British Council announces winners of inaugural Study UK Alumni Awards Singapore
Medtech founder, Visual artist, Social action leader and Biomedical scientist among recipients
The British Council has announced the recipients of the 2021-22 Study UK Alumni Awards in Singapore at an awards ceremony held on 25 February. Four Singaporeans who graduated from UK universities were recognised for their outstanding achievements as business professionals, entrepreneurs and community leaders, and for their contribution to strengthening ties between the UK and Singapore.
The Study UK Alumni Awards were developed by the British Council and UK universities, to recognise outstanding alumni of UK universities. They are open to alumni currently residing outside the UK, who have been awarded a full degree-level qualification (or higher) by a UK university. For the first time, Singapore has joined 22 other countries this year in holding national-level award ceremonies.
The outstanding Singaporean recipients of the four awards come from the categories of Business and Innovation, Culture and Creativity, Science and Sustainability, and Social Action. They were presented their awards by Ms Lucy Watkins, Director of British Council Singapore at the ceremony.
The Science and Sustainability Award was presented to Dr Samuel Gan, a graduate of King’s College London. Samuel is Senior Principal Investigator at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and Adjunct Associate Professor at James Cook University Singapore. His work has won competitive international awards and highlights in the areas of antibody engineering, viral mutations, psychology, theology, and in scientific phone apps and devices.
Jaxton Su, a graduate of University of Glasgow, won the Culture and Creativity Award. Jaxton is a visual artist whose murals enliven mundane spaces and can be found around Singapore. He is also Adjunct Lecturer at the Nanyang Technological University Singapore, and actively works on community-based and curatorial projects to engage people from all walks of life through contemporary art.
The Social Action award was presented to Fié Neo Wen Jing, a graduate of University of the Arts London. Fié is the Founder of INSEP (International Network for Socially Engaged Practitioners) which brings together people from around the world to collaborate across sectors in advancing the impact of social engagement projects. Her Onions Talk podcast engages with more than 1000 practitioners, amplifying the work of these change makers, and providing insights and resources to support more sustainable ways of working.
Dr Cherry Chia, a graduate of The University of Manchester, won the Business and Innovation award. Cherry is the Founder and CEO of ErleaDx Pte Ltd, a medtech company currently engaged in developing a liquid biopsy test for the early detection of lung cancer - to make lung cancer detection as easy as a finger-prick test at home. She is also a Research Scientist at A*STAR.
“The Study UK Alumni Awards received more than 1,500 applications from international UK alumni in more than 100 countries, representing more than 140 UK higher education institutions across the UK”, Lucy Watkins, Country Director Singapore and Regional Director, East Asia said. “Cherry, Fie, Samuel and Jaxton are remarkable individuals who have taken their UK education as a starting point to excel in their chosen careers and shape the world around them. Today’s award ceremony is a celebration of their achievements and the transformative impact of a UK education. I am excited to follow their careers and have no doubt that their work will continue to make waves in Singapore and the world.”
Kara Owen, British High Commissioner to Singapore, said: “The UK and Singapore have an agile, future-focussed and high-tech relationship. At the heart of our countries’ partnership are our people, including the Singaporeans who have studied in the UK, and who would have forged lifelong professional and personal connections. Such ties contribute to the mutual trust and understanding between our countries today, and will do so for years to come. As our bilateral ties continue to grow, we hope that the UK alumni in Singapore will continue to engage with us through the various Alumni Associations here, and through the British Council’s Global Alumni Network. We are immensely proud of our 2021-22 Alumni Award winners, and we look forward to following their future successes.”
Dr Cherry Chia, Fié Neo Wen Jing, Jaxton Su and Dr Samuel Gan will be competing with shortlisted finalists from all the participating countries in the Global Alumni Awards. The Global winners will be announced in September 2022.
For more information, please contact:
Jeanne Leong
Head of Marketing, Cultural Engagement, East Asia
Tel: +65 85119892
Email: Jeanne.Leong@britishcouncil.org.sg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BritishCouncilSingapore
Twitter: @SGBritish