Building Our Kampung

President of SUSS

Professor Tan Tai Yong

“As a community, we are not merely a collection of buildings and individuals; we are a living, breathing entity fuelled by shared dreams, mutual support and a commitment to the growth of each member.”

I was born in Upper Serangoon (Hougang) and grew up in a semi-rustic environment. It was not quite a kampung, but there were plenty of fruit trees, small farms and open spaces. Children from different households would play together regularly. My grandfather ran a local provision shop, and I recall neighbours coming to buy provisions, often on credit. We knew everyone in the vicinity, and there was a certain “kampung spirit” in the way people related to one another. In some instances, I witnessed the neighbourhood coming together, in the spirit of gotong royong, to do things as a community.

My hope is to have the gotong royong spirit at SUSS. Our students can thrive because of the collective generosity of our community – from fellow students and staff to our donors and alumni. Every contribution ensures not only the development of individual students but also the sustainability and growth of our community.

Keeping the Gotong Royong Spirit Alive
In this year’s Annual Giving Report, it is my joy to share with you stories of how your giving has spurred the gotong royong spirit. It is this remarkable spirit of community that drove many of our initiatives within the university and beyond.

We are pleased to launch the inaugural Seah Choo Meng Public Lecture Series, which aims to benefit the Built Environment sector by encouraging knowledge sharing among construction professionals. We also organised the SUSS Giving Day Marketplace Fun(d) Fair for the first time, which saw our SUSS community and external vendors coming together to raise funds for our SUSS Giving Day.

“My hope is to have the gotong royong spirit at SUSS. Our students can thrive because of the collective generosity of our community – from fellow students and staff to our donors and alumni. Every contribution ensures not only the development of individual students but also the sustainability and growth of our community.”

Uplifting the Community
As a leading university for social good, our goal is to inspire lifelong learning and enable positive transformations in society. Through the sharing of our resources, including study grants and scholarships, we are able to uplift our students and empower them to become changemakers in their own fields.

This is only made possible through your giving, from small, personal donations, to transformational ones such as the Quantedge Foundation’s gift which will benefit about 120 disadvantaged students in perpetuity, and Nunchi-Marine’s gift which enabled us to launch the SUSS-Nunchi Marine Age Well Programme to encourage knowledge sharing among countries such as Japan and Taiwan on helping our elderly community to age well in place. We are grateful for these gifts, no matter how big or small, that enable us to empower our students and the wider community.

Honouring Our Heritage
In every kampung, there are legacies to be honoured and continued. Similarly, we want to take this opportunity to share the stories and insights of those whose shoulders we stand on. It is through their strength, resilience and perseverance that have paved the way for us to do good work. And it is this shared bond among us that has also inspired our alumni to give back to our students.

As a community, we are not merely a collection of buildings and individuals; we are a living, breathing entity fuelled by shared dreams, mutual support and a commitment to the growth of each member. Together, let’s shape the future and create a caring and interconnected society, where every student and professional has the opportunity to learn, excel and contribute.

Thank you for being a part of the SUSS kampung and embracing the gotong royong spirit!

Sincerely,
Professor Tan Tai Yong
President, Singapore University of Social Sciences

Building Our Kampung

President of SUSS

“As a community, we are not merely a collection of buildings and individuals; we are a living, breathing entity fuelled by shared dreams, mutual support and a commitment to the growth of each member.”

Home

2023: The Year in Review

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Building Our Kampung

President of SUSS

“As a community, we are not merely a collection of buildings and individuals; we are a living, breathing entity fuelled by shared dreams, mutual support and a commitment to the growth of each member.”

Home

2023: The Year in Review