南洋理工大學（以下簡稱“南大”或“NTU”）校長蘇布拉·蘇雷什（Subra Suresh）教授因家庭原因，即將在今年年底結束自己五年的任期。信中也回顧了這些年南大的輝煌成就，表達了對南大社區的感謝。
校長給全體同學的一封信
親愛的同學們，
自2017年7月宣布任命我爲南洋理工大學校長以來的五年中，我有幸與南洋理工大學和OneNTU社區緊密合作，達成了南大的一系列令人印象深刻的成就，這是我職業生涯中最令人滿意的經曆之一。我們一起見證了集體努力的成果，南洋理工大學也在本地和國際上的地位不斷攀升。
然而，我今天要寫信告訴大家，鑒于南大目前的強勁勢頭和地位，我計劃在今年年底卸任校長一職。
正如大家所知，大約一年前，我同意了南大董事會的提議，將我最初的的校長任期延長，以加速大學的快速發展，並進一步實現我們的戰略計劃——NTU2025的宏偉目標。
來源：NTU官網
但是，受到全球疫情的影響，像其他許多分隔在各大洲的人一樣，我和我的直系親屬無法長時間地聚在一起，甚至無法參加重大的家庭生活活動。最近，我們期待的第一個孫子將在今年晚些時候降生，我和妻子瑪麗（Mary）也有和家庭在地理上更接近的強烈願望，因此計劃比我們最初設想的更早返回美國。
南洋理工大學全體師生，在過去兩年與疫情共存的日子裏，齊心協力地保護我們的校園和大家的安全，同時出色地完成我們的使命，將南洋理工大學推向學術機構的最高層，我爲此感到十分自豪。在我離開時，南大已是一個全球領先的大學，在世界頂級大學中占有應有的地位。我們一起強化了南大的基礎，我的繼任者將能在此基礎上繼續發展。回顧往昔，在過去的幾年裏，我們所有人，我們的教職員工、學生、以及領導團隊，都取得了許多成就，我也對此感到非常自豪。
南大的科研量有了很大的增長，在過去幾年中，每年都創造了新的年度記錄。這說明出南大研究人員的學術工作質量非常高，因爲這些資助決定通常是在，對研究提案的質量進行獨立的國際同行評審之後作出的。在過去的幾年裏，南大教師在各領域頂級科研期刊上發表的所有論文數量翻了一番。
來源：NTU官網
作爲NTU2025戰略計劃的一部分，南大于2021年8月爲所有本科生推出了跨學科的共同核心課程和實習機會，這在新加坡尚屬首次。這樣做的目的是提高我們的教學成果，爲學生的終身學習做好准備。2020年新推出的碩士學位進修教育（continuing education）的FlexiMasters計劃，已經發展出超過35個來自南大各部門的課程；2020年成立的南洋理工大學優先扶助基金（NTU Priorities Fund ），由社會各界的私人慈善捐助，在疫情期間幫助了數百名經濟困難的學生；南大第一個跨工程和科學學院的跨學科學院也將在今年成立。
FlexiMasters計劃，來源：NTU官網
我們的國際聲譽越來越受到認可。目前，有多達11個南洋理工大學的學科進入了世界前十名，其中有最多4個學科被認爲是全球最好的，這凸顯了南洋理工大學在學術界的地位有了明顯的提升。作爲一所年輕的大學，南大在三大全球評估中都進入了世界前50名，這在其曆史上還是第一次。在一項關鍵的國際評估中，南大已連續7年成爲全球頂尖的年輕大學。事實上，英國政府也已經認可了這些成就，並在上周宣布，南洋理工大學的畢業生將成爲世界頂級大學中，獲得特殊簽證在英國就業的精英群體之一。
來源：NTU Facebook
南大的聲譽不斷提高，也清楚地反映在，我們有能力吸引來自新加坡和世界一流大學的人才。僅在過去四年（甚至是疫情期間）就招聘了350多名教職員工，其中包括來自著名高校的新傑出大學教授和高級領導團隊成員；2018年推出的總統博士後計劃，目前也已成爲南大競爭最激烈的青年人才吸引計劃，即使在2020年的疫情高峰期，也有超過1050人申請這個僅提供12個名額的項目。
南洋理工大學在致力于成爲環境可持續發展的領導者方面，也邁出了決定性的一步，並大規模地展示了我們如何在教育和研究活動的基礎上，爲我們自己的智能校園和地球帶來持久的變化。2021年10月，南洋理工大學發布了可持續發展宣言，承諾到2035年實現碳中和。南大也成爲了世界上第一所發行與可持續發展相關的公共債券的大學。
來源：NTU官網
這些學術成就和雄心壯志，得到了重要的治理和行政成就的支持，爲南大建立了一個穩健、可持續和安全的未來。我們在2018年推出的一系列深思熟慮的措施，引導大學實現了財務的可持續性，同時保留了我們的儲備金以備不時之需。在有史以來的首次信用評級中，南大在2021年10月獲得了穆迪（Moody‘s）的Aaa信用評級，評級前景爲 “穩定（stable outlook）”。我們對基于雲的數字技術的戰略投資，使我們能夠加速向在線學習的遷移，同時在疫情期間和之後，發展新的教學和學習創新。
在過去的四年裏，南大建立了新的企業和聯合實驗室，其中包括與惠普（HP Inc.）、大陸集團（Continental）、舍弗勒集團（Schaeffler）、格芯（GlobalFoundaries）和盛裕控股集團（Surbana Jurong）的合作。在過去三年裏，南大成立了耗資9400萬新元的卓越研究中心（Research Centre of Excellence）、數字分子分析科學研究所（the Institute for Digital Molecular Analytics and Science）和耗資4000萬新元的廢料轉化能源（Waste-to-Energy）設施。南洋理工大學的創新範圍和規模，以及南洋理工大學在培養初創企業方面的影響也有了顯著的擴大。
Waste-to-Energy Facility，來源：NTU 官網
在這封信中，我對你們每一個人——我有幸接觸到每一位的教職員工和學生——表示衷心的感謝。沒有你們的參與、承諾和支持，這一切成就都不可能發生。我要特別感謝我的親密領導團隊：核心和延申校長委員會的現任和前任成員，包括副校長、院長、行政主管、學院院長和教務委員會成員，以及董事會的現任和前任成員。他們的貢獻，加上新加坡政府機構多年來的大力支持，意味著南大未來的成功將得到保證。我個人要感謝這麽多人，我也期待在適當的時候向他們伸出援手。現在，我特別要感林杉教授（ Prof Ling San）、藍欽揚教授（Prof Lam Khin Yong）、Tan Aik Na 女士、Loretta Cruz女士、Loreen Tan女士和Huei Ashley E. Lee女士，感謝他們的奉獻和努力，以及對我的不懈支持。
我知道，在你們的努力下，南大將會越來越強大——加強大學在學習、知識創造和傳播、人才培養、創新以及爲新加坡和人類服務方面的表現。我知道這一點，因爲你們將會和我們分布在150多個國家的25萬名校友一起，高舉南大的旗幟。
我計劃在余下的校長任期內，繼續努力工作，推進NTU2025的目標。我一直並將繼續對有機會擔任南大校長深表感謝。南大因爲你們，成爲一個非常特別的地方。能夠參與你們的成功，我感到非常榮幸。
衷心祝願和感謝。
校長兼首屆特聘大學教授
蘇布拉-蘇雷什
校長信原文
（向上滑動啓閱）
Dear Students,
I have had the privilege of working closely with you, the NTU community, since my appointment as NTU President was announced nearly five years ago in July 2017. Working in close partnership with our OneNTU community to build the University’s portfolio of impressive accomplishments has been one of the most gratifying experiences of my professional life. Together we have witnessed the results of our collective effort as NTU has continued its extraordinary climb in its local and international stature.
However, I am writing today to let you know that, given the University’s strong momentum and standing at this time, I plan to step down as president at the end of this calendar year.
As you are aware, about a year ago, I agreed to the offer from the NTU Board of Trustees to extend my role as President beyond my initial term to accelerate the University’s rapid growth, and further the ambitious goals of our strategic plan, NTU 2025.
But the lingering effects of a global pandemic have precluded my immediate and close-knit family, like so many others separated across continents, from coming together over a protracted time, even for significant family life events. The much-anticipated recent news of the arrival of our first grandchild later this year and a strong desire to be in closer geographical proximity as a family have convinced my wife Mary and me to return to the United States sooner than we had originally envisioned.
I am very proud of how all of us at NTU worked together to keep our campus and our people safe and secure during the past two years of life with the pandemic, while continuing to excel in our mission to propel NTU into the top echelons of academic institutions. I will leave knowing that NTU is a global leader taking its rightful place among the top Universities of the world. Together we have strengthened NTU’s foundation which my successor will be able to build on. At this time of reflection, there have been so many accomplishments by all of you, our faculty, staff, students, and our leadership team, during the past few years in which I take great pride:
– NTU’s research volume has seen significant growth, setting a new annual record in each of the past several years. This reflects the very high quality of the scholarly work of NTU researchers as these funding decisions typically follow independent international peer review of the quality of research proposals. In the past few years, the number of all publications by NTU faculty in top research journals across fields has doubled.
– The University launched an Interdisciplinary Common Core curriculum and internship opportunities, the first-of-its-kind in Singapore, for all undergraduate students in August 2021 as part of the NTU 2025 Strategic Plan to improve our teaching outcomes and to prepare our students for lifelong learning. The FlexiMasters programme for continuing education at the Master’s degree level, launched in 2020, has already grown to more than 35 curricular offerings from all parts of the University. The NTU Priorities Fund created in 2020 with private philanthropy from our community helped hundreds of students in financial need during the pandemic. NTU’s first interdisciplinary School across the Colleges of Engineering and Science will be established this year.
– Our international reputation is increasingly well-recognised. Up to 11 NTU academic subjects are now placed among the top ten in the world, with up to four subjects considered the best globally, highlighting a significant ascent in NTU’s intellectual stature. As a young university, the impressive climb of NTU has now placed it within the top 50 in the world in all three major global assessments, for the first time in its history. NTU has also emerged as a global top young university for seven years in a row by one key international measure. Indeed, the UK government has recognised these achievements and announced, just last week, that NTU graduates will be among those selective cohorts from the top universities in the world to receive a special visa to seek employment in the UK.
– The growing reputation of NTU has been clearly reflected in our ability to attract talent from Singapore and leading universities around the world, with more than 350 faculty members recruited just in the past four years (even during the pandemic), including new Distinguished University Professors and senior leadership team members from prestigious universities. The Presidential Postdoctoral Fellows Programme, launched in 2018, has now become the most competitive young talent attraction scheme at NTU, with more than 1,050 applications for only 12 positions even during the height of the pandemic in 2020.
– NTU took a decisive step in its commitment to be a leader in environmental sustainability, and to demonstrate at scale how we build on our education and research activities to effect long-lasting change on our own Smart Campus and for the planet. In October 2021, NTU released the Sustainability Manifesto with a pledge to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035. It also became the first university in the world to issue sustainability-linked public bonds.
– These academic achievements and ambitions have been underpinned by important governance and administrative successes, to build a robust, sustainable and secure future for NTU. The deliberate measures we introduced in 2018 have guided the University to financial sustainability while preserving our reserves for the rainy day. In its first ever credit rating exercise, NTU received Aaa credit rating from Moody’s, with “stable outlook”, in October 2021. Our strategic investments in cloud-based digital technologies have enabled us to accelerate our migration to online learning while nurturing new teaching and learning innovations during and beyond the pandemic.
– And our infrastructure for future achievements that benefit industry and society has also been developed: major new Corporate and Joint Laboratories have been established at NTU in the past four years including those with HP Inc., Continental, Schaeffler, GLOBALFOUNDRIES, and Surbana Jurong. A new S$94-million Research Centre of Excellence, the Institute for Digital Molecular Analytics and Science, and the S$40-million Waste-to-Energy facility were established in the last three years. The scope and scale of NTU’s innovation and NTUitive’s impact in nurturing startups have also expanded significantly.
This letter comes with a big ‘thank you’ to each one of you – the faculty, staff and students with whom I have had the privilege to interact. None of this could have happened without your engagement, commitment and support. I give special thanks to my close leadership team: the current and former members of the core and extended President’s Council including the VPs, deans, administrative heads, School Chairs, and Faculty Senate members, as well as current and former members of the Board of Trustees. Their contributions, together with the strong support over the years from the Singapore government agencies, mean that the future success of NTU will be assured. I owe personal thanks to so many people and I look forward to reaching out to them in due course. For now, I express my deep gratitude particularly to Prof Ling San, Prof Lam Khin Yong, Ms Tan Aik Na, Ms Loretta Cruz, Ms Loreen Tan, and Ms Huei Ashley E. Lee for all their dedication and hard work and for giving me their unstinting support.
I know that NTU will go from strength to strength with all your effort – enhancing the University’s activities in learning, knowledge creation and dissemination, talent development, innovation, and service to Singapore and humanity. I know this because you, alongside our more than 250,000 alumni in over 150 countries, will fly the NTU flag high.
I plan to continue to work hard during the remainder of my term as President to further the goals of NTU 2025. I have been and continue to be deeply appreciative of the opportunity to have served as NTU’s President. NTU is a very special place because you make it so. It has been a privilege to be a part of your success.
With my warm wishes and appreciation,
Subra Suresh
President and Inaugural Distinguished University Professor
NTU董事會的信件
信件摘要
NTU董事會對于蘇布拉·蘇雷什教授和其妻子瑪麗在這五年中的貢獻，以及對南大社區的慷慨承諾表達了感謝，也表示，在未來幾周內，將成立專門的搜索委員會，以選定下一任校長。
三十年來，南洋理工大學作爲世界卓越大學，不懈求知，以解決人類的四大挑戰：減輕我們對環境的影響；利用學習的科學、藝術和技術；解決技術對人類的影響；以及解決老齡化社區的需求。董事會也感謝大家對南大使命的堅定信念。
信件原文
（向上滑動啓閱）
Dear Members of the NTU community,
Professor Subra Suresh today announced that he will step down as President of Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) at the end of Dec 2022 after five years at the helm of NTU.
On behalf of the University, I thank Subra and his wife, Mary, for their contributions over these five years. I am grateful to Subra and Mary for their generosity and commitment to NTU and our community.
During Subra’s tenure, he further established NTU as a top global University, broadening affiliations and expanding collaborations with major academic institutions and industry players internationally. Under his leadership, Subra and his team introduced curriculum innovations and digital technologies, offering a top quality education to our students. NTU has made progress over the last three decades and Subra’s vision for higher learning will continue this momentum.
In the coming weeks, the Board of Trustees will form a search committee to identify the next President. Subra will continue to helm NTU until the end of this year, allowing for a smooth transition as the University seeks its next President.
In three decades, NTU has established itself as a great research university in the 21st century, in pursuit of knowledge to address four of humanity’s grand challenges: mitigating our impact on the environment; harnessing the science, art and technology of learning; addressing technology’s impact on humanity; and addressing the needs of ageing communities.
These are exciting times for NTU and institutions of higher learning to contribute towards the advancement of society and to thrive as a hub for the creation of new knowledge. The Board of Trustees and I thank you all for your steadfast conviction in NTU’s mission.
Sincerely,
Goh Swee Chen
Chair of Board of Trustees
Nanyang Technological University
讓我們感謝校長蘇布拉·蘇雷什，以過去五年的付出，領導NTU創造了無數輝煌成就。作爲NTU的一分子，也讓我們繼續努力，一起期待學校的明天吧！
