In an evening marked by gratitude, celebration, and a glimpse into the transformative impact of philanthropy, CDE recently hosted more than 150 donors and their guests at an Appreciation Dinner held at the Conrad Centennial Hotel, Singapore.
Opening the evening’s events, CDE Acting Dean Prof Teo Kie Leong, thanked the College’s donors “whose unwavering support has been essential in enabling us to embark on a journey to make a meaningful impact on society through education, research, and innovation.”
“Your generosity has transformed lives, reshaped futures, and continues to drive the trajectory of our endeavours,” he said. “It is an honour to express our profound gratitude for your invaluable contributions.”
Prof Teo highlighted how donor contributions had helped and continue to support many students in need to achieve a university education and global exposure. Through the generosity of donors, 270 donated bursaries have been raised for CDE students to date. Donors have contributed substantially to CDE’s commitment to ensure no student is left behind.
Donors and partners have also joined wholeheartedly in CDE’s vision of building a better future for all by supporting research and donated professorships with particular emphasis on the College’s work in sustainability. Donated professorships are not only crucial in drawing and supporting top talent in critical areas, but they are also a means to catalyse outreach, foster networking and support the sharing of expertise across sectors.
Tangible impact of donors
An exhibition of CDE innovations, student projects, research initiatives, and sharing by CDE faculty underscored the tangible impact of donor generosity in many areas, such as supporting students and research aspirations, promoting innovation and creativity, and engaging other partners and beneficiaries towards a higher goal.
Associate Professor Emi Kiyota (Department of Architecture) spoke on the aspirations of the NUS Centre for Age Well and Environment to re-imagine ageing and how societies approach ageing-related challenges to ensure a vibrant and inclusive future for all. Donations have contributed to the Centre's research and community engagement initiatives, including a generous gift from Mrs Lee Li-ming.
Student projects were the highlight of Dr Yen Shih-Cheng's presentation. The Engineering Design & Innovation Centre (EDIC) at CDE, of which Dr Yen is the Director, hosts many interdisciplinary student projects and cross-faculty teams. Donors and partners have contributed as project sponsors and industry experts, supported student teams in global competitions and funded early-stage student start-up concepts. These opportunities allow students to hone their skills, apply their deep technical knowledge and explore applications for the output of their innovation and creativity.
Projects showcased during the evening included impactful designs from students and alumni of the Division of Industrial Design, sustainability research projects from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and the Biomedical Engineering for Good (bGood) initiative, where students work with community partners and disadvantaged individuals to co-design and solve real-world challenges through design and technological innovations.
Engaging an extended community
The evening celebrated CDE's donors and, through sharing stories and showcasing projects, reinforced the message that we are all part of a larger community committed to the College’s mission to inspire, innovate and transform.
“Your partnership with us goes beyond financial support; it is a collaboration that paves the way for transformative change in education and research,” Prof Teo said.
Photo gallery: Projects and research showcase at Donor Appreciation Dinner
To see more photos from the evening click here
