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Speech Day 2013 - Address by Guest of Honour, Ms Tricia Huang
Speech Day 2013 - Address by Guest of Honour, Ms Tricia Huang
“…. I chose TKGS as my secondary school for 3 main reasons. First, it was a top secondary school for girls, second, my sister was also a student here and just 1 year ahead of me and third, TKGS offered the Music Elective Programme (MEP). The 4 years that I spent here at TKGS are years that I will never forget; I had a good balance of academic and non-academic activities here. Being a triple science student, I particularly enjoyed Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics. Being an MEP student as well, I also got the chance to appreciate the arts, and participated in various musicals and other performances that the school regularly put up. I also remember that cheerleading was a big thing when I was in Sec 3 and 4.
During my years in TKGS, I realized that my strengths were in Science. In particular, I was inspired by my Biology teacher, Mr Lam Peng Kwan, and subsequently my Biology teachers in Victoria Junior College. From there, I went on to pursue a bachelor degree in Biology at the University of Cambridge in the UK. I took a scholarship from the EDB for my university studies, and I was lucky to be part of the Biomedical Sciences group in EDB which promoted and developed the Biomedical Sciences as a new economic cluster from the year 2000 onwards. After being in EDB for 11 years, I then joined A*STAR and became a Director in the Biomedical Research Council in 2011.
My job in A*STAR involves overseeing the various research institutes & centres that we have in the Biomedical Sciences research area, ranging from molecular & cell biology to genomics and immunology, as well as planning and maintaining links with international partners.
Besides gaining academic knowledge from my years in TKGS, I also gained from the values that I learnt here, such as being open to new ideas and having a consultative mindset, being able to work in teams, as well as having the perseverance and conviction to make things happen. Above all, I gained a lot of self-confidence through my education at TKGS; I learnt to believe in myself, to push my own ideas and be innovative, while also making sure that there are in line with what the organization wants. I believe this has served me well in my career, both in EDB and at A*STAR.
Many of you must be thinking about what you want to do with your lives, and what careers you should go into. I can say from my own experience that if you desire to go into the area of Science, there are unique ways of thinking and learning that you must adopt. These include the ability to observe patterns and phenomena, the ability to accurately document them and to suspend judgment until reasonable and sufficient evidence had been gathered. This lies at the crux of scientific inquiry.
However, we cannot assume that a scientist only needs deep scientific knowledge and methods of inquiry. They need to work in teams, to communicate their ideas and to persuade others to see beyond what is intuitively obvious. Clarity in communication, the ability to work with a diverse range of individuals and the humility to listen and include others become extremely important. In A*STAR, we have a very diverse group of 5,000 people in our community, with more than 60 different nationalities and many different backgrounds ranging from biology to engineering to computing. That ability to work in teams is essential. You also need to communicate well, and to see others’ points of view, and recognise their abilities and contributions, and not just your own.
An innovative mindset and a child-like curiosity will also stand you in good stead. Innovation and research are closely tied to the growth of Singapore as a young nation. We have already invested heavily in Research & Development, and will continue to do so to generate new knowledge and innovative solutions as a way of catalysing economic growth. More importantly, research and new technological solutions will help raise productivity and help humanity deal with challenges both today and in the future.
In today’s context, scientists not only need to work in teams within their own organisations, but they also need to collaborate widely with scientists from other disciplines, with clinicians in the hospitals, as well as with industry partners both locally and internationally. In A*STAR, we are starting to see more of such integrated partnerships between public and private organisations and across international boundaries. In fact, it is as much about doing good science as it is about strategic partnerships. And our value lies in the ability to connect ideas and people, and generate shared value and goals across organisational and geographical boundaries.
One example is in the area of metabolic disease and nutrition, where A*STAR’s Singapore Institute of Clinical Sciences is now partnering with the NUS medical school to start a new strategic programme in human nutrition and development. This joint programme will raise our international standing, attract and train international scientific and clinical talent, and help us to connect better with the nutrition industry, a growing sector in Singapore.
Going forward, as we progress further into the 21st century, the competition for talent will only get more intense. It is therefore not good enough for you to possess a string of A’s. In fact, it is more important that you learn to work with and alongside people, and to see things from their perspective as well as your own. What drives you should not be the practical benefits of a good job but also the purpose behind the work you do, and what you can gain from it in terms of your own personal growth and development.
Science is as much about facts and theories as it is about values, communication and above all, service to humanity. As you gain more knowledge, always ask ‘what is the purpose of this knowledge?’ If you are talented in a particular area, ask ‘How might I use this talent?’ or ‘How can I be a good steward of my gifts?’ In a nutshell, the more you have been given, the more is expected of you. And if you succeed, there is then much more that you can give back.
The Project Work that you go through here in TKGS is going to be the first step in which these questions should arise and I hope these questions will spur you on to find some answers. The talent development programme that your school has just announced should give you the platform to explore these in greater depth. The Value-in- Action programme encourages you to go out into the community to explore and find ways of meeting the needs of the community. These complement the in-depth learning of the various subjects in the academic curriculum and will stand you in good stead.
To all the award recipients seated here, you have done well and I congratulate you on your achievements. I urge you to remember those who might have helped you in your journey and to give back whenever and wherever you can. Thank you.”
During my years in TKGS, I realized that my strengths were in Science. In particular, I was inspired by my Biology teacher, Mr Lam Peng Kwan, and subsequently my Biology teachers in Victoria Junior College. From there, I went on to pursue a bachelor degree in Biology at the University of Cambridge in the UK. I took a scholarship from the EDB for my university studies, and I was lucky to be part of the Biomedical Sciences group in EDB which promoted and developed the Biomedical Sciences as a new economic cluster from the year 2000 onwards. After being in EDB for 11 years, I then joined A*STAR and became a Director in the Biomedical Research Council in 2011.
My job in A*STAR involves overseeing the various research institutes & centres that we have in the Biomedical Sciences research area, ranging from molecular & cell biology to genomics and immunology, as well as planning and maintaining links with international partners.
Besides gaining academic knowledge from my years in TKGS, I also gained from the values that I learnt here, such as being open to new ideas and having a consultative mindset, being able to work in teams, as well as having the perseverance and conviction to make things happen. Above all, I gained a lot of self-confidence through my education at TKGS; I learnt to believe in myself, to push my own ideas and be innovative, while also making sure that there are in line with what the organization wants. I believe this has served me well in my career, both in EDB and at A*STAR.
Many of you must be thinking about what you want to do with your lives, and what careers you should go into. I can say from my own experience that if you desire to go into the area of Science, there are unique ways of thinking and learning that you must adopt. These include the ability to observe patterns and phenomena, the ability to accurately document them and to suspend judgment until reasonable and sufficient evidence had been gathered. This lies at the crux of scientific inquiry.
However, we cannot assume that a scientist only needs deep scientific knowledge and methods of inquiry. They need to work in teams, to communicate their ideas and to persuade others to see beyond what is intuitively obvious. Clarity in communication, the ability to work with a diverse range of individuals and the humility to listen and include others become extremely important. In A*STAR, we have a very diverse group of 5,000 people in our community, with more than 60 different nationalities and many different backgrounds ranging from biology to engineering to computing. That ability to work in teams is essential. You also need to communicate well, and to see others’ points of view, and recognise their abilities and contributions, and not just your own.
An innovative mindset and a child-like curiosity will also stand you in good stead. Innovation and research are closely tied to the growth of Singapore as a young nation. We have already invested heavily in Research & Development, and will continue to do so to generate new knowledge and innovative solutions as a way of catalysing economic growth. More importantly, research and new technological solutions will help raise productivity and help humanity deal with challenges both today and in the future.
In today’s context, scientists not only need to work in teams within their own organisations, but they also need to collaborate widely with scientists from other disciplines, with clinicians in the hospitals, as well as with industry partners both locally and internationally. In A*STAR, we are starting to see more of such integrated partnerships between public and private organisations and across international boundaries. In fact, it is as much about doing good science as it is about strategic partnerships. And our value lies in the ability to connect ideas and people, and generate shared value and goals across organisational and geographical boundaries.
One example is in the area of metabolic disease and nutrition, where A*STAR’s Singapore Institute of Clinical Sciences is now partnering with the NUS medical school to start a new strategic programme in human nutrition and development. This joint programme will raise our international standing, attract and train international scientific and clinical talent, and help us to connect better with the nutrition industry, a growing sector in Singapore.
Going forward, as we progress further into the 21st century, the competition for talent will only get more intense. It is therefore not good enough for you to possess a string of A’s. In fact, it is more important that you learn to work with and alongside people, and to see things from their perspective as well as your own. What drives you should not be the practical benefits of a good job but also the purpose behind the work you do, and what you can gain from it in terms of your own personal growth and development.
Science is as much about facts and theories as it is about values, communication and above all, service to humanity. As you gain more knowledge, always ask ‘what is the purpose of this knowledge?’ If you are talented in a particular area, ask ‘How might I use this talent?’ or ‘How can I be a good steward of my gifts?’ In a nutshell, the more you have been given, the more is expected of you. And if you succeed, there is then much more that you can give back.
The Project Work that you go through here in TKGS is going to be the first step in which these questions should arise and I hope these questions will spur you on to find some answers. The talent development programme that your school has just announced should give you the platform to explore these in greater depth. The Value-in- Action programme encourages you to go out into the community to explore and find ways of meeting the needs of the community. These complement the in-depth learning of the various subjects in the academic curriculum and will stand you in good stead.
To all the award recipients seated here, you have done well and I congratulate you on your achievements. I urge you to remember those who might have helped you in your journey and to give back whenever and wherever you can. Thank you.”