Dr Chua Thian Poh Makes Possible New Donation for Future Campus in Punggol
The gift also enables SIT to establish a permanent bursary fund in support of financially disadvantaged undergraduate students
Dr Chua Thian Poh has made possible a new endowed gift of S$2.6 million to the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) – in support of the development of its future campus in Punggol, as well as the establishment of the Chua Thian Poh Bursary to nurture financially disadvantaged undergraduates at SIT.
In recognition of this generous gift, the Discovery Hub at SIT’s future campus in Punggol will be named the Chua Thian Poh Discovery Hub. In the interim, before the Punggol Campus is operational, the Student Activities Centre at SIT’s current campus in Dover will be named the Chua Thian Poh Student Activities Centre.
The naming ceremony for the Chua Thian Poh Discovery Hub took place on 26 January 2022 at SIT@Dover, attended by Mr Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Education, who was the Guest of Honour, as well as Dr Chua Thian Poh, Executive Chairman of Ho Bee Land and Mr Nicholas Chua, Chief Executive Officer of Ho Bee Land and Board Chairman of Chua Foundation.
The Chua Thian Poh Discovery Hub is designed to cater to students working on project assignments in teams and as individuals and for their presentations. It is envisioned to be a space that actively engages the students as co-creators, planners, and managers in their academic and research project work.
This gift from Dr Chua Thian Poh through the Chua Foundation, will also support the establishment of the Chua Thian Poh Bursary – thus enabling SIT to award six bursaries (valued at $5,000 each) each year and in perpetuity. The Chua Thian Poh Bursary is applicable to Singaporean and Singapore Permanent Resident undergraduates at SIT who have a monthly household per capita income of no more than S$1,500.
The Chua Foundation was set up and funded by Dr Chua and his siblings to continue the legacy of their late mother, Madam Seah Sar, and to remember the values she stood for. Madam Seah always emphasised the importance of education, despite having little education herself and was very keen to help those in need. Following her example in nurturing the next generation and aiding the underprivileged, the Chua Thian Poh Bursary seeks to give SIT students the confidence to reach their true potential.
In both his private and public capacities, Dr Chua Thian Poh’s support for SIT and its students has been transformative. His friendship with SIT began in 2012, when he made possible the SIT-Chua Thian Poh Scholarship in support of a student whose father had died in a car accident. In 2019, in his capacity as Chairman and CEO of Ho Bee Land, Dr Chua made possible an endowed donation amounting to $3.25 million. It was the first donation that SIT had received for its future campus in Punggol, as well as a scholarship for academically promising undergraduates at SIT. The Ho Bee Auditorium and the Ho Bee Scholarship at SIT were named in recognition of this gift.
Said Prof Chua Kee Chaing, President of SIT, “As a young university that is about to embark on a new era of growth in its own new campus, SIT is very grateful for Dr Chua Thian Poh’s firm friendship, which goes back to 2012. SIT and its students are deeply appreciative of Dr Chua’s philanthropic leadership and firm support. On behalf of SIT, I wish to express our utmost thanks for his generous new gift to support our future campus, as well as to encourage learning and discovery.”
“I am very pleased to be able to nurture the students at SIT, who are set to become future professionals to drive Singapore’s economy,” said Dr Chua Thian Poh, adding, “SIT has a very thoughtful approach to nurturing pragmatic and innovative ‘thinking tinkerers’ who are also passionate about serving the community. I hope the students will be well supported by the Chua Thian Poh Discovery Hub and Bursary on their learning journey.”
