Benefits of Academic Networking

First, you get unsolicited offers from prestigious journals to submit your manuscripts to. (Research)

Now there is a complimentary textbook and an upgrade in your status. (Teaching)



I hope this is wonder what is next.

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Other news: my Singaporean roommate in undergrad is now in Chicago for his MBA, while my BMT buddy is heading to the Northeast for the same degree. Both are fully sponsored by their organizations. Another is in his final semester and will be leaving for home soon to serve his bond.

"Pantheon of Titans" indeed! A decade later, we are still competing with one another for one-upmanship and bragging rights. Just like them.

PhDs vs. the MBAs. Some companies take both; Imagine being colleagues in the end. Hur hur.

CHICAGO CITYLIGHTS; SSA Alliance; Work Singapore

Someone forwarded this to my mailbox. I wonder who would actually turn up (for those outside of the Upper Midwest).

Dear All,

The University of Chicago SAMSU Singaporean Society is proud to present Citylights 2007: Stand-up for Singapore! SAT, 24 FEB 2007
Ticket Price: US$25

This year's programme in brief (please see attached banner):

CONTACT SINGAPORE:
3-5pm at the Map Room, I House.

SYMPOSIUM (International House, 5pm)
Hossan Leong will be giving a talk about the comedy scene in Singapore and what it is like to be a comedian.

DINNER & PRE-SHOW SEGMENT (International House, 6:30pm)
Included in the ticket price.
Featuring mouth-watering dishes from home such as chicken rice, beef rendang and chicken curry. Also featuring the lovely sounds of our home-grown a cappella group grooving to the likes of Kit Chan, as well as the funky moves of our dance group!

STAND-UP COMEDY (International House, 8:30pm)
Featuring Hossan Leong. He can act! He can sing! While playing piano!!
Aaand, he's funny too!!

AFTERPARTY (Location TBA, 11:00pm onwards; SINGAPOREANS and invite-only)
Our chance to party, have fun and show everyone how it's really done, SINGAPORE-style!


This is an annual event organised by SAMSU SS to bring Singaporeans all over the US to meet and bond over Singaporean Culture! Previous years have seen us bringing in politicians, filmmakers and musicians to speak about Singaporean issues at the UofC (refer to www.citylightschicago.com/sg for more details).

This year, SAMSU will be featuring local talent Hossan Leong in a stand-up comedy performance, as well as an a cappella group and a dance group featuring our very own SAMSU members!

If any Singaporeans would like to request for cheap accommodation within Hyde Park, SAMSU SS will be able to provide it, if you email shahidah@uchicago.edu as soon as possible.

We hope to see you there!

For any queries, please email shahidah@uchicago.edu

Shahidah Abdul Rashid
SAMSU Singaporean Society
External Relations Chair

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Then there was a link to this "College Scope/SSA Alliance". Smells very suspicious. I have become too cynical of any initiative that could have a (Sg) government hand behind it.

Remember this? Here is the answer to that MOM questionnaire.

"Work Singapore is a job and internship portal targeted at graduates of good universities outside of Singapore who wish to work in our dynamic and cosmopolitan island city.Singapore residents who are looking for work at home are especially welcome.

The Singapore economy is currently experiencing robust growth and many premium companies are hiring. There isn't a better time than now to start your career in one of Asia's most vibrant cities!

Work Singapore will officially be launched on 1 March 2007. The portal is now open for registrations. Once you are registered, you will get updates of the most current news about the portal including jobs and internships that are of interest to you. Do visit thewebsite and check it out!"

Maybe I should suggest that readers follow Mr Wang's blog to clear the spin. It is amazing how ignorant some Singaporeans (students) overseas are when it comes to home issues.

Of Labels and Branding; No more Rhodes for Singaporeans

I think Singaporeans in general define (label?) themselves into several broad categories - educational background, familial wealth, and probably the jobs they held/hold. For the guys, there might also be the NS part - OCS, SISPEC etc.

Check out the reflections from Oikono and PJ.

*In case you don't know, PJ made headline news recently for swimming across the English Channel. He's also a Rhodes scholar.

In Singapore, students are relentless tracked and streamed from a young age, with the criteria almost
being entirely academic results. This results in the system being 'gamed' by students who cram relentlessly for exams, and teach themselves how to pass their exams well by studying lots and lots of past papers and the like. Perhaps this
is fairer, but it also has produced generations of Singaporeans who have tremendous capabilities to memorise information, but limited capacities to interpret and process the information, much less innovate, and thus do not have the skills to succeed in life (which is not measured by exams). Worse, it has marginalised all those who are tremendously talented in other areas but are unable to do as well in terms of academic results. I would immodestly suggest myself as an example (as you did), in that my academic results were decent but my talents lay in other areas. Anecdotally, my classmates who have been the most
successful in life were not necessarily those who did well academically. What I will always be grateful to Harvard for is recognising my potential and giving me a chance to really excel in life, because the Singapore system didn't give me
that chance. - PJ

Good to read: The social logic of Ivy League admissions. Not just the Ivies, but the rest of the selective US private institutions do too. MIT's, if you are interested.



Edit - It seems that Singaporeans will not be eligible for the Rhodes Scholarship effective 2006. I wonder why. Wang Jin (2005) is thus the last Singaporean to be conferred the honor. Joscelin Yeo was the 2004 winner.