NUS holds memorial ceremony for Mr Lee Kuan Yew

SINGAPORE — The late Mr Lee Kuan Yew was instrumental in the shaping and development of higher education in Singapore, particularly the university sector, said National University of Singapore (NUS) President Tan Chorh Chuan today (March 24).

“He firmly believed that talent development was not just crucial, but absolutely essential for Singapore’s progress and continued success; as people is Singapore’s only resource,” said Prof Tan, who was speaking at the NUS Memorial Ceremony at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

Even though Singapore enjoyed sustained economic growth in the late 1970s, Prof Tan said Mr Lee identified the need to raise skills training and talent development.

“He foresaw that the demand for more and better trained graduates and professionals would continue to grow, a responsibility entrusted to the National University of Singapore which was established in 1980,” he said.

Education was always one of Mr Lee’s key concerns, said Prof Tan.

A year after Singapore obtained independence, Mr Lee met with school principals and pushed for the novel idea then, that every child should be developed to his or her full potential, said Prof Tan.

He quoted Mr Lee, where Singapore’s first prime minister said: “The ideal product is the student, the university graduate who is strong, robust, rugged, with tremendous qualities of stamina, endurance, great intellectual discipline and most importantly of all, humility and love for his community; a readiness to service whether God or king or country or, if you like, just his community.”

The memorial ceremony was attended by more than 1,000 NUS staff, students and alumni. Mr Lee studied at NUS’ predecessor institution Raffles College between 1940 and 1941, before his studies were interrupted by World War II. Multiple prizes and awards at NUS have been established over the years under Mr Lee’s name, such as the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship To Encourage Upgrading Award.