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firecracker |
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Ms Belinda Tang simply loves to bring people
and ideas together. At work, she connects renowned
international scientists with Singapore’s
students and scientific community. On weekends,
she introduces Asian culture and heritage to visitors
touring the museums.
Belinda joined A*STAR’s (Agency for Science,
Technology and Research) Biomedical Research Council
in 2002. She oversees the agency’s Distinguished
Visitor Programme.
The programme brings eminent overseas scientists
to Singapore for a week to give them a broad and
comprehensive overview of biomedical sciences developments
here.
The programme also raises the profile of biomedical
sciences by exposing students, the scientific community
and the public to these leading scientists.
When the scientists come to Singapore, they will
meet key officials from A*STAR and other agencies
who will showcase Singapore’s initiatives
in developmental sciences.
Belinda will also arrange for meetings with A*STAR
researchers, as well as relevant persons from organisations
such as hospitals and universities. She hopes that
through these exchanges, research collaborations
will be birthed between Singapore’s scientific
community and theirs.
“Facilitating collaborations is something
like striking a match,” she said. “I
introduce, facilitate and hope there is enough chemistry
and sparks to start the fireworks.”
Another part of the programme entails three talks
that the scientist has to give to students, the
public and the scientific community.
The attendance for the public talks, which are held
in the evenings, easily exceeds 100. The topics
that tend to attract the crowds are those with health
and science implications, such as cancer, stress
and metabolism.
“There’s somewhat of a cult following
so the public lectures must be interesting enough
for the crowd to return,” said Belinda.
As for the talks held in junior colleges and secondary
schools, Belinda is constantly amazed at the warm
reception the scientists receive.
“The really enthusiastic students will ‘mob’
the visitor. They will have this earnest expression
on their faces and they will keep asking him questions,”
she said. “When I try to get the scientist
some refreshments, I almost have to fight my way
in!”
And these positive feelings are mutual. “All
the scientists really enjoy this particular segment.
Some even say that the highlight of their week is
the student lecture. I think it’s because
many of them have not had the opportunity to interact
with such young students for a long time. It’s
very refreshing for them,” she said.
For Belinda, seeing the scientists inspiring the
students is what makes her feel most gratified.
Opportunities to interact with and learn from the
world’s leading scientists are also treasured
experiences. So when it comes to appraisal time,
Belinda consistently says she is very happy at work.
In fact, she enjoys connecting with people so much
that on weekends, you will find her doing just that.
She has been a volunteer guide for the Asian Civilisations
Museum and the Singapore Heritage Museum for the
last five years.
“I enjoy interacting with overseas visitors
as a cultural ambassador and presenting a fresh
perspective on our culture and history to Singaporeans
alike,” she said.
“If you look at my work and volunteer activities,
there’s something similar about them. They
are in completely different areas but serve the
same function — they create links for understanding,
and pull people and ideas together.” |
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