Alumni of Distinction

I've just returned home to Singapore after a looooong flight from Toronto (via Vancouver, Hong Kong) and managed to finish reading my first "Rebus" novel by Ian Rankin - Mortal Causes. I really enjoyed the book, especially as I've recently been in Edinburgh for the CASE Europe Annual Conference. My colleagues in the CASE Europe office very thoughtfully arranged for a guided tour of Edinburgh which was a highlight - and several of the locations in the Rankin book were included in the tour. Thankfully I didn't have images of gruesome ritual killings when I was on the tour, as it was grim enough underground without that in the back of my mind.

What struck me as relevant for our work is that in the author bio section at the beginning of the novel, Rankin mentions that he has been chosen as Distinguished Alumnus of the Year by his alma mater, University of Edinburgh.

Just goes to show that people do pay attention and these awards, when done properly, can be excellent engagement opportunities for universities and colleges.

More on the award from the University of Edinburgh website:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/explore/people/alumni/1999ianrankin.html

New Era Down Under

Kevin Rudd has led the Labor Party to a resounding victory in the Australian federal election on Sat. Nov. 24th. This means he will soon be occupying Kirribilli House - which is the official residence of the Australian prime minister and just across the harbour from the Sydney Opera House.

He has promised an ambitious agenda, including enhanced investment in education at all levels and specific measures to counter the "brain drain".

Although there's been much debate in countries like Australia, Canada and New Zealand about "brain drain" there is also ample evidence that the skilled migration programs in each of those countries is actually resulting in a "brain gain" - at the expense of many emerging countries such as India, China, Bangladesh, Malaysia, etc.

I'll be watching with great anticipation how Rudd governs Australia, given his progressive world view and "foreign exposure" - he served as a diplomat with the Australian foreign affairs department and speaks fluent Chinese.

Next Big Thing? Staff Alumni Associations

The New York Times carries an article today about LAFF - Life after the Ford Foundation - an "alumni" association for former staff of the foundation.

This cultivation of loyalty beyond academic environments is an interesting trend that I've been following. Elite employers have also been doing this for a while, including the Boston Consulting Group. There seem to be some eminently sensible reasons for doing this, including a wide network "brains trust" and assistance recruiting new staff.

How do you translate the principles of alumni relations practice into a corporate environment, especially around the areas of commercial confidence and rivalry? And of course not everyone is particularly interested in being a loyal alumnus of an ex-employer ... food for thought ...

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/26/us/26ford.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1196090241-tA/FJjIVv76zlgkRWoP0ew

What it's all about ...

Back in March 2007, I had the pleasure of visiting the elite school for boys, St. Joseph's College ("Joey's" with affection) located in the leafy Sydney suburb of Hunters Hill. This is prime John Howard territory, at least for now. And how extraordinary to learn about the transformative and visionary work of the staff and benefactors @ Joey's in the area of aboriginal education ... this is the inspiration that gives meaning to what we do.

What makes the scholarship programme so impressive is the holistic approach, pastoral care and supportive environment 24/7. Also, the family of the boys I've seen profiled are 100% behind the programme and appreciate the value of education as a ladder for social change.

If you are interested in learning more, "60 Minutes" - the Australian version, that is - had a great documentary on the programme which you can view via the web here:
http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-au&brand=ninemsn&tab=s29&mediaid=25977&from=39&vid=e5fdced8-112b-40ce-b939-2861a8333cee&playlist=videoByTag:mk:en-AU:vs:0:tag:aunews_ausunday:ns:MSNVideo_Top_Cat:ps:10:sd:-1:ind:1:ff:8A

This reminds of another extraordinary opportunity I had last week, when I was visiting the CASE headquarters in Washington DC. CASE and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching co-sponsor the annual Professor of the Year Program (will use my American spelling here) annually. Lee Shulman, President of Carnegie - and about the most exceptional public speaker I have ever witnessed - spoke with great emotion about truth about education as being the ultimate game of "Chutes & Ladders".

More on the Professors honoured this year:
http://www.usprofessorsoftheyear.org/POY_Display.cfm?CONTAINERID=184&CONTENTITEMID=7684

Lee Shau Kee Donates HK$500 million to the University of Hong Kong

Dr Lee Shau Kee (pictured on the left, with Prof. Tsui Lap-Chee - the Vice-Chancellor of HKU) has again demonstrated his strong philanthropic support for higher education with a gift of HK$500 million to the University of Hong Kong.

Dr Lee has sponsored scholarships for exceptional students to the University of Oxford and the University of Toronto.

This is yet another example of "Asia Supporting Asia" ... heartening news for the region's universities.

More on the gift from HKU:

http://www.hku.edu.hk/press/news_detail_5665.html