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Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
NUS-UM Partnership in Geography Field Studies
Over a six-week period in May–June 2005, staff from the Geography Department (NUS) organised a field studies module (GE3230 “Field Studies in Southeast Asia” [Tourism]) with colleagues from Universiti Malaya (UM). As part of the centennial celebrations of both universities, 32 undergraduates—12 from NUS and 20 from UM—collaborated on tourism research projects in Malaysia and Singapore.
In Singapore, students visited the Urban Redevelopment Authority, Chinatown, Sentosa and Gleneagles Hospital as part of their local field trips. For their projects, student groups comprising NUS and UM participants worked on such topics as war-site attractions, gastronomy and cultural tourism.
In Malaysia, students enjoyed visits to Tourism Malaysia, Menara Kuala Lumpur and Chinatown as well as field trips to Genting Highlands, Putrajaya and Malacca. Students also had a choice of either going to Cameron Highlands or Kuantan for a week to conduct research.
For all participants, the highlight is undoubtedly the warm friendships forged among students. As the UM Vice-Chancellor Dato Professor Hashim Yaacob noted at the farewell dinner for participants, the key achievement are the ‘bridges of friendship’ formed between students and faculty members from across the Causeway. More than just a collaboration, the NUS-UM joint module is also a celebration of Singapore-Malaysia partnership and cooperation.
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Field trips are always fun and enriching, be it in Cameron Highlands’ tea plantations (above) or at the Singapore River (below).
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Faculty of Science
The Mathematics of Sudoku
Sudoku (meaning ‘numbers singly’ in Japanese) is a logic puzzle invented in the US in 1979, but it only became popular when it was introduced in Japan in 1984. It took the UK by storm in late 2004 and quickly became a staple in most British newspapers. Here in Singapore, it is also starting to pick up, with a daily puzzle in Today (Mondays to Fridays). In addition, most bookstores have a large selection of Sudoku books.
In the Department of Mathematics, we see this as a great opportunity for outreach. We will organise a Mathematics Camp for Junior College students on December 13, 2005. Part of the activities will be a lecture on the Mathematics of Sudoku in the morning and Singapore’s first ever Sudoku competition in the afternoon. We also plan to give public lectures on the Mathematics of Sudoku and organise more competitions. |
Figure 1. A Sudoku puzzle.
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