On the 12th day of the Circuit Breaker in Singapore, the College Green (CG) hostel that houses students for Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) received an incredibly generous gift of 1,000 face masks from Dr William Chung Tang-Fong, a Master in Public Administration and Management (MPAM) 2016 graduate. Dean of Students, Associate Professor Leong Ching in a Facebook post termed the gift as “a basket of blazing hot coals in a bleak winter”. On 1 May 2020, William delivered another 1,000 face masks to the CG students, as the Singapore government extended the Circuit Breaker for another four weeks.
William donated 1,000 pieces of face masks to College Green residents while practising Social Distancing.
[ALUMNI-INFO TEXT="William is a core member of the LKYSPP Singapore Alumni Chapter and leads the Chapter’s Mandarin alumni. But this is not the only hat William wears. He is the managing director of an international trading and logistics management company both in Singapore and China. His main responsibility includes strategic guidance and direction to the board to ensure that the company achieves its financial vision, mission, and long-term goals. He also holds a few non-executive directorships, serving as a Licensed Solemniser, Vice Chairman of Bukit Batok Citizens’ Consultative Committee, Town Councillor of Jurong-Clementi Town Council and Chairman of its Tenders and Contracts Committee. And he finds times to volunteer with the alumni chapter. “I have managed to balance my life with five things: family, career, continuing lifelong learning, strengthening interpersonal relationships and giving back to society including my alma mater,” says William who believes very strongly in the power of alumni groups especially in tough times like these now when the world is going through a pandemic.
“Chairing an alumni association is voluntary work and part of my commitment to my alma mater. I share my knowledge, experiences, and ideas with my fellow committee members to work out a yearly plan. With good teamwork and delegation, we are able to manage and operate the association effectively,” he adds.
William endorses alumni associations because these “are beneficial to everyone concerned”. Alumni associations strengthen links between the schools, alumni, professors, staff and students. He should know, having previously held the position of Vice President of Peking University Alumni Singapore, Director-General of Nanhai Overseas Students Union and President of NUS Business School Mandarin Alumni Association. “The sense of belonging is strengthened and strong bonds of friendship and professional networks are created,” he says."][/ALUMNI-INFO]
On 6 January 2020, William at the Valedictory Dinner of Master in Public Administration and Management with National University of Singapore (NUS) President Tan Eng Chye (second from the left), LKYSPP Dean Danny Quah (second from the right) and NUS Business School Vice Dean (Graduate Studies) Jochen Wirtz (right).As someone who received bursaries, scholarships, sponsorships, and the Skills Development Fund, etc., in order to complete his school, college and tertiary education, William personally, believes that it is necessary to give something back to his alma mater LKYSPP and also the National University of Singapore at large. After all, “It’s better to give than to receive”, he says.
William has a strong belief in giving.
[ALUMNI-QUOTES TEXT="To build robust alumni associations, William says the buck stops with schools and students. When the achievements of former students are highlighted by a school or a college, people feel the need to stay in touch and contribute. “Recognition is the key success factor to help alumni stay connected to their alma mater,” he says.
William personally funds most of the LKYSPP Mandarin Alumni’s events and partially funded the “NUS Day of Service”, a day when the whole NUS family comes together to give back to the community through service and action. He hopes LKPSPP alumni chapters across the world will be able to link up together, so as to share resources and create a better opportunity for all. “I would encourage the alumni who can spend some of their time, ideas, knowledge, experience and are able to contribute financially, to join the executive committee of the alumni association to serve and lead,” adds William. “My personal advice is the person who leads an alumni association should be open-mind, leading by example, willing to contribute his or her time and to sacrifice one’s ego to achieve the goal of the association.”"][/ALUMNI-QUOTES]
William organised Mid-Autumn Festival celebration at College Green in September 2019.
Another way to enhance the connection between alumni and the university is offering lifelong learning opportunities. “It is certainly beneficial to all local and overseas alumni. Moreover, it strengthens links between the school, professors, staff, and students,” he says.
William partially funded the “NUS Day of Service” 2018.