Business China & Yishun Junior College jointly present the 5th China Studies Seminar
Singapore – This morning, 4 August 2012, Yishun Junior College (YJC) and Business China jointly organised the 5th China Studies Seminar at YJC.
Since its inauguration in 2008, the China Studies Seminar has been held on an annual basis by YJC. This year marks the first year of official collaboration between YJC and Business China.
Some 500 pre-university students, including two teams from mainland China, presented, debated, and explored extensively, selected issues and topics on China.
The objective of this seminar is to engage students in the understanding and discussion of significant issues faced by contemporary China, so as to cultivate a pool of potential researchers who are impassioned about the subject. It aims to provide opportunities to challenge pre-conceived notions of China and help students gain a more informed understanding of the complexities that the country faces.
In tandem with China’s 12th Five-Year Plan, the forum was themed “Changing China in a Changing World” this year.
We were honoured to have Mr Teo Siong Seng, PBM, Business China board member, President of Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Nominated Member of Parliament, to grace the occasion as our Guest-of-Honour. In addition, six experts in China-related issues were invited to give their appraisals and insights on the winning essays. They were: Mr Lye Liang Fook, Assistant-Director/Research Fellow, East Asian Institute; Dr Sarah Tong Yueting, Senior Research Fellow, East Asian Institute; Assistant Professor Li Mingjiang, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, NTU; Professor Chen Kang, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, NUS; Assistant Professor Zhang Zhibin, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, NTU; and Dr Zhou Zhao Cheng, Editor, Zaobao.com.
Over the years, the seminar has developed a reputation as an intellectually stimulating and lively event. In 2008, participants from various junior colleges were intrigued by a debate between two academics concerning the rise of China and cross-straits relations. This was followed in 2009 with a shift of emphasis to student-initiated research topics which resulted in increased participation from various schools. Compared to the first two seminars which were conducted in Chinese, 2010 was a watershed year as the seminar included essay writing and presentation components in English for the first time. Last year, 2011, was pivotal as it marked Business China’s involvement when Mr Chua Tian Poh, JP, BBM, Chairman of Business China and Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA) engaged participants with insights to contemporary issues facing China as the Guest-of-Honour.
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For more information, please contact:-
Lim Kah Kiat (Mr)
China Studies Teacher
Yishun Junior College
Email: Lim_Kah_Kiat@moe.edu.sg
Contact: 9139 7408
Eunice Ong (Ms)
Senior Associate (Corporate Communications & Go East)
Business China
Email: eunice@businesschina.org.sg
Tel: 6213 0413
About Yishun Junior College
Established in 1986, Yishun Junior College’s vision is to be ‘The Choice College of Leaders with Passion and Integrity’. Its mission is ‘to nurture righteous leaders, responsible global citizens, who pursue excellence in all endeavours’. We envisage our students to be significantly involved in the making of tomorrow’s Singapore and contribute confidently to this 21st century’s ever-changing world.
For more information, visit www.yishunjc.moe.edu.sg.
About Business China
Business China was launched in November 2007 by our Patron, then Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. We are a platform integrating language, economic and cultural elements. Our mission is to nurture an inclusive bilingual and bicultural group of Singaporeans through extensive use of the Chinese language as the medium of communication, so as to sustain our multicultural heritage, and to develop a cultural and economic bridge linking the world and China.
For more information, visit www.businesschina.org.sg.