AIESEC in NUS Blog

AIESEC in Singapore ANNOUNCEMENT

23 January, 2007

Presenting the Results of the AIESEC Singapore Member Committee 2007/2008 Elections! On January 20th, 2007, members from all of AIESEC in Singapore gathered in the Conference Hall in the Singapore Management University for a momentous event: The elections for the AIESEC in Singapore Member Committee 2007/2008! Now, it gives us great pleasure to announce the results! Member Committee President 07/08: Sharon Tan (sharon.tan@aiesec.net) "Hey AIESEC! Thank you so so much for your belief and support! I am sure the months to come will be amazing and I look forward to walking that journey with each and every one of you! Remember that "there is no use for hope to kept on the inside"... so share your hopes with us, with each other, and let's take actions to turn those hopes and dreams into reality!" Member Committee 07/08: Mohamad Imran (mohamad.imran@aiesec.net) "The elections drew to a close. I stood there, drenched, cold, relieved and still not knowing what to feel, even though this was a second time i was in an elections process. The elections will always be a special event for me, it's such an amazing event to see people I call my friends, grow and really perform. I was thoroughly impressed with all that spoke, I found myself really challenged to give my all for my own speech, and I was touched to see my members coming down to support me. Thanks guys, you all will always be my inspiration. I find myself nearing the end of a journey, only to find myself at the beginning of another. And I look forward to it! Here's to a great 2007/2008 term! :) " Visayon Viravong (visayon.viravong@aiesec.net) " Thanks everyone who has placed your trust and support me to be in the MC team! :) As Ive mentioned before, Ill give my 200% to AIESEC Singapore and I hope you guys will do the same too! Believe in yourself, step out and give your best - for yourself and for @! :)" Mayas Singh (mayas.singh@aiesec.net) "Hi everyone! Thank you for the wonderful support throughout the election process. This is just the beginning of a journey and I request your cooperation in making it a success. As 2010 comes nearer, we have to work harder to achieve the @ 2010 vision. As some one said, vision comes alive when everyone sees where his or her contribution makes a difference. So I urge that all of us to not only work for change, but to see the change that was bought with our work. And I am sure this will keep us motivated to do our best!" Local Committee President 07/08 Nanyang Technological University: Alvin Hong (alvin.hong@aiesec.net) "The experience of running for LCP is truly an unforgettable moment in my life. It has made me more aware of my strengths, weaknesses, and vision for the LC. I look forward to working more closely with the LC members and providing them with more learning opportunities in future. AIESEC NTU will always be the place where members get to broaden their horizons and build eternal friendships with other @ers. Thank you for all the support and applause during the Election. Last but not least, my since gratitude goes to all members of @ NTU who made the wonderful card and banner for me. Lets rock AIESEC!" National University of Singapore: Shubhangi Faudjarshubhangi.faudjar@aiesec.net) ( "Hey AIESEC!!!! Oh, there is so much I want to say to all of you, that I have no idea from where shall I start and where shall I end!! Ok, let me start by first thanking each and everyone of you for showing your trust in all of us, the MC elects&. I am really overwhelmed by your faith in me.. Thank you so much!! Let us all work together to take AIESEC Singapore to great heights and to create the needed positive impact on the society. I know Together We Can and We Will MAKE A DIFFERENCE" Singapore Management University: Pamela Su (pamela.su@aiesec.net) "Hi AIESECers, greetings from The Ripples Conference in Hong Kong! The journey towards becoming LCP elect wasn't easy, and I'd really like to thank all of you for supporting and encouraging me along the way. For me, the upcoming term brings as much excitement as apprehension, but I'm certainly looking forward to the challenge ahead! Keep up the spirit, the passion and enthusiasm, and remember that nothing is too difficult to accomplish as long as you believe!" Congratulations again to all elected!! We will be looking forward to a great 2007/2008 ahead! Also, a very huge thank you to all who made the AIESEC in Singapore Elections possible! Thanks to Kheng Yong for charing; Huifun for being the timekeeper; Celine, David and Terence for helping as Returning Officers; Siew May, Sherina, Shin and Yicui for helping as secretaries; Anik and Denise for all their help and effort in ensuring the smooth running of the event; and of course, EVERYONE who attended the event! So now that the MC 07/08 elects team is out, stay tuned for news of more leadership opportunities opening in AIESEC in Singapore!

Best Regards, MC Team 06/07 AIESEC in Singapore "Leaping Towards Excellence"

The Scene
As Dei put it, it was a day where the future and well being of AIESEC Singapore together with the 3 respective LCs is shaped. Such was the magnitude of the implication that DEI felt it was worthy of his formal attire!!!

This “Extra Ordinary” event started only about 1.30pm, which was an hour and half later than the scheduled time (I arrived at 1pm – credit goes to a friendly cab driver, else I would be making a ‘grand entrance’!).

First on the agenda were a series of protocols and the mentioning of several sections of the constitution regarding the ground rules for the elections. Some of the issue that covered involve the need for a proposer followed by a seconder; approval by accolade and etc etc.

Such professionalism and manner that this EOGM is conducted was definitely a flabbergasting experience for many new members of @, including me. It once again served as a testament to the dynamism of @ culture – firm adherence to constitution at the right time and the fun loving dance (which is just about any other time, really! )

Shortly after necessary protocol, Mr. LKY was effectively made the Chairperson of EOGM after he proposed himself and subsequently seconded by er… Someone else!
*CLAP


The Election Procedure
For the benefit of those who were unable to attend, here’s a brief outline on the procedures for every candidate.

1) A 2 or 3 minutes speech by proposer - Gd things said bout candidate!
2) Another 2 or 3 minutes speech by the seconder – More gd things said bout candidate!
3) Candidate speech ard 5/7 mins – Further gd things said bout candidate him/herself!

All in all, 3 rounds of good things said about the candidate themselves before we get to ask questions, yay!! (As if they aren’t bombarded with enough questions during meet-the-people-session!) oh well… perhaps after hearing so many gd stuff, time to get some bad points out, HAHA ! or even for those who are already fed up with the candidates by now, time for pay back!!!

Our candidates needed to strong when we interrogated them further. 5 year plan, 1 year plan, fears, challenges, course of action, state your uniqueness… u name it, we drill ‘em. Though LKY a.k.a our chair actively seek new members to raise questions, I don’t recall any new members from our side asking questions, including me. Why ar? Shy izzit??

The Candidates – weeee!
Our dear candidates gave their manifesto in the following sequence,

MCP elect, Miss Sharon Tan:
-DownEST to earth MCP….ever! (she can be in a group and no one will know she’s the leader!)
-Passion and Hardwork brings success!!!!
-Passion and Hardwork + Fulltime brings MORE success!!!

LCP NUS elect, Miss Shubhangi:
- I have a vision for @; 4 @NUS and 4 each and every @er !!!!
- “Our new batch of @ers are proactive and takes initiative. That’s what @ needs!” (aw… u make me happy!! U’re a gd politician u noe)

LCP NTU elect, Mr. Alvin Hong:
- I will do this ….. that… this.. that for NTU !!!
- “@ in NTU have good mix of local and foreign students. Local students provide regularities while foreign students give us diversity!”

LCP SMU elect, Miss Pamela:
- “SMU @ers are very business minded and have plenty of contacts!!” (ooh… next networking session is going 2 b so fun!)


MC elect, Mr. Imran:
- “I observed @ers today are lacking in self belief !!!! “

MC elect, Mr. Visayon (Mr. Vi) :
- “The only thing that stands in my confidence… is well, lack of confidence!!! “
- “I won’t make a date if it is not budgeted for.” (aw… girls, dun be sad, listen carefully…if it is budgeted den ok!!!)

MC elect, Mr. Mayas
- “I speak my heart… “
- Issue Based Learning is the way to go!


Above are just highlighted key address made before members, utilize the Tip of the Iceberg metaphor (cause I can’t possibly recall everything they said). Moreover, I believe their enthusiastic speech has aroused us to start looking at things in a different light (red light, blue light, fluorescent green???).

I’m sure they touched on things that matter a whole lot to us, and personally it was a great @ experience to have observed them deliver their speech (wonder if David has anything to do with it, hmm….).


Motivating as ever, an inspiration as always !!!
Cheers to a truly “Xtra Ordinary” General Meeting!

Told to write this :(
Yen Yoong

BY JUSTINA TEO

20/1/07 - AIESEC Memeber Committee Elections -

Congrats to all my AIESEC frennies who'd gotten elected into the National Member Committee, and kudos to the Various elected Presidents of the 3 unis. After a long day of nominations and elections and tons of speeches and the ritualistic wet sabotage of the successful elects, i would say the rightful talent will ascend their places and are all geared for an upcoming new term in May. I have no doubt they'd fare well in their positions in the 07/08 term. Gambatte!

Vicious eager seniors.. Helpless junior elects..

Mayas is gloating at Imran...

...and gets his retribution. Haa!

Visayon (front in white) is soaked as well!

AIESEC NUS... we missed the rest who cldn't come..
______________________________________

16/1/07 - AIESEC in NUS Overseas Internship Info Talk

After 2-3 mths of preparation, and especially in the last week leading up to the event, the SNRD team and me worked our butts off to pull off this important event. Getting approval, vetting and printing of posters and brochures, Invitating speakers, Endless coordination, Rounding up support, Sleepless nights... I breathed and lived AIESEC for 2 straight weeks, and i think i spoke very little to non-AIESEC people, that it felt surreal suddenly when i was talking bout non-aiesecy stuff u know..

The big day came, and i rem being obviously fidgety for our event that day. If that wasnt the case, my head would roll.. Hahh! Remembered being jittery half an hour before the event and i saw NOBODY 'cept for Phoebe & Aaron. And then all of a sudden, as if tinklebell juz sprinkled some magic powder over LT 18, all my EBs and AIESEC members appeared, all dressed up for the occasion - formal code, which i insisted. So cool, so cool. And in the next 5-10 minutes, LT 18 was filled to the brim.

Timing was so crucial. Imagine running a live show, but without the cameras. Lights dim, show begins.

Aaron lured the crowd with his $10 magic, absolutely stunning. Phoebe picked up the batton with fiery passion. Then, handphones became walkie-talkies. Numerous people were my spies and timekeepers as we tried to pace the time correctly for our vip to enter - Joan Tay, the Director of Career Svc NUS Biz Sch. An impactful speech she came to give, then graciously left right afterwards. Then an amusing entertaining by sharing by our senior Yamini. ANd finally the brave souls who stood at the frontline of the firing Q&A session.

The SNRD team! Ichiban!

All the people i 'coerced' to come down and help out in the event.. gahhaa! =)

Hey guys,

This afternoon(Monday) at 3pm, myself and 2 new members, Song Jie and Ivy went to meet the Director of Eng Studies and the Head of the Eng Dept of The Japanese School. As you may know, NUS is focusing on ETs as one of our segments.

The Japanese School really needs teachers who are willing to stay on for at least a year and are native speakers, and AIESEC's presence in UK, US, Canada, Australia and the youth of the interns such that they can connect to their students seemed like a Godsend to them.

As such, they are likely to raise 3TNs for April since thats when their term starts. They work on a tight schedule so they are motivated themselves to sign documents by February. One good move we used was to use the Lewin Ed and HighQ(our current TN-takers) job descripts as examples.

Also they will forward us to another education institution for a company meeting.

I'm really proud of my newies cos they raised the meeting themselves and did well in the meeting too. Well done girls!!! :) :)

More updates soon!

Imran

By Shubhangi Faujdar

It has been over a month now, but I can still feel the passion, I can still hear the roll calls, the AIESEC songs…. such was the charisma of NLDS 2006!!!!

The experience is inexplicable but the one word I could find to describe it is ‘unparalleled’. The sessions, the arguments, the dances, the roll calls, the chit chats here and there, and a lot more made the seminar all the more memorable. For a newbie (like myself), it was exciting to have an event having about 100 delegates from countries like Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Korea and Japan.

This was perhaps, the first time that I realized the power of AIESEC. Someone had told me earlier that the World is small, and AIESEC makes it even smaller. It was NLDS that made me realize and even live that fact. Though there were a lot of learning sessions by which we all benefited a lot, the best thing which NLDS has done to me is introducing me to amazing people with whom I am still in touch. It is surprising to see how well people from completely different backgrounds and cultures can mingle with each other. That’s the power of AIESEC, creating a World without Boundaries….

What a cool AIESEC gathering!
Nabeel Khalid - http://nabeel.myaiesec.net

As Welly and I were busy printing posters for the SNRD Information Talk to be held two days later, we arrived 40 minutes late for the LC gathering [January 14th]. A Pakistani friend who had noticed a positive change in me as I became more and more actively involved with AIESEC work contacted me while I was still in the bus to PGP. He wanted to know what was 'up' and I told him about the LC gathering and he - being a senior but inactive AIESEC member - showed interest to accompany me. Alongwith him came his girlfriend who was also a senior-but-inactive AIESECer - she even signed up for my project's OC! So I'm glad I could help with member retention in NUS.

When we arrived, Gabriel was explaining the advantages and procedure for getting a mentor in AIESEC. I thought it is the best way to learn from the person that inspires you the most, and most certainly I have someone in mind already! Everyone needs a mentor you know...

Next, Imran noted down the names of all the non-OGX projects that had been initiated on a white board and each project head shared a little bit about the project and what kind of people they needed in their OCs. He himself is the instigator for three projects! Where do you find all that energy from, dear Imran?!

I also did some promotion for the Annual Stakeholders' Report [ASR] project and got down at least six people's names and contact information. The other projects that I remember are Shubhangi's Corporate Social Responsibility [CSR] project, Khim's web-site programming course oc, and Adam's PBOX on entrepreneurship. I will surely be joining the PBOX. [It's what I went to Malaysia for - more on that later.]

As people headed out for the barbecue pit later, the OGX team had a short meeting with our VP Justina regarding the Information Talk [which, by the way, has already been held this Tuesday and was so 'bad' that the lecture theatre was jam-packed and there was no space to stand!] The MC team also held a longer meeting at about the same time.

It took a while for the fire to get started, but Khim really showed his prowess in barbecuing skills once the coal began to burn. I'll hire Khim any day if I hold a barbecue event! Meanwhile the OGX team held a photo-session till the time the camera's batteries ran out.

The chicken was delectable [sorry vegetarians!] yet it was the marshmallows that got bolted. While all this cooking and gobbling was going on at pit #2 in PGP, there was a team of seriously dedicated AIESECers working in a residence 2 kitchen. They prepared salads and sandwiches, which arrived shortly after the MC team arrived from their meeting.

Everyone was engrossed deeply in one conversation or another. They were always eating a piece of chicken or reaching out for a bag of tortilla chips. Or they were filling out a glass of sweet 'red-coloured-liquid' from the cooler. For me, it was really something special, as I really felt I belonged to the AIESEC family. I knew almost everyone, and I took the opportunity to get to know people I didn't know that well, or to know them even better. There wasn't any alcohol as this event was held inside the NUS campus, "which is a no-smoking, no-drinking campus", but I remember seeing Adam with a bottle of beer. What a cool I say! He had hopped on a bus to the nearest 7-11 to fetch one.

Oh and that is one of my new slangs that I hope becomes popular with time and one day travels the world - what a cool! The bad grammar is deliberate because it is what a cool!

I would just like to thank all the people for showing up at the amazing barbecue and a special thank-you to Ashwin and Khim for organising it. I'm sorry I had to leave easrly for another meeting, but I remember calling Song Jie at 11pm, and she was still at the barbecue pit alongwith many others! Wow! The gathering was what a cool, I say! What a cool!

Hey guys,

Let me invite you down to our LC NUS Barbeque which will be held in
NUS. This is to kick in the new year, and also, sadly to say goodbye
to someone dear to us, Zhang Na, who is finishing off her internship
and moving on to her next one in Sweden!

The details are as follows:

Venue : Prince Georges' Park(PGP) Residence Bbq Pit, National
University of Singapore
Date : 14th January
Time : 530pm till late
Price : We'll try to keep it free otherwise token sums will be accepted.
How to get there:

From Harbourfront: take 10,30,143 until Science Park II and walk up to
the back entrance of PGP and you reach the bbq pits.

From Buona Vista: Take bus 95 into NUS and take either A1 or A2(they
are at opposite sides of the road) till the end when the bus finishes
at PGP

From Clementi: Take bus 96 into NUS and take either A1 or A2 to
PGP(last stop again).

This is also from our last BBQ:
To get to PGP, probably using bus 200 or 92 is recommended, as the Internal Shuttle Bus (ISB) is infrequent on Sat. You can get off at Buona Vista MRT Station, and then cross the road to reach the bus stop beside the Ministry of Education and Biopolis. Take bus 200 or 92 from there, and stop at the bus stop right after the first flyover, i.e. the flyover over the AYE expressway. From there, walk in the direction in which the bus was travelling, and turn right at the 1st road to the right. Then turn left right away.

Contact Ashwin (81251377) or Imran(96925144) if you get lost. Cheers!

Imran

Hey guys! I know you guys heard all about the trip to Poland for International Congress. Just recently, I submitted an article on the trip to NUS' Globetrotter Magazine. The article is as below, read and enjoy!!! :) - Imran

Imran and the MCP and MCVPICX of Afghanistan











The Singapore MC 2006/2007 Delegation in Poland

Imagine a conference hall with 600 young people representing a leadership team of 92 countries around the world. Imagine feeling the beat and hearing the emotions from dances and songs that each country shares unique to its culture. Imagine laughing and dancing along to jokes and songs known by everyone in the hall. Imagine 12 intense days of sharing experiences and practices from each country and region. Imagine making friends from different countries, that will last a lifetime. Imagine seeing and working with global companies which not only share and teach you skills and knowledge, but encourage you to learn more and explore more in a global environment. Imagine changing your paradigms forever.

For a group of young people representing Singapore, we didn’t have to imagine. From the 23^rd of August to 3^rd of September, 2006, 7 young people, including Phoebe Lim and myself, Mohamad Imran, from National University of Singapore, attended AIESEC International Congress, in Warsaw, Poland.

AIESEC is the largest university-student organisation in the world. It focuses on leadership development, preparing tomorrows leaders with skills, networks, and ability to deal with issues like CSR, HIV/AIDs, Education, Energy, Entrepreneurship, Globalisation in their professional and personal lives. Our biggest program is the International Traineeship Exchange Program, which sends members of AIESEC to work in partnering organisations like DHL, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, ABN AMRO, Electrolux, the World Bank, and United Nations, amongst hundreds of others, anywhere from two to eighteen months.

AIESEC International Congress is AIESEC’s largest conference held annually at a different country each year. The leadership teams of each member country congregate in one place to engage in sharing, learning, talks on partnerships and collaborations, discussions on global and national direction and strategy, and a whole lot of fun and bonding. As President in AIESEC in National University of Singapore, my main concern was to bring back learning points of the experience, and the message from the global vision and direction, back to my members in NUS. At the same time, I sought to learn from projects that other chapters of AIESEC in universities around the world were embarking on, such as a project on social entrepreneurship in the Phillippines, where foreign AIESEC interns mentored slum residents who were given a small loan to start a business, in areas such as accounting, filing for taxes, creating good systems, and marketing, or the creation of a CSR manual for enterprises, in India. In each case, learn from their good-case practices, while constantly looking out for potential initiatives in which NUS could collaborate with universities in other countries. This was through interactions with dozens of other presidents of AIESEC chapters in dozens of other universities, like ones in Bucharest, St Gallen, Seoul, and Delhi. The output has a lot of potential.Already, talks are in place to have a study tour between Korea University and NUS, and an summer internship project between Hitotsubashi University in Japan, and NUS.

What really opened my eyes was really the diversity and excellent people at the conference. I realised that the world over, there are smart, brilliant and very very passionate young people, and I am so honoured to be able to call some of those people my friends now. One highlight of my trip was to talk to the president of AIESEC in Afghanistan, and learn from him firsthand what everyday life in Afghanistan was like and hear from a future leader of Afghanistan his hopes and vision for a better future in his country. It was inspirational.

I met too, many other inspirational and warm characters, too many to recount. Places that I never imagined I would meet citizens of, like Ecuador, Azerbaijan, Slovakia, Cameroon, Bahrain, I met in International Congress. And because we all had the same vision for a united future, for a better future, because all of us in that conference hall believed in the power of the work we are doing in this point in time, even a person you met for the first time from another country could be joking with you like old friends. If any politician stood in the conference hall and looked at the camaraderie between Taiwanese and Chinese people, between Indian and Pakistani people, between Americans and Middle Eastern people in the conference, he would stand ashamed. And I am very proud to say that I am in an organisation that promotes such international understanding.

In Poland, I experienced more of a backpackers’ experience, mainly in the towns of Warsaw and Krakow. For myself, being the first time in any central or eastern Europe country, I found many sights fascinating. The old-town feel of Poland is still very apparent, and it is still a favourite past-time of the people on the weekends in the evening to just have a drink at a café by the roadside. From eating morning pastries, to zapiekanka(cheese and mushroom on french loaf), Poland was truly an experience for all my senses. Taking a horse carriage ride into the old Krakow town and wandering through the town market, with its big smoky barbeques, quaint knick knacks and traditional costumes, I was really transported into a whole different world. The fact that almost everything is in Polish added to the fascination and we were fortunate to get by with polite smiles and hand signals. A good finish to my travelling was a visit to Auschwitz, a World War Two extermination camp where allegedly millions of Jews and other prisoners were killed by German occupiers. A truly sobering visit which taught myself and my team a lesson from history.

With the backdrop of Warsaw, also known as Solidarity City, for it being a centre of democratic and capitalist reawakening in the then Communist Bloc, our delegation from Singapore had an experience of a lifetime. Through intense discussion, meetings, learning, reflection, and having fun, I also discovered more about myself and my motivations, as well as got to know my team mates from AIESEC Singapore on a much closer basis. Sharing pre-trip anxieties, long flights, random accomodations in backpacker hostels, visits to World War II concentration camps in Krakow, tears on our last day at conference, and post-conference reminisces, I know that we will be friends for a lifetime.

I met hundreds of people in Poland. The people closest to my heart, however, will always be my friends I made from Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand, people in the Asia Pacific network. In fact, I know that wherever I go in the world, there is a very high chance that a warm smile and a welcoming hug will be waiting for me. And for that I am grateful. Grateful that I have opened my eyes to the world, and that I have such a diverse and global network of friends I have made through this amazing organisation.