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A day of rekindling old ties
Over 600 NTU alumni gathered in Shanghai for the annual networking event, reminiscing about their time at the university. The event also featured an alumni conference where attendees gained insights into ASEAN countries.
By Christine Teh
The alumni enjoyed a pleasant and convivial time reconnecting during the annual Alumni Conference and Reunion Dinner held on October 26 in Shanghai, China. NTU President Prof Ho Teck Hua opened the dinner event with a welcome address, sharing the exciting news that NTU is one of the three universities in Asia ranked in the top 30 across all three major global indices.
He emphasised the importance of alumni as brand ambassadors and encouraged them to continue supporting their alma mater by promoting the university and engaging in lifelong learning.
Alumnus Zhao Jun (TIP/2008), Vice President and Secretary General of NTU Alumni Association (Shanghai) expressed his delight at seeing Prof Ho in person. He noted that Prof Ho's words inspired the alumni to think about how they can effectively support NTU's development.
“I also appreciate the opportunity to reconnect with former classmates who are now doing well in various industries,” said Zhao Jun.
The event was attended by NTU Board Chair, Goh Swee Chen, several board members and the NTU leadership team. Mr Chua Teng Hoe, Consul-General at the Singapore Consulate in Shanghai and an alumnus of NTU RSIS, also graced the occasion.
NTU alumni who graduated from National Institute of Education.
Prof Ho Teck Hua, NTU’s President, addressed the alumni.
Alumni from different parts of China, including Shenyang and Yunnan, travelled to Shanghai for the gathering.
Conference platform to share knowledge
Before the dinner commenced, alumni were invited to a conference focused on fostering lifelong learning. They gained insights into ASEAN countries and their business dynamics. With a population of 622 million, ASEAN is the third-largest trading bloc in the world.
NTU’s Prof Liu Hong delivered a talk on the "Impact of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on ASEAN". The audience learned that the BRI, which enhances connectivity and physical infrastructure between countries, has expanded to include the “Digital Silk Road,” “Health Silk Road,” and “Green Silk Road.” These initiatives cover healthcare, clean energy, the digital economy, and people-to-people exchanges.
Prof Liu highlighted: “With the increased trade volume between ASEAN and China in the last decade, the support of ASEAN is vital to the success of the BRI.”
Prof Liu Hong is Associate Vice President of International (Liaison & Coordination) and Director (Research & Executive Education) at Nanyang Centre for Public Administration.
Following this, Assoc Prof Li Mingjiang, Provost’s Chair in International Relations at NTU RSIS, delivered a lecture and moderated a panel discussion on the business challenges and opportunities of overseas expansion. The panel featured two alumni entrepreneurs Tian Rongjin (EMBA/2020) and Ren Yahui (EMBA/2024) who specialise in equity investment and renewable energy respectively.
They mentioned the importance for Chinese entrepreneurs venturing to ASEAN to understand local conditions and build a network. They also underlined the need to enhance company transparency and corporate social responsibility to gain business credibility.
From left: Assoc Prof Li Mingjiang, Tian Rongjin, Ren Yahui.
Sharing her feedback on the conference, Sun Lingling (NCPA/2012), an entrepreneur running an ophthalmology-related tech startup in Hangzhou, said she is inspired to pursue a doctorate degree, remarking: “I gained a better understanding of the socio-economic environment for Chinese companies foraying into overseas markets. My greatest takeaway is to continue learning and apply new knowledge to my business.”
Sun Lingling (3rd from right) with NTU Alumni Association (Zhejiang).
Other highlights
- 28 alumni association leaders from China convened in Shanghai for the reunion. They met with Prof Boh Wai Fong, Vice President of Lifelong Learning and Alumni Engagement at NTU Singapore, who shared the latest developments of the University with them.
NTU’s Prof Boh Wai Fong (first row 6th from left) who heads alumni engagement met with alumni association leaders in Shanghai.
- Among the 30 NTU alumni associations in China, the latest is formed by Nanyang Centre for Public Administration, which the alumni has elected alumnus Liao Qingxuan (NCPA/2004) as its President.
Liao Qingxuan (left) with the management and Board of Trustees of NTU and Nanyang Centre for Public Administration at the Alumni Association’s launch on 26 October.
- The 16th China Convocation was held on October 27 in Shanghai, where NTU welcomed over 700 graduates from seven postgraduate programmes conducted in Chinese and the Lien Ying Chow Fellowship Programme into the NTU alumni family.
