SPEECH BY MR LIM HNG KIANG, MINISTER FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY AT THE A*STAR SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS CEREMONY 2009 ON FRIDAY, 24 JULY 2009, 4 PM, AT MATRIX AUDITORIUM, BIOPOLIS
Your Excellency Pär
Ahlberger
Mr Lim Chuan Poh, Chairman of
A*STAR,
Scholars and
Parents,
Distinguished
Guests,
Ladies and
Gentlemen,
Introduction
It gives me great pleasure to be here today to share in the
joy and excitement of the 145 scholarship and fellowship
recipients. This is indeed a proud moment for the scholars and
their families, and I congratulate all of
them.
Importance
of scientific research talent to Singapore’s continued
success.
Through our perseverance, we
have built up a base of scientific talent and created an
international research environment. Having gained global
recognition as a biomedical research hub, Biopolis is home to
corporate labs of multinational companies like Abbott,
GlaxoSmithKline and Novartis. Fusionopolis, our new science and
engineering hub, has also attracted private companies such as Nitto
Denko, Vestas, Ubisoft and Seiko Instruments to set up research
labs.
However, our success can only be sustained by
building a
pipeline of R&D talent to energise and drive Singapore’s
knowledge-based,
innovation-driven economy. In this regard,
A*STAR plays a key role in nurturing scientific research talent.
A*STAR’s role in nurturing
R&D talent
A*STAR starts reaching out to potential scholars while
they are very young. It has been partnering the Ministry of
Education and the Singapore Science Centre to encourage and sustain
an interest in science among young children. Our students, from as
early as in primary school, can start to develop their scientific
abilities and creativity by taking part in competitions such as the
Sony Creative Science Awards, A*STAR Talent Search and The National
Science Challenge. There are also opportunities for pre-university
students to pursue their interest in scientific research through
the A*STAR Science Awards.These awards support the students’
studies and provide them with opportunities to gain exposure
through symposiums by world-class scientists and research
attachments at A*STAR
labs.
Through
A*STAR’s scholarships and fellowships, scholars will not only
receive the best education and training at top universities and
labs around the world, but also build linkages with the
international community. To date, including the new scholars, 882 talented young
people have been trained or are training to be scientists.Of that
number, 150 have already attained their PhDs and are working in
A*STAR Research Institutes.
Apart from scholarships, the A*STAR Graduate Associate
Programme, or GAP, was introduced in 2005 to provide opportunities
for fresh graduates to participate in research at A*STAR’s research
institutes. GAP aims to groom graduates in science and engineering
who are passionate about research. Through this programme, recent
graduates can gain experience working in a research environment,
hone their skills and be better prepared to venture into industry.I
was told that the response for GAP has been very positive, with
more than 1,400 applicants for positions in A*STAR research
labs.
Research Career at
A*STAR
Once our
aspiring young scientists have completed their studies, they have
the opportunity to be part of a diverse community of scientific
talent at A*STAR. They can benefit from the tutelage of top local
and international researchers, who will provide mentorship and
guidance to help them establish their research careers.
Take for
example Dr Sebastian Ku who pursued his PhD studies at NUS as an
A*STAR scholar. After graduating, Dr Ku deepened his scientific
knowledge and capabilities under the mentorship of Professor
Miranda Yap at A*STAR’s Bioprocessing Technology Institute. Through
Prof Yap’s connections with the scientific community, Dr Ku had the
opportunity to venture overseas for further training and to present
papers at several international conferences. This exposure has been
invaluable to him and had broadened his horizons immensely.He is
now furthering his career at Genentech, a leading biotech
company.
Many other opportunities are available to A*STAR scholars –
opportunities that will enable them to reach their potential be it
in research, industry, administration or
academia.Just two days
ago, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between A*STAR,
NUS and NTU, to provide a research and
academia dual-career track for scholars. This will allow scholars
to focus on research conducted at A*STAR research institutes while
honing their teaching and supervision skills at the
universities.
Through A*STAR’s many linkages with companies in the
various industries, scholars will also have ample opportunities to
work on solving real and immediate challenges faced by companies in
our economy.As young researchers, this is where you can gain
industry experience and see your work translating into direct
benefits for Singapore.
Examples of A*STAR
scholars
Scientific
research has and will continue to play a major role in
improving
health care delivery, enhancing our quality of life and
tackling global
challenges.I am delighted to hear about the achievements of our
scholars who have completed their PhD education and are now making
a difference through their research.
An example is Dr Andrew Wan who
pursued tissue engineering at JohnsHopkinsUniversity before
returning to the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology
(IBN) in 2005.Within a year, he led his team to develop artificial
fibers that act as “scaffolds” to grow new tissue.Dr Wan’s research
has many potential applications for tissue implants, drug
development, and therapies for diabetics and liver
failure.
Another example
is Dr Foo Yong Lim who joined the Institute of Materials Research
and Engineering in 2003 after his graduate studies at the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research team is
the first in the world to observe the real time growth of single
wall carbon nanotube. Dr Foo’s discovery opens up new possibilities
for the automotive and electronics industries.
Like Dr Wan and Dr Foo, new scholars here today have the
opportunity to make a difference to the world. Today, we are
facing complex global challenges such as climate change,
sustainable development, a growing and aging population and flu
pandemics. Solutions to these challenges need to be drawn from a
range of disciplines in science and technology and the humanities.
It is up to aspiring scientists like our young scholars to take up
these challenges and find creative ways of solving
them.
Words of
encouragement
Let me once again congratulate all the new scholars here
today.With so many options, this is clearly an exciting time to be a young person embarking on your higher
education.Your opportunities begin now as a new scholar. Make full
use of the exposure that your education will bring you. Build
networks in the world, wherever you may be pursuing your academic
aspirations.Take the chance to learn and gain experience in the
research culture and industries of the countries you will be
in.
As an A*STAR scholar, you can look
forward to returning to a conducive research environment where you
can build on your experience and make your mark in the years to
come. Looking at all of you here today, I see the next generation
of scientific leaders who can make a difference to society and
impact the world. You may be the one to find the solution to
reverse climate change, improve the quality of life for our ageing
population, or the cure to diseases that threaten the world today.
I trust you will live up to the challenge to innovate and create
new solutions and I wish all of you every
success.