The quality of Australian Higher Education has always been of a high quality and standard, with over 100,000 alumni of Australian institutions in Singapore and the number is still growing strong. Over decades of quality Australian Higher Education, on the night of 25th May 2012, the Australian Government together with the Australian Alumni Singapore came together to honour our Australian alumni for their achievements and their great contribution both Singapore and Australia, held at the Australian High Commission.
The Distinguished Australian Alumni Celebrations 2012 also marked the 60th Anniversary of the first Colombo Plan Scholars arrival into Australia, with the launch of the photography exhibition of Singapore Colombo Plan Scholars. Our Guest of Honour, Dr Lee Boon Yang, chairman of Keppel Corporation and Singapore Press Holdings, former Singapore Cabinet Minister and a distinguished alumnus of the University of Queensland, kindly graced the celebration.
His Excellency, Doug Chester, High Commissioner of Australia gave the opening address, and he shared on the quality of the Australian Higher Education in today’s society of the alumnus holding key positions in various sectors. Dr Lee Boon Yang gave a very interesting speech, reminiscing his university days in Australia, when he was studying at The University of Queensland, the fun and holistic education that he received while studying at The University of Queensland.
Dr Lee then presented the highest honour in the Distinguished Australian Alumni Awards, the Eminent Alumni Award 2012 to Dr Tan Chin Nam, Chairman of the Media Development Authority’s International Advisory Panel. The Outstanding Young Alumnus Award 2012 was presented to Mr Jeffery Tan, Head of Community Participation at National Arts Council.
With the formal segment of the celebrations night completed, it transformed into a night of networking session with your fellow university mates and friends of the wider Australian Alumni Singapore organisation, with many opportunities for photo taking. It wasn’t just catching up with friends, there were also opportunities to make new friends under the big Australian Alumni Singapore network.
While the celebrations came to a close, the friendship of our own alumni networks never close, it will keep on expanding and growing bigger, spreading their wings wider, to foster a greater relationship, friendship and networking among the alumnus of Australian Higher Education.