On 12th August 2022, the accomplished author and NTU Singapore alumna Madam Tham Yew Chin – better known by her pen name You Jin – and her husband Mr James Jit Teng Lim made a gift of S$500,000 to Department of Chinese, School of Humanities, NTU for the purpose of nurturing Chinese talents and encouraging students’ creative writing in Chinese. Mr James Jit Teng Lim donated S$500,000 to start You Jin Education Endowment Fund. With government matching, the total amount raised is S$1.25 million. Madam Tham also donated her full collection of 206 books to the NTU Chinese Library. The gift signing and book donation ceremony was witnessed by Ms Low Yen Ling, Minister of State, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and Ministry of Trade and Industry.

新加坡时间2022年8月12日14:00-15:00，为培养中文人才、鼓励华文创作与出版，新加坡知名作家尤今（本名谭幼今）的丈夫林日胜先生以她的名义设立“尤今教育基金”，向南洋理工大学人文学院中文系捐赠50万新元，经过政府的配套资助，捐赠总额达125万新元。尤今老师向南大中文图书馆捐赠个人文学作品206部，设立“尤今的文学世界”专柜，展览三年。新加坡贸工部兼文化、社区及青年部政务部长刘燕玲女士出席并见证签字仪式。南大副校长连萧思女士、南大人文、艺术与社会科学学院院长廖振扬教授，南大人文学院院长Neil Murphy教授、南大图书馆馆长冯叔玲女士、南大中文系主任曲景毅副教授、南大事务发展部副主任郑雅兴先生、新加坡作家协会会长林得楠先生及尤今的家人等数十位嘉宾出席了仪式。

From the left: Prof Neil Murphy, Prof Joseph Liow, Ms Chen Yufei, Madam You Jin, Mr James Lim, Ms Low Yen Ling, Ms Lien Siaou-Sze, Ms Caroline Pang, Assoc Prof Qu Jingyi, Ms Jacintha Lim, Mr Ivan Lim, Mr Tee Ah Heng.

左起： Neil Murphy教授, 廖振扬教授，陈郁菲女士，尤今女士，林日胜先生，刘燕玲部长，连萧思副校长、冯叔玲女士，曲景毅副教授，林可君女士，林方德先生，郑雅兴先生。

In the beginning, Prof Neil Murphy, Chair of School of Humanities, delivered the opening remarks. He expressed his gratitude to Madam You Jin and Mr James Lim’s generous donation represented School of Humanities and introduced the development of Department of Chinese and the creative writing program. In addition to two merit awards, a scholarship and two awards under a bursary, You Jin Education Endowment Fund will especially encourage students’ creative writing and publication in Chinese. A collection of students’ literary works will be published every two years, with prizes awarded to the most outstanding author.

仪式伊始， Neil Murphy教授致开幕辞。Neil Murphy教授代表人文学院感谢林日胜先生与尤今老师的慷慨捐赠，并介绍学院中文系及创意写作课程的发展。“尤今教育基金”在奖学金、助学金以外，着重鼓励华文的创作与出版，将每两年出版一辑学生们的文学作品，对其中最杰出的作者颁发最佳创作奖金。

 

Ms Lien Siaou-Sze, Vice President of University Advancement, delivered speech on the necessity of collective effort to develop Chinese culture and language in the context of multicultural and bilingual policy in Singapore. She highlighted the importance of improving understanding of Chinese language and its cultural origin among young people, which ensures that Chinese culture is passed on as a part of multiculturalism. As the first lecture of “Self-Planting of Spiritual Roots: Singapore Chinese Culture Lecture Series”, she believed Madam You Jin’s lecture will provide young people with inspiration and enlightenment.

之后，连萧思女士致辞，她强调发展在新加坡多元文化及双语政策实行的背景下，实现华族文化与语言集体努力的必要性，通过提高年轻人对华语和文化渊源的认识和理解，确保华族文化得以传承，成为多元文化的重要部分。她特别提到尤今主讲的《旅行的创作与反思》为“灵根自植：新加坡中华文化系列讲座”拉开序幕，相信尤今老师的首讲将对年轻人有所启发与激励。

 

Mr James Jit Teng Lim, Donor of the You Jin Education Endowment Fund, Director of Lee Kim Tah Foundation and Member of Ipoh ACS Alumni Association, gave a speech sharing the journey of the establishment of the endowment fund. He recalled how his family had economic difficulties at an early age and how he and his siblings were fortunate to receive scholarships to pursue further studies. His wife, Madam You Jin, has made remarkable contributions to education in Chinese language in Singapore, and her more than 200 books are well known in Chinese literature circles in Singapore and overseas. She won the Cultural Medallion award in 2009 and was awarded Nanyang Alumni Achievement Award in 2016. Therefore, he deeply believed that the best way to alleviate poverty is through education. He hopes the endowment fund will encourage more young people to pursue Chinese studies and make valuable contributions, as well as inspire more donors to contribute to educational institutions for the development of the next generation in Singapore.

接着，“尤今教育基金”捐赠人、李金塔基金董事及怡保英华学校校友会成员林日胜先生致辞，他回忆自己幼年家境拮据，难以进修学习，后来全家兄弟姐妹幸获奖学金资助，方可顺利求学。而他的妻子尤今为新加坡中文教育作卓越贡献，其200余部著作享誉新加坡及海外华语文学界，并在2009年荣获新加坡文化艺术界最高荣誉奖项“新加坡文化奖”，2016年获颁“南大校友成就奖”。为此，他坚信改善贫困最好的方式就是教育，设立“尤今教育基金”意在支持与鼓励更多年轻人学习中文，亦希望以此为契机激励更多捐赠人为下一代发展向教育机构进行捐助。

 

Madam You Jin, distinguished local writer, Nantah Alumna, Donor of “You Jin’s Literary World” book donation, addressed a speech that recalled the profound influence of her four years of study at Nanyang University on her literary composition. She believed in the importance of reading for writing as her motto goes. Thus, she hopes the book donation will provide some nourishment for students’ studies. Madam You Jin donated 206 books – including novels, travelogues, essays, and biographies published in Singapore and China to the NTU Chinese Library.

之后，新加坡作家、南洋大学校友、“尤今文学世界”图书捐赠人尤今老师致辞，她回忆在南大四年的学习经历对她文艺创作深远的影响，她强调阅读之于写作的必要性，正如她创作的座右铭“以文字养文字”，希望图书捐赠为学生们的学习提供一些养分。尤今老师向南大中文图书馆捐赠新加坡和中国出版社出版的著作206部，包括小说、游记、散文、传记等。

 

Finally, witnessed by Ms Low Yen Ling, Minister of State, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and Ministry of Trade and Industry, Mr James Jit Teng Lim and Ms Lien Siaou-Sze finished the agreement signing ceremony of You Jin Education Endowment Fund.

最后，由新加坡贸工部兼文化、社区及青年部政务部长刘燕玲女士见证，“尤今教育基金”捐赠人林日胜先生与新加坡南洋理工大学副校长连萧思女士进行签字仪式。

Ms Low Yen Ling witnessed the You Jin Education Endowment Fund, Gift Sign & Book Donation Ceremony

刘燕玲部长见证签赠仪式

 

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Media Features 媒体报道汇总

• Facebook Page of Ms Low Yen Ling 刘燕玲部长脸书分享
• The Straits Times《海峡时报》- 15 August
• The Straits Times《海峡时报》- 17 August
• Lianhe Zaobao 《联合早报》- 13 August
• Lianhe Zaobao 《联合早报》- 23 August
• 8world News 8视界新闻网 - 12 August
• NetEase Singapore 网易（新加坡）- Link and Link
• NTU’s Website 新加坡南洋理工大学官方网站新闻 - Link
• Shicheng News 狮城新闻 - Link
• Singapore News Website 新加坡新闻网 - Link
• Capital 958 FM 958新闻频道 - Link
• Red Hot Singapore News - Link
• Flipboard - Link