Saturday, November 13, 2010

莊永康 Chong Wing Hong:叩问传统

校友莊永康著作《莊永康专栏文集· 叩问传统》出版了

莊永康1948年生,从1960年(中一)至1965年(高中)就读于公教中学。新加坡南洋大學理學士,倫敦西敏寺大學影視學碩士,曾任職新加坡《海峽時報》、英國廣播電臺(BBC)中文部、新加坡《聯合早報〉,兼任南洋理工大學傳播學院副教授。曾为《聯合早報》高級評論員暨專欄作家。社會工作:新加坡國家文物局委員。

现已退休。

媒體工作生涯中,曾獲日本-亞細安新聞協會獎學金(1985)、美國傑佛遜獎學金(Jefferson Fellowship, 1999)。

著作有文集《從霧都到南洋》、電影筆記《戲言》、新聞學作品《新加坡華社研究》、筆記小說《曇花鏡影》,並撰寫《化雨》大合唱全本歌詞,由作曲家潘耀田譜曲,在2001年新加坡藝術節由新加坡華樂團呈演。

以下录莊校友2005年写的一篇文章供大家参考:

中华文化并非铁板一块

新中两地有文友在本报言论版上辩论,什么是中华文化?中华文化是不是就等于中国文化?各执一词。坦白说,那确实“因为新加坡与中国毕竟是两个不同的国家,对于同一社会现象的理解不尽一致”,情有可原。


是的,新加坡的写作人拥抱“中华文化”显得那么热情如火,而对接受“中国文化”一词则面有难色。为什么?没有在“南洋”生活过的中国学人,对于某些细微的差别是难以体会的,甚至觉得难以理喻。

内里乾坤,主要在于:其一、新加坡是个多元种族、多元宗教的世俗国家,处在多元文化的区域。在这水域里面,“同化”两字是相当敏感的,本区域任何种族之中都有反应极度强烈的人,不愿被他族同化。保留传统和维护民族文化的诉求,其实也不仅限于华族。

说起来,新加坡把华文华语定为华人的“母语”,务实的原因之一,也就在于表示国家政策并没有强迫任何他族学习华文。当然这也会产生负面影响,人们往往被“一族一母语”的思维框住,语言的传习难以跳出族裔的范畴。实际上,一名马来族或印族国人为了想“赶搭中国顺风车”而猛学华文,是没有触犯任何法令的,也没有违背任何传统。

其二、对中国学人来说,中华文化等于中国文化,那是天经地义,理所当然。不过对新加坡华人而言,“中华”与“中国”在概念上确有不同——字面上也不一样嘛!“中华”一词多涵盖文化,尤其是五千年文化这般诗意的表达;而谈到“国”字,就未免让人想到政治的层面。

固然,从纯文字看,“顿成泽国”、“红豆生南国”、“国色天香”的“国”,是没有政治意涵的。但从冷战时代过来的人,在不同体制内生活过的人,对“国”字无疑特别敏感。在政治语汇里面,“国”可以是“一个阶级压迫另一个阶级的工具”。

是的,时至今日,我个人也不喜欢动辄以过度敏感的字眼来论文化,到头来也论不出个所以然。我只想说明,任何阴影的存在都是客观的事实,不必掩耳盗铃假设事情从来没有发生,也不必纠缠不清,让过去的阴影形成我们前进的羁绊。认清事实的本质,应该是我们探讨文化议题的态度。

其三、华人应发扬“中华文化”,这一概念是被本地普遍接受的,至少可以公开提出来而不至于那么敏感。尤其到最近,鉴于中国改革开放带来的经济机遇,政治领导层也觉得有必要阐明,华人只要政治上效忠本土,认同中华文化毫不碍事。

当然,政界的表态只不过显露气候转变了,但人们是否要多添衣裳,是否要备好帽伞,还是得拭目以待。像本地华文写作界个别人士那种拥抱中华文化的热情,终归属于少数。许多人还在想,学好华文就能搭上顺风车,有那么“神”吗?我认为,质疑态度显示新加坡人渐趋成熟,是正常的现象,不见得是件坏事。

凭借着“南洋伯”的敏感,本人对中华文化素来也作了一些观察。根据专家的定义,中华文化是指从华夏文明发源,再经过约三千年沉淀而造就的汉文明。中华文化以汉族文化传统为核心,那是毫无疑问的。且看,一直到1911年完成的辛亥革命,也要打着“驱逐鞑虏”的旗号。

然而,中华文化是否具有一般想像中的划一性(homogeneity),那么浑然天成?那倒是值得检视的。

不错,当我们从深圳旅行到乌鲁木齐,发现中国城市现代化(也等于汉化)所产生的一致性,是令人惊讶的——是不是单调,见仁见智。而根据统计,中国人口93%是汉族。不过,与此同时,那其余的7%,却代表着55个民族。

55个,是指现存的民族。在历史上消失了、被同化了、被融合了的民族,那就不计其数了。那么在中华文化铸就的过程中,汉以外的这些民族所贡献出来的血汗、养分、冲击(让中华文化知道长进),又有多少呢?

虽然亨廷顿教授的文明冲突论有人觉得太过火,但历史上文明的产生,又的确是在不断冲撞、排斥、过滤、眉目传情、回心转意、吸收、糅合,各种过程汇集而成。汉族吸收外来文化如此:即使被认为宽容开放的唐朝,也曾经大力抗拒佛教的入传——唐三臧是偷渡出关取经的,皇帝并不批准。

少数民族的汉化,尽管对他们来说是利多弊少,却也同样是个极度无奈的过程。少数民族执掌政权的时候,如元朝、清朝,虽然都得采用汉语和汉式章典制度,但也同时提出了不少与“汉化”反其道而行的政策,实行起来亦非常惨烈。

近年由于思考上述问题,对一个历史人物——北魏孝文帝,特别感到兴趣。上网查阅,发觉中国国内知识界对此人的评价也莫衷一是,发出“盖世英雄还是千古罪人”一问,数年前便已辩到天翻地覆。

限于篇幅,有机会才与大家畅谈北魏孝文帝。不过,上述这些近期辩论却已告诉我们,中华文化并不是铁板一块,只要我们能冷静旁观,文化中的各种“色彩”就会缤纷呈现,罗列眼前。

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

公教校友谈大学教育

2003年8月25日联合早报的黄佩玲报道:

三所大学领导人同意 加强合作弃恶性竞争

我国大学教育的未来发展需要大幅度改变,除了培养全方位学生之外,大学在提升我国经济竞争力方面,也应扮演举足轻重的角色。

南洋理工大学校长徐冠林教授、新加坡国立大学教务长兼副校长庄志达教授和新加坡管理大学教务长陈振忠教授,昨天下午在一场由公教中学校友会和联合早报所举办的华语座谈会上,共商本地大学教育的前景。座谈会的讲题是《新加坡大学教育的趋势与挑战》,主席是联合早报总编辑林任君。
陈振忠

本地三所大学领导人同台的情景颇具历史性。除了对大学教育课题相互交换精辟见解,三校也同意要摒弃恶性竞争,加强学府之间的合作与交流关系。

新加坡需要新模式的大学教育,变革必须大幅度,这是三名主讲者一致同意的。在席上首先发言的陈振忠教授指出,学生们为求职而读书,这一直是本地大学教育的局限。

他认为,目前的大学教育仍然过于注重专门学科,课程设计缺乏灵活性。“我们必须摒弃旧式的英国式教育,慢慢走向更多元的美式教育。可是,这个改变将是漫长和痛苦的。”

陈振忠说,新加坡管理大学还“年轻”,要建立新式的大学制度,不比两所资深大学所面临的挑战大。而且,教育制度的变革也必须从中小学做起,一路贯通。

庄志达
另外,本地大学的办学资金多达80%来自政府,他认为本地大学如果要提升水准,必须想办法寻找私人企业界的资助以发展更多教育项目。

庄志达教授同意,新加坡大学教育必须走向广泛式的,而且本地大学近年来也兴起了不少跨学科课程,例如生物工程和生化资讯。现在的学生必须对人文和科学都有基本的掌握,知识层面不会太狭隘,也不至于学无专长。

他相信,未来大学教育的挑战是要培养一批热爱终身学习、具创业精神,以及心系祖国的青年。“当国家面临困难时,有多少新加坡年轻人会想要移民?如果我们无法在小学、中学,甚至是大学教育里引进这种‘心系祖国’的思维,那我们的教育就有点失败。”

庄志达认为,本地大学也必须想办法吸引优秀的学生留在新加坡考取大学教育。“因为在新加坡的每一代领导人当中,我们需要一些接受新加坡教育、了解民情和掌握我国社会脉搏的人才。”
除了必须负起社会责任,在大众教育和精英教育之间取得平衡,新加坡大学也必须放眼世界,帮助提高新加坡在全球的竞争力,在我国的经济发展里扮演举足轻重的角色。

现在的经济发展越来越变幻莫测,徐冠林教授说,一些大学生可能在求学时选读了一些热门科目,可是在毕业后,这些原本热门的职位空缺却已经流失海外了,例如本地有不少电脑程序编写的工作,现在已经流失到印度和中国。

“因此,我们的大学需要做脱胎换骨的改变,才能适应新时代的需求。我们要培养的学生是全方位的人才,无论什么时候都能走出自己的路。”

三校领导人也同意,在培养全方位学生时,提供人文教育是重要的一环。

三名主讲者同是公教中学毕业生,在昨天的历史性聚会上,座谈会主席林任君便表示,希望借这次千载难逢的讲座,三人的友谊也能促进三大学府的合作关系。

对此,徐冠林语重心长说道,国家目前面对如此严峻的挑战,三所大学有必要更紧密地合作。他说:“三所大学各自与外国大学有很多合作,可是三校之间却很少合作与交流,甚至有点猜忌的现象。我觉得这很可惜,因为只有本土大学最了解资金国家的需求。三校应该集中资源、取长补短,为新加坡争取一个更美好的明天。”
林任君

他指出,美国大学虽然注重竞争,可是竞争大多在体育方面;在学术方面,美国学府之间有很多交流与合作。做为一个开始,徐冠林希望三校的教授们能进行更多分工合作式的学术研究。

出席座谈会的公众有600多人,除了教育界人士,也有不少关心孩子教育前景的家长。座谈会是在文华酒店举行。


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“未来是无法预测的。政府也没有全部的资料,或是一个水晶球,能预知未来的世界经济发展是怎么样。重要的是,年轻人要学会靠自己。硅谷一名企业家曾经告诉我,创业时一定要选择自己喜欢做的事,因为最后即使创业失败了,你还是有所收获。” ——徐冠林
徐冠林

“我时常拿新加坡青年和以色列青年做比较。以色列面临许多内忧外患,可是很多以色列人在美国念书,考获优异成绩,甚至成为杰出的研究生或博士,都会想回以色列效劳;很少听说他们在国家有难时会要逃离到较安全的地方。

是什么教学意识使到本地和以色列学生的意识形体有如此大的差别?我觉得这是值得 我们去研究的。” ——庄志达

“如果你选择到美国大学例如哈佛念书,一年需要付出七八万元,可是你在国大或南大的话,一年的学费可能只需要5900元。虽然本地学府和外国优秀大学还有一段距离,可是这距离越来越近。留在新加坡读大学有很多好处,而且肯定是物有所值(value for money)。” ——陈振忠

注:林任君、徐冠林、庄志达、陈振忠同是公教中学毕业生。
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Monday, November 8, 2010

高鸿发 Kor Hong Fatt - Our Oldest Marathoner

Kor Hong Fatt
Old boy Kor Hong Fatt, 78 (高鸿发, Junior Middle III, 1951) is one of Singapore’s oldest marathoners. But he does not take his status lightly.

The retired technical supervisor suffered a heart attack at the age of 70. Two years later, he ran his first 42km race. His brush with death was a shock for the man who had never thought much about exercise before. “When I was young, I would run only when I was free,” he said in Mandarin.

The attack prompted him to re-evaluate his health. “I wanted to take care of myself to prevent a second heart attack. I have to take care of my wife,” he said. His wife, Madam Wang Siew Eng, who is also 78, suffered a stroke on the right side of her body 16 years ago and needs help in daily activities like bathing. The couple have two adult sons.

He took 18 months to train for his first marathon and did this without telling his doctor. “My family was also against it but I told them that I would be careful and stop if I felt uncomfortable,” he said.

He used a heart rate monitor to make sure he stayed within 50 to 85 per cent of his maximum heart rate (MHR) and took breaks when he felt any chest discomfort. He attended running forums and read many books about running to learn how best to pace himself as he trained. The MHR is the greatest number of beats per minute that is safe for the heart. A commonly used MHR formula is 220 - (your age). One should not exceed 85 per cent of the MHR when exercising.

He paced his training regimen well, starting with slow walks on the treadmill, then progressed to brisk walks, slow jogs and finally, a full marathon.

Kor Hong Fatt has run in 11 marathons and will be taking part in the upcoming Standard Chartered Marathon on 5 Dec 2010.

But if his heart is up to it, his knees tell a different story. Four years ago, he experienced excrutiating pain in both knees while running. He had run in four marathons that year. A sports physician advised him to run less and go for physiotherapy. As a result, he cut his participation to just one marathon a year.

Every four months, he has a follow-up consultation with doctors at a polyclinic because of his previous heart attack. He is on lifelong medication and has a yearly heart scan.

For a man who seldom exercised before, running has become something he cannot do without. “One is never too old to start exercising,” he said. “I will continue running even beyond the age of 80 as long as I am able to.”

Note: Kor Hong Fatt will be taking part in the upcoming Standard Chartered Marathon on 5 Dec 2010. 

His entry to the 115th Boston Marathon to be held on 18 April 2011 has been accepted.



Many runners dream of making a 'pilgrimage' to Boston to run the world's oldest marathon - if they can meet the tough qualification time. Boston Marathon is one of the toughest marathons in the world, its is a hilly terrain to run in, with the notorious 'Heartbreak' Hill being one of them.
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Sunday, November 7, 2010

Rodney Cheong Chin Hong 钟振风


Rodney Cheong Chin Hong 钟振风
Rodnet Cheong (Sec 4, 1985) is the Managing Director of Seiko Architectural Wall Systems Pte Ltde. The Company is recently awarded one of the Singapore's 50 most enterprising companies 2010.

The company was established in 1978 and with more than 30 years of experience and more than 100 employees, the company has made a presence in the local construction industry as a prominent specialist for Aluminium Architectural Products that include cladding systems; curtain wall; windows-&-doors; louvers & sunshades, and shop fronts.

Its factory premise is located at 16 Chin Bee Drive with an area of over 5,000 sq m.
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Monday, November 1, 2010

李显龙:母亲葬礼上的致悼词 Lee Hsien Loong

李显龙在公教接受中学教育,1969年高二毕业。以下是他于母亲柯玉芝(逝世于2010年10月2日)葬礼上致悼词的全文。他说,由于父亲李光耀忙着政治工作,因此抚养孩子的重担都落在母亲身上。思母之情,感人肺腑。

李显龙 Lee Hsien Loong
Mama has always been part of our lives. Papa was busy with political work, so she did most of the bringing up of the children - me, Ling and Yang. She nurtured us, taught us, disciplined us, took care of us, and fussed over us. She would be home for lunch every day when we came home from school, spending some time with us before going back to work in the afternoon.

Loving but strict, she enforced clear rules, encouraged us to do well, and took pride in our successes. She kept the first school prize that I ever won, for doing well in kindergarten - a pencil sharpener in the shape of tiny trophy, which is still today, in the display cabinet at home.

Not surprisingly, Mama did not shower us with expensive toys, and rather disapproved when the grandparents sometimes did. But she would visit the textile shops that used to be in High Street, and bring us home the long cardboard rolls- the tubes, which were at the centre of the rolls of fabric, and had been discarded after all the fabric had been sold. They cost nothing, but they were great fun used as telescopes, for sword fights, and endless children's games. When I had my own children, my wife and I did the same.

We would visit our maternal grandparents at Pasir Panjang regularly. Their house was on the seafront, and at high tide the water would come right in to the seawall. We would swim in the sea, and Mama would sit on the steps watching over us. Once when I had almost learnt to swim but not quite, I got into difficulty- fooling around with a pair of goggles and a snorkel, and nearly drowned. Mama had to plunge in fully dressed to rescue me. She was not amused. Today, it's dry land.
 
When the boys went away to university, she fussed over us at long distance. She was a skilful knitter, and knitted us sweaters to stay warm, one after another. I still have one of them, a favourite rust-coloured one, patched many times at the elbows but still warm.
When Hsien Yang and I got married, she embraced her daughters-in-law as her own children. When grandchildren arrived, she helped to look after them, especially my two elder children - Xiuqi and Yipeng - after their mother Ming Yang died. She and the Popo supervised the maids, took the very little ones for walks every evening, and more than made up for what I could not do as a single father.

The years passed. Even in old age, Mama kept a motherly eye on her children. She would follow my public appearances on TV and in the press, and comment on my dress or demeanour or makeup, by the make-up artiste. After one particularly long evening function which both my parents and I attended, she reproached me and she said: "You were bored stiff, and looked it". When I fell ill with lymphoma, she worried about my children again, and also about me, fretting over whether I was eating enough nutritious food like bird's nest to stay strong and fight the cancer.

On Sundays the family would gather for lunch at Oxley Road. For a time it was with all the grandchildren, who would make a fine hullabaloo. But as the kids grew up and went off to national service, or went away to study, often it would be back to just Papa, Mama and the three children and our wives, plus Shaowu, the youngest grandchild.

One Sunday in May two years ago, we had the usual family lunch. I had spent the morning on a constituency visit to Tampines, and told her they were debating whether to allow bicycles on pedestrian footpaths. She reminded me that when I was in Cambridge and was mostly a pedestrian, I had written home to complain about the bicycles being a menace, because they crept up quietly on one from behind, giving no warning except for sinister whirring noises. I had completely forgotten, but she was right. She said: "The older I get, the longer ago the things I remember". But she tracked current events too, and knew what the hot topics of the day were. I think the hot topic at that time was serving beer at coffee shops.

The next day I was in my office when my security officer told me that Mama had fallen down at home, and Wei Ling was rushing her to NNI. She had had her second stroke. The last two and a half years have been difficult on her and on the family. Now she is at peace.

Over these last few days, I and my family have been deeply touched by the outpouring of condolences and fond recollections from people of all walks of life.We've stood receiving the visitors, reminiscing, shaking hands, delighting in seeing each other again or honoured that so many have come. She touched the lives of all those who met her, and many more who knew of her only through television images, media reports, or perhaps just by word of mouth. They sensed what a special person she was, and how much she had quietly contributed to Singa¬pore.

Thousands turned up at Sri Temasek to pay their respects. Some bowed or stood in silent prayer, while others crossed themselves or did a namaste. Still others fingered rosaries, and at least one lady spun a little prayer wheel. Many were visibly moved. Mama's children and our spouses stood beside her to acknowledge and thank them all, just as Mama had stood beside us so many times before.

All of our lives, Mama has been there for us. We have rejoiced together, grieved together, and shared many milestones and critical moments together. Now we will all have to learn to live without her. But she lives on in her children and grandchildren, in our cherished memories of her, and in the persons she has nurtured us into.

徐冠林 Su Guaning

徐冠林 Xu Guaning
徐冠林1964年毕业于公教中学后转入莱佛士书院读大学先修班。1967年得到总统奖学金和哥伦坡计划奖学金到加拿大深造。2003年1月1日出任新加坡南洋理工大学校长。

2011年6月第二个任期满后,徐冠林将卸下校长职务。他日前接受《联合早报》访问时,畅谈他担任南洋理工大学的感想。以下是11月1日《联合早报》所刊登的访谈中的一些话题。

没有考虑换地办校

新加坡国立大学上一任校长施春风教授卸任后到沙特阿拉伯阿卜杜拉国王科技大学当创校校长,徐冠林校长卸任后会不会考虑换给地方办校?

他微笑但是很坚定地说:“没有这个想法,虽然有人找我。”

他说,他下来希望能花点时间探讨自己的兴趣,比如寻找一些中国方面的机缘,以及一些个人感兴趣的研究项目。另外,徐校长的小女儿明年上小学六年级,他希望能有多点时间陪家人。

“过去八年非常忙碌,我觉得亏欠了家人,所以下来是时候‘还一点债’。”

三个机缘下建立南大名声

回首云南园八年,徐校长很感谢时代给他的三个机缘,让他能在国际学术界把南大的名声建立起来。

第一个机缘是在他上任那一年,当时的人力部代部长兼教育部政务部长领导的跨部门大学素质委员会提出《大学结构及大学生人力分配检讨报告书》建议,把我国大学生的比率从20%增加到25%,增加的学额主要在南洋理工大学,每年收生从4400名增加到6000名。

于是南大在2004年设立文学院,2005年设立数理科学院和艺术、设计与媒体学院。从此,南大学生有比较全面的学科选择。

第二个机缘是大学自主,让我国大学更重视学术人员办校。徐校长在那个机缘下大刀阔斧地对教职员的体制进行改革,把门槛提高,除邀请国际知名教授前来教学,也利用增加三所新学院而来的空缺,聘请许多年轻的杰出教授。过去三年,南大总共邀请了300位国际上杰出的研究人员。

第三个机缘是政府在2006年后拨出巨额支持科研工作。从2006年到2010年,政府五年里拨出的研究基金达135亿元,使得大学有更多机会争取研究基金进行各领域的研究。

南大原本不是研究密集型大学,为吸引高端研究人员,徐冠林校长在2007年邀请安博迪教授出任常务副校长。安博迪教授曾担任诺贝尔化学奖评选委员会主席,国际学术界的联络网很强。徐校长说,这几年南大在研究基金的争取方面和国大几乎大成平手,如果不是安博迪教授,南大不可能办到。(安博迪教授(Bertil Andersson)是瑞典籍的国际知名生物化学家,2007年加入南大。他在国际学术界声名显赫,曾担任诺贝尔化学奖遴选委员会主席。)

“在我就任第一年,我们争取到的研究资金是3000万元左右,2009年是3亿元,增加了10倍。”

虽然南大还是以理工科为主,但由于这些机缘,徐冠林校长在任内能把南大发展成一所学科广泛的综合大学,现在还筹办医学院,这是他这八年来感觉最满意的成绩。

希望南大复名 引起轩然大波

徐冠林校长出掌南洋理工大学初期,认真地阅读了南大迂回的历史,他曾希望把南洋大学、南洋理工学院到南洋理工大学50年的历史整理好,把模糊的桥梁搭建起来。
翻阅当时的许多关于他的专访和报道,看到是一个理想主义者的热情,他希望当南大变成综合大学后,还原“南洋大学”校名。

“那是2005年确定的一个新想法。我在2003年上任时和南大校友有很多交流,他们都希望恢复南洋大学的名字。”

那时候,南洋理工大学一些学生也认为“理工”两个字并不适宜。另外,徐校长参考一些历史资料包括《李光耀回忆录》后也认为,只要南大成为一所综合大学,去掉“理工”两个字不是大问题,复名是迟早的事。

徐校长这一想法引起轩然大波。他说:“对于复名,基本上南洋大学的校友分成两派,新加坡这边比较正面,就算正面,也希望恢复以母语教学的比重。海外更复杂,海外南大校友对新加坡现在的发展不是很了解,他们的理解还停留在殖民地或者是建国初期。他们多数觉得,南洋大学的实体已经不在了,再恢复叫南洋大学,是‘冒名’,不是‘复名’。”

回想当年,徐冠林校长语气中带有感慨地说:“既然有那么多问题,我觉得把精神放在那里会影响办学,于是把这个问题搁置。”

放下这个问题后,他的思路更清楚,他认为要把南大办好,需要发挥自己的优势和特色,而南大应该维持重视理工的优势,加强科技方面的突破。如今,南洋理工大学的工科和理科占了70%,以这样的组合成分来说,“理工”两个字确确实实是南大的特色。

徐冠林校长很理性地给南大复名的事件做一个总结说:“南洋大学给我们留下的最重要遗产,一个是校园,一个是精神。我刚来的时候,南大精神没有真正传承过来,现在我认为要让南洋大学校友感到欣慰的是,我们把南洋大学‘自强不息,力争上游’的精神传递了下来。”

Su Guaning (1950– ) Scientist, engineer and academic. Born in Taiwan, Su Guaning moved to Singapore when he was seven years old. He studied at Catholic High and Raffles Institution, and won a President’s Scholarship. In 1967, he was awarded a Colombo Plan Scholarship. He studied electrical engineering at the University of Alberta, Canada, and went on to earn a master’s degree from the California Institute of Technology, and a PhD from Stanford University.

From 1986 to 1997, Su was Director of the Defence Science Organisation, corporatizing it as DSO National Laboratories in 1997. He left in 1997 to head the Defence Technology Group at the Ministry of Defence. In 2000, he became the first chief executive of the Defence Science and Technology Agency. He has also played a prominent role in national science and technology policy since 1988, helping to establish the National Science and Technology Board, and serving on it from 1991 to 2001.

Su was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Gold) in 1998 and received the National Science and Technology Medal in 2003. He was awarded the Chevalier of the Legion of Honour by the president of France in 2005. He became president of Nanyang Technological University in 2003.
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