The Star featured an article on ikan terubuk (toli shad fish), prized for its roe in the Malay Archipelago. Yale-NUS Assistant Professor of Social Sciences (Environmental Studies) Anthony Medrano shared how there were written records of the immense popularity and importance of terubuk since the Portuguese invasion of Melaka. He noted that the terubuk roe trade dwindled in the 1960s, likely due to policies implemented by former Indonesian president Suharto, who encouraged logging, which caused massive deforestation and sedimentation run-off into the river, causing the fish to be choked to death.
The Straits Times carried an article on Steward Leadership 25 (SL25), an annual listing of 25 best projects of steward leadership excellence in Asia-Pacific. The 2024 list showcases projects of for-profit organisations that drive profit growth by addressing social and climate challenges. Yale-NUS President Joanne Roberts, one of the SL25 judges, shared that several submissions “rely heavily on technology to bring about solutions to today’s challenges” and that some of the gaps being addressed “fall in the areas of social inclusion, especially in the provision of more opportunities for women and the disabled to succeed”.
The Straits Times featured Yale-NUS alumnus Joshua Tay (Class of 2021), who co-founded charity group Impart, and the charity’s new initiative to reach out to reclusive youth through the game Minecraft. This new initiative is the latest of Impart’s programmes to support young people facing adversities.
Joshua, who studied philosophy, politics and economics, said he chose a different path from his batch mates, who went into fields such as management consultancy and technology. “I saw a real need, and I saw that we had a real opportunity to bridge those needs,” he said. “It happened at a time of my life when I saw more clearly how I had received a lot of grace that brought me to my current place in life. And grace freely received also frees you up to give yourself to another’s needs.”
The article was republished by The New Paper and Head Topics.
ChinaNews interviewed Yale-NUS Tan Chin Tuan Professor of Chinese Studies and Professor of Humanities (Chinese Studies and History) Scott Cook on his study of pre-Qin thought. Prof Cook spoke about his research on the Confucius dialogue texts that appeared among the Shanghai Museum manuscripts, including the challenges to accurately interpret the ancient characters in the documents and how Western anthropology and archaeological theories can provide new perspectives on classical Chinese thought. He concluded that if the world hopes to achieve the ideal of peace and tranquillity, lessons could be drawn from the idea of “harmony in diversity” which originated from pre-Qin thought.
CNA’s Daily Cuts which hosts curated interviews from CNA938, carried an interview about how food waste can be better managed in Singapore. The interviewees included Preston Wong, CEO and Co-Founder, Treatsure; Adjunct Faculty for Sustainability Law at SMU and Yale-NUS College. Preston shared about the early challenges of getting companies to make a decisive shift towards sustainability considerations in their business models but noted that in recent years, more windows of opportunities have opened. He added that in some countries, jurisdiction has been put in place to catalyse collective efforts to reduce food waste.
The Straits Times reported about Fencing Singapore’s new executive committee (exco) that was elected at its annual general meeting. The article noted that Yale-NUS Associate Director of Campus Life, Andy Loe, a former national wushu athlete and coach who now oversees student life, sports, leadership and wellness at the College, is a member of the exco team.
The Straits Times carried a report on what we need to know about sharks in Singapore waters, following the sighting of a blacktip reef shark near the shoreline at Palawan Beach in Sentosa. Yale-NUS College Assistant Professor of Science (Marine Biology) Benjamin Wainwright shared that sharks swim close to the shore for various reasons, such as hunting for prey, escaping larger predators, or giving birth in the shallower and calmer waters.
The Star Online reported that Yale-NUS alumnus Max Han (Class of 2024) has been named a top 10 finalist for the Chegg.org Global Student Prize 2024 for co-founding Youths United For Earth (YUFE) – a non-profit that mobilises youth for environmental action through storytelling, campaigns and advocacy. Max shared, “This came as a pleasant surprise, and I’m very proud that our local youth climate movement in Malaysia is being recognised internationally. The honour includes my youth-led team at YUFE and all the community partners we work with.”
Similar reports were carried in China Press, GuangMing Daily, and i3 investor.
The Sunday Times featured Yale-NUS alumnus Ryan Kueh (Class of 2023)’s new book, From Streets To Stalls, which is about the history and evolution of hawking and hawker centres in Singapore. Ryan shared that he was inspired to research hawker centres as a Politics, Philosophy, Economics and History student during his time as a student at Yale-NUS in early 2021, shortly after Singapore’s hawker centres were added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2020.
Lianhe Zaobao also published an article on Ryan’s book.
Lianhe Zaobao reported that NUS College has established the Tan Chorh Chuan Professorship and the Richard C Levin Professorship which pay tribute to Yale-NUS governing board members Tan Chorh Chuan and Richard C Levin. The professorship celebrates their instrumental roles in founding Yale-NUS College and building its fine legacy in liberal arts and sciences education while fostering a global perspective.
This was republished by World News.
