Commemorating NUS Medicine's 115th anniversary
Published: 03 Jul 2020
Sakura, Sakura
At NUS Medicine, we have many dreams, big and small. One dream is that one day, we will be walking amidst tree-lined walkways blooming with lush flowers. Butterflies dance and twinkle in the light of the morning sun. The scent of fresh Sakura flowers fills the air with hope and joy.
Taking a step towards making this dream a reality, the NUS Medicine Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Committee launched the NUS Medicine 115th Anniversary “Plant-A-Tree” programme, a special CSR initiative cum fund-raising drive organised as part of the School’s 115th anniversary.
The aim of this unique CSR programme is to firstly, fulfil our role as a responsible corporate citizen to create a more sustainable environment for one and all. In tandem with this, we aim to plant 115 trees to help offset carbon emissions, inject more fresh air, and create beautiful tree-lined boulevards around the NUS campus.
Our goal is also to seek donations for the NUS Medicine Next Generation Fund and the ALCNS Student Bursary to support students who may be facing financial difficulties, or who may be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a simple ceremony to mark the success of the CSR programme and to kick start the School’s greening efforts, Professor Tan Eng Chye, President of NUS and Professor Chong Yap Seng, Dean of NUS Medicine, jointly planted our very first Singapore Sakura, or Pink Mempat (Cratoxylum formosum) sapling at the green space outside MD6 this morning*.
“The NUS Medicine 115th Anniversary Plant-A-Tree initiative has been an incredible success. We are heartened by the support of our staff towards this cause. To date, we have achieved almost $200,000 in pledges from the staff of NUS Medicine and NUHS towards the NUS Medicine Next Generation Fund and the ALCNS Student Bursary. All our Sakura gifts were taken up within 2 months of the launch of the CSR initiative, and we are still receiving expressions of interest for the gifts,” said Prof Chong.
“We are looking forward to the next phase of this programme, where the funds raised will not only help financially challenged students but at the same time, allow us to create oases of lush gardens and mini urban forests around the NUS Medicine campus.” – Prof Chong Yap Seng.
The Golden Chain and Yellow Bells gifts under the NUS Medicine 115th Anniversary “Plant-A-Tree” programme are still available for pledging till 31 July 2020. Please reach out the NUS Medicine CSR Committee at medbx246@nus.edu.sg.
*Safe management measures such as wearing of masks, and social distancing were practised during the ceremony.
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Under the ‘NUS Medicine 115th Anniversary Plant-A-Tree’ initiative, donors had 3 tiers of gifts to choose from:
- Sakura Gift: With a pledge of $10,000 or more, a beautiful flowering tree will be planted within the NUS Medicine grounds. Each tree planted with a $10,000 gift will bear a plaque with the name of the donor.
- Golden Chain Gift: For gifts between $5000 to $9999, donors will be honoured on a specially commissioned commemorative plaque located at one of the NUS Medicine buildings.
- Yellow Bells Gift: For pledges between $1000 to $4999, donors will be recognised on a specially designed commemorative plaque located at one of the NUS Medicine buildings.
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The NUS Medicine CSR Committee would like to express its heartfelt thanks to the Office of Facilities Management and Office of Senior Vice President Campus Infrastructure of NUS, and Development Office of NUS Medicine for their involvement and strong support in this CSR project, without which this initiative would not have been possible.
