Singapore International Foundation

17 Sep 2009

SIF YBA (China) Programme Welcome Address

Ms Jean Tan, Executive Director of SIF, made a welcome address at the appointment ceremony of the SIF Young Business Ambassodars (China) Programme.

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Dr Wang Xiao Long,
(Deputy Chief of Mission) Minister Counsellor, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Singapore

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Good evening. It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the appointment ceremony of the 2009 Singapore-China Young Business Ambassadors, or YBA for short.

This is the 5th year of the Singapore-China YBA. Through this programme, we have been promoting business and professional ties — and more importantly, people-to-people relations between aspiring young professionals in Singapore and China.

Since 2004, 30 Singaporeans and Chinese nationals have spent up to 10 weeks living and working in Shanghai and Singapore, respectively.

For Claudia, Singaporean YBA in 2008, a planner with the Urban Redevelopment Authority, the programme boosted her confidence and encouraged her to take on new challenges in the future. She speaks fondly of the friendships she has established and the new things she learnt from her Chinese friends. Being immersed in the Chinese environment for 10 weeks also helped her improve on her mother tongue tremendously. For many of our Singaporean YBAs, their improved Mandarin upon return is a competitive advantage at work. One candidate told us how he is now the best-equipped to serve Mandarin-speaking clients in his company.

This evening, we witness the appointment of a new cohort of Young Business Ambassadors. In the next 10 weeks, these 8 YBAs will interact with fellow professionals, meet business leaders and government officials; and in the process, deepen their understanding of the host country’s social and economic development, its enterprise culture and people sensitivities.

Just as importantly, they have also been entrusted with the role of ambassador for their country. As they live overseas, we ask that they take the opportunity to acquaint their hosts with their culture, custom and country.

At SIF and in multi-ethnic Singapore, we believe it is important to recognise and respect that people from other cultures are different in a variety of ways. Becoming more aware of cultural differences, as well as exploring cultural similarities is one of the aims of the YBA. It is through such people-to-people exchanges that SIF seeks to broaden perspectives and promote understanding between Singapore and other world communities.

This programme, of course, would not have been possible without the support of partners in both the public and private sectors. The SIF appreciates the strong support of its partner organisations this year. Our sincere thanks go out to:

1. CapitaLand Limited,
2. Land Transport Authority,
3. Starhub Limited,
4. Surbana International Consultants Private Limited, and
5. United Overseas Bank.

The SIF is also grateful for the support of the following Chinese companies, including:

1. Shanghai Electric Group Finance Company Limited,
2. Shanghai Municipal Planning and Design Research Institute, and
3. Shanghai Urban Construction and Communications Committee

In addition to our corporate partners, we would like to thank the Chinese Embassy in Singapore for being a strong supporter of the programme; and the Singapore Airlines for generously sponsoring the flights for this programme.

Last but not least, we extend our thanks to our partners in Shanghai — the Shanghai People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and the Shanghai Municipal Office for Introduction of Foreign Experts. We look forward to continuing our warm working relationship with you.

In closing, I believe I speak for all our partners when I say that it is our joint hope that these eight individuals — having been enriched both professionally and personally — will emerge from the experience with new-found perspectives that will empower you to contribute to building a better world through your respective professions.

Thank you and enjoy the rest of the evening.