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Maurice Baker Scholarship and Prize to nurture literary talents
The NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS)
launched the Maurice Baker Scholarship and the
Maurice Baker Prize on 8 December 2009. Aimed
at grooming literary scholars and funded by Dr
Maurice Baker, an eminent NUS alumnus and one of
Singapore’s first-generation diplomats, the Scholarship
and Prize have raised close to S$140,000. This amount
will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Singapore
Government.
Valued at S$10,000 per year, the Maurice Baker
Scholarship will offer financial support to any eligible
full-time Singaporean or Singapore permanent
resident graduate student enrolled in the PhD or the
Masters of Arts by research programme in the NUS
Department of English Language and Literature. The
first scholarship will be awarded in the academic year
starting August 2010. The Maurice Baker Prize will be
granted to the best graduate in the Department of
English Language and Literature who has achieved
sufficient academic merit. The inaugural prize is
expected to be awarded at the end of the current
academic year.
When asked about his advice to students interested
in a career in literary studies, Dr Baker said: “Well,
the concentration nowadays is for science and
engineering. In the United States, students who
do science or engineering are compelled to do a
year in humanities. So we think that there should
be encouragement for those who want to continue
in literature and language.” He added that the
Scholarship and Prize were set up so as to encourage
the study of the humanities.
SCHOLARSHIP LAUNCH: Dr Maurice Baker and
Mrs Baker (seated, centre) together with former
students, faculty members of the NUS Department
of English Language and Literature, friends and
representatives from NUS Development Office.
About Dr Maurice Baker
Dr Baker graduated from Raffles College in 1941.
He became the first Singaporean to head the
English Department at the University of Singapore
in 1972 and was NUS Pro-Chancellor from 1989 to
2002. In 1981, he was conferred an Honorary Doctor
of Laws by NUS. As a diplomat, Dr Baker served as
Singapore’s High Commissioner to Nepal, India and
Malaysia and Ambassador to the Philippines.
Boost for Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School to train new
breed of scientist-doctors
A new gift from Ngee Ann Kongsi will provide scholarships to two students every year
By bridging the science lab and hospital ward, students at
the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School (Duke-NUS GMS)
experience a new cross-disciplinary learning programme
that will train them to deliver medical breakthroughs
and improve patient medical care. A generous gift of
S$3 million from Ngee Ann Kongsi in December 2009 will
provide up to two scholarships annually to Singaporeans
or permanent residents to study at the School. The
gift is aimed at helping Singapore to become a leading
biomedical centre.
The scholarships, valued at S$50,000 per annum each, will
help medical students with the cost of tuition fees and
living expenses over their four-year training. The first
Scholarship will be awarded from the next academic
year in 2010. Ngee Ann Kongsi’s President Dr Lim
Kee Ming said: “Whether the future doctors serve the
public in the wards, clinics, or by making breakthrough
discoveries in the scientific laboratories, Ngee Ann
Kongsi is committed, as much as the school is, to
grooming these future medical leaders.”
Duke-NUS GMS’ Associate Dean of Student Affairs
and Admissions Dr Craig Stenberg said: “The goal is to
develop future leaders in medicine and medical research
who will change and improve the practice of medicine
and who will bridge the gap between the laboratory
and the bedside. Our TeamLEAD curriculum helps
prepare our students to be both advocates for their
patients and society and also clinician scientists with
strong critical and creative thinking skills as well as the
ability to communicate effectively.”
KNOWLEDGE ENTERPRISE
8
CHEQUE PRESENTATION: (From left) Singapore Minister
for Health Mr Khaw Boon Wan, Duke-NUS GMS Chairman
Mr Tony Chew, Duke-NUS GMS Dean Prof Ranga Krishnan
and Ngee Ann Kongsi President Dr Lim Kee Ming.
KNOWLEDGE ENTERPRISE n FEBRUARY 2010 VOLUME 09 NO. 07
Editor: Jinny Claire Sim n Writer: Veronique Y W Ah Sen n Distribution Manager: Matthew Seah
Office of Corporate Relations, National University of Singapore
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Duke-NUS GMS student, Ms Sara Tan, who hopes
to specialise in Paediatric Oncology, said that the
innovative education gives students the opportunity to
conduct research by combining clinical care and clinical
science that will ultimately benefit patients.
Help support the transformative education that Duke-
NUS students receive by making a gift to the Duke-
NUS Colleges and Student Society Help Fund at: www.
giving.nus.edu.sg/duke-nus. Your gift will allow them to
participate in student programmes such as community
service projects, which contribute to their holistic
education at Duke-NUS GMS.