Opening Address by Mr Eddie Teo, Chairman, Public Service Commission at the PSC Scholarships Award Ceremony, On 22 July 2014, 5 pm at Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel

Deputy Prime Minister Mr Teo Chee Hean, Minister in charge of the Civil Service, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

1.     Welcome to the 2014 PSC Scholarships Award Ceremony. I would like to congratulate the 82 PSC scholarship recipients this year, who have been selected from a pool of over 2,500 applicants. I would like also to extend my congratulations to your families, principals and teachers who have nurtured and supported you.

Seeking the Right Values and Attributes

2.     As you have gone through PSC’s rigorous selection process, you will know that good academic results alone could not have brought you this far. Our experience has shown that candidates who do well only academically may not always make good public officers. Conversely, a person without straight ‘A’s can, with the right character, aptitude, hard work and good performance, excel in the Public Service.

3.     You are here today as the PSC believes that you have the values and attributes that make you a good fit for a Public Service career. These include commitment, integrity, empathy, leadership, people skills, and, above all, your strong desire to contribute to Singapore’s prosperity and progress and its people’s happiness.

4.     I hope that you will stand guided by these values and attributes as you embark on your journey as future public officers.

Talent from Diverse Backgrounds

5.     The PSC continues to reach out to talent from all backgrounds. This is important as we need a Public Service which appreciates and better serves the diverse needs of Singaporeans.

6.     I am glad that our scholarship recipients continue to come from a variety of schools. With us today are Miss Darshini Ramiah from School of the Arts (SOTA), Mr Gary Wong from Jurong Junior College, Mr Jared Kang from Temasek Polytechnic, and Miss Shina Chua from Nanyang Junior College. They will join the 2014 cohort and pursue their undergraduate studies locally and overseas.

7.     We have also been awarding scholarships to outstanding individuals from a variety of backgrounds. Miss Loh Jia Wei is one of the scholarship recipients today. Despite her physical limitations with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Jia Wei has shown great strength and resilience through her leadership and co-curricular achievements in school. She is also deeply passionate about Disability Rights in Singapore and volunteers with the Muscular Dystrophy Association in Singapore. Jia Wei is going to the University of Oxford to read Law.

8.     I thank the teachers and principals who have worked with us over the past year. Your honest and forthright views on the students you have nurtured are taken seriously and given important weightage by the PSC. The PSC values our partnerships with the schools and we look forward to your continued support in encouraging your students to consider a Public Service career.

Developing Scholarship Holders with Global Perspectives and Local Experiences

9.     As PSC scholarship recipients, you will be expected to address issues faced by Singapore and Singaporeans when you start work. These issues will involve not just a domestic perspective, but an understanding of global trends. Thus, regardless of which country you study in, you should seek out opportunities to learn from that country and expand your general knowledge.

10.   For those who will be studying in Singapore, do make use of the high quality global education our local institutions offer. NUS is ranked 2nd and NTU 11th in Asia by the Times Higher Education Report. Young local tertiary institutions such as SMU, SUTD and SIT also enhance the attractiveness and uniqueness of our local education. 

11.    The tie-ups that local universities have will allow you to go through more than one overseas experience during your course. You will be able to interact with peers of different nationalities and cultures, as well as experience life abroad, through exchange programmes.

12.    Being on home ground also means you have the opportunity to witness and better understand shifts in ground sentiments in Singapore. This will be essential for your work in the Public Service.

13.   I’m heartened to note that more scholarship recipients will be pursuing their undergraduate education in Singapore. In fact, one of them, Miss Lim Min, declined an opportunity to study overseas to pursue her undergraduate degree in History at the local Yale-NUS College because she believes the latter can also challenge her intellectually. Like Lim Min, 15 other recipients will pursue their undergraduate studies locally this year.

A Breadth of Knowledge and Experience

14.    A strong Public Service requires officers with a range of knowledge and experiences. Thus, the PSC continues to encourage and support scholarship recipients who head to non-traditional countries and who study a variety of disciplines.

15.    This year, the PSC awarded 16 scholarships for courses in science, mathematics and engineering, and 20 for those in humanities and social sciences. 

16.   I am encouraged that one of our recipients, Miss Niu Yihao, will be pursuing her undergraduate degree in International Liberal Studies at the Waseda University in Japan. In choosing the path less travelled, I am confident that Yihao will bring back unique experiences when she returns to start work in the Public Service.

Heart to Serve

17.    I am happy to see that a number of our new and current PSC scholarship recipients are showing a keen interest in community engagement.

18.    Miss Rachel Ker, one of the 2014 recipients, will be pursuing the undergraduate degree in Social Work at NUS. This is a natural extension of her passion for community engagement and volunteer work. During her time in school, Rachel served local communities such as the Singapore Association for the Visually Handicapped, Ang Mo Kio Thye Hwa Kuan Hospital, and for the Methodist Children and Youth Centre Community Services.

19.     I hope our 2014 cohort will continue to serve the community during their studies and after they start work in the Public Service.

Conclusion 

20.   In closing, I would like to encourage our new scholarship holders to use the opportunity to broaden your perspectives and prepare yourself for your role as public officers, regardless of where or what you will be studying.

21.    Challenge yourself and go beyond your comfort zone. Take modules outside your core curriculum, explore study opportunities in unfamiliar terrain such as the emerging markets, be open to new ideas and make new friends. In all your endeavours, stand guided by the strong values that have seen you through life. How far you go later on will depend on you having the right attitudes and a strong values system.

22.     I am confident that you will gain many life experiences that will help you contribute meaningfully when you start to undertake complex responsibilities in the Public Service.

23.     Once again, my heartiest congratulations.

24.     Thank you.