I'm delighted to have this opportunity to introduce the Australian Chamber of Commerce, Singapore (more generally known as AustCham) to the members of Australian Alumni Singapore.

Many of you may know us from our previous name, the Singapore Australian Business Council (or SABC), which dates back to the 1970's. We changed our name this year to better reflect the importance of the business relationship between our two countries, and the role our organization plays in that relationship.

Our primary purpose is to bring together business people in Singapore who have a connection with Australia. This includes Australians who are living in Singapore, and Singaporeans whose businesses or backgrounds have an Australian dimension.

We do this primarily by arranging a number of functions, ranging from the moderately serious (for example the President's Dinner, a black-tie affair that salutes important contributions to Singapore-Australia business, and the annual Budget Review), to those that mix business and pleasure (monthly networking nights, and regular breakfasts and lunches with guest speakers), to the totally fun (the Australia Day Ball, and the Wine & Cheese Nights). There are even Dragon Boat Racing and golf days for the more energetic.

We would welcome graduates of Australian universities to our functions, and as Chamber members. I invite you to find out more by visiting out website: www.austcham.org.sg, or by contacting our office at the Australian High Commission.

I'm proud to advise that I have now joined the Australian Alumni Singapore, and I very much look forward to meeting many of you at the functions of both organizations.

Phil Forrest
President, AustCham
 
 
This year is a significant year in the history of Australian education, being the 50th Anniversary of the Colombo Plan. Commencing our involvement in 1951 and continuing through until the early 1980's, it is estimated that 20,000 international students studied in Australia under the Colombo Plan. Since 1964, 484 Singaporeans have studied in Australia on Colombo Plan awards.

While many of these reward recipients have gone on to make extremely valuable contributions in their home countries, it is also important to recognise the invaluable contribution these students have made on the social fabric of Australia. The early Colombo Plan students brought to Australia a variety of different cultures, exposed us to new ideas in a way that books and television could not achieve, and encouraged us to look to the region in which Australia is located. This learning process continues today and the cultural enrichment remains.

Alumni offer the opportunity for graduates to maintain their links with Australia and Australian education institutions. The mutual benefits are clear. Through alumni activities and other connections, graduates have provided access for Australian institutions to business and government throughout the region. Likewise, an understanding of the social, political and business environment in Australia has assisted Singaporeans to realise business, sporting and cultural opportunities in Australia. Singapore and Australia are continuing to build on the close bilateral relationship, both economically and politically, and the collective first-hand experience of Australian graduates in Singapore can only serve to bind our ties closer.

At the personal level, contact with Australian alumni - including those who studied with me at the University of Newcastle in the 1970s - adds something extra and effervescent to the job of representing Australia in Singapore. I look forward to developing the linkages with the various alumni organisations in Singapore, and continuing the strong relationship between the Australian High Commission and the AAS.

Gary Quinlan
High Commissioner


ASS President - Simon HoDear AAS Members and Friends,

With the preparation of AUIAC 2008 gaining momentum and after months of collective hard work, the Organizing Committee is now ready to invite participants for registration. This will be part of the Organizing Committee's ongoing efforts in the next few months to promote AUIAC 2008 and to invite as many participants as possible with the aim of reaching a target of 500 participants for the convention. The fee for early-bird registration is S$650 while the regular package will be priced at S$750. Time flies and we are now in August, just about ten months away from the AUIAC 2008 event. We are confident that there will be a good turnout from local as well as overseas participants. Please make your reservation early to avoid any disappointment.

Many letters have been sent out recently to individuals and companies for sponsorships and we are greatly encouraged by a first sponsorship of a generous sum of S$20,000. We are hopeful that more sponsors will come forward to support the convention.

On 9 July 2007, we were invited to the Macquarie University Alumni Association's Annual Cocktail Reception held at the National Museum of Singapore. It was an excellent opportunity for AAS President and Vice-President to meet the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Steven Schwartz, and other distinguished guests and participants. AAS President was also given the opportunity to make a brief presentation on the AUIAC 2008 and to encourage participation from alumni members. Publicity brochures and AAS newsletters were also distributed to the guests and participants.

The AAS held its 52nd Annual General Meeting on 1 June 2007 at Hotel Royal @ Queens. A total number of 23 members attended the meeting in which office-bearers and committee members were elected for the financial year 2007/2008.

More activities are being arranged in the coming months and some of these events are as follows:

1. A mid-autumn festive event during which AAS members will visit a home for the elderly to distribute moon-cakes, and at the same time organize memorable activities for the residents.

2. We will send a team to represent AAS at the Karaoke Competition 2007 which is being organized by Alumni International Singapore (AIS) to be held at Guild Hall, NUSS Kent Ridge Guild House, on 25 August 2007.

Please kindly contact the AAS Secretariat at Tel: 9819 5349 for more information on these coming events.

On 9 August 2007, Singapore will be celebrating 42 years of independence and nationhood. AAS takes the opportunity to wish Singapore - A Happy 42nd Birthday.

Thank you.

Warmest regards