A homecoming to remember

Text: Derek Rodriguez

Since Gaia was officially opened in May this year, NTU Alumni Homecoming 2023 was the first opportunity for many alumni to see Asia’s largest wooden building in person, experience having workshops in its smart classrooms, and getting together with friends in the building’s social spaces.

Visitors were treated to a vantage view of one of the world’s most beautiful campuses on open-top double-decker tour buses that took them past their old haunts as well as new sustainable buildings like The Wave and The Arc.

Couldn’t make it to homecoming? We’ve got you covered. Hop onto an open-top bus for a virtual tour of the campus.

Alumni and their families watched on as Kai Emmanuel Kuah, a Year 4 communications student and professional magician, elicited “wows” and laughs with his illusions. Experience the magic of the day.

Guided tours to NTU labs took alumni and their families behind the scenes to research and learning facilities, such as a garage where student-built race cars are rolled out from.

During the fireside chat with NTU President, which was moderated by comedian-show host Rishi Budhrani (WKWSCI/2009), Prof Ho Teck Hua announced new lifelong learning incentives for alumni and encouraged alumni to be proud ambassadors for NTU.

"It’s been good to catch up with friends. It’s also very family oriented and I’m enjoying it with my family. Getting matching parent-child T-shirts as prizes for the augmented reality photo filter contest is fantastic, as it allows me and my son to have a shared memory of NTU.” - Andrew Wong (left) (SPMS/2005)

"Although I work at the Energy Research Institute @ NTU, it’s been five or six years since I’ve been to this part of campus. I took this as a chance to show my wife the university too. We went for a networking event with the SCSE (School of Computer Science and Engineering) community, met professors, and took a guided tour of the school, which was amazing.” - Abishek Sethupandi (left) (SCSE/2017)

"It’s great! I’m really impressed with the way it has been organised. There are so many attractions. There are games, food choices and various events, and everybody is having a good time.” - Tan Ka Huat (left) (Science/1975)

"It’s impressive that the President is investing so much in alumni. It makes us want to come back and give back more.” - Lim Shu Fang (right) (MAE & NBS/2019)

"Prof Ho also talked about increasing the relevance of continuing education and training. Financial aid helps but with the rapidly changing economy, that will attract people from all over the world to NTU.” - Poh Yong Keat (left) (MAE & NBS/2019)

 

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This article first appeared in issue 4 of U, the NTU alumni magazine.