SMU's Sing Lun scholars launch book on nourishing TCM soup recipes in aid of Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital
This meaningful project serves to promote greater public awareness about maintaining good health through dietary nourishment - an increasingly-important concern for Singapore's ageing population today.
The Nourishing TCM Soup Recipe book was conceptualised and published by the Sing Lun scholars in gratitude of the generous support given by Mr Patrick Lee Kwok Kie, who is also Chairman of KWSH, and his family. Through collaborating with KWSH in the project, they gained valuable hands-on experience in planning, developing, producing and marketing a product - the soup recipe book, as well as in interacting with the elderly at KWSH. Under the advice and guidance of staff physicians of the KWSH TCM Centre, the scholars also sought the participation of six SMU student leaders. Together they mentored 59 secondary school students from Dunman High School, NUS High School and Raffles Institution in creating and preparing the recipe for 12 types of nutritious TCM soups, thereby giving the students the opportunity to learn about the activities of a social enterprise.
This joint undertaking was mooted during a visit to SMU in 2009 by Mr Patrick Lee Kwok Kie and his son, Mr Mark Lee. Mr Patrick Lee encouraged the Sing Lun scholars to leverage on their knowledge and skills in Marketing, Finance and Accounting for real-world applications. The scholars then decided to produce a recipe book on various types of nourishing soup as a gift of care and concern for the aged in our society.
In setting up a social enterprise as project drivers, the experience has strengthened the scholars' interactions with KWSH physicians and broadened their knowledge of nutritious TCM soups and related preparation procedures. It has also enhanced their soft skills, such as communicating in dialects with elderly KWSH patients, honed their leadership techniques through mentoring younger students from selected secondary schools and helped develop in them a genuine interest towards community service and contribution. This meaningful experience will also help to heighten public awareness about helping the less fortunate or needy as well as develop in the scholars, their capacity for strategy formulation, planning and project management.
“I am extremely delighted to see the fruition of this meaningful community service project by the Sing Lun scholars of SMU. Through this undertaking, they have learned to recognise the presence and needs of the elderly in our society and the importance of giving back to the community. I am confident that they will become future leaders who are also caring and socially responsible,” said Mr Patrick Lee Kwok Kie.
"With the kind support from the Lee family, recipients of the Sing Lun Scholarship at SMU continue to remind us all of our responsibility to the society - that of serving the community and in this particular project, the elderly community. SMU is very grateful for Sing Lun's vision and generosity," said Associate Professor Ong Siow Heng, SMU Dean of Students.
Two thousand copies of the Nourishing TCM Soup Recipe book will be sold at a price of S$10 per copy. Net proceeds will be donated to KWSH. In so doing, the Sing Lun scholars will learn and acquire the virtue of giving back to society. The project also underlines the tripartite cooperation between SMU (educator), Mr Patrick Lee Kwok Kie and his family (donor) and KWSH (a charity organisation) in advocating Corporate Social Responsibility and their combined effort to groom academically-outstanding SMU students into caring individuals and community-spirited citizens.
About the Sing Lun Scholarship
Funded by Mr Patrick Lee and members of the Lee family, the Sing Lun Scholarship is established in honour of Mr Lee's late father, Mr Lee Chee Hung, who founded the family business.
In March 2009, SMU established the Sing Lun Scholarships, Sing Lun Fellowship and Sing Lun Seminar Room with a S$1 million gift from Mr Patrick Lee Kwok Kie and his family.. The gift attracted a 1:1 matching by the Singapore government for SMU's endowment.
Mr Lee and members of his family made the decision then to provide much-needed support for the university education of financially-needy SMU undergraduates, particularly during a period of economic difficulty at the time. The gift also sought to advance faculty research and development at SMU.
The bond-free Sing Lun Scholarship, valued at S$12,500 each and tenable for one year, is awarded to a total of 40 SMU undergraduates over six years. It aims to provide encouragement and financial assistance to outstanding and deserving undergraduate students at SMU. It offers support towards annual tuition fees and study-related expenses, such as books and computers, regional business study missions, international student exchange programmes as well as community outreach activities. Scholars are also expected to participate in meaningful community projects in areas of social need.
