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NUS to offer free, student-led guided walking tours for tourists to manage visitor traffic on campus

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SINGAPORE — Addressing complaints about long queues for food and shuttle bus services caused by tourists visiting the National University of Singapore (NUS), the university will be introducing a pop-up visitor centre and “guided walk” programme for visiting tour groups, it said on Friday (Feb 9). 

Tourists taking photos at the National University of Singapore on Jan 31, 2024

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• Responding to an influx of tourists on its campus, the National University of Singapore will introduce a pop-up visitor centre and “guided walk” programme for visiting tour groups
• The initiative is aimed at helping to manage and regulate visitor traffic on campus and will be free of charge for tourists
• Walking tours will be led by trained student guides as they are "best placed to share first-hand experiences and perspectives”, NUS said
• The new visitor programme will commence from late July 2024

The initiative is aimed at helping to manage and regulate visitor traffic on campus and will be free for tourists, NUS said in a statement.

The walking tours will be curated to help visitors “understand our rich heritage and campus life” and will be led by trained student guides, given that they are "best placed to share first-hand experiences and perspectives”, the university added.

The announcement came after students from NUS and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) voiced their displeasure over what they felt was an influx of tourists visiting their campuses, causing various inconveniences.

NTU introduced an entry fee for tourists , requiring all travel agencies planning tours to their campus to seek prior approval from the university from Feb 1.

It told TODAY that the entry fees would be charged per group and that the university would inform the group of the applicable entry fee that is “based on the requirements of the travel agencies”. 

Taking a different approach, NUS said on Friday that it is not charging a fee because the university is an "open campus".

“It is a privilege to be able to welcome visitors — locally and from abroad — who share in our mission and are interested to learn more about the university.

“At the same time, ensuring a conducive environment for the best learning experience of our students, preserving campus vibrancy for an immersive student life, and keeping our facilities such as laboratories and classrooms safe and secure are important priorities."

To this end, NUS said that it is mindful to minimise disruptions and safeguard the safety, security and privacy of students and staff members who are studying, working or living on campus.

As for its new visitor programme, it will be “up and running for the summer vacation season” from late July this year.

NUS students had mixed reactions about the university's announcement when approached by TODAY. 

A first-year social work student who wanted to be known only as Daniel said that the new measures do not "tackle the root cause of there being too many tour groups". 

"Having a tour guide take them around still means that they will be taking the same buses and eating at the same places they currently are," the 21-year-old said. 

"I think NTU's system of having to register their tour groups may be more effective as it can regulate the number of groups at any given moment." 

However, another NUS student, an economics student in her fourth year of study who did not want to be named, believes that the student-led tours are a good idea. 

"I’m glad NUS is taking this approach as opposed to charging a fee or trying to monetise the situation, which I personally feel can come across as a little hostile for visitors," the 23-year-old said. 

She noted that although the university did not address explicitly how the tours would lessen the crowds on shuttle buses and canteens, she was confident that "there would be some effective planning done by the guides in that aspect". 

"It’s always good to attract more publicity for NUS while mitigating potential disturbances on students."

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NUSOne: A holistic approach to achieve a well-rounded university experience

New initiative aims to ease transition into university life for freshmen and encourage greater self-directed personal growth and development starting from first year.

First-year students enrolling in the National University of Singapore (NUS) in the new Academic Year in August 2024 will get their transformative university experience off the ground through a new transition programme designed to facilitate their adjustment to university life. This is one of the key elements of the new NUSOne initiative along with its intent to synergise the University’s formal classroom learning with out-of-classroom experiences.

This latest educational transformation at NUS will enable students to achieve academic excellence, embrace a rich and immersive student life, and develop essential future-ready attributes during their time in NUS.

Building upon the comprehensive transition programme, NUSOne will broaden students’ access and encourage their participation in a wide range of out-of-classroom activities. With a deeper appreciation of the diverse pathways and opportunities available, students are better informed when they personalise their own comprehensive and well-rounded university education that encompasses both academic and non-academic facets of campus life.

Professor Aaron Thean, NUS Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost, said, “Student life and experiential learning are integral parts of NUS’ transformative education. Through NUSOne, we are elevating the emphasis on student life activities and out-of-classroom experiences, which will reinforce NUS’ hallmark of academic rigour and holistic education, to develop well-rounded, resilient and dynamic individuals who can thrive and flourish during and beyond their time at NUS. We are committed to giving our students the space and resources necessary to develop their potential to the fullest.”

NUSOne is a continuation of the University’s efforts to transform higher education. It also represents the ongoing range of significant reforms implemented by NUS over the past five years, including enhancements to its General Education curriculum, expanding the scale of interdisciplinarity in its academic offerings, integrating learning and real-world issues, and encouraging participation in and study of the arts through the “Arts For All” framework.   

Three core features of NUSOne

(1)             Enhanced transition to university

NUS recognises the importance of the freshmen transition as a fundamental foundation for their senior years, and the need to equip incoming undergraduates with the necessary skills and resources to adjust to university education. From August 2024, newly matriculated students will participate in a Transition to Higher Education (T.H.E.) Programme to familiarise them with academic and non-academic essentials.

The T.H.E. Programme will integrate existing introductory activities aimed at promoting a conducive learning culture within NUS, as well as newly introduced e-courses on wellbeing and resilience, and learning strategies. Please refer to the Annexe for more details on courses in T.H.E. Programme.

First-year students will also be given an NUSOne toolkit and roadmap: the toolkit will provide them with useful guidance to navigate their undergraduate journey while the roadmap will signpost students to the wide-ranging out-of-classroom activities available.  

(2)             Self-discovery and self-development

With a smoother transition into university, first-year students can personalise their non-academic development by deepening their interests in a diverse range of activities including arts, sports, community engagement, personal development workshops and many others.

In encouraging greater participation in out-of-classroom and student life activities, students can access these on Wednesday afternoons which will be mostly free from classes starting in Academic Year 2024/2025. With this, the University can come together as one community to explore and participate in various activities such as sports, arts, community outreach and others.    

The University will also plan and roll-out various initiatives to complement NUSOne. Earlier this year, NUS announced a second major and minor in performing arts , as a way of integrating the arts into education catering to the broad interests of students.

Another upcoming addition to Kent Ridge campus is a sports-themed hostel named Valour House. Connoting courage, strength and resilience, it aims to provide a conducive environment for athletes and sports enthusiasts to pursue their interests in sports as well as venture into new sports or related activities for continual self-improvement. By emphasising community sports, Valour House seeks to build an active and inclusive community bonded through shared athletic experiences. It is envisioned that adaptive sports will also form part of future programme offerings. Students will also be given opportunities to organise community sports events for the NUS community.

Projected to open in August 2025, Valour House can accommodate up to 600 residents. The completion of this new residential complex, which will bring the total number of on-campus hostel places to about 12,500, is a major step towards realising our aspiration to provide every undergraduate the opportunity to experience on-campus living and learning for a year, especially during the freshman year. Currently, close to two-thirds of first-year undergraduates apply to stay on campus, and majority are assigned rooms.

(3)             A holistic student experience and graduate narrative

NUS inaugurated the NUS Achievement Awards (formerly known as Student Life Awards) in 2019 to recognise the importance of student life as an integral part of the NUS education. Today, community engagement is a compulsory graduating requirement for NUS students.

Underscoring the value of student life and out-of-classroom experiences for the personal growth of NUS students, NUS will explore ways to reflect their engagement in such university experiences alongside their academic accomplishments. In so doing, our students will be able to put up a more comprehensive and holistic university narrative of their time in the University.

Keith Goh, incoming third-year student at NUS Business School, said, “When I first entered NUS after national service, I had to make adjustments, such as familiarising with the university environment, finding out where to go for my classes, and adapting to the different teaching styles for different courses. Having some guidance in the early part of the university journey – like what NUSOne is offering - will definitely be very helpful.”

He added, “I am also excited that NUSOne involves setting aside dedicated time to engage in sports, arts, and cultural activities, as this will encourage students like me to try out new activities beyond the classroom. The Valour House would be great for students who have an interest in sports to connect with like-minded individuals and pick up new sports and skills. Overall, NUSOne has the potential to create an even more cohesive NUS community, where students from different majors and different disciplines come together and bond over meaningful activities.”

Dewi Wulandari, incoming second-year Civil Engineering student at the NUS College of Design and Engineering as well as Secretary of the NUS Silat team, said, “When I first entered NUS, I was a little unsure about what non-academic activities I could take part in. Having a structured platform like NUSOne for students get an overview of the wide range of non-academic student activities will definitely encourage students to participate in these activities more actively.”

“For students in sports teams, such as NUS Silat, we typically start our training late in the day to accommodate our academic schedules. With Wednesday afternoons mostly free from classes, training sessions can now take place earlier, allowing us to finish our training sooner and get home to rest earlier,” she added.

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NUS introduces Wednesday afternoons off and new sports hostel in push for holistic education

SINGAPORE – Come August, most students from the National University of Singapore (NUS) will be able to enjoy Wednesday afternoons off, as part of a fresh initiative by the university to provide a more holistic student experience.

The move is part of the new NUSOne approach, which will be rolled out in the new academic year. It aims to ease the transition into university life for freshmen, and encourage greater self-directed personal growth and development from the first year. 

NUS took in more than 7,400 freshmen in 2023.

Most undergraduate students can look forward to a protected time slot from 3pm to 6pm on Wednesdays, for them to take part in out-of-classroom and other student activities, said NUS on June 28. Exceptions to this include students with classes that require special venues like laboratories.

But plans for more students to access this time slot will be developed as NUSOne is rolled out progressively.

There will also be a new sports-themed hostel, Valour House, that will be ready come August 2025. It will be a space for athletes and sports enthusiasts to find community among people with similar interests. 

Opening in NUS’ Kent Ridge campus, next to the university’s sports centre, the hostel will be able to take up to 600 residents. Of the spaces, 50 per cent will be given to athletes and individuals who show sporting excellence, and the rest to other students.

“By emphasising community sports, Valour House seeks to build an active and inclusive community bonded through shared athletic experiences,” NUS said.

Students will be given opportunities to organise sports events for the wider NUS community. 

With the opening of Valour House, the total number of on-campus hostel places will increase to 12,500.

It is a “major step towards realising our aspiration to provide every undergraduate the opportunity to experience on-campus living and learning for a year, especially during the freshman year”, the university added.

Currently, close to two-thirds of first-year students apply to stay on campus, and the majority are assigned rooms.

NUS has an undergraduate population of about 30,300.

Professor Aaron Thean, NUS’ provost and deputy president of academic affairs, said NUSOne is designed to place greater emphasis on student life and extracurricular activities, offering students not just academic excellence but also a holistic education.

“Research studies on university education have shown that first-year experiences set the tone for and significantly influence students’ attitudes and performance in their senior years,” he added. 

“Based on our own experiences and observations in NUS, students who have acquired the necessary academic, social and personal skills earlier on are better placed to successfully transition to university life, and subsequently thrive and excel within and beyond the classroom,” he noted. 

Starting in August 2024, NUS will implement a new programme, Transition to Higher Education, to help freshmen adjust to university life by providing essential skills and resources.

Under this programme, freshmen will be offered six non-unit-bearing courses, with two of the six being mandatory courses.

Topics covered include emotional awareness and well-being, creating a culture of respect and consent, academic integrity and research ethics, learning strategies, and a guide to generative artificial intelligence. 

A toolkit and road map will also be provided to all freshmen, consolidating information including how to apply for courses and extracurricular activities available. 

Ms Dewi Wulandari, an incoming Year 2 civil engineering student, said that when she enrolled in NUS, she found it challenging to keep up with course and tutorial registrations, and discover extracurricular activities.

“I got a lot of advice from the seniors whom I met at my freshmen orientation camp,” the 20-year-old added. They introduced her to her current co-curricular activity, NUS Silat, a martial arts group.  

She said getting time off on Wednesday afternoons, which are now filled with classes and tutorials, could potentially allow her to go home earlier to rest. 

“For students in sports teams, such as NUS Silat, we typically start our training late in the day to accommodate our academic schedules,” she added.

“With Wednesday afternoons mostly free from classes, training sessions can now take place earlier.”

It will also help students rest in the middle of the week, or give them time to pursue activities beyond academics, Ms Wulandari said.

“I think this is really good and helpful in taking care of our mental well-being,” she added.

NUSOne continues the university’s efforts to reform its approach to education, including curriculum enhancements, more interdisciplinary opportunities and support for arts education.

NUS announced in March that students will have an option to take a second major or minor in performing arts, as part of a new initiative to integrate the arts into their learning.

NUS placed eighth in the world and 1st in Asia, according to the Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings 2025 announced in early June.

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Duke Flags Lowered: Former Duke Trustee Chair Harold “Spike” Yoh Dies

Duke alumnus and former Board of Trustees chair Harold “Spike” Yoh died Friday at age 87. Through decades of volunteer leadership, philanthropy and advising university officers, Yoh helped to strengthen Duke, its teaching and research mission and campus life.

“Spike Yoh was a remarkable human being who will be remembered for his tremendous legacy of service to others,” said President Vincent Price. “Spike’s enthusiastic support for Duke’s faculty, students and athletics programs strengthened our university community and expanded our impact in the world. My deepest condolences go out to the Yoh family as we honor Spike’s memory.”

After graduating from Duke in 1958 with a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering, Yoh earned an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1962.

He then worked at his father’s company, Day & Zimmermann, which provides services in construction, design, manufacturing, maintenance and engineering for leading corporations around the world. In 1976, Yoh bought the company from his father and became CEO of the company. He grew it into a billion-dollar company and made it one of the largest family businesses in the country. He retired from the company in 1999, selling it to his children.

Yoh believed in giving back to the communities that benefited him, and Duke was the recipient of much of that support.

“In all the work I’ve done – in my local community and around the country – everyone knows Duke, and they know that I am involved with the university,” Yoh told Duke Magazine in 2010. “That association always gives me instant credibility. It’s been one of my secret ingredients for success.”

Yoh told the story that he came to Duke by some misdirection from his father. Going on what Yoh expected to be a college tour of Penn State University, his father told him instead he was visiting Duke. He fell in love with the southern location and the challenging engineering curriculum.

Yoh met his wife Mary at Duke, and they were married for 56 years before her death. Mary graduated from the Woman’s College at Duke in 1959 and died in 2015.  The Yohs and their five children, a daughter-in-law and four grandchildren collectively earned 13 degrees from Duke.

Among the many leadership roles he held at Duke, Yoh was elected to the Board of Trustees in 1991 and served as chair from 2000-2003 during the presidency of Nannerl O. Keohane. In this period, the university launched the Women’s Initiative that led to tangible benefits for the university community. It was also a moment of strong international outreach, including the opening of the Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore.

Additionally, Yoh served on the Pratt School of Engineering Board of Visitors, the Athletics Leadership Board, the Annual Fund Executive Committee, and the Alumni Board of Directors.

The Yoh Football Center, opened in 2002, is named in honor of the Yoh family, whose multi-million dollar donation was the lead gift for the building. Spike and his Sigma Nu fraternity brothers, affectionately known as “The Ollie Brothers,” could often be seen together at basketball games in Cameron Indoor Stadium, sitting in the end zone under the basket.

Yoh received a number of awards from the university, including the Distinguished Alumni Award (2010), the Charles A. Dukes Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service (1996) and the Engineering Distinguished Alumni Award (1983).

In addition to his volunteer work at Duke, Yoh’s community involvement has included leadership roles with the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Olympic Committee, the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation, the University of the Arts, the Haverford School (where he attended high school), and the Philadelphia Council of Boy Scouts.

He is survived by his wife, Gail, and sons Harold Lionel Yoh III ’83, Michael H. Yoh ’85; Jeffrey Milus Yoh ’88, ’94; and William Courtlandt Yoh ’93; two step-children, Stephen McConnell ’93 and Stephanie McConnell Moleski ’95; 14 grandchildren; and five great grandchildren. His daughter, Karen B. Yoh ’87, died in 2007.

A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Thursday, June 27, at The Sanctuary of Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, 625 Montgomery Ave., Bryn Mawr, Pa. Consistent with his focus on others, the family requests that friends consider making a donation in his honor to the charity of their choice. Livestream of the service can be accessed at the church website.