The Oxford and Cambridge Society of Singapore deeply regrets to report the passing of our beloved Committee member Tyler Hung. Tyler will be remembered as larger than life, a friendly, cheerful soul, always bearing a warm smile and wanting to help, and serving with dedication in whatever he did. He was the Society’s point person in organising our popular Fresher’s events and was passionate about mentoring students. His will be dearly missed by all of us. We extend our deepest condolences to his wife Alyssa and his family. The wake will take place on Sunday 22 October 2017, 6pm, at Purity Hall, Mount Vernon Sanctuary, 121 Upper Aljunied Road, Singapore 367878. Visiting will continue on Monday, 11am – 10pm.
Inaugural Oxford and Cambridge Society of Singapore and Malaysia Putrajaya Lake Boat Race – 14 October 2017
Oxbridge Singapore Boat Club (OSBC) has added another regional footprint to our annual rowing calendar !
At the invitation of our Oxbridge Malaysian comrades, OSBC rowers participated in the Inaugural Oxbridge Singapore & Malaysia Putrajaya Lake Boat Race on 14 October 2017.
The Singapore delegation was led by Oxbridge Singapore President Paul Supramaniam & Hon Secretary-OSBC Captain Ng Yeau Chong.
The OSBC rowers were :
Anibal Gonzalez (Girton College, Cambridge)
Antonio Alvarez (St Cross College, Oxford)
David Li (Queens College, Cambridge)
Elizabeth Brown (Newnham College, Cambridge)
Michelle Low (Hughes Hall, Cambridge)
Sandra Chua, (St Anne’s College, Oxford)
Vanessa Tok (St Hugh’s College, Oxford)
OSBC emerged the Overall Champion over the clash of blades at this historic gathering.
Meet the Ambassadors Series: Fireside Chat with Stephanie Syptak-Ramnath, Acting Ambassador, US Embassy in Singapore
Following the very well-attended AGM and Fireside Chat on “Artificial Intelligence and the search for eternal youth” with venture capitalist Dr Finian Tan, our next chat will focus on foreign and security policy in the Asia-Pacific.
Members who attended the Launch of our Meet the Ambassadors Series, a joint fireside chat in April featuring Singapore’s Ambassador to Japan Lui Tuck Yew and Japan’s Ambassador to Singapore Kenji Shinoda will recall that the US’ role in the economic and security architecture of the Asia-Pacific was a hot topic for discussion. Five months later, with escalating tensions in the Korean Peninsula, as well as contested claims over the South China Sea questions have been raised of the US’ role, if any, in the region. Notably, the Economist in its latest issue asks if Asia’s American-led order is being ruined by “an American wrecking-ball”. Even if, as some believe, there is no clear replacement for the US at the centre of security in the Asia-Pacific, American prestige in the region is suffering. What is the US’ approach to the region, and has it changed? Does the Trump Administration even have a plan, and if so is the Asia-Pacific a priority?
Against this backdrop, we are pleased to have the opportunity to host Stephanie Syptak-Ramnath, Acting Ambassador at the US Embassy in Singapore, who will speak on “The role of the United States in the Asia-Pacific”.
Join us for what is sure to be an exciting and engaging fireside chat. Dato Paul Supramaniam and Dr Melanie Chew will jointly moderate. Sign up via Peatix.
Venue: 6B Cluny Park, Singapore 259615
Date/Time: Friday, 29 September, 7pm (food and drink provided)
Tickets: $38 for members, $50 for guests (limited spaces)
Sign-up: http://syptakramnathfireside.peatix.com
About the speaker:
Stephanie Syptak-Ramnath, Chargé d’Affaires, ad interim at the U.S. Embassy in Singapore, is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service. Her most recent assignment prior to her appointment to Singapore was as Minister Counselor for Public Diplomacy at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, where she managed Public Diplomacy staff across 9 Consulates in implementing U.S. government public outreach efforts that covered the work of 29 USG agencies in Mexico.
Stephanie previously served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Bamako, Mali where she led a team of 300 interagency colleagues in shaping and implementing the U.S. government response to the political, security, and humanitarian crises in the country.
A specialist in the field of Public Diplomacy, Stephanie’s other assignments include Senior Deputy Director in the Office of Public Diplomacy for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs; Career Development Officer for mid-level Public Diplomacy officers, Public Affairs Officer in Mali; Assistant Public Affairs Officer in Tunisia; Staff Assistant and Political Officer at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations; and Vice-Consul in Monterrey, Mexico.
Stephanie was a member of the International Women’s Forum Leadership Foundation 2011-2012 Fellows Class, a group of 35 rising women leaders from 14 different nations. As part of the program, she completed executive programs at both Harvard Business School and INSEAD’s Singapore campus.
Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Stephanie was an officer in the U.S. Navy. A graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, Stephanie is married and has two daughters. She speaks French, Spanish, and some Arabic. Her mother was a Singaporean who married a senior US Airforce officer and moved to the USA and her paternal grandfather was a US Air Force highly decorated pilot in WW2.
Oxbridge Society AGM 2017, Freshers’ Event, Fireside with Dr Finian Tan
We will be holding this year’s AGM on 31 July 2017 together with the Oxbridge Freshers’ Event and a Fireside Chat with Dr. Finian Tan.
Details as follows :
Date: 31 July 2017, Monday
Venue: The Pyramid Club (Verandah), 2 Goodwood Hill, Singapore 258897
Time: 6.45pm
Free for Members and Freshers.
Non-Member guests at $30
Agenda for AGM (members only)
1. To confirm and adopt the Minutes of the previous AGM held on 14 July 2016
2. To confirm and adopt the Secretary’s report and the Accounts of the Society as at 31 December 2016 (Materials forthcoming)
3. To elect two Honorary Auditors for a term of 1 year
4. AOB
Note – Committee members will not be elected this year as the current Committee was elected at last year’s AGM and each Committee is elected for a term of two years.
Programme
6.45pm Registration
7.00pm Dinner and Mingling
7.30pm AGM (members only)
8.00pm Fireside Chat with Dr. Finian Tan
9.30pm End
Fireside Chat with Dr. Finian Tan
“Artificial Intelligence and the search for eternal youth- perspectives from a venture capitalist”
In 2000, Baidu (often referred to as China’s Google) was a fledgling company struggling to get attention from investors—except from one Finian Tan (then head of Asia at Draper Fisher Jurvetson Eplanet Ventures) . He began investing in the search engine, betting that 1.3 billion Chinese would eventually embrace the Internet. When it went public five years later, Finian’s firm emerged as the bigger beneficiary with a stake larger than the 22 percent held by Baidu co-founder Robin Li.
Finian has identified the mega trends of artificial intelligence, augmented reality, internet of things and virtual reality as the next big thing. In the area of biotech, he is betting big on a San Diego-based company which is targeting a cell-signaling pathway that offers promise in reversing the biological processes of aging.
Join us for an intimate fireside chat with venture capitalist Dr Finian Tan, Chairman of Vickers Ventures Partners. Finian founded Vickers Venture Partners in 2005 with four partners and is currently based in Singapore and San Diego. The current combined value of Vickers’s four funds and co-investments total US$2.1b, managed out of five offices globally.
Before starting Vickers, Finian was a Partner and Managing Director at Draper Fisher Jurvetson. Prior to DFJ, Finian was Deputy Secretary of Trade and Industry for the Singapore Government where he oversaw the creation of the billion dollar TIF fund and was subsequently appointed as chairman of the fund. As part of his earlier career , Finian ran Goldman Sachs’ Asian trading arm (J.Aron Singapore).
Finian received his DPhil and MPhil in Engineering from Cambridge University and his B.Sc. Engineering from the University of Glasgow where he won all the prizes for every examined subjects in the penultimate and final years of his course.