Speech at A*STAR Scholarship Awards Ceremony 2008

Mr Gan Kim Yong, Acting Minister for Manpower, Matrix Auditorium, Biopolis

Mr Lim Chuan Poh, Chairman of A*STAR

Scholars and Parents,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Introduction

1.   Let me first congratulate the A*STAR scholars. Your passion and aptitude for science and research are admirable and commendable. I am delighted to be here with you today to share the joy and excitement of our award winners. Your parents must be very proud to witness this significant moment.

Making a difference through R&D

2.   These are exciting times for those involved in research and development (R&D). Many multinational companies have established sophisticated manufacturing activities and corporate R&D laboratories in Singapore. The number of Research Scientists and Engineers (RSE) has increased from 14,000 in 2000 to 23,000 in 2006. Our R&D hubs, such as Biopolis and the upcoming Fusionopolis, will create vibrant research communities, providing opportunities for cross pollination of ideas and collaboration in various fields.

3.   Scientists and engineers like you can look forward to the myriad of opportunities available. The Biomedical Sciences (BMS) industry, for example, is an exciting area. Although Singapore launched its drive to grow this industry only recently, the sector's output has already quadrupled from S$6.3 billion in 2000 to S$24.0 billion last year. Our focus on R&D in traditional electronics and chemical industries has also yielded breakthroughs in technological applications such as water quality monitoring, moisture-resistance film for solar cells and next-generation information storage.

4.   Our commitment and investment in developing Singapore into a premier location for R&D is bearing fruit. Merlion Pharmaceuticals, a spin-off from A*STAR's Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, has developed a novel antibiotic drug in clinical trials. This innovative drug, together with other significant achievements, has propelled the company into Fierce Biotech's list of the world's fifteen most promising biotechnology companies for 2007.

5.   Singapore's success is a testament to our collective hard work, creativity and enterprise, and I trust that you will continue to innovate and create new solutions to address global challenges, such as meeting the healthcare needs for a rapidly ageing population.

Inspiring and supporting our future researchers

6.   By taking up the A*STAR scholarship, you already demonstrate the passion for R&D. You may ask: “What are the other key factors needed to succeed?” Your scholarship paves the way for you to study at the top universities in the world. There, you will be immersed in an intellectually stimulating environment, where top minds around the world congregate to share and develop the next generation of cutting-edge ideas.

7.   In R&D, more than any other field, you will need to persevere. Thomas Edison once famously said, “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” When you start in your respective fields after graduation, you will encounter many difficulties and obstacles, and it is only after unyielding perseverance, patience and determination will you taste the fruits of success. You will need to be constantly inquisitive and be willing to push beyond the boundaries. But it is precisely through overcoming these challenges that will mould you into confident and mature researchers. It may sound daunting, but I believe you will be able to live up to the challenge.

8.   The Government will continue to nurture R&D capabilities through investing in scholarship, youth outreach and engagement programmes. For example, six top foreign universities¹, as well as NUS and NTU, have partnered A*STAR to form research collaborations and conduct PhD programmes at A*STAR research institutes. A seventh foreign university, UK's Oxford University, will join the ranks of A*STAR's PhD partner universities from August this year. Local scholars can spend two of their four-year PhD programme at an A*STAR research institute, and the other two years overseas at Oxford University.

9.   A*STAR has also recently launched the A*STAR International Fellowship (AIF). The AIF will support PhD graduates from NUS and NTU to undertake post-doctoral training in top universities and private sector laboratories overseas. Such opportunities will enable recipients to deepen their skills, expand their horizons and widen their networks.

A*STAR Science Award

10.   At the same time, the Government is cultivating the next generation of research scientists and engineers. We want to excite our young in science and technology. To reach out and engage our youths, A*STAR's Science Awards provides top Junior College students with research attachment opportunities at A*STAR's laboratories. I am pleased to announce that A*STAR will be expanding its Science Award to include students in upper secondary schools. This new award will support more than 120 local Secondary 3 students in 30 schools. Hopefully, some of these students will eventually be inspired and become the next generation of aspiring scientists and engineers, like you seated here today.

Parting advice to scholars

11.   To the scholars, as you embark on your individual quests, I encourage you to acquire knowledge not only in your chosen fields, but also across other disciplines. Many of today's real world problems are highly complex and will require diverse skills drawn from different fields of specialties. To succeed, you will need to connect and collaborate with experts from other areas in science, engineering, medicine and even humanities.

12.   Finally, as Confucius once said, 学而时习之，不亦说乎 – “It is a pleasure to study and practice what you have learnt”. We look forward to your return, enriched with new ideas and passionate in your drive to contribute to Singapore's R&D landscape. I wish you every success.

13.   Thank you.