• Tribute to the late “People’s President” for his 100^th birthday
• Marking the 15^th anniversary of SMU and Wee Kim Wee Centre
• Centre to carry on Dr Wee Kim Wee’s spirit of promoting “cultural consciousness”

The year 2015 marks the centennial birthday of the late Singapore President Dr Wee Kim Wee, as well as the 15^th year since both the Singapore Management University (SMU) and the Wee Kim Wee Centre (WKWC) housed under SMU were established.

In honour of Dr Wee and the milestone occasions, SMU’s WKWC held a commemorative event at the Raffles Hotel on 4 November 2015. The centennial dinner with a Peranakan theme celebrating Dr Wee’s heritage was attended by over 100 guests from the community. They included the family and relatives of Dr Wee; the academic, cultural and diplomatic fraternity; as well as members and friends of SMU and WKWC, including SMU Chairman Mr Ho Kwon Ping, SMU President Professor Arnoud De Meyer, senior management, deans, heads of departments, institutes, centres, labs and initiatives, students, alumni and WKWC supporters. 

[Photo: Esteemed guests at the dinner included His Excellency K Kesavapany, Singapore’s Ambassador to Jordan, and wife (above left photo); and Prof Leo Tan, a respected veteran in arts, education, science and conservation, with his wife (above right photo).]

At the dinner, S$66,000 was raised, of which a major proportion was donated by the Wee family. The funds will go towards future activities of the Centre.

Through conversations with many whose lives had been touched by Mr Wee, what stood out was the respect, admiration, and most importantly, affinity that they shared with him.

In the words of SMU Chairman Mr Ho Kwon Ping (above), “I think Mr Wee’s biggest contribution to Singapore was in making us understand the value of diversity, celebrating diversity, which he represented in his own life.

We also want to thank the generous support that the Wee family has always given the Wee Kim Wee Centre. SMU is very happy to acknowledge the donation of S$50,000 from the family in conjunction with this Centennial Dinner. The sum will go towards creating a special Wee Kim Wee Award that will be given to an outstanding individual every year, starting 2016, who illustrates in his/her life and work the values and ideals that the late Mr Wee embraced.”

SMU President Professor Arnoud De Meyer summed up the achievements of the Centre, “The programmes of Wee Kim Wee Centre often fuse with SMU’s academic work through various platforms, including conferences and research. Over the years, the WKWC has grown into a space where people from around the globe share insights, experiences and initiatives. It also works with multiple stakeholders to promote a greater awareness of the ways in which diversity impacts the worlds of businesses, education, politics and economics. SMU thanks everyone for the continued support towards WKWC.”

Initially named the Centre for Cross-Cultural Studies during inception, it was the first centre to be established in SMU, signalling from the very start that SMU was a university that was going to cross borders.  It later adopted the name of the late Singapore President, as his life best exemplified a “cross-cultural” dimension that could serve to inspire SMU and the community. It received Mr Wee’s unreserved blessings, only on the conditions that the Centre should help educate the large citizenry and that it should not be profit-making.

SMU and WKWC are proud and grateful to have had to the opportunity to carry on Dr Wee’s spirit of compassion and humanity through the Centre’s work. The Centre has established a series of regular talks and seminars promoting intercultural exchange, providing an open space for critical dialogue and serving the community in the past 15 years.

As the late Mr Wee firmly believed that the young ought to be educated in ethical conduct and in the goodness of giving, the WKWC organises many events each year that enable students to experience ethics and giving. Over the years, the Centre has sent SMU students to places where both life and ethics are difficult, such as Kenya, Cambodia, Nepal, Laos, India and Malaysia. This is so that students can learn both from these life-changing experiences, and contributing to the learning of people from these nations.

Looking ahead to the next 15 years, WKWC sees itself as a beacon for dynamic intercultural engagement where ideas can flourish. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, it is critical to have open, deep and honest discussions about balancing local identities with the roles and responsibilities as global citizens. The Centre aims to leverage on its location in the heart of Singapore’s city and a vibrant and dynamic arts district, to become a centre for diverse dialogue.

[Photo: The guests were entertained by the serenades of Jude Young, a singer-songwriter who is an SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business student (above left), and a peranakan dance and sing act performed by the Sayang Minstrels group (above right).]

[Featured Photo (right to left): SMU President Prof Arnoud De Meyer, His Excellency K Kesavapany, Singapore’s Ambassador to Jordan, members and relatives of Dr Wee’s family, SMU Chairman Mr Ho Kwon Ping (centre with bright red tie), and WKWC Director Associate Prof Kirpal Singh.]