SIT’s Future Punggol Campus Gets its First Gift
Generous giving from Ho Bee Land also supports a scholarship
Ho Bee Land has made endowed gifts of $3.25 million to the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), marking the very first time the University has received philanthropic support for its future campus in Punggol. In recognition of this commitment, SIT has named the auditorium at its future campus in Punggol, as well as its interim campus in SIT@Dover, the Ho Bee Auditorium.
The Ho Bee Auditorium at SIT@Dover was unveiled at a naming ceremony for the auditorium and appreciation lunch for Ho Bee Land. Held on 1 July 2019, it was attended by Dr Chua Thian Poh, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ho Bee Land, and Guest-of-Honour, Mr Ong Ye Kung, Minister for Education.
Expressing his appreciation, Prof Tan Thiam Soon, President, SIT, said, “SIT is honoured by the firm support from Ho Bee Land – a Singaporean company with a global outlook, and a name that is associated with both quality and sustainability – the very same outcomes that we are also keen to achieve. Thank you for taking the lead to support SIT and our students at this point of our journey, as our young university leaps forward into its second decade.”
Headquartered in Singapore, Ho Bee Land is a real estate development and investment company with a portfolio that covers many quality residential, commercial and high-tech industrial projects since its establishment in 1987.
In his remarks, Dr Chua said that the approach taken by SIT as Singapore’s university of applied learning resonates with Ho Bee Land. He added, “We believe a good education helps open doors to many opportunities. It helps nurture the next generation of leaders and professionals. We also hope that it will help impart to them the good values of giving back to the community.”
Ho Bee Land’s philanthropy has also made possible the Ho Bee Scholarship to nurture academically promising undergraduates from nine degree programmes at SIT (ranging from Engineering to Information and Communications Technology to Interior Design).
Mr Tan Kah Wei is one of the first to receive the Ho Bee Scholarship at SIT. The second-year student from the Information and Communications Technology (Information Security) programme said the Ho Bee Scholarship has allowed him to better envision his future. He added, “I hope to be able to use my professional IT knowledge to mentor the young as well as help the elderly who are less tech-savvy, so that they know how to protect themselves from data breaches and security threats.”
Located in a standalone building by the waterfront, the Ho Bee Auditorium will be part of the teaching facilities in the Punggol campus, with function areas that enjoy unobstructed views of Serangoon Reservoir and Coney Island. It will also have the capacity to host key national and university events. SIT’s Punggol campus will be part of the nation’s new Punggol Digital District.
