Director’s Desk
Closing the year with 3 Ps
Cliché as it may be, time flies… The end of the year is often a time to wind down, reflect on what had happened in the past months on many levels and how these events have impacted the world and also our lives personally. Year end is not only about reflecting on past successes and trials, being proud of our achievements or heaving a sign of relief that we have managed to overcome challenges, big or small. It is also about being grateful and counting our blessings. Most of us would also give some thought of the future. How will we want to live out 2025? What goals will we set, will we be disciplined enough to pursue these goals or abandon them as we get caught up in the daily grind when the year unfolds? Let’s see if we can persevere on at least a couple of our key goals and bring them to fruition when we end 2025 😊.
As we wrap up 2024 and look ahead to 2025, I would like to suggest that we strive for to pursue the three Ps, Potential, Purpose and Plans. What do I mean?
Potential
All of us want to shine. By that, I do not mean the usual recognition, receiving accolades and rewards but more importantly whether we have grown and realised our potential. I would like to term this our “inner shine”. Imagine being able to become a better version of yourself with each passing year, acquiring skills and knowledge to help us not just survive but thrive in a world that is volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA). Here’s where we need to advocate lifelong learning and learning for life! At SUSS, this is imbued in our vision and mission. We want to support all our stakeholders, including our students and alumni in the quest. These include courses (whether certificated or customised courses for skills acquisition), industry top-ups and conferences to keep on trend and networking for sharing of contacts, ideas and best practices. To reap these benefits, we hope that you will look out for our programme offerings, attend conferences and workshops curated for you and also be actively engaged and join our alumni networks on SUSSConnect, our new alumni community engagement platform. If you have not activated your account, you can do so here.
Purpose
Often what drives us and helps put a spring in our step is a sense of purpose. If we are passionate about what we do and believe in the cause, we will find that energy to carry out our projects and activities and keep at it even when we encounter challenges along the way. In 2024, Alumni Relations refreshed our alumni engagement framework to better align with our Vision and Mission. We have been more mindful to embark on projects that impact lives (not only our own and our loved ones but also the community). In the Sep issue of SUSScribe I shared about our Age Well Alumni Network (AWAN) and how this group can help spread and enable active ageing in the community. The group, though small for a start, had derived so much joy in our drumming practices and outreach to seniors (including a cultural exchange trip to Tainan, Taiwan in Nov 2024 where we saw the tremendous good work that they have done to promote active ageing in the community). We are recruiting members for the next programme. So do check it out and sign up here – can we insert a link? can work with Jesslyn). We are sure that you will not be disappointed. Our Alumni Engagement Committee – AEC- (a group of passionate alumni who have volunteered their time to work alongside alumni relations to enhance alumni engagement and experience) have also been very active in championing various programmes to benefit students and alumni. These include a mentoring initiative by senior alumni, offered to students to give them insights into the working world, how to improve their chances with a strong resume and what the relevant industry sectors are like. Another purposeful initiative is community engagement. The group had organised 2 events in the second half of 2024, a beach clean-up at East Coast Park and a Christmas festive distribution of goodies to rental flats households in the Kreta Ayer area. Those who signed up for the events have found these meaningful and rewarding. This is indeed a promising start. And we already have many new and exciting initiatives up our sleeves, which brings me the last P in this wrap-up article.
Plans
With 2025 just around the corner, both our AR team, AEC and AWAN Committee are already hard at work (yes, in Dec when many are winding down) planning our programmes for 2025. We offer you a peek into what you can expect in 2025:
- Recruitment of AWAN members for engagement with 60 Active Ageing Centres in 2025 and potential of cultural exchange trip to Japan (a blue zone country with ageing population)
- Programmes in support of the Digital and Green economies
- Expanded alumni mentoring programme for students
- New networks on alumni groups with common interests
- Alumni advocacy via social and digital media
These are just highlights. There are many exciting happenings lined up for 2025. And your call to action is to… be informed of developments, be an active participant, be an advocate to bring the university and your degree to greater heights! We look forward to partnering and seeing more of you in 2025!
Seasons Greetings and Happy holidays!
Halfway There: Celebrating Wins and Building Future Momentum
June marks the halfway point of the year, a perfect time to review our achievements and set strategic plans for the future.
At Alumni Relations, the first half of 2025 was busy but purposeful. We focused on ACE-ing the year to deliver enriching experiences for our alumni through:
- Advocacy: Featured C-Suite alumni in our SUSS ARomas advocacy series, hosted an Appreciation luncheon with Prof Tan Tai Yong, SUSS President; and invited alumni to share their expertise and perspectives at Fireside Chats and Discussion Panels.
- Community Engagement: Organised a Chinese New Year goodies bag distribution to residents in the Chinatown area, ran the Age Well Alumni Network (AWAN) recruitment drive, and conducted Drums-Up for Active Ageing activities to on-board Active Ageing Centres (AACs). The Drums-Up programme aims to promote agility, cognitive ability, and socialisation among seniors. Our commitment to active ageing is evident through various initiatives such as visiting and performing for residents at St Andrew’s Nursing Home, participating in Chingay 2025, and conducting Train-The-Trainers workshops for AACs.
- Empowerment: Onboarded alumni to SUSSConnect – our new and more interactive alumni engagement platform, facilitated access to OpenCerts system, and offered benefits like merchant discounts and complimentary Club access.
Despite being a lean team, we have orchestrated impactful events and initiatives, strengthening alumni bonding and affinity with SUSS.
Looking Ahead: Building Future Momentum We are excited to build upon the strong momentum and traction gained in the next half of the year and beyond. As our alumni, we hope that you will follow our developments, participate in our progress, and ready yourself to contribute and enjoy the multiple features lined up for you, be it in lifelong learning, networking, or opportunities to do social good.
Connectedness is often cemented because of the friendships forged. Make time to socialise, support, and be of service to one another. You will reap more than you sow.
Wishing all a fruitful second half of 2025!
