Connexscions Volume VII Issue 01 Aug - Dec 2010 - WKWSCI Home

CONNEXSCIONS
VOL. 7 ISSUE I AUG – DEC 2010
CROSSING
BORDERS
WKWSCI STUDENTS GO
AROUND THE GLOBE
NEW HIRES
NEW PEOPLE, NEW ASPIRATIONS
SUCCESS AT
THE
ICA
60 th
HOSTED IN SINGAPORE FOR
THE FIRST TIME

C O N T E N T S
CAMPUS
COVER
STORY
STAFF
ALUMNI
04 SUCCESS MARKS THE 20 TH ICA
The ICA 2010 conference was hosted in Singapore for the first time.
06 AWARDS
WKWSCI winners share with us the passion behind the glory of their achievements
08 THE WORLD IS READING
Students rise up to the task of producing the Official YOG Village Newspaper
10 PROFESSIONAL INTERNSHIPS IN EXOTIC COUNTRIES
On the-road-less-travelled, these students took home more than just working experience
12 TAKING CHARGE
Students raring to steer their passion through self-directed initiatives
14 LEARNING ON THE FIELD
Destination Marketing & Go Far
16 CROSSING BORDERS
WKWSCI Students venture overseas to see the what’s beyond Singapore
22 NEW HIRES
New People, New Aspiration.
24 COMMUNICATION ENTREPRENEURS
Being your own boss is a tall order
27 BREWERKZ
28 ALUMNI MAKING NEWS
WKWSCI graduates go on to become movers and shakers in their respective fields.
30 BEYOND WKWSCI
WKWSCI graduates embark on career paths as diverse as their talents bring them.
Q
01 editorial 45a 220Hz • • • ※☐ 008
02 design 82k 220Hz • • • ※☐ 031
EDITORIAL TEAM
Head Editors: Yu Qinyan, Cheryl Wee, Toh Li Min Kezia
Writers: Ng Kok Jung Wilson, Chan Li Chuen Agnessa, Wayne Tan Wei
Yuan, Kok Yinghui, Fitrina Yuvitasari, Andy Shu Xin, Chan Hui Ling,
Teo Hee Boon Natalie, Eunice Karina Fu Yumin, Yeo Jing Ci Joycelyn,
Nurhayati Binte Zakaria, Teo Sze Yin Arlene, Leung Ka Yu Claudia,
Bai Shuming, Jonathan Lee, Lim Zhi Juan
DESIGN TEAM
Layout Leaders: Wilson Wang Liang Yau, Jeslynn Seah
Designers: Nuraini Malik, Neo Ying Fang, Sim Jiaying, Irwin Tan,
Malcolm Koh, Rebecca Jia-Hui Cheang, Sheryl Teo
ADVISORS
Dr Angela Mak, Dr Yeoh Kok Cheow,
Ms Juleen Shaw, Mr Christopher Yaw
SPECIAL THANKS TO
Dr Benjamin Detenber, Dr May Lwin,
Dr Augustine Pang
E-mail us your news to include in the next issue:
connexscions@ntu.edu.sg
2 CONNEXSCIONS

Wk W
C H A I R ’ S M E S S A G E
W
The past year has been rather a remarkable one for
the School, with many signal events and outstanding
achievements by students, faculty and alumni. In June 2010,
the School hosted the 60th annual conference of the International
Communication Association (ICA). ICA is one of the oldest and
largest international organisations for communication scholars,
and it was a major coup to bring the conference here. You can
learn more about the event and what it meant to students and
faculty by reading the story on the following page.
Before the dust had settled from the ICA conference, students
started preparing to publish the first daily newspaper ever
produced at NTU. The occasion was the Youth Olympic Games
(YOG), and the students rose to the challenge of publishing 14 consecutive
issues of the Young Olympian Daily for the community of athletes and officials housed at the Olympic
Village created for them on campus.
In 2010, the School hired seven new full-time faculty members – more than it ever has at one time. They
have a wide range of scholarly and practical interests, and represent some of the up-and-coming stars in the
School. Several of them had spent time in the School previously in different capacities, and we are very happy
to welcome back these old friends and former students.
We also launched a new course with an overseas component, similar to GO-FAR (which you can also
read about in this issue). The students participating in International Strategic Marketing Communication
went to Sri Lanka as part of their efforts to design a campaign to revitalise tourism in a country coming out
of a long period of civil war. The High Commissioner served as one of the judges of the campaigns to give the
students a sense of the “real world” pressure of working to satisfy a client.
The course contributed to an increasing number of WKWSCI students going abroad as part of their
education. We have the highest overseas experience rate of any school in the university, and we are looking to
increase that number further by directing funds from the endowment to support students going on exchange
and other international programmes.
It’s been a banner year, and I’m very happy that we are able to share news of some of the significant
things that have happened through this publication. Once again, the ConnexSCIons team has done a terrific
job, and I am sure you will enjoy what you find in the pages of the magazine.
Benjamin H. Detenber
Chair, Wee Kim Wee School of
Communication and Information
CONNEXSCIONS 3

C A M P U S
SUCCESS MARKS
THE 60 TH ICA
By Eunice Karina Fu
Final photo not in.
The large turnout at the International Communication Association 2010 conference being hosted at Suntec City Convention Centre
“Everyone
was for it.”
How is it possible for one to obtain unanimous
consensus across an entire board of
lecturers and professors Well, it happened
in the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and
Information (WKWSCI), resulting in the International
Communication Association (ICA) 2010 conference
being hosted in Singapore for the first time.
The conference, held between 21 and 26 June
2010, attracted 1,554 foreign and 200 local delegates
and won numerous favourable reviews. Praises and
4 CONNEXSCIONS

“It is exciting to see the rapid emergence
and evolution of communication studies
in Southeast Asia.”
compliments were aplenty for aspects ranging from the
meticulous detail put into the hand-made gift bags to
the refreshments and meals provided for the delegates,
who acknowledged that these small but important
features were so often overlooked.
Professor Robert Craig from the University of
Colorado and former President of ICA acknowledged
that hosting the ICA in Singapore was a great choice;
while Professor Sandra J. Ball-Rokeach from the
University of Southern California added that “it is
exciting to see the rapid emergence and evolution of
communication studies in Southeast Asia.” She was
involved in three different paper presentations and
was a respondent on two different sessions during
the conference.
Professor Ang Peng Hwa, Chairman of the
Conference Organising Committee, emphasised
the significance of WKWSCI hosting this event
and its positive impact on the School’s image in
communication studies. He said, “It is an honour for
NTU to host this in Singapore. This is like Singapore
hosting the World Cup, an opportunity that comes
once in a lifetime.”
The conference is only the second time that ICA
has been held in Asia. The first was held in Seoul,
South Korea which has a population of over 12 million,
nearly triple the population of Singapore.
Professor Ang also spoke of the benefits
Singapore gained by hosting this international
conference and how it is now perceived less as an
Asian country with conservative values, especially
in areas of journalism and communication. The one
thing that he is certain will come in the aftermath
of this success is the wave of subsequent requests
by various international organisations to host
other such conferences. Professor Ang smiled
when probed about his comment on this matter,
mentioning names like International Association of
Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) and
Association for Education in Journalism and Mass
Communication (AEJMC) as examples.
With such promising signs for the future of the
School, one cannot help but wait with bated breath for
news of the next big thing.
C A M P U S
THROUGH
THE LENS
Audrey Woon, student volunteer reflects on the ICA conference
“
The thrill hit me on the first day of ICA when I realised what a big
event it actually was. I saw my professors dressed up formally,
greeting the various scholars in the communication community as
they arrived.
As a tour guide, I had to bring guests around Chinatown.
This tall, old German man who had dealt in Media Law back in
Germany, was one of them. He was very receptive and curious
about the Singapore culture and listened intently when my
partner, Sean, and I told him about each place that we visited. He
was even enthusiastic about the Circle Line!
He showed great interest in the Tooth Relic Temple in
Chinatown and asked us question after question as he marvelled
at the multi-racial cultures in Singapore. He had absolutely no airs
despite being an accomplished scholar. We had lunch at a hawker
centre and he was so happy! As he enjoyed his simple plate of hor
fun, he talked about his love for spicy food and continued to put
both red and green chilli on his plate. He even treated us to drinks.
Through this whole experience, I realised that there are so
many people out there in the communication world, and each of
them has very different ideas and values. We had an intellectually
stimulating time, to say the least.
”
Delegates showing off their new gift bags
CONNEXSCIONS 5

C A M P U S
AWARDS
{ }
Chiang Wei Liang
Maryam Mokhtar
Elizabeth Lee
Pedro Shiu
Tay Lide
Year 3
students
WKWSCI winners share with us the passion behind
the glory of their achievements
By Claudia Leung
“Bukit Chandu”
Official Selection, International Segment – National Film Festival For
Talented Youth (NFFTY), Seattle, Washington, USA
Nominee, Best Short Film – Kaohsiung Youth Film Festival 2010
Nominee, Best Short Film – 6th Taiwan Audio-Visual Film Festival
The team received multiple
accolades for their film about
a tiny yet momentous piece of
Singapore history. “I won’t say
we won because we were good. I
like to remain down-to-earth and
remind myself that as a creative
filmmaker, I am on an eternal
quest to get better at my craft,”
Elizabeth commented.
Filmmakers are, of course,
more than storytellers. “I
have seen that films have not
only brought its contributors
together, but have also roped
in the audience into the dreams
and imagination that they
share,” said Lide, who believes
that films have the power to
unite.
{ }
Dr Yeoh Kok Cheow
Assistant Professor
“Connecting the
Dots”
“Connecting the Dots”
was selected as one of
the 30 chosen posters
in a 7-themed poster
competition organised
by Good50x70 for World
Wildlife Fund (WWF).
Golden words from a
revered teacher: “We need
to find something we are
passionate about pursuing
in life and it is not easy
because the so-called passion is a moving target that requires
us to constantly ‘fire’ until we hit the target. For me, art and
design provide the balance as they fire up the passion in me to
create, communicate and inspire. So, explore even if it pains
you because you’ll never know what you’ll get.”
{ }
Chiang Wei Liang
Year 3 student
“Signboard”
Crowbar Silver
Award 2010
On top of being part of
the team behind “Bukit
Chandu”, Wei Liang
also won acclaim for a
film he made while on
exchange at the National
Chengchi University in
Taipei. However, every
budding filmmaker has
his fair share of troubles.
“Filmmaking is expensive
and students really lack the resources to go further, be it
monetary or physical constraints.” Fortunately, he received
good advice from Mr Arvin Chen, Director of “Au Revoir
Taipei”, who told him that he “should enjoy the freedom to
learn, practise and just have fun.”
6 CONNEXSCIONS

C A M P U S
“Soi Chang”
{ }
Phoebe Tan Shuwei
Low Tingyi
Lin Junjie
Lee Lay Ming
Selected for Screening at 4th
Annual Rockport Film Festival
2010 & 5th Annual Colorado
Environment Film Festival 2010
“Soi Chang” is indeed an exceptional
film with its novel choice of topic
Thai mahouts and the street
elephants they care for. “In order
to earn their trust, we pretty much
did what they did. From picking up
elephant poop, to selling fruits to
locals and tourists,” Tingyi recalled.
Notably, Lay Ming is the only
journalism major in the group. “As
a journalist, you learn to deal with
ever-changing circumstances, and
very often, when you meet a subject,
{ }
Chen Wei Li
Alumnus (Class of 2009)
Crowbar Bronze Award 2010 for
landscape photographs taken at
Semakau Landfill (for Food Waste
Republic FYP)
His photo of lecturer Mr Kym
Campbell, for ConnexSCIons was
shortlisted as a finalist in the
portraiture category
We applaud this young man for his
ability to triumph over the odds.
“In my six years of photography,
I have encountered a few people
who thought too lowly of my
photography. Somehow, I managed
to convert all the negative energy
into motivation to make me
improve my craft.” His advice to
Alumni
(Class of 2009)
the result of your conversation with
the person turns out to be different
from what you expected, and that’s
kind of what we experienced in the
making of our film,” he said.
aspiring photographers: Learn to
put down your camera and spend
some time interacting with your
subject first before even thinking of
photographing anything.”
Lynette Khoo
Alumna (Class of 2006)
SCI Winner of the Nanyang Outstanding
Young Alumni Award 2010
Lynette is a correspondent with The
Business Times and was named the Most
Promising Journalist of the Year in 2009
at the 10th Investors’ Choice Awards
organized by the Securities Investors
Association of Singapore. “I like business
reporting because of my investigative
and analytical nature and an eye for
detail. Readers are often at the end of the
information flow and not privy to many
things. So I see my job as helping them
make informed decisions and being a
corporate watchdog by raising the right
questions,” she said.
Loh Chee Kong
Alumnus (Class of 2005)
SCI Winner of the Nanyang Outstanding
Young Alumni Award 2010
Chee Kong was named MediaCorp’s Young
Journalist of the Year in 2008 and picked
up TODAY’s Commentary of the Year both
in 2008 and 2009. “The school provides
an intellectually stimulating environment
where every student is encouraged to
question not just others’ assumptions
but more importantly, his own. It doesn’t
teach you what to think but how to think,
planting the seeds of intellectual curiosity.
This is essential to anyone seeking a tertiary
education but even more so for an aspiring
journalist,” he expressed.
Mr Anthony Doo Chin Ter
Principal Manager, IT
National Day Commendation Medal
“My good work has been recognised,
in terms of spending money wisely and
always trying to make the facilities better
for students, such as the free supply of
printing paper, but at the same time
having a quota system to keep costs under
control.“
“Accept the challenges, so you may feel the
exhilaration of victory.”
– George S. Patton
CONNEXSCIONS 7

C A M P U S
THE WORLD IS
READING
Students rise up to the task of
producing the Official YOG
Village newspaper
By Agnessa Chan
Every morning, 3,600 athletes
woke to find the Young
Olympian Daily (YOD)
delivered to their doorsteps. The
colourful eight-page daily was so
popular that some athletes collected
all 13 issues as souvenirs. The force
behind the successful paper was
a team of 61 student reporters; all
of whom were brought together by
the Youth Olympic Games news
reporting practicum.
As the first daily produced
by WKWSCI, there was pressure
to produce a successful paper for
a milestone event, while learning
the workings of a daily. “We had
to learn to meet tight schedules
and risked missing deadlines when
events got delayed,” explained copy
editor Ms Wang Simin, a third-year
student. Other challenges included
overcoming language barriers and
competing with the professional
media for interviews and photos.
On what was done to
help students prepare, course
instructor Ms Juleen Shaw said,
“We had guest speakers like
senior sports writer Mr Rohit
Brijnath, photojournalist Mr Tay
Kay Chin and TODAY’s features
editor Mr Phin Wong come in to
share their ‘war stories’ with the
students.” In the end, the YOD
reporters did emerge victorious.
Their YOD tweets were compiled
and published in The Straits
Times’ YouthInk, while the Indian
student-reporters were featured
on the Vasantham Central News.
Despite the exhaustion from
the long hours of work, chief editor
Ms Elizabeth Law had no regrets
working on the Daily. “The entire
experience taught me valuable
lessons. I liken running the Daily
to running a 4x100m relay. It’s not
about how fast an individual runs
but how good you are as a team.”
Student reporter Anjali Ragu being interviewed by
Vasantham News
13
YOD
in numbers
1 st Daily
newspaper
WKWSCI
4.30 am
Daily circulation of:
Issues
produced by
5,000
6 editors, 3 photojournalists,
26 reporters, 26 designers
Members of the team with the pilot YOD issue
344
The latest the team
stayed back to work
likes’ on the YOD
Facebook page
444
Tweets posted
8 CONNEXSCIONS

C A M P U S
SALUTING THE
PURPLE FORCE
A roundup of the Youth Olympic Games
and the WKWSCI students who helped
make it happen.
By Agnessa Chan
From left to right: ChiHua, Charmaine and Terence
Mr Terence Chia, 23
Cultural Education Program (CEP) Content
Crew
What was most interesting about
your experience
“I was surprised at the reactions of the
athletes towards their experiences in
Singapore. For example, while filming at
the Marina Barrage, there was an African
athlete who excitedly told me that he has
never seen the sea before and the sight was
beautiful. I got to chat with athletes and
learnt more about their countries so it was
pretty eye-opening for me.”
Ms Chin Chi Hua, 21
Merchandise sales assistant at the Olympic
Village
Any memorable encounters
“I made friends with a South African
runner. She came to the store crying
and wanted to purchase a calling
card because she missed her family.
I accompanied her to 7-11 to buy it,
consoling her along the way. Fortunately
she cheered up after calling home. The
next day she returned to the shop and
gave me the South Africa pin which
started my pin collection!”
Ms Charmaine Wu, 21
Audio/cam assistant for Olympic Broadcast
Services (OBS)
How did it feel to be chosen to work
for OBS
“I was really excited. In fact I still
remember the interview clearly.
After being shortlisted, I had to
do a phone interview. It was an
overseas call from Spain and I had
trouble understanding their accent.
Moreover, due to a time lag, there
was an awkward pause every time
something was said.”
Journalism graduate
shines on world stage
By Yu Qinyan
Working for free as a rookie reporter has
paid off handsomely for Ms May Chen,
a 23-year-old WKWSCI graduate who
signed up for International Olympic
Committee’s (IOC) Young Reporter
Programme (YRP).
From a group of 28 aspiring
journalists from 25 countries, May was
one of the two chosen by the IOC to cover
the 2012 Olympics in London. She will
be spending six weeks on the ground to
develop content on the Games on an allexpenses-paid
trip.
“Not many people can say they have
covered the Olympic Games, so I’ll be
looking forward to seeing top athletes
from all over the world compete live!” she
told ConnexSCIons.
Indeed, it is a dream come true
for this sports enthusiast. She signed up
for the YRP for the opportunity to train
under top sports journalists, including Ms
Tracey Holmes of CNN International and
Mr Alan Abrahamson of NBC Studios.
May attributes a large part of her win
to her professional internship experience
at The Straits Times sports desk, where
she gained first-hand experience from
covering the Asian Youth Games.
She said, “Having spoken to many
Ms May Chen (left) with her fellow reporters
young athletes during my internship,
I knew what issues to expect when
interviewing young people who may not
be as media-savvy.”
CONNEXSCIONS 9

C A M P U S
TAKING
CHARGE
Students raring to steer their passion
through self-directed initiatives
By Kezia Toh
The seniors of student-run advertising society ADdiction
ADdiction
Apart from bringing along
their expertise while handling
an account for an outdoor
adventure organisation, students from
advertising society ADdiction also
packed their hiking boots – to go trekking
with the client.
This was all in a day’s work for finalyear
student Ms Aw Qinxin, the club’s
creative director.
“Even though ADdiction is a
student-run advertising agency, we are
expected to work like how agencies do in
the real world – be patient with all sorts of
requests and deliver work within a tight
timeline,” she said.
The 40-member strong advertising
society earned its stripes last year, after
being listed by Career & Attachment
Office (CAO) as an official Co-Curricular
Activity (CCA).
For now, the club is focused on
building creative skills and is eager to
jump into advertising competitions
around the world. It is also setting its
sights higher.
“In the long run, we want to
reach out to the alumni, so that
seniors in the field can support the
initiative and help us along the way,”
said final-year student Mr Amos Yeo,
President of ADdiction.
He added, “We want to build up
our reputation and be recognised as a
credible student agency in the School
and in the industry.”
10 CONNEXSCIONS

C A M P U S
Juniors listening to returning seniors (from left) Mr Ahmad
Iskandar, Mr Foo Chee Chang and Mr Lim Yan Liang share about
their experiences
An online
lifestyle
magazine on
arts and culture
put together by
WKWSCI students.
W
Wee Intern
The on-the-job stories came in thick and fast: how an
interning journalist was yelled at by a heavily tattooed
man cheated of his Rolex, and another rookie reporter
who was sent to the morgue daily for news, suitably attired in
black or grey.
These stories were unveiled during the Professional
Internship (PI) sharing sessions, dubbed “Wee Intern”. As
the tradition kick-started a year ago, final-year students Mr
Tan Thiam Peng and Mr Kuek Jinhua decided to expand
the sessions.
“Only the top few PI reports get archived, the rest
will be lost to the next batch, unless they ask the relevant
seniors,” explained Jinhua.
Returning students from PI fielded questions from
the juniors, such as queries on interviews, how much of
what is learnt in school applies to the ‘real world’, to the
work culture of different organisations.
“Our key objective of holding these sessions is to
minimise the number of juniors going to the wrong
organisations, jeopardising the experience,” said
Thiam Peng.
The wheels keep turning, as the team hopes that this will
slowly become a tradition. Thiam Peng said, “After all, it is
the sharing and helping each other culture that defines our
school identity.”
f LIPR
While other students were enjoying a breather
during the holidays, second-year students
Mr Wilson Wang and Mr Kenneth Goh were
traipsing from shop to shop to spread the word about their
new online publication fLIPR.
“We went to introduce ourselves and convince stores to
let us feature their events and products in the magazine,” said
Wilson, chief editor of the magazine.
Targeting young adults from ages 18 to 25, the free
online lifestyle publication managed by 14 students, is a foray
into books, food, theatre, arts and culture.
Kenneth, deputy editor of fLIPR, explained, “We all
have a passion for publication and watching ideas go to
print. So we wanted to get the entire editorial experience
from the conceptualising of ideas, sourcing for writers, to
designing the layout.”
When the team of friends get together, however, it is not
always all work and no play.
Kenneth said, “We plan our gatherings around photo
shoots on food. As we have a section on DIY food, Wilson
would make those recipes and we would shoot them. After the
work is done, we will dig in!”
Through this venture, the team is keen to continue
using what is taught in school, as a first-time dabble into
the media world.
CONNEXSCIONS 11

C A M P U S
Professional Internships in
EXOTICCOUNTRIES
Opting for the-road-less-travelled, these final-year students took home more than just working experience
By Arlene Teo
PAKISTAN
{ }
Ms Liyana Low
Enticed by the opportunity to experience life
in a developing country, Liyana decided to
take the plunge and headed to Pakistan for
her internship.
Attached to Dawn.com, the news
website section of the Dawn Newspaper
Group, Liyana has come a long way since.
From not knowing a single word of Urdu,
the main language of Pakistan, the guidance
from her colleagues eventually enabled
Liyana to order a meal in Urdu with ease.
In return, Liyana taught her Pakistani
colleagues unique Singaporean slang, such
as ‘wah lau eh’.
Liyana (second from left) with school children at
the railroad
Despite initial cultural differences, Liyana gradually learnt to adapt, taking home an
important lesson, which is to “always have an open mind, and reserve judgment about people
until you’ve gotten to know them, because what you learn might actually surprise you.”
INDIA
{ }
Ms Farah Elias
With an appetite for life and change, Farah embraced
the challenge to adapt to living and working in India.
After undergoing a series of interviews, she landed
an internship position in the Human Resources
Department in Tata Group, Mumbai - India’s largest
industrial conglomerate.
To overcome the language barrier, Farah
substituted words with actions and signs, and whipped
out whatever basic Hindi she knew. Doing that, Farah
even managed to fix her chappals and alter her clothes
without exchanging a single word of English with the
neighbourhood cobbler and tailor.
In a city rich in culture, Farah cites the daily train
rides to and from work as one of the highlights of her
stay, describing the train carriages to be like a ‘mini
market’, with beggars, buskers and locals selling a
myriad of things, ranging from food to accessories.
On the train ride home after her first day, she
jumped off the moving train taking off from the
station, not wanting to miss her stop. It was scary then,
but she laughs about it now - those memories of trying
to adapt to the way of life in India.
Farah enjoying the view overlooking
Kate’s Point, Mahabaleshwar
12 CONNEXSCIONS

C A M P U S
Angela with her mother at the
Tower of Pisa
At the Cinque Terre, Liguria
A year prior to Angela’s internship, two months
holidaying in Italy wasn’t enough for her. Having
fallen in love with the country, she started sending
out resumes to companies in Italy, her mind set on
completing her upcoming internship there. Her hard
work and early planning paid off. Soon, she was offered
an internship at Mediavip, a company specialising in
Web communications.
Language was clearly her main challenge. Angela
was unable to even ask for the simplest of things, such
as the bathroom, when she first arrived. Determined
to learn Italian, Angela attended language classes
twice weekly, studying and using the language at every
available chance.
The Italians’ emphasis on enjoying and
appreciating life left the most indelible impression on
her. She particularly loved the siesta culture, where
everyone goes home during lunchtime for a nice home
cooked meal with the family.
Summing up her experience, she quipped, “La
dolce vita – which literally translates to ‘the sweet
life’, a saying of the Italians to emphasise that life is
good, always.”
ITALY
{ }
Ms Angela Han
A Baba, or Holy Man, with Chee Chang
at Pashupatinath - the largest Hindu
temple in Nepal
Chee Chang at the picturesque
Langtang
For Chee Chang, choosing to work
at Nepali Times was an easy decision,
being the only company that caught his
eye in the long list of options provided
by the School.
This was because working at a
small-scale newspaper in a developing
country has its perks. Apart from the
ability to deal with issues specific to
a developing country, the small team
of 10 meant that everyone had to chip
in to all areas of news production, adding a whole
spectrum of experience to the portfolio.
Despite its size, the newspaper boasts many wellknown
editors with a wealth of overseas experience.
The owner, Mr Kunda Dixit, is a celebrated name in
the journalistic field, and “somewhat a mini-celebrity
in Nepal with his shock of white hair.”
An avid photographer, Chee Chang took the
opportunity to capture the beauty of Nepal through
his camera lens. While covering a story, he even went
on a mountain trek to Langtang, bringing him to an
altitude of 4,000m.
In three simple words, Chee Chang summed up
his Nepal experience: “absolutely no regrets.”
NEPAL
{
Mr Foo Chee
}
Chang
CONNEXSCIONS 13

C A M P U S
LEARNING ON
THE FIELD
Students go beyond our sunny shores for first hand insights
By Tan Wei Yuan
On 17 August 2010, the International
Strategic Communication Management
(ISCM) practicum officially kicked off
with 12 senior students from WKWSCI jetting off to
Sri Lanka for a 10-day trip.
Led by Associate Professor May Lwin and
supervising lecturer Mr Tim Clark, the students were
there to gain first-hand information and insights about
Sri Lanka’s tourism industry so that they could come
up with an advertising campaign to promote Sri Lanka
as a viable tourist destination to Singaporeans.
Informally known as ‘Pac n Go’, the trip marked
the first-ever overseas practicum to have come from
the Public and Promotional Communication (PPC)
division of WKWSCI.
“The PPC division has always wanted to offer
pedagogical courses to expose students to international
campaign experiences and to give them a chance to
interact with real-life global clients,” said Dr Lwin.
She further revealed that after spending two
years searching for suitable sites and clients, the
breakthrough came in the form of Sri Lanka with a bit
of luck and good timing.
“Although Sri Lanka has suffered from a negative
image because of its civil unrest, it was officially
coming out of that and we thought this was the perfect
opportunity to approach them and to help them
overcome all the negative publicity,” said Mr Clark.
Fresh out of a civil war, attempting to ‘rebrand’
Sri Lanka was no easy feat. Even then, Mr Amos Yeo, a
final-year student on the team, relished the challenge:
“It’s a challenge to market Sri Lanka because
14 CONNEXSCIONS

C A M P U S
GOFAR
Aspiring journalists from WKWSCI
get the chance of a lifetime
By Tan Wei Yuan
An elderly man bringing a bouquet of flowers back home
The Go-Far team with Minister for foreign Affairs George Yeo
With new-found peace, locals can now work in their
fields without worry
The ISCM team and the instructors, Mr Tim Clark & Dr
May Lwin
Covering high-profile ministerial
visits to foreign countries is a
privilege normally reserved for
seasoned journalists.
However, this year’s Go
Overseas For Advanced Reporting
(GO-FAR) team got lucky: they
trailed Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr George Yeo on his visit to
Timor Leste.
The team was in the midst
of preparations when they caught
wind of the ministerial visit to
Timor Leste.
“The timing of the visit just
coincided with our trip,” said
supervising lecturer Ms Lau Joon Nie.
“Here was a chance (for
students) to gain invaluable insight
and first-hand experience of
covering such an event, and how to
go about doing it.”
For final-year student Ms
Jeanette Lim, the novel experience
was both exciting and nerve-racking:
“I was initially quite fascinated at the
sheer luck and timing we seemed
to have but we did, of course, feel
slightly stressed out about the
visit because we had never done
something like this before.”
“In the end, I think we all
learnt how to tail ministers and
important people, which made it
a worthwhile experience indeed,”
said Jeanette.
people have pre-conceived notions about the
country. It’s interesting to find out how we can try
and sell a country that has seen so much conflict, to
people as a tourist destination.”
Given the success of the ISCM trip to Sri Lanka,
Dr Lwin expressed her hopes that the practicum can
be continued for the following years: “After we wrap
up this course, we hope to learn from it and take the
experiences to try to plan for the next one.”
Tiomorese children gathered to watch television at a friend’s place
CONNEXSCIONS 15

C O V E R S T O R Y
ROSSING
BORDERS
By Cheryl Wee, Nurhayati Binte
Zakaria, Bai Shuming & Shu Xin
Upon walking into her roommate’s
house in North Carolina, recent
WKWSCI graduate Ms Boey
Wei Shan was greeted by the sight of her
roommate carrying a gun. This was in
2008, when she was in North Carolina
under the International Student Exchange
Programme (INSTEP).
“It turned out that the gun belonged
to my roommate’s father - he used it to
hunt foxes and for self-protection,” said
Wei Shan.
Although it was a most unnerving
encounter, an event like this was one of the
reasons why she chose to head overseas
to study during her time at WKWSCI.
She said, “The exchange experience is
not so much about helping your career
or the academic side of things. It’s about
understanding a different culture - like
why Americans do what they do - and
being more open-minded.”
This perspective is shared by
an increasing number of WKWSCI
students, all too eager for the chance to
study overseas for a couple of months
and to live in countries like Mexico
16 CONNEXSCIONS

Canada
United States
of America
Mexico
United
Kingdom
France
Switzerland
Sweden
Finland
Germany
Czech
Republic
C O V E R S T O R Y
China
Japan
South Korea
Taiwan
India
Hong Kong
Thailand
Singapore
Students Around The World
Australia
New Zealand
USA
Figures.
19 12 8
A total of 94
students went for
overseas exchange
programmes in
2010.
North America (38)
INSTEP/GIP
• Canada – 7
• Mexico – 5
• USA – 19
GSS
• USA – 7
Europe (32)
INSTEP/GIP
• Czech Republic – 2
• Finland – 1
• Germany – 2
• Sweden – 8
• Switzerland – 6
• UK – 5
GSS
• France – 2
• Germany – 3
• UK – 3
CHINA
Asia (37)
SWEDEN
INSTEP/GIP
• China – 12
• Hong Kong – 4
• Japan – 1
• South Korea – 5
• India – 4
• Taiwan – 3
• Thailand – 1
GSS
• Hong Kong – 2
• Japan – 1
• South Korea – 4
TOP3
Destinations
Oceania (2)
INSTEP/GIP
• Australia – 1
• New Zealand – 1
or China, opportunities provided by
exchange programmes such as the
Global Immersion Programme (GIP)
and International Student Exchange
Programme (INSTEP) and Global
Summer Studies (GSS).
The number of students going
abroad to study has multiplied five-fold in
the last decade or so, from the first batch
of 17 undergraduate students going on
exchange in Academic Year (AY) 1995-
1996, to close to 100 undergraduates in
AY 2009-2010.
Ms Nikki Draper, Exchange
Programme Coordinator at WKWSCI,
observed how the time spent overseas
broadens students’ world-view: “You just
don’t know when your experience on
exchange can come in useful. It’s part of
what being an educated person is about,
you look at a variety of things and it feeds
how you view things.”
Looking back, WKWSCI alumni
described their exchange experiences
as a “rite of passage” and a “catalyst for
change.”
For many, taking the bold step
CONNEXSCIONS 17

C O V E R S T O R Y
“I was exposed to poverty; I was
exposed to a different language
and a different way of life and
this made me grateful to be where
I am.”
– Ms Tasneem Banu Binte Mohamed Ali,
year 4 public relations student, ITESM
Tec De Monterrey, Mexico, INSTEP (Jan
– May 2009)
Venturing
Overseas
“The film industry in Sydney
is way more vibrant than in
Singapore. The film sets are so
much more professional.”
beyond the four walls of the classrooms in
NTU has certainly been an eye-opening
and transformative experience.
Ms Trinetta Chong’s first taste
of life in a foreign university left her
wanting more.
After studying at the University
Of California, Berkeley for two months
in 2008 under GSS, the Public and
Promotional Communication final-year
student decided to go to Yonsei University
in Korea for two months under the same
programme this year.
She said, “It was partly impulse. I
wanted to go to Korea because everybody
told me I should to go there to see what it’s
like. I also wanted to go on a holiday and
thought why not have it with academic
credits, too.”
The GSS programme which enabled
Trinetta to visit her country of choice is
one of various exchange programmes
offered, stints ranging anywhere from
two weeks to six months. INSTEP and
GIP programmes are usually in longer
durations during the academic semester
while GSS programmes are offered
during the inter-semester break.
“The International Relations
Office started GSS so people could go
away for four to eight weeks during
their summer time. This has been a
popular experience as students can go
for shorter time periods and take classes
too,” said Ms Draper.
Whatever the duration, the time
spent abroad has left students with
valuable lessons.
Mr Samuel He, 28, a graduate
from the Broadcast and Cinema Studies
division who studied at the University
of Technology, Sydney, in 2006 under
INSTEP said, “The film industry in
Sydney is way more vibrant than in
Singapore. The film sets are so much more
professional. I learnt from Tom Zubrycki,
an internationally acclaimed Australian
documentary filmmaker, known for his
observational style. I even witnessed the
shooting of “Superman”, a Hollywood
blockbuster. Such an education is just not
available in Singapore.”
18 CONNEXSCIONS

C O V E R S T O R Y
EXCHANGE STUDENT PROFILE
CANADA
Jacqui Palmer
Age: 22, Year 4
University of Western Ontario (London, Ontario)
Programme: Honours Specialisation in Media,
Information and Technoculture with a Major in English
Language and Literature
When Ms Jacqui Palmer arrived
at WKWSCI from the University
of Western Ontario, she brought
along with her the friendliness
and approachability of the
Canadians.
Coming from a culture where
it’s a norm to strike conversations
with almost anyone you meet, the
same practice earned her blank
stares in Singapore. “I think I really
confused some of the people
whom I’ve met behind the cash
counters here in Singapore,” she
admitted sheepishly.
But none of this has dimmed
Jacqui’s impression of our sunny
island.
The 22-year-old student
in Media, Information and
Technoculture, enjoyed her
stay in multi-racial and multireligious
Singapore as it exposed
her to different value and belief
systems.
“Although I’ve become used
to being surrounded by people of
Asian descent, my trip has taught
me to be more comfortable
when interacting with
virtually anybody. Through my
interactions, I’ve come to respect
and thrive on these differences,”
said Jacqui.
One of the Asian differences
particularly memorable to Jacqui,
was the sharing of meals in
restaurants, eating from common
dishes with a large group of people
around a big table. This was a
far cry from what is practised in
Canada where individuals eat solely
from personal entrees. It exposed
her to the concept of Asian
communal living which she simply
loved.
Ultimately, Jacqui’s experience
here is one she would not trade for
the world. She believes that the life
skills she has picked up during her
year spent in Singapore will prove
useful in the long run.
So, will Jacqui return to
Singapore to explore her options in
job-hunting or further studies
Quipped the cheery Canadian
girl-next-door, “That’s definitely an
option. I’m definitely not finished
with Singapore! In fact, I can taste
the kaya toast, chicken rice, bak
kut teh, chilli crab and all things
hawker-stand already!”
When WKWSCI first started sending students
overseas in 1995, foreign universities often turned
down invitations to host students or to have their
own students come here.
“In the past, we had rejections because
people did not know us. They thought we taught
in Chinese,” recounted Professor Ang Peng Hwa,
former chair of WKWSCI.
In order for the School’s students to be hosted
by a foreign university, there has to be a mutual
exchange between both schools. This means that for
every student who goes on exchange, a student from
a foreign university takes his or her place here. Such
A Two-Way Street
partnerships are formed through Memorandums of
Understanding (MOUs).
“It’s kind of like a two-way street. You have to
keep your exchange partner happy and you have
to make it a good experience for their students so
that you can keep your numbers balanced,” said
Ms Draper.
“What we’ve done in the last couple of years is
to look at ways WKWSCI can make ourselves more
attractive to overseas partners so their students would
want to come here because it doesn’t work if you have
a bunch of partners and you lose them after your
contract of first MOU is up,” she emphasised.
CONNEXSCIONS 19

C O V E R S T O R Y
A Different
Learning
Experience
“I would not mind going back to the
UC Berkeley for a master’s degree
in anthropology or some subject you
cannot find in Singapore.”
Every Tuesday morning at Elon
University, students and faculty
get together over a cup of coffee
and refreshments in what is fondly
termed “College Coffee”. This is but one
of the activities the private university in
North Carolina holds, in line with its core
values to maintain a close relationship
between faculty and students.
Giving his view, Professor Ang
said, “The student body there is most
engaged. I mean even the President of
the university has donuts and coffee
with the students and meets with them
every week. Different programmes
offer different strengths and it’s not just
about ranking.”
The diverse teaching methods of
foreign universities have also been an
eye opener.
At the University of California,
Berkeley, final-year student Trinetta was
surprised to be brought to the Phoebe
A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology
on campus, to see actual mummified
remains during an Introduction to
Ancient Egypt tutorial.
The incident impressed her and
piqued her interest in new topics. She
said, “I would not mind going back
to the UC Berkeley for a master’s in
anthropology or some subject you can’t
find in Singapore.”
Other learning experiences were
found outside the classroom. Final-year
student Ms Ng Wai Mun, who specialises
in journalism, experienced a 24-hour
sit-in protest led by the Democratic
Progressive Party in Taiwan against the
governing party Kuomintang, while
studying at National Chengchi University
in Taipei in 2009 under INSTEP. She was
surprised to see that even the youth there
jumped on the bandwagon.
“The culture in Taipei may be less
stressful than in Singapore but the youths
there are so much more concerned and
passionate about politics. I gained a
wider and deeper perspective on culture
– Xue Jianyue, year 3 journalism
undergraduate student, University
of Missouri-Columbia, USA,
INSTEP (Jan – May 2010)
differences,” she remarked.
“Such shifts in mindsets are
important especially in Singapore which
is a global city,” said Professor Ang.
He added, “It’s important to broaden
our views. Students need to see different
systems and their strengths. This will help
us relate to foreigners as equals.”
“I visited a
Redwood forest
north of San
Francisco during
Spring Break. The
trees are the tallest
and oldest in the
world, and they get
water from mist. It was
an unforgettable two
hours in a majestic forest
shrouded by mist. It was just
so beautiful!”
20 CONNEXSCIONS

C O V E R S T O R Y
What
Happens
Next
In comparing the programme
then and now, Professor Ang
recalled, “It used to be that not
every student could go overseas,
after all they were ambassadors of
our school and we had to be more
selective. But now we’re more open
to sending them abroad.”
“At the same time, it’s good
that students are able to see our
strengths too, there isn’t this
sort of romanticising of overseas
universities, they adopt a more
realist view of things,” he added.
When asked about the future
direction of exchange, Chair Dr
Benjamin Detenber suggests that
students will get more chances to
go abroad.
He said, “Currently, we’re
looking to add more partners and
expand existing programmes to take
in more students from WKWSCI.”
Some of the relatively new
MOUs include University of Texas
– Austin and Loyola University
Maryland in North Baltimore.
WKWSCI is at the moment
also looking to sign more college
and university-level MOUs rather
than school-specific MOUs as this
would enable foreign students
greater flexibility in the modules
they can take here. This means that
they are free to take modules not
confined to the communication
discipline.
After all, going on exchange is
about going beyond what you are
used to.
Ms Draper said, “Anytime
you get outside your personal
experience and learn about what is
going on in another environment,
culture and university, it informs
the way you think about issues that
are presented to you and that’s a
good thing.”
In the case of final-year student
Ms Liao Youqing, it was the simple
day-to-day experiences spent in
Yonsei University in Korea that had
the biggest impact on her life. “I had
the opportunity of experiencing
something new every single day
while abroad, so much so that it was
even a little difficult adjusting back
to the more mundane lifestyle back
in Singapore,” she shared.
CONNEXSCIONS 21

S T A F F N E W S
New Hires.
by
Hyo
Jung Kim { }
Natalie
Pang
Natalie Teo
{ }
Assistant Professor Dr
Natalie Pang graduated
from NTU in 2003 and went on to
further her studies in Monash
University. Her research interests are
heritage informatics, collective action
in the new media environment, social
media and the knowledge commons,
and data curation.
Outside of school, however,
she is a children’s book writer with a
published book - The Shepherd and his
Cloud. Dr Pang also mentioned that it
would be available on iTunes soon.
Hedwig
Alfred { }
Assistant Professor Dr
Hyo Jung Kim is certainly a
lady with noble aspirations. As part of
the School’s Public and Promotional
Communication division, Dr Hyo
aspires to “make a difference in
society using health communication.”
She takes a particular interest in
Corporate Social Responsibility and
how philanthropic marketing is
achieved using communication
channels and tools.
Prior to WKWSCI, Dr Hyo
taught in the University of Missouri
while doing her PhD. There, she
met her husband, who she says will
most likely be joining us on our
sunny island very soon.
Many aspiring journalists
from WKWSCI would have
had the opportunity to come under
the tutelage of Ms Hedwig
Alfred, who has been teaching
News Writing and Reporting at the
School since 2004.
Ms Hedwig has recently
made the switch from being a
part-time instructor at NIE and
WKWSCI to a full-time faculty
member in WKWSCI. This means
that students will definitely be
seeing more of her.
Prior to teaching, Ms Hedwig
was a journalist at The Straits Times,
The Sunday Times and The New
Paper. She is also an avid sports
fan who considers Liverpool her
favourite team in the BPL.
22 CONNEXSCIONS

S T A F F N E W S
Assistant Professor Dr Debbie Goh used to teach at West Virginia
University and Indiana University, and was a journalist at The Straits
Times prior to teaching in WKWSCI. She is the second alumni (1999) on
the faculty. Her research interests include online and print news reporting,
new media and its impact on society.
She is a mix of Peranakan, Teochew and Cantonese, while her
husband is a Turkish-Aleve Muslim. Dr Goh enjoys sharing their combined
backgrounds with their two-year old American-Turkish-Singaporean
daughter. She can also whip up dishes from the abovementioned countries.
{
Debbie
} Goh
{
Shin
} Wonsun
Assistant Professor Dr
Shin Wonsun is quite
possibly the coolest mum any child
can have. First of all, she likes video
games. Secondly, she enjoys reading
graphic novels. Thirdly, (and this
would probably apply if you’re a
screaming teenage fan-girl), she
takes a particular interest in the
Korean entertainment industry.
She started on her PhD five
years ago while bringing up her
then-two year old son alone. She
also used to do backpacking, leaving
Joanna
Sin { }
Assistant Professor Dr
Joanna Sin, who comes from
Hong Kong, completed her Master’s
and PhD degrees in the University of
Wisconsin and also taught there as
Visiting Assistant Professor.
Dr Sin used to be quite the
avid gamer when she was younger
and especially enjoyed playing
Role-Playing Games (RPGs) on
the computer. Though she now has
less time for such activities, she still
enjoys the occasional anime treat.
She researches in human
information behaviour and is
her footprints in over 20 countries
all over the world.
particularly interested in the factors
affecting our information needs,
perceptions of information sources,
and the processes of finding and
avoiding information.
Assistant Professor Dr
Liew Kai Khiun may be
known as a film buff to most of his
students in the Division of
Broadcast and Cinema Studies, but
you’d be surprised to know that he
enjoys Korean drama and has been
taking Korean language classes for
the past three years.
A visit to Dr Liew’s office also
revealed that he is a lover of animals
and the environment, and has a
decal protesting animal cruelty
on his door. He is also looking
into cutting down on his meat
consumption.
Dr Liew is interested in
radio and health communication,
and how medical discourses are
portrayed in film and television.
{
Liew
}
Kai Khiun
CONNEXSCIONS 23

A L U M N I
COMMUNICATION
ENTREPRENEURS
Being your own
boss is a tall order
By Jonathan Lee and Lim Zhijuan
We spoke to three successful entrepreneurs who once passed through
the doors of WKWSCI to find out how they made it on their own.
The
Path Less
Trodden
{
Mr
Poh Yan Zhao
co-founder of
Little Red Ants
Creative Studio
Mr Poh Yan Zhao (seated) and his team (Sam Kang Li, Darren Tan, Adeline Ong and Alex Teh)
Upon graduation, most WKWSCI students
would be scrambling to file job applications or
attend job interviews.
Not Poh Yan Zhao.
A graduate from the class of 2009, Yan Zhao,
together with a group of friends from his class,
started Little Red Ants Creative Studio in October
2009. They pride themselves as storytellers who
strive to create engaging stories for their clients
through a multimedia mix.
“I worked in the corporate world for a few months
but realised that it was not for me, so I decided to do
something to call my own,” said Yan Zhao. “Many of
us don’t want to be stuck in the corporate jungle. Some
of us are free-spirited and want to pursue our own
passions and make money doing what we like.”
However, it was not easy for them to venture into
the already-saturated multimedia industry. “Being
unknowns in the industry, we have to get our name
out there and prove to others that we can actually do a
good job. People think that we are still students and do
not take us seriously,” he remarked. “It’s a chicken-andegg
issue. You need to get good clients first, but at the
same time you need a good portfolio in order to attract
clients. Both aspects must go in tandem.”
Fortunately for the founders of Little Red Ants,
their Desktop publishing lecturer in WKWSCI, Mr
Tay Kay Chin, gave them their first big break with the
“Dads For Life” campaign to promote fatherhood in
Singapore. “We managed to build a good portfolio
from that project,” revealed Yan Zhao.
The studio is currently working on the music
video for the female winner of Project Superstar 2, Ms
Chen Diya, also a WKWSCI graduate from the class
of 2008. Besides that, they are also filming corporate
videos for Nanyang Polytechnic and the People’s
Association’s Youth Movement.
Advising graduating students, Yan Zhao said,
“Becoming successful is not just about your work
attitude or how smart you are. It’s also about managing
human relationships. You may be the best at what you
do, but if you are not good with people and rub them
the wrong way, they won’t have a good impression of
you. I’m not saying that you should wayang and act
nice, but just be sincere and help others whenever you
can. Be prudent in what you say.”
24 CONNEXSCIONS

A L U M N I
Passion
for
Success
{
Mr Alvin Wong Twei
executive partner of
Kult & The Alchemy Partnership
By Kok Yinghui and Fitrina Lim
Passion certainly takes one a long way. Mr Alvin
Wong Twei, a 1998 SCI graduate, revealed how
his obsession with advertising has helped him
overcome all odds and led him to start up two successful
companies - Kult and The Alchemy Partnership.
Kult and The Alchemy Partnership are both
advertising companies with a large clientele base.
However, what sets them apart from other traditional
advertising firms are their kooky, unconventional
approaches in coming up with creative solutions, as
well as their team of diverse talents.
Kult, for example, has a crew of global creative
specialists hailing from different backgrounds. They
believe in using experiential marketing methods to
connect brands to consumers rather than through
traditional advertising media. The crew’s passion for
unconventionality can be seen in their attitude towards
their work.
“We don’t just create solutions for clients, but
we also incorporate stuff we love to do, like our own
magazine and game machines, in our own voice. We
simply do what we want!” said Alvin.
Even back in his SCI days, Alvin’s fervor for
entrepreneurship was evident. He was involved in
a small design shop and a DJ business during his
university days.
“I guess that kick-started my appetite for doing
business and following my heart in doing what I love.
Those were really the most important lessons I learnt,
though they were not taught in school.”
Through an ex-partner, Alvin got to know two
award-winning senior executives in international
“We don’t just create solutions for clients,
but we also incorporate stuff we love to do,
like our own magazine and game machines,
in our own voice. We simply do what we
want!” said Alvin.
advertising agencies - Mr Rajesh Mulani and Mr Mike
Liew, and together, the three started The Alchemy
Partnership in 2005.
Both creative leaders are astute decision-makers
who are passionate about what they do. They work
alongside Alvin to run the two companies.
Striking out on one’s own is no child’s play but
self-belief is what pulled Alvin through the adversities
he faced.
He stands by his mantra that you will feel ‘more
invincible’ when you believe in what you are doing.
He also believes that passion and zeal contribute to
one’s success.
“Make sure you’re crazy about what you do
because competition can be tough and passion and
obsession go a long way in fuelling an appetite for
success
That is why, in spite of all the risks and dangers,
Alvin still finds the advertising industry to be one with
plenty of exciting opportunities.
His current agencies have already provided a
nexus of specialist capabilities but Alvin hopes that,
he would be able to venture into other up-and-coming
fields such as entertainment and gaming in the future.
CONNEXSCIONS 25

A L U M N I
More than just
Sixth Sense
{
Ms Carlyn Law
Principal Consultant & Director of
Sixth Sense Communications
& PR Consultancy Pte Ltd
By Wilson Ng and Yu Qinyan
“We noticed that there was a lack of specialised
knowledge about the F&B industry among these PR
agencies. Given our experience and passion for food,
my colleagues and I felt that we could do a better job.”
For Ms Carlyn Law, Co-Founder and Director of
Sixth Sense Communication & PR Consultancy,
starting a business is all about finding the right
opportunity, spotting the gaps and carving out a niche
for yourself.
“Since young, I have always wanted to be an
entrepreneur. I have a slightly rebellious streak in me,”
she declared.
After graduating from the School in 1999 with
a major in Public and Promotional Communication,
Carlyn started out as a writer for two food and lifestyle
magazines. She had initially applied for a job in a public
relations firm but the interview did not go well.
Carlyn later moved on to become the editor
of an online portal and various lifestyle and travel
publications, before realising that there was growing
potential in another sector waiting to be tapped upon.
“We noticed that there was a lack of specialised
knowledge about the F&B industry among these PR
agencies. Given our experience and passion for food,
my colleagues and I felt that we could do a better job.”
So armed with a gung-ho attitude and a pool
of industry contacts amassed from their publishing
careers, Carlyn and her three partners left their writing
jobs and founded Sixth Sense in 2001. To date, their
established clientele include Goodwood Park Hotel
and the BreadTalk Group.
“We wanted to give it a go. We were confident
about what we’re doing and it helped that we had
contacts in the industry. There was hardship along
the way, but we overcame them and there was no
turning back.”
The name ‘Sixth Sense’ was inspired by the
nature of the lifestyle sector which involves engaging
the human senses, and according to Carlyn, being in
PR entails using one’s ‘sixth sense’ and trusting one’s
intuition.
Besides having done a Minor in
Entrepreneurship back in NTU, Carlyn also shared
that her education at SCI helped to lay the basic
foundation for her career in PR.
“I think the course helped to hone my writing and
communications skills, especially in public speaking.
It also trained us to be critical and analytical, and in
turn, this helped us to become opinion leaders in our
respective fields.”
Sixth Sense will be celebrating its 10th
anniversary next year, but instead of a huge party,
the founders might opt for a low-key gathering for
its 7-person outfit.
“We don’t believe in rapid expansion because
we want to maintain the quality of our service, but
we are looking to expand into more fields. We started
out specialising in F&B but we are now working with
hotels, technology and lifestyle brands. We are also
branching into the arts, having worked with Christie’s
Asia and the Arts House. It’s an area close to our hearts
and we want to pursue it.”
26 CONNEXSCIONS

1
A L U M N I
A TRIP DOWN
MEMORY LANE
Every first Thursday of the month, WKWSCI’s postgraduates and alumni gather
at Brewerkz (Clarke Quay) for a night of mingling and catching up. As tasty
booze flow freely, warm chatter and laughter fill the air.
By Wilson Ng and Kok Yinghui
ConnexSCIons dropped by 6 tables and got the guests to recount their fondest
school memories.
1 2
3
4
5
6
Table 1
Lee Khai Yan, Teo Jing Ting (Class of 2009)
Favourite Memory: Nikki Draper
Soundbite: “We communicated via Facebook.”
Table 2
Radha, Yan Leong, Mona, Gail (Class of 2008)
Favourite Memory: Brewerkz!
Soundbite: “We come here every other month.”
Table 3
ZQ Li (Postgraduate – Class of 2008)
Favourite Memory: Buffet lunches in the
School
Soundbite: “[WKWSCI is] the most innovative
school in NTU.”
Table 4
Philip Lim, Chong Zi Liang, Teo Wan Gek
(Class of 2010)
Favourite Memory: The Benches
Soundbite: “(It is) a place where things
happen.”
Table 5
Janet (Postgraduate – Year Two)
Favourite Memory: Lecture and Tutorials
Soundbite: “I had close-knitted classmates. We
study together like a huge family.”
Table 6
Christopher Ong, Ng Chiong Meng, Xue
Nerissa, Soh Ai Ling, Ong Renita (Class of
2009)
Favourite Memory: Rooftop parties
Soundbite: “There are rooftop parties held every
semester for homecoming, mid-autumn, etc.”
CONNEXSCIONS 27

A L U M N I
ALUMNI
MAKING WAVES
By Jonathan Lee, Wilson Ng, Fitrina Lim and Chan Huiling and Yu Qinyan
THE ENQUIRER
Class of 2009
{
Chong Zi Liang
Lin Junjie
Zakaria Zainal
ConnexSCIons spoke to
two groups of graduates
who have left a legacy
behind with their works
From left: Zakaria, Junjie, Zi Liang
When a Nanyang
Chronicle article on
Singapore Democratic
Party (SDP) Chief Mr Chee Soon
Juan’s visit to NTU was killed
in September 2008, then-Year 3
journalism students, Mr Chong Zi
Liang, Mr Lin Junjie and Mr Zakaria
Zainal launched The Enquirer, an
independent and alternative online
newspaper for NTU students.
Zakaria, now a freelance
photographer, said, “We were
puzzled when the story got spiked. It
got us thinking about what it meant
to have restrictions placed on us as
journalism students. We realised
that something needed to be done.
It was a way to protest against
the injustice we felt. However,
setting up an online newspaper
wasn’t a knee-jerk reaction. It was
something we had been thinking
about for a long time, and the Chee
Soon Juan incident was the catalyst
that pushed us to actually do it.”
“It’s meaningful to have
an alternative news source to
complement The Nanyang Chronicle
because there are lots of things that
the mainstream papers do not cover
sufficiently. An alternative news
outlet will highlight issues that
matter to students and allow their
voices to be heard,” pointed out Zi
Liang, currently a journalist at The
Straits Times.
As an independent newspaper,
The Enquirer was unable to offer
course credits or CCA points, unlike
the Chronicle. The founders had to
rely on peers who were passionate
about news and journalism to
write for them. “I want to thank
the alumni, friends and peers who
stepped up to write, read or give
us feedback. It’s wonderful how
WKWSCI rallied around us to lend
us support. I think that was the best
thing that came out of it. We grew
as a school,” said Zakaria.
While the three founders have
graduated, they have passed on the
baton to a new team of juniors from
WKWSCI to run The Enquirer.
“Whenever they have questions,
we’ll answer. Other than that, we
are not actively running the site
and I think that should be the way
because there should be leadership
renewal,” Zi Liang said.
On running The Enquirer,
Junjie, currently the co-founder
and owner of Phocus Photography
Academy, said, “Whether it
succeeds or fails, regardless of what
people may think, we should have
no regrets at the end of the day
about doing what we believe in.”
28 CONNEXSCIONS

EPIPHANY
Class of 2009
{
Han Xuemei Flora
Man Wendy Cheng
Lim Chee Harn
A
multi-award
winning
short film produced for a
Final Year Project (FYP),
“Epiphany” is the brainchild of four
newly-graduated students from the
class of 2009 - Ms Han Xuemei, Ms
Flora Man, Ms Wendy Cheng and
Mr Lim Chee Harn.
Produced under the team
name Raison D’etre Productions,
“Epiphany” emerged the Best of
Film Craft at the Crowbar Awards
2010 and was the first film to win the
Best of Show award. “Epiphany” also
clinched the Gold Award for Short
Film, while Xuemei was awarded
Gold for Directing, and Chee Harn
won Silver for Cinematography.
In addition, “Epiphany” has
also made waves on the international
stage, receiving the Excellent
Production Award at the 1st China
International (King Bonn) New
Media Shorts Award. It has also been
selected for screening at various film
festivals around the globe.
All these accolades
demonstrate the industry’s
recognition of the young
filmmakers’ outstanding talent,
hard work and determination.
“They affirm the quality of our
film and we were glad to be able to
touch the judges’ hearts,” said Chee
Harn, currently a film research
assistant at WKWSCI. His fellow
team member, Wendy, is a producer
at production house Upside Down
From left: Flora, Chee Harn, Wendy and Xuemei
Concepts, while Xuemei and Flora
are freelancing in video production
and editing.
“Epiphany” tells the story of
three individuals (Mark, Hanna
and Mui) who, on the verge of
succumbing to the harsh realities of
life, crossed paths and unknowingly
played a part in changing one
another’s destinies.
“We wanted to explore
social issues pertaining to family
ties, struggles in life and other
controversial topics by translating
abstract concepts into visual stories
that the audience can relate to,”
Chee Harn added.
The entire production took
nine months to complete. Although
they were faced with various
logistical and time constraints,
including the Singapore Film
Commission’s (SFC) rejection of
their proposal for funding, the team
remained undaunted.
“SFC’s rejection was our
greatest setback but it only
strengthened our conviction to
make the film a success. Driven
by a common vision, we relied on
our own financial resources and
overcame any obstacle that stood in
our way,” expressed Chee Harn.
The ex-Broadcast and
Cinema Studies students also owe
a large part of the film’s success
to WKWSCI’s staff and students.
Produced under the supervision of
Ms Nikki Draper, the team roped
in juniors to assist in the project in
both acting and production. The
School also made resources readily
available for the shoot.
The team is currently keeping
their fingers crossed for more good
news from other film festivals and
wants to encourage their juniors to
carry on the torch and attain greater
success in filmmaking. “We hope
to continue making films we like
in the future. “Epiphany” is a film
that we’re really proud of, being
the collective effort of four young
people with a common vision. To
top its current success will be a real
challenge but we’re game to take
our filmmaking to the next level if
the opportunity arises.”
A L U M N I
“We wanted to
explore social
issues pertaining
to family ties,
struggles in
life and other
controversial
topics by
translating
abstract
concepts into
visual stories
that the
audience can
relate to.”
CONNEXSCIONS 29

A L U M N I
BEYOND
WKWSCI
ConnexSCIons spoke to 5 outstanding alumni members
who have carved out successful careers since graduation.
By Lim Zhijuan, Fitrina Lim, Kok Yinghui, Chan Huiling & Yu Qinyan
Angeline Poh
Class of 1999 Majored in Electronic and
Broadcast Media
Now: Director of Infocomms & Media and
Strategic Planning, Economic Development
Board of Singapore
What are some of your main responsibilities at the EDB
Currently I wear two hats, as the Director of Strategic Planning as well as of
Infocomms & Media. The former is the corporate-wide function for EDB
where we scan the horizons and spot opportunities to set plans for the long
term, while the latter is a cluster group that promotes IT, computing, e-business,
telecommunications, media and the digital entertainment industries.
What’s the greatest challenge you face in your work
It is to continuously think ahead of the competition and come up with
ways to keep Singapore at the cutting edge of industry development. I have
to keep up with emerging trends to find out what kind of strategic changes
we need to make.
You have been with the EDB ever since graduation. What made
you decide to stay on for so long instead of job-hopping
The thought of a career change has crossed my mind but what kept me here
for 11 years was my sense of mission. I realised that this was the job for me
when I had a Eureka moment early in my career. I was a senior officer in
this division, responsible for developing the TV broadcast & production
industry. I was tasked with the opportunity to create a platform for our
local documentary talent to produce shows for the international audience,
to debunk the mindset that Singaporeans are not creative enough. The
impact of what I can achieve holds me to this job.
How has your education in SCI prepared you for the workforce
The way the classes were formatted taught me to be inquisitive and analytical. I learnt to challenge assumptions
critically and to think on my feet.
Do you have any advice for WKWSCI students who aspire to enter your industry
The media industry is fast moving and dynamic. Therefore, students should keep themselves updated and
informed by reading trade journals or visiting career fairs to gain insights. If you are given an internship
opportunity, you should make full use of it to gain valuable insights.
30 CONNEXSCIONS

A L U M N I
What are your current responsibilities at SPH
I’m currently working on The Straits Times’ publications
for secondary and primary schools: IN and Little Red
Dot. It’s been an absolute blast so far. Not only do I get
to report, I also coach younger reporters and interns,
work with our student journalists, and come up with
youth-related (and sometimes crazy) ideas, as well
as meet with schools and partners to learn how the
publishing industry works.
Serene Luo
Class of 2005 Majored in
Journalism
Now: Journalist, Singapore Press
Holdings
How is working on The Straits Times school
publications different from working at the
news desk
The energy from the children and teenagers is
just phenomenal. At the annual National Schools
Newspaper Competition that The Straits Times
organises, teams of five students work through the
night to produce a mini newspaper in 24 hours. Upon
receiving their assignments, they have to write the
stories, shoot the photos and lay out the pages all in a
day. Their infectious energy is something I can draw
on to push myself further.
As a journalist, what do you consider some of
your greatest achievements to date
The best part of the year so far is getting affirmed
by the World Association of Newspapers and News
Publishers (WAN-IFRA). IN won the prestigious
Young Reader Prize for best Newspaper in Education,
which awards newspapers that help students to improve
in their learning. My editor told me that WAN-IFRA
even wants us to go to Bangladesh to help a newspaper
there start its own programme to help the kids in their
schools. That would be really rewarding.
Having reported on various different genres,
what are some of the tips and tricks of the trade
you can share with us
I’m going to steal a line from seasoned journalist Mr
Tom Plate on this: Report, report, report. He’s probably
trying to say that journalists need to see for themselves,
and not be blinded by others’ opinions or so-called
common knowledge. I strongly stand by going down
unannounced to see for yourself. You may be surprised
by what you see.
How has your education in SCI shaped you, or
contributed to your career as a journalist
My lecturer at the time, Mr Felix Soh, helped to open
doors for me. He introduced me and some other
classmates to the then-newly revamped The Sunday
Times, and I started writing for it as an undergraduate.
Writing for an editor is quite different from writing for
your professor. One main difference is in the deadlines.
Your professor sets a deadline once a term. Your editor
wants her story a lot faster – within days, even hours! I
also served as chief editor of The Nanyang Chronicle,
and the experience of working on a school paper
helped me to understand the psyche of my colleagues
and the professional pressures they are under.
What advice can you give to the current
students in WKWSCI
I don’t have any advice except to enjoy it [school]
while it lasts!
CONNEXSCIONS 31

A L U M N I
What made you take up illustration
I guess it was something I enjoyed doing, so I learnt it
on my own.
What do you f ind most rewarding when you
get to create artworks and illustrations for the
National Day Parade tote bag and the public
installation at Bishan Circle Line
Art is just something I enjoy. It is always nice to see
your work up on a certain space, like you have left a
part of yourself onto that item or object. Also, the other
gratifying thing is when people come up to tell you how
much they like your work. That is very rewarding to me.
Which projects in particular have left a lasting
impression on you
The Bishan Circle Line project was one of the biggest
and most extensive projects I worked on. In a way, that
was like a milestone for me. Working on the National
Day bag was quite fun, too. You are all over the papers
and people start to recognise your work.
What kind of feelings would you want your visitors
to leave with after visiting your exhibitions
Unlike a lot of art which is sometimes quite serious,
I would like my visitors to feel happy and relaxed
when they go to the art gallery. They should just
have fun and not have to think too much!
Do you f ind it diff icult to balance both lecturing
and illustrating
Not really, it’s a nice balance. Art is like an after-work
activity for me. In the day I teach, and I work on my
illustrations during my free time.
What do you enjoy most about your lecturing
job at Republic Polytechnic
I enjoy getting in touch with youths and sharing
what I know. Imparting knowledge is good for the
soul. It is like giving a part of yourself to them.
Soh Ee Shaun
Class of 2005 Majored in Public and
Promotional Communication
Now: Illustration artist and lecturer
at Republic Polytechnic
What is your most unforgettable memory of SCI
I met my wife in SCI, so that’s quite memorable for me.
The orientation programmes and lectures were also
unforgettable. And the feeling of being a student is the
most nostalgic for me.
How much has SCI influenced you to be who
you are today
I wouldn’t have started on art if I hadn’t gone to SCI.
At that time, I was the graphic editor of The Nanyang
Chronicle. That was probably the start of everything.
I found that maybe this hobby could evolve into
something more professional.
Is there any advice you would like to give students
in WKWSCI who are intending to go into design
or illustration, or a related f ield like advertising
Self-belief is very important. You have to believe in your
own ability, and incorporate your own personality into
your work. Trying to see things differently from everybody
else is also especially important in the creative field.
32 CONNEXSCIONS

A L U M N I
Scott Teng
Class of 2009 Majored in
Communication Research
Now: Collaborative Planner at
eYeka Asia
What do you do as a Collaborative Planner at
eYeka
I strategise and plan how to best engage different
strategies for our clients’ needs. My role focuses a lot
on new businesses and preparing proposals. I try to
connect our eYeka community and leverage on social
media to communicate our clients’ brands and/or
products to the wider audience. My colleagues and
I also work on qualitative projects where we collect
insights and innovation ideas from our community,
and my job is to sift through all the information,
then code and analyse them to give appropriate
recommendations.
What is your view on social media today and
how has it shaped our lives
The most obvious trend is amongst the Gen Y today,
many log onto Facebook and check Twitter regularly.
Human beings are fundamentally social creatures.
Social media is merely the medium or the platform
where we socialize and which allows information to
spread virally. I think social media has shaped the
way we communicate. Our attention span is getting
shorter, and people tend to reinforce their beliefs with
what they read online instead of engaging in critical
evaluation of information.
How creative do you think young people are
today
I think there is more room for young people to be
creative today. Physical and digital spaces are slowly
opening up in Singapore for young people to express
their creativity. A lot of young people are creating
content, and they share all these online, forming a
tight-knit community around their creative pursuits.
How do you think WKWSCI has helped you in
your work as a media and design professional
It is the people I came to know, the internship that
I did, and the projects that we had to undertake. All
these gave us a good glimpse of what the working
world would be like. No amount of studying will beat
learning about it first-hand. Being in WKWSCI opens
up your mind and moulds us into critical thinkers,
which is extremely important in modern day society.
How has studying in WKWSCI made an
impact in your life
I think I cannot overstate the impact it had on me. It
has given me the chance to visit many cities around
the world on conferences, and I see my peers and
juniors going for exchange programmes and even
overseas internships. The Final Year Project (FYP) is
also something unique and important. In fact, we are
looking to publish two papers from our FYP thesis.
What advice can you give to the current
students in WKWSCI
The only thing limiting you from pursing what you
want to do is yourself (or sometimes money). So if you
feel that you want to do a job that is not media related,
go ahead. Your degree will never limit you. Just do it.
CONNEXSCIONS 33

A L U M N I
Linda Lee
Class of 2004 Majored in Public and
Promotional Communication
Now: Account Manager, Corporate
Practice, Weber Shandwick Singapore
You won the 2009 Asia Pacif ic PR Awards Young PR Professional
of the Year. How did you feel when you found out about the win
I was happy but humbled by it. Thank God for my mentors and bosses
who believed in me.
How has your working stint in Shanghai contributed to your
development as a PR practitioner
Without the stint, I might not have won the award. When I was in
Shanghai, I was exposed to people from different cultural backgrounds,
and this helped me broaden my perspectives. As part of my business
development portfolio, I had the opportunity to learn from diverse practice
groups across China, and this has helped me to carve out my niche.
Out of the numerous projects you have taken part in, was there
any that left a lasting impression on you
The 2010 Shanghai World Expo. It is the pride of China and the Shanghai
government. Marketing professionals see the Expo as the single largest
branding platform in the world to showcase their offerings to China.
Is there any particular person in the PR f ield that you look up to and why
It is easy to pinpoint legendary personalities in PR, but I would like to think that the people I learnt the most from
are people whom I had the opportunity to work closely. They include my ex-boss in Weber Shandwick Shanghai,
Darren Burns and my previous bosses at Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts, Yvette Tee and Simone Chen-Scott. Since
I began my career, they have encouraged me not to stay in my comfort zone but explore and venture limits
Describe, in one sentence, the PR industry.
It is a very humbling and dynamic industry.
How has an education at SCI shaped you into who you are today
The best friendships came out of SCI - my course mates are my support network even till this day. As SCI students,
we were given the grounds to speak up in school. We were trained to read more, think and form opinions.
How has taking part in activities such as Theatre and Performance studies and being the executive
off icio of the NTU Sports Club enriched your university life
It helps to be a jack-of-all-trades because it gives you a more balanced perspective on life and nurtures soft
skills that cannot be acquired from our curriculum. My network is broader because participating in Sports Club
allowed me to interact with students from other schools.
What are your future plans
In life, I try not to plan too much. My 2010 dream was to complete the New York marathon, where I achieved my
personal best timing, shaving almost 45 minutes off my first marathon’s timing.
34 CONNEXSCIONS

Wee Kim Wee Legacy Fund to
be a major recipient of charity
proceeds from new cookbook,
Cooking For The President
By Arlene Teo
Please detach the Alumni Connector and send to:
Wee Kim Wee School
of Communication and Information
31 Nanyang Link, #04-43,
WKWSCI Building,
Singapore 637718.
Or fax to: 6791-5214
Or e-mail: SD-SCI@ntu.edu.sg
Please fold along this line
A
new cookbook, Cooking For The President, featuring 230
Peranakan recipes of the former president’s wife, Mrs Wee
Kim Wee, was unveiled on 15 November 2010. Launched by
President S.R Nathan at the Raffles Hotel ballroom, the book was written,
photographed and self-published by Mrs Wee’s daughter, Ms Wee End
Hwa, who compiled it in commemoration of her father, the late President
Wee Kim Wee.
Raising $1.2 million in charity proceeds from signed copies of
the book, Mrs Wee chose five beneficiaries for the fund-raising drive.
Amongst them, our school’s Wee Kim Wee Legacy Fund was chosen to be
a major beneficiary, receiving 80 percent of the proceeds.
At the book’s launch at the Raffles Hotel ballroom, Dr Su Guaning,
President of NTU, expressed his appreciation towards the Wee family for their
continuous support towards our school: “Nanyang Technological University
is honoured and privileged to be among the carefully selected beneficiaries of
her (Mrs Wee Kim Wee’s) culinary and philanthropic legacy.”
The money from this charity drive will allow more WKWSCI
students to benefit under the Wee Kim Wee Legacy Fund. Established in
2005, the Fund offers scholarships and bursaries to students of the School,
as well as supports students on overseas reporting programmes such as
GO-FAR. More information about the Wee Kim Week Legacy Fund can
be found at: http://www3.ntu.edu.sg/weekimwee/
The other four beneficiaries of the book’s charity proceeds are the Girl
Guides Singapore; the Jamiyah Home for the Aged; the Life Community
Services Society, and Trybe.
ALUMNI CONNECTOR
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