NTU’s new Chancellor President Tharman Shanmugaratnam makes first campus visit

Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam made his first official visit as the university’s newest Chancellor on Wednesday, 3 April, where he interacted with NTU students and joined NTU leadership and Board members in a welcome dinner. 

In his presentation, NTU President Professor Ho Teck Hua shared with President Tharman the university's academic pursuits, research endeavours, and its vision for the future.

President Tharman was then introduced to NTU’s residential education programme and vibrant campus life where students shared firsthand insights into student life and activities on campus with President Tharman.

NTU students shared with the Chancellor their innovative projects such as the Crespion Projects, aimed at fostering creativity and interdisciplinary collaboration, and Waste Not Want Not, which promotes sustainability and community engagement by encouraging students to drop off unused items while picking up what could very well be treasures left behind by others. 

President Tharman then received a literal taste of residential Hall life as he joined a cooking demonstration by the Hall Culinary team, who whipped up local delicacies like ondeh-ondeh, ice bandung, and coconut ice cream. Students from the Table-to-Console Project then shared with President Tharman how their initiative considers the role of food and culinary arts in facilitating healing following the loss of a loved one.

To mark NTU’s commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship, President Tharman planted a Yellow Rain Tree on campus, a symbol of NTU’s dedication to fostering a greener campus and promoting eco-conscious practices among the university community.

President Tharman then joined a welcome dinner at Nanyang Lake Pavilion at the iconic Yunnan Garden hosted by NTU’s Board of Trustees Chair, Ms Goh Swee Chen. Ms Goh presented President Tharman with a 3D-printed memento of a hand cradling a globe, symbolising environmental stewardship and Earth's care.

The design of the memento incorporates representations of NTU's iconic buildings - the Hive, School of Art, Design and Media, and the ARC - known for their sustainable features such as unique ventilation systems, eco-friendly cooling, and natural lighting solutions.