SoC Keeps Up Momentum for New Initiatives in AY 2007/8
 

NUS School of Computing is moving into the new academic year with a new management team at its helm. Professor Ooi Beng Chin has assumed leadership of the School, succeeding Professor Joxan Jaffar as Dean on 15 August 2007.

At a School Meeting on 17 August 2007, Prof Ooi put on record his thanks to Prof Jaffar for his leadership over his two terms as Dean. Pledging to build on the momentum for new initiatives that Prof Jaffar and his team have set, Prof Ooi revealed that the School will step up efforts to introduce more concurrent and double degree programmes, including those with new overseas partners. Furthering the recognition that the School has gained from ABET, the US-based accreditation agency, for its bachelor degree programmes in Computer Science and Information Systems, SoC will be seeking certification for more of its programmes.

Prof Ooi revealed that the School will be working to provide additional internship opportunities for students. The aim is allow a greater number of students to gain workplace experience and linkage with prospective employers even before they graduate. To widen the reach to even more prospective students so as to grow the pool of trained infocomm talent for the economy, the School will be increasing its outreach efforts both locally and overseas.

A new area that the School will be looking into is executive programmes for IT professionals. The intent is to provide an avenue for IT professionals to keep abreast of changes in the dynamic technology-driven economy. Also in response to the external environment, SoC will seek to play an active role in research both internationally and locally in a sustained manner. Collaborative efforts with both research institutes and industry will be enhanced.

Prof Ooi (www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~ooibc), a professor of computer science, has been with SoC since 1991, back in the days when the School was the Department of Information Systems and Computer Science (DISCS) within the Faculty of Science. Over his 16-year career with the University, he has held various administrative positions, including faculty sub-dean, department deputy head, and deputy director of the Computer Centre. More recently, he was Vice Dean of Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies from 2002 to 2005.

His Deanery comprises four vice deans and four assistant deans, who are a mix of old hands and new faces in the running of the School. They are:

Professor Mohan Kankanhalli
Vice Dean, Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies
www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~mohan

Associate Professor Khoo Siau Cheng
Vice Dean, Undergraduate Studies
www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~khoosc

Professor Wong Lim Soon
Vice Dean, Research
www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~wongls

Associate Professor Teo Hock Hai
Vice Dean, Corporate Communications
www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~teohh

Associate Professor Dong Jin Song
Assistant Dean, Graduate Studies
www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~dongjs

Associate Professor Janice Lee Mong Li
Assistant Dean, Undergraduate Studies
www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~leeml

Associate Professor Lee Wee Sun
Assistant Dean, Undergraduate Studies
www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~leews

Associate Professor Gary Tan Soon Huat
Assistant Dean, Corporate Communications
www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~gtan