden showcasing more than 20 Hibiscus species and cultivars, as well as a garden inspired by the Coffee and Noni plants.

Our members will end the evening under the stars and the magical Supertrees for the amazing light show with the golden age of Opera.

Venue: The Meadow, Gardens by the Bay, 18 Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore 018953
http://www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/en/plan-your-visit/getting-here-and-parking.html

Date/Time: Sunday, 29 July, 6:00-8:00pm.
Please meet at the ticketing counter at The Meadow car park drop-off at 6:00pm sharp

Tickets to SGF and Flower Dome: $16 for members and non-member guests (must be accompanied by a member). $9 for children (3-12 years old).

Tickets to include OCBC Skyway (optional): $8 for members and non-member guests (must be accompanied by a member). $5 for children (3-12 years old).

Sign up via Peatix here. Tickets are paid for at the door, registration on Peatix is for identification and numbers.

About the Singapore Garden Festival

The Singapore Garden Festival (SGF) is a series of flower and horticultural shows comprising the anchor Festival and two complementary events – the SGF Orchid Show and SGF Horticulture Show. The three shows give local and international visitors more opportunities to appreciate tropical horticulture and floral artistry every year. The mainstay SGF is amongst the top flower and garden shows on the international calendar. Singapore’s geographic location makes the Festival an ideal platform to showcase horticultural and gardening products and services from the northern and southern hemispheres, as well as from Asia and New World nations.

For more information on SGF 2018, log onto
www.singaporegardenfestival.com and www.facebook.com/SGGardenFest