NTU welcomes four senior government officials from China who have been selected as the inaugural recipients of the prestigious Lien Ying Chow Legacy Fellowship.

Dr Jin Weigang, Dr Qiu Yong, Dr Wang Yeyao and Dr Xing Ying are the inaugural recipients of the prestigious Lien Ying Chow Legacy Fellowship, a joint initiative by NTU and the Lien Foundation to groom established and emerging leaders in Singapore and China. The fellowship was established to honour and cherish the legacy of the late Dr Lien Ying Chow, who co-founded Nantah, the predecessor of NTU, and made significant contributions to the growth of Singapore.

A dinner was held at NTU on 30 April to formally welcome the four Lien Fellows from China. Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong was the Guest-of-Honour. Other special guests in attendance included Mrs Margaret Lien, Chairman of the Lien Foundation, Mr Hong Xiaoyong, Acting Ambassador, Embassy of the People's Republic of China, and Mr Koh Boon Hwee, Chairman of the NTU Board of Trustees.

"Like many of the China programmes here in NTU, the spirit of the Lien Ying Chow Legacy Fellowship programme is very much in line with the university's mission of nurturing creative and entrepreneurial leaders through a broad education in diverse disciplines," says Dr Su Guaning, President of NTU. "Inspired by the Eisenhower Fellowship in the US, the programme aims to support leaders in Singapore and China in their personal development and professional advancement to better contribute to the needs of the people in the two countries. It also sets out to groom Fellows who will spearhead the process of change."

People-to-people exchange programme
Chosen through a stringent interview and selection process, the four Lien Fellows are career high-flyers with doctorate degrees, from major government departments in China. Dr Jin Weigang is the Deputy Director of the Social Security Institute at the Ministry of Human Resource and Social Security, while Dr Qiu Yong holds the title of Deputy Director General at the China Securities Regulatory Commission, Guangdong Bureau. Dr Wang Yeyao is the Vice President of the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences. Dr Xing Ying is the Deputy Director General of the Global Investment Department at the National Council for Social Security Fund. The selection process included interviews in Beijing, where the candidates met with a panel comprising key representatives from the Lien Ying Chow Legacy Fellowship Council and China Education Association for International Exchange, an NGO supported by China's Ministry of Education.

During the one-year fellowship, the four will undertake policy research in various areas, including environmental protection, governance and regulation of financial institutions, labour and social security, and sovereign wealth fund policies in Singapore. They will also develop their research agenda and play an active part in designing their own programmes with the help of their mentors from NTU and other participating institutions in Singapore.

Mr Ngiam Tong Dow, Chairman of the Lien Ying Chow Legacy Fellowship, notes that the Lien Ying Chow Legacy Fellowship Council is currently working with the Public Service Division of the Prime Minister's Office to identify suitable Lien Fellows from Singapore. Three to four candidates will be selected for the programme in China commencing at the end of this year.

Established in September 2007, the Lien Ying Chow Fellowship is funded by a $10 million donation from the Lien Foundation and dollar-for-dollar matching from the government, with the aim of strengthening ties between Singapore and China through intellectual, cultural and social exchange. The programme is targeted at high-profile senior government officials and established professionals and academics from Singapore and China who can make an impact on policy issues in their respective fields. Fellows from both countries have the opportunity to be exposed to each other's unique environment and culture, to help forge viable partnerships and foster positive changes that will have a lasting impact on both countries.



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