PM Lee Hsien Loong at the Cambridge University 800th Anniversary Alumni Reception

Professor Alison Richard, Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University
Mr Christopher Boughton, Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Cambridge University Press
Distinguished guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

I congratulate Cambridge University on its 800th anniversary. Cambridge is the second oldest University in the English-speaking world, and has long been one of its most distinguished. I also congratulate the Cambridge University Press on reaching 425 years of publishing. The University Press is the oldest printing and publishing house in the world, and has become a successful international academic publisher.

Both anniversaries will be celebrated in many ways in many countries throughout the year. We are happy that Singapore is part of the events to mark this special milestone for Cambridge.

Singapore’s links to Cambridge University go back many years. Each year, many talented Singaporeans go to study at Cambridge (and Oxford). Some go on Government scholarships. Others are sent by parents who have made personal sacrifices and assiduously put aside savings to give their children the chance to study in a top institution.

Most students enjoy their time in Cambridge. They benefit from the high quality of education and research, as well as the stimulus of studying alongside some of the most gifted students in the world. They receive a first-class education that will stand them in good stead in their careers and lives. It is also a chance for them to live in a different society, and to see the world.

The years spent at Cambridge are an excellent opportunity for young people to develop their potential. Hopefully, they will not just master their chosen field of study in depth, but also develop a questioning spirit and a deep social conscience. A university education is a heavy investment by society in a young person. It cannot be solely for his personal gain or satisfaction, but must also equip him to contribute to the community. That is why we in Singapore hope that our students studying abroad, in Cambridge or elsewhere, whether or not on scholarships, will eventually come home to serve the country, in his or her own way, as most have done.

After graduation, old school ties remain valuable. They can provide a crucial introduction to useful contacts and help open doors to new opportunities. This is not unique to Cambridge. For example, Americans often bring along their university yearbooks when they travel, to look up old contemporaries who might help them establish them¬selves in a new place. For Cambridge, with distinguished alumni all over the world, the old school network can be enormously valuable.

In Singapore such associations are helpful too, though to a lesser extent, because we are a small society, and it is easy for the key people to know one another, whether in government, business or the professions. Alumni links are one of the social networks which make us a community. However, old school ties should not become a magic circle, excluding those who have been less fortunate or privileged. The alumni networks must fit into, and contribute to the society that we belong to, nurtured us, and gave us these precious opportunities.

A strong alumni network is also important to the University. The US Ivy League universities all rely heavily on their alumni networks, for fund-raising, interviewing potential students, or outreach to the community. Our local universities have picked up lessons from these American institutions, and are putting much effort into rekindling ties with alumni, and tapping on their contacts, resources and knowledge of industry.

In recent years, Cambridge has increasingly moved in this direction. It needs to do so, as it competes with other top institutions around the world for the best students, researchers, professors, and industry link-ups. Cambridge must continue to attract the best, to maintain its position amongst the top handful of universities in the world.

The competition for talent and resources has become tougher. The global financial crisis has shrunk endowments, and resulted in fewer and smaller donations. Even well-endowed universities are having to tighten their belts. Some are retrenching staff and cutting back on academic programmes. Cambridge fortunately is not in such dire straits, but it has embarked on a major fund-raising campaign to mark its 800th anniversary. So although this evening is not a fund-raising event, I am sure my hosts and the Vice-Chancellor will not take it amiss if I take this opportunity to encourage the Alumni to support the University’s campaign generously.

In its long history, Cambridge has been witness to many momentous events in the world and produced men and women who contributed to its betterment. Great men like Darwin and Keynes have illuminated our understanding of the world we live in. They are an inspiration to us all, and symbolise to people everywhere what Cambridge is about. In this present global economic crisis, as in previous crises, the University’s response through the work of its scholars and alumni will either enhance its reputation or diminish it. All of us who graduated from Cambridge have a vested interest in seeing our coinage go up in value. I am confident that the Cambridge alumni in Singapore will do their part not only to overcome the immediate problems facing our economy, but also to create the new world that will emerge after the storm, one that is stabler, wiser, and offers more opportunities to fulfil the human spirit.

Happy 800th birthday, Cambridge!