Speech by Dr Eric Kuan, Scholarship & Bursary Awards 2019Speeches

Mr Chan Chun Sing, Minister of Trade and Industry

Mr Victor Wong, Patron of MDIS

Mr Lim How Kim, Trustee of MDIS Education Trust Fund

Dr R Theyvendran, Secretary-General of MDIS

Mr Roger Tham, Honorary Treasurer of MDIS

Hi Excellency, the Ambassador of Uzbekistan

Scholarship and Bursary Award recipients, 

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

1.    A very warm welcome to all of you to the MDIS 24th Scholarship and Bursary Awards Ceremony.     

2.    Today’s occasion celebrates the achievements of 401 individuals who will be receiving scholarships and bursaries awarded by MDIS. May I take this opportunity to commend and congratulate all recipients on their excellent achievement. Ladies and gentlemen, please give them a big round of applause!

3.    Let us also not forget that success is often built upon encouragement and inspiration, and unwavering support of your family members and friends who are gathered here this morning. This moment of pride and achievement is also shared by your family members and friends. And MDIS is privileged to be there for you too!

MDIS and its Altruistic Ethos
4.    From our early beginnings in 1956, MDIS has come a long way over the last six decades. As Singapore’s oldest not-for-profit professional institute for lifelong learning, we have expanded regionally to include two additional campuses: MDIS Tashkent in Uzbekistan and MDIS Malaysia in Johor. Our campus in Uzbekistan was established through the strong support from the President of Uzbekistan, who issued two presidential decrees and one decree for the innovation centre.

5.    Through the years, our commitment to education remains steadfast, backed by strong partnerships with internationally-accredited universities from the United Kingdom.

6.    While education through professional learning is important, equally so is learning through working with the community. It is for this reason that MDIS works closely with the community to offer scholarships and bursaries that will uplift the learning and qualifications of students, with which we hope to improve their job security and promotion; and social mobility.

7.    At the heart of it all, MDIS believes that everyone should embrace lifelong learning to further their education in order to remain relevant to Singapore’s industry needs. No one – for reasons based on societal background, physiological impairment, or financial impediment – should be denied access to education. As part of our 60th anniversary celebrations in 2016, we introduced the Special Bursary with the aim of helping students who are facing exceptionally challenging situations arising from family or financial circumstances. All the bursaries and scholarships have been funded through our MDIS Education Trust Fund.

8.    Through the MDIS Education Trust Fund, we have awarded close to 8,000 scholarships and bursaries worth nearly six million Singapore dollars since 1999. This year, the combined value of these awards, together with the Special Bursary of five thousand Singapore dollars each, extends beyond two hundred thousand Singapore dollars.

9.    These special bursaries honour two very remarkable students who have overcome much challenges in life to achieve academic excellence!

Closing Remarks
10.    In closing, may I once again congratulate all our scholarship and bursary recipients and wish them success in their future endeavours. Thank you.