Small ideas, big dreams An artificial kidney that will make dialysis redundant. That’s no pipe dream for Jackie Ying, one of the Singapore’s most celebrated biotech superstars. Not only does she believe it’s going to happen, she’s convinced her team will be the one to make the breakthrough. “It will allow those with kidney failure to reabsorb nutrients. And it will be portable. We hope to introduce this in a few years,” says Ying, 42, the executive director of the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology here. Current dialysis treatment is a debilitating and draining procedure that usually requires the assistance of a trained helper. If the artificial kidney that Ying’s team is working on proves successful, all those dialysis machines may be headed for the scrap yard. If anyone can pull off such miracles, it is Ying. In December, the Singaporean PR was one of only eight women named on a list of 100 Engineers of the Modern Era by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. The list honours those who have made significant contribution to the field after World War II. Although born in Taiwan, Ying spent her formative years in Singapore. She went on to attend some of the world’s top universities, and by the time she was 35, Ying was a full Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, making her the youngest ever to have been promoted to such a level in the Chemical Engineering faculty where she taught. For Ying, the mind boggles not at the thought of molecular science but of interpersonal dynamics. “Keeping people interested and motivated to take on difficult challenges. That’s been tough. And I feel most frustrated when people resign suddenly. I’d be wondering why and talking with my colleagues for days,” she reveals. That said, need for control seems understandable when seen against the myriad, and massive, challenges she faces, and not just on the job front. During the day, Ying runs the institute. At night, the researcher works on her “papers”. As a working mother, she has to meet the needs of her young daughter. As an active and contributing citizen of the world, she takes on active roles in numerous professional bodies and social forums.

Academic ace More than just reliving the good ole’ days, the alumni of today are evolving to make a bigger difference in their alma mater. The scope of alumni activities has expanded beyond the traditional ‘wine and cheese’ social events to more business and professional events. This has helped to attract a new generation of members.    The key motivation for former students to join their alumni association remains unchanged: to re-connect to their roots. Committee members here say it is ultimately the camaraderie and the sense of belonging that draws members to donate money or get involved in events. The chance to network is another attraction for former students of top schools here and abroad. “An important reason is the chance to meet and network with other former students across different generations and a huge variety of professional backgrounds,” says Getty Goh, president of the Berkeley Club here. At the end of the day, former students just want to relive the fun they had during school days. Raffles Girls’ School chapter president, Dr Jean Ong, still returns to her school to cheer for the Richardson house which she belonged to during the sports days.

In the hot seat “I want your seat.” That was the reply then-chief operating officer of Sincere Watch, Ong Ban, gave his boss when asked about his career ambitions in 2000. The answer initially shocked Tay Liam Wee, the company’s chief executive and the man who built up the homegrown business into a regional retail powerhouse. But Ong’s candour was taken as a commitment to the company. “(Liam Wee) was happy because no one had ever said that to him,” recalls Ong. In fact such an audacious sentiment gels with the company’s policy of “displacement”. In October this year, Ong’s long-held ambition to run the company he joined as a operations manager in 1996 came true. He was appointed as CEO, replacing Tay, who has taken an advisory role as group managing director. But in the months that followed that milestone, it must have seemed to him like a case of being careful what you wished for. When Ong Ban assumed leadership of Sincere Watch, the company was in the throes of a crisis made worse by the financial downturn. But it doesn’t stop him from continuing towards his billion-dollar goal.