DISTINGUISHED ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ALUMNI AWARD 2023
AWARD RECIPIENTSDr Khoo Kim Choo graduated with a Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) from the then University of Singapore in 1970. She also has a Master’s in Social Work and PhD in Social Welfare from the University of Washington, USA).
Dr Khoo is a trailblazer in the field of early childhood development and education in Singapore - the landscape then was far from developed - it lacked centralised oversight, and staff often had minimal or no formal training. Today, it boasts a diverse array of childcare facilities, with a burgeoning cadre of well-trained childcare professionals and early childhood development experts. The strides made can be largely attributed to Dr Khoo’s tireless efforts. It ushered in a period of transformation and growth, and served as the cornerstone for professionalising the industry and elevating its standards.
Dr Khoo was the first CEO of the NTUC Childcare, growing the number of their childcare centres from 12 to 28 and also setting up The Little Skoolhouse International. Her dedication extends beyond her 16-year tenure with the NTUC Childcare Services group. She has applied her wealth of expertise and unbridled passion for early childhood development across a multitude of roles – including positions as a consultant (Ministries in Singapore, NGOs, UNICEF, UNESCO, and the World Bank), tireless advocate, seasoned trainer, sought-after keynote conference speaker, esteemed university lecturer, dedicated specialist volunteer, and prolific author with publications spanning academic, professional, parenting, and children’s literature.
Dr Khoo established the Regional Training and Resource Centre for Early Childhood Care and Education (RTRC Asia) which collaborated with the Wheelock College of Boston, USA, to offer a Master’s Programme on Early Childhood Education. This led to the launch of the first Diploma in Early Childhood Education Course, taught by graduates from the Master’s Programme. She also initiated the first Polytechnic Diploma in Early Childhood Education in Singapore with Ngee Ann Polytechnic and later a degree with UNISIM/SUSS as well.
From 2000 to 2015, Dr Khoo served as a Specialist Volunteer with the Singapore International Foundation. She led teams to Vietnam and Myanmar to train trainers in early childhood education, set up training, demonstration and resource centres, produced a resource book for all Myanmar preschool teachers, and more. In 2006, she set up the Preschool for Multiple Intelligences for her first grandson.
Mr Hawazi Daipi (Geography '78)
Mr Hawazi Daipi graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the then University of Singapore in 1978. He also obtained a Diploma in Education from the Institute of Education.
In the realm of social engagement, Mr Hawazi serves as the Chairman of the National Council Against Drug Abuse. He is a board member of the Lee Kuan Yew Bilingual Fund and Singapore Press Holdings Foundation Limited, and also a member of the National Committee on Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Recidivism. Mr Hawazi also provided his guidance as Senior Advisor to the Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Social Support and Training (FAST) and Advisor to the Malay Youth Literary Association (4PM).
During his esteemed career, Mr Hawazi was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Sembawang Group Representation Constituency on four occasions, spanning from December 1996 to August 2015. His dedication and leadership earned him the roles of Parliamentary Secretary and later, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministries of Education, Manpower, and Health, a tenure that extended from 2001 to 2015. As an MP, Mr Hawazi also took on the responsibility of chairing the Government Parliamentary Committee for Manpower from 1999 to 2001.
Beyond his parliamentary duties, Mr Hawazi demonstrated his commitment by serving as the Chairman of the Sembawang Town Council from 2003 to 2015. His extensive work history included significant roles, such as Director of the International Affairs Department at the National Trades Union Congress (1997 to 2001), Executive Secretary of the Port of Singapore Authority Workers’ Union (1997 to 2001), and Executive Secretary of the Singapore Manual and Mercantile Workers’ Union (1997 to 2001).
Ms Junie Foo (Japanese Studies '90)
Ms Junie Foo graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) from the National University of Singapore in 1990. Representing NUS at the ASEAN Youth Conference in Jakarta in 1988 was one of the highlights of her NUS days where she delivered a speech as the foreign minister for Singapore. She aspired to join the foreign service after graduation but became an accidental corporate banker.
Ms Foo, in her remarkable journey, achieved several significant milestones during her career such as being the first non-Japanese and the pioneering female in the management of the Corporate Banking Division, Asia Oceania, within a Japanese financial institution.
Under her leadership, MWS extended its support to nearly 10,000 beneficiaries through its nursing homes, eldercare centres and various programmes. Within MWS, she spearheaded a focus on trauma-informed care, emphasising a philosophy of person-centric care and led the staff in doing good better.
Ms Foo’s linguistic abilities shone as she effectively communicates in English, Mandarin Chinese, and Japanese. Her passion for advancing women into senior leadership roles was evident in her dedication to promote gender diversity within organisations. She co-founded BoardAgender, an initiative aimed at highlighting the economic benefits of having more women on boards and fostering a robust pipeline of senior women in leadership positions.
Her influence extended as she assumed the role of President at the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations (SCWO) with over 60 member organisations representing more than 500,000 women, championing the cause of ‘Equal Space, Equal Voice, and Equal Worth’ for women in Singapore. As President, Ms Foo embarked on a transformative journey to ensure SCWO remained relevant and engaged with both men and women, fostering a progressive future for all. Her contributions have left an indelible mark, combining her professional success with her commitment to social responsibility and gender equality. Ms Foo is a Justice of Peace and a recipient of the Public Service Medal.
Ms Janice Koh (Theatre Studies '96)
Ms Janice Koh graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the National University of Singapore in 1996. She also received a Masters with Distinction in Theatre Administration from Goldsmith’s College, under a Public Service Commission scholarship.
Ms Koh is a respected stage and screen actor, who also served as a Nominated Member of Parliament from 2012-2014, passionately championing the importance of the Arts, design and heritage.
She won the Life! Theatre Award for Best Actress in 2003 for Proof and received Best Actress nominations for Loo Zihan’s With/Out, Wild Rice’s Optic Trilogy, Pangdemonium’s Rabbit Hole, and Ovidia Yu’s Hitting (On) Women. Her work in the theatre has spanned over 30 years. Her most recent productions include playing the title role in T:>Works Project Salome by Ong Keng Sen for the 2022 Singapore International Festival of Arts, the title role in Florian Zellar’s The Mother by Pangdemonium, Lifespan of a Fact by the Singapore Repertory Theatre, and Wild Rice’s Supervision. Ms Koh has been actively involved in international co-productions which have toured to major festivals and venues across the world, including Paris, Tokyo, Fukuoka, Edinburgh, and Berlin.
On screen, she appeared in Warner Brothers Pictures’ blockbuster hit Crazy Rich Asians as Felicity Young. Other film credits include Ken Kwek’s Look At Me and Unlucky Plaza, and Kelvin Tong’s The Offering. She has starred in over 30 television projects in Singapore including Sleep with Me directed by K Rajagopal, Code of Law and The Pupil with Weiyu Productions, and Fighting Spiders. Her performance in The Pupil earned her an Asian Television Awards 2010 nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role. She was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 2021 for her work in Mediacorp’s The Teenage Textbook series.
Ms Koh currently co-chairs the Wild Rice board, one of Singapore’s leading theatre companies. She is also one of the founders of Pasar Glamour, a non-profit social enterprise, which raises funds each year to support the Arts, and children and women from less privileged backgrounds. For her valuable contributions to the arts scene in Singapore, Janice was conferred the title of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of Arts and Letters) by the French government in 2022.
