40 graduands received their Graduate Diploma in Technopreneurship and Innovation Programme (TIP) from NTU President Dr Su Guaning, on 11 November 2005 in front of the former Nanyang University Administration Building – NTU's first outdoor convocation ceremony. Guest-of-Honour Mr Robert Chandran, founder and CEO of US$3.5 billion company, Chemoil Corporation, addressed the graduands at the ceremony.

The TIP Class of 2005 comprises individuals of diverse backgrounds. The 40 graduates range from 21 years to 48 years of age, with an equal representation of fresh graduates and working professionals. Seven had also obtained higher degree qualifications such as MBAs, prior to joining TIP. Besides entrepreneurs, the class also attracted engineers, senior management staff, even an education administrator.

The diversity of the class shows TIP's relevance in other professions as the course is tailored for those who wish to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset to reach greater success in today's ever-changing economy.

Eight graduates from the Class of 2005 have gone one step further in their pursuit of a meaningful entrepreneurship education and have enrolled in the pioneer Master of Science degree programme in Technopreneurship and Innovation.

Associate Professor Tan Teng Kee, Director of the Nanyang Technopreneurship Centre (NTC), said: "TIP is more than equipping its students with holistic entrepreneurship skills and business knowledge. Its unique teaching pedagogy offers students the transformational experiences such as being entrepreneurial in thinking and action, confident to start up businesses or to help businesses grow, commitment to success and keenness to give back to society. We are now looking into how the TIP experience can be applied to the undergraduate education as a whole in NTU. TIP is also now upgraded to a Master of Science degree, providing students an added experience by going to China, and the pioneer batch will commence their classes on 5 December 2005."

We congratulate our Class of 2005 TIP graduates and welcome them to the Nanyang Alumni family.

Since its inception in 2001, TIP has seen some 50 per cent of its graduates start their own businesses. These include serial entrepreneur Mr Roderick Chia, founder and managing director of Spiral Communications Pte Ltd, who won the Tan Kah Kee Young Inventor's Award five times, as well as Ms Jan Ho, founder of Applestiz and recipient of this year's Spirit of Enterprise Award.

The recent winner of this year's Shell LiveWire Young Business Start-Up Awards, Mr Vincent Lee, is also a TIP alumnus. He started Inflexion, a biomedical start-up which launched its flagship product that is capable of detecting nasopharyngeal cancer in 90 minutes. 

TIP application* is now open for 2006. Interested candidates please visit the website for more information.

*TIP can only offer a maximum of 50 placements each year to maintain the quality of interaction and the level of dynamism in the learning process. Seize the opportunity to introduce TIP to your colleagues, friends and/or family members, who you think can greatly benefit from the MSc TIP program. 

© Alumni Affairs Office & Corporate Communications Office