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SR Nathan conferred honorary doctorate by NTU
By Monica Kotwani | Posted: 06 December 2011 1406 hrs
SINGAPORE: Former president SR Nathan has been conferred an honorary doctorate by Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
This is to recognise his distinguished achievements and contributions to the university and to Singapore.
As founding director, Mr Nathan was instrumental in establishing the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, now known as the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS).
He was also the Chancellor of NTU for 12 years.
Mr Nathan told reporters before the ceremony on Tuesday that he is deeply touched. He added he feels undeserving of the honourary degree.
"I'm deeply touched by it, because I'm not an academic. I don't think I'm deserving of it because I haven't spent much time in the university as an academic.
"The reason I feel that way is when I was asked to set up the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS), NTU accepted me without myself being an academic and allowed me to develop IDSS in the way I wanted it.
"And IDSS has since grown, with a lot of students from abroad paying their way, coming to take up courses. And that's doing well.
"As Chancellor of NTU, of course I had the occasion of the ceremonial conferment of degrees, but more than that, I also had occasion to see the development of the university, new programmes that they were introducing.
"They sought my opinion, I gave it to them. It was a layman's opinion, so from that point of view, well, I'll say that I'm very touched."
He also spoke of his life in academia with the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISAS) and as Distinguished Senior Fellow with RSIS.
"I've also been seizing opportunities, meeting more learned people, who are specialised in their different fields.
"Talking to them and getting some valuable insights into things that are of interest to me.
"Whether it's the nature of the world economy, whether it's strategic questions, whether it's politics in our neighbourhood, I do that."
Also present at the ceremony were President Tony Tan Keng Yam and Education Minister Heng Swee Keat.
- CNA/ck
By Monica Kotwani | Posted: 06 December 2011 1406 hrs
SINGAPORE: Former president SR Nathan has been conferred an honorary doctorate by Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
This is to recognise his distinguished achievements and contributions to the university and to Singapore.
As founding director, Mr Nathan was instrumental in establishing the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, now known as the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS).
He was also the Chancellor of NTU for 12 years.
Mr Nathan told reporters before the ceremony on Tuesday that he is deeply touched. He added he feels undeserving of the honourary degree.
"I'm deeply touched by it, because I'm not an academic. I don't think I'm deserving of it because I haven't spent much time in the university as an academic.
"The reason I feel that way is when I was asked to set up the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS), NTU accepted me without myself being an academic and allowed me to develop IDSS in the way I wanted it.
"And IDSS has since grown, with a lot of students from abroad paying their way, coming to take up courses. And that's doing well.
"As Chancellor of NTU, of course I had the occasion of the ceremonial conferment of degrees, but more than that, I also had occasion to see the development of the university, new programmes that they were introducing.
"They sought my opinion, I gave it to them. It was a layman's opinion, so from that point of view, well, I'll say that I'm very touched."
He also spoke of his life in academia with the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISAS) and as Distinguished Senior Fellow with RSIS.
"I've also been seizing opportunities, meeting more learned people, who are specialised in their different fields.
"Talking to them and getting some valuable insights into things that are of interest to me.
"Whether it's the nature of the world economy, whether it's strategic questions, whether it's politics in our neighbourhood, I do that."
Also present at the ceremony were President Tony Tan Keng Yam and Education Minister Heng Swee Keat.
- CNA/ck
