Running notes on Uniform Sierra Papa

I got tired. Not too unexpectedly.

Coming to terms with reality, I now realise how foolish it was to think that just these few years here are sufficient to do any lasting change.

But as a stepping back and look at the things that I've done and the things that others have done.

Through the MC, interconnections have been formed between previous un-met USP students. SUITE has continued to connect students with ideas, making connections of a different quality (not higher or lower). The alumni has also been involved in the current student cohort, so that's nice.

I don't think there's any fundamental difference about what different groups of people want to do at USP. All want to see a USP that is better than the one they had, in terms of the sense of community that people want nurtured...

As for myself, I feel a sense of reality of the task that I had set out to do. I now begin to realise that different people expect different things for USP, and depending on their experience, they may or may not have those expectations fulfilled, and that in turn, could determine how much they want to contribute to it.

There are obviously, people on the utilitarian, economic side of things, who see the value of a USP branding on their CV of greater value than the costs of a more rigorous academic programme. That is understandable. My hope that this people could be convinced otherwise, that there is value in exchanging thoughts and ideas might not really work.

The belief still boils down to a few things: what do people want, expect to get, from USP? And how do they see themselves as participants, members of the programme? Do they see themselves as 'members' - going through the curriculum, enjoying, and participating piecemeal (not a bad thing) in some programmes? Or could they view themselves as active shapers of their own experience in USP, empowered by the social and cultural capital they accrue through friends and lessons?

Piecemeal and active shapers represent opposite points on a spectrum on perceptions about USP. I guess I was too hopeful in expecting how many people could switch from the piecemeal side to the active shaper side.

So, having been sobered by this reality, what's next? I don't know. Getting people to be convinced, and to act out the belief that they can be active shapers of their own experience will be really tough, almost like evangelising people to a religion. Things like the Writing Programme have already created a common understanding of what USP is predicated on, and so the task need not be established from scratch.

The other thing to note is that the notion of community is dynamic - it is fragmented in certain places, but cohesive in others. The key point is in the interconnections between different groups to facilitate the exchange of ideas and experiences, and different people can come in through different areas, though the USC is expected to do the heavy lifting here in this regard. That people form cliques is a truism - how to connect those cliques - that is non-trivial.

People at different points in their undergraduate career perform different roles - again another truism, but I wonder if this flux of social position at USP is also part of the entire experience. A freshman is different from Y2 is different from Y3 and Y4. The factor of seniority is not insignificant here, and has to take into consideration how seniority affects community building. What could be done, for example, to bridge say, Y1 with Y3 and Y4, given that Y3s are absent for exchange?

At the very heart, I wonder if I'm asking this question: what would make a student do something other than studying? What would make a student go beyond comfort zones, to hang out with others...?

hmm.. hmm...

Show hand?

More consolidated thoughts.

The key concept is this: that we are all different individuals, and in a community of driven people with very strong principles, conflicts are bound to happen. What all of us ought to do, is to accept these differences and acknowledge the need to compromise from both sides.

While it might be true that only a small minority of USP people are interested in the effort of community building, I believe that it is because the people do not yet understand the capabilities of a genuine community. The issue here then, is to enlarge the circle of engagement, to find ways to include those inactive people into the fold of the engaged. How that will be done could require an intensive study of the profile of the USP student, and to further draw out the more tangible benefits of participating. This process must not be coercive but persuasive, in order expand the sphere of this non-zero sum game of positive engagement. These thoughts are not new - this was the reasoning behind academic cluster and the thoughts I've been having last semester. All of these still, require the same ideas of engagement and transparency. If we cannot agree on engagement and transparency; if we do not allow this belief in community to be shared and communicated across the USP population, then the conversations that we have now could fail in the longer run.

In short, the USP that I imagine will be one where people believe in the benefits of the community in the exchange of ideas leading to the process of talent development. The classroom is not simply the physical infrastructure - it is about the development of minds - and wherever that occurs, is a classroom. If we want to see a USP that continually leads people to make a mark for themselves in their own lives; if we want to see USP graduates with the same strong sense of passion and mission as alumni have exhibited already, then laying down the process of engagement and transparency is what must be done. This engagement and transparency is required to allow people to begin shaping for themselves how they will choose to participate in the USP community. By doing, a sense of ownership is nurtured, with the added bonus of being in the community of such diversity and quality, where ideas are exchanged and initiatives are started. In so doing, the USP's aim of talent development is accomplished. This is also my aim for USP as well - to see that USP continues to provide the best overall undergraduate development experience in Singapore - in the creation of a programme that allows individuals to leave USP with the capabilities to make a mark for themselves and for the world. In so doing, we raise the quality of education in NUS, and continue to attract other talents vis-a-vis other top universities in the world.

This is not plain idealism - I know very clearly that this process takes a long time, and goes beyond the term of this MC, and will continue to be an ongoing process as we transit to the RC. Still we do it for now, and I suspect, will continue to do so as we become alumni.None of us can do any single event that will realise this dream, and that is why I have focused on the word 'process' many times. We can't simply pass an edifice to those who come after us; we leave behind the ideas, frameworks and tools that the juniors can use to take the next step. That is why I have suggested the use of strategic planning and strategic conversations; I believe these are tools that the juniors can use and use well in deciding their own futures and realise their own dreams in USP.

I continue to believe that a strong, cohesive, yet diverse community will be a strong pillar girding USP for the foreseeable future. When we realise the diversity of minds and exchange our thoughts, that is when our minds develop and become open to the possibilities that can be tapped for our work in school, and for the future. We build bonds of common belief regarding inter-disciplinarity and critical thinking, and these are things that remain unique to USP at least for now. Without that community, we will be intellectually impoverished; limited to the interactions that we have through the small clique of friends that we surround ourselves with.

All of us have the best intentions for USP, and we are certainly not alone in having our intentions. What I sincerely hope to see, is that we talk about these intentions as well, about where USP could be, 5, 10, 15 years and beyond. This comes from my tiny bit of training in strategic thinking, and I fully intend to share, or even implement aspects of this strategic thinking at USP... I hold this regret that we have not been able to sit down and share the visions that we have for USP, if we have any. Sure, this vision is constantly changing and being re-negotiated, but I believe we are now more mature in accepting that people change, and so do our visions, even if ever so slightly. Still, by talking through, and by looking at possible areas of implementation, I believe that dream USP of ours can be built...

This is about USP, about our differing visions of USP, about seeking convergences and compromises between our different visions, and how this process of vision-setting can be sustained for batches to come.We can only dictate our vision for our time - and we cannot deny future batches their chance to define their own vision. This messy, long-drawn process that lasts beyond the term of a single MC - this is I think, one step towards the creation of a genuine community that accepts the diversity of its members and loves them - yes, love - all the same; that nurtures the people within to make a mark in their own lives and in the world beyond. Simply because this is USP - where we found the difference we can make for ourselves and others.

a work in progress

What is USP?

This question popped up in my head not for no reason. I ask this because from anecdotal evidence, there have been misunderstandings about what USP is, and what USP students do. Individuals, both friends and strangers, often ask, ‘what is USP’, and ‘what do they do’, and they often do so with a few assumptions; that USP students have a scholarship; that USP students are genuises; that we are ‘atas’ and elitist, and various other claims.

I can’t address all these various claims comprehensively, and besides, I am not in the best position to explain what USP is. Why is that so? Simply because there is just so much diversity in USP. A single label, other than the ‘membership in USP’, cannot encompass the entire set of people who pass through the programme. Again, as a reminder, the standard disclaimer of un-representation must be mentioned here. I write for myself, and even if most of the things mentioned are agreeable to most, there will still be dissensions. I can only again, write for myself, based on my personal experiences thus far in the programme.

I come back to USP again - just what is? According to the vision and mission as plucked out from the website, it is:

Our Vision
To be a talent programme that produces graduates who lead in forging new insights and mindsets across disciplines and cultures.
Our Mission
To provide a unique undergraduate experience for highly talented students to realise their full potential.
To attain our Vision and Mission, we aim to:
1. Attract and develop a diverse range of talented individuals who demonstrate the potential to be leaders in intellectual, economic, cultural or social spheres in Singapore and the world.
2. Build and nurture a close-knit and vibrant community of scholars (comprising faculty, students and alumni) that is committed to excellence in their diverse interests.
3. Enable this community of scholars to be connected to the global network of scholars, through dialogues and strategic collaborations.
4. Continuously innovate to provide an enriching and globally-oriented educational programme, aimed at stretching the students’ intellectual, leadership, and personal capacities.
5. Provide students with the best of the world through tie-ups with world-leading innovative educational programmes.

I guess the vision and mission statement says a lot, but then again, doesn’t really say much. For one, the vision and mission does not reflect the emphasis on inter-disciplinary inquiry of USP. For another, statements like these can’t really seem to bring out the quality of experience of students who have been through the programme. For example, what exactly does ‘close-knit and vibrant community of scholars’ mean? And how does that square with the overall academic/intellectual focus of the programme? And for those who are end-driven, what is the outcome of the programme - what do ‘I’ get out of it after I graduate?

I can’t answer the last question that I raised, simply because I have not graduated. As for the others; again I can only answer for myself.

The experience of being in USP is one that cannot be simply described in the words or the descriptions of the module codes, nor the CVs of the instructors that form the faculty or of the administrative staff. Neither can the experience be described in the countless photos and videos and prose describing and capturing the moments of great fun. Nor the Facebook posts nor the voices of the seniors reminiscing of the moments came and past. All of that together, can only provide the barest of glimpses into what USP ‘is’.

From my perspective, USP seems to be addressing the question: what happens if you put 200+ bright, motivated students together, in a programme where ideas are flying around every second? Here, I want to qualify ‘bright’, of which intellectual capability is just one component. There is of course, the more intangible qualities of curiosity, independence, the ability to make tangential connections, etc,. There is a serious attempt to look at ideas from the perspectives of different disciplines - the philosophy and biological aspects of evolution; the mathematics of social sciences; the use of computing in the various disciplines - all of these are taught, and more. The intellectual aspects of the programme, combined with the community, makes for a potent combination in sparking connections in the minds of those who choose to participate actively.

If I may dare claim, there are a few qualities that seem to be a common thread that keeps surfacing. One of these is this plain curiosity, of wanting to know more, and going beyond the material that is given. This curiosity also manifests itself in wanting to learn more about the other disciplines, no matter how distant from one’s own. The other quality, although more enforced, is this commitment towards clarity and criticality of thought. When debating, USP students are nearly always going straight for the undeclared assumptions and implications of any statement. The two qualities, though obviously varying amongst USP students nonetheless serve as bases for a common understanding of what the experience in USP is about.

In more indirect ways, the experience of USP challenges the orthodoxy of education in Singapore, and this is where the differences between USP and non-USP students become the basis of the various claims and labels that have been put on USP.

What is this orthodoxy? The orthodoxy seems to include several points, one of which is the acceptance of the highly competitive society, where one should get distinctions at all costs, if not suffer the consequences of poor job prospects. This hyper-competitiveness leads to the tyranny of the normal curve, where the average moves towards the B/B+ region, where the student body verges towards a dog-eat-dog world. These negativities, are no doubt nearly inevitable, and I am no idealist in claiming that these negativities can be eliminated.

USP goes against the attitude above. Curiosity and openness to new ideas are emphasized, and an exploratory attitude welcomed. In other words, USP challenges the orthodoxy of the education-economy link, and challenges too, the minds that go through the entire experience.

To those who have chosen decisively the area of their studies and future vocation, I guess that something like USP will not be able to meet their expectations, simply because the USP experience is meant to do certain things, and not other things. The keywords mentioned above - curiosity, exploratory attitude, openness - do not apply equally well to everyone. There will be people with a single-mindedness towards their field of studies - could be anywhere from the sciences to the engineers to the philosophers to the economists - and that is completely justified. USP is not an entirely open institution - no institution can be completely open to anyone. There will be parameters and requirements that individuals have to meet in order to gain entry and membership. What can change, is how the institution chooses to interact with other institutions and other groups. USP will be a perfect fit for people with certain dispositions, but a puzzle for others, and even an abomination for others still.

I am sure that a single piece of writing like this cannot make sense of the USP experience. After all, this is one author among many possible authors, and everyone has a different voice, different things to say. This, however, has been my piece, and I hope to some people, they can decide better for them whether USP is a good fit. I can’t promise anything, but the trend has been that, for those who choose to take active ownership of their education, and choose to participate in the numerous opportunities available, the time at USP will be a rewarding one. While the statement is true for any institution in general, it is especially true for the context of USP. The sheer density and quality of the intellectual exchanges; the numerous opportunities for leadership, initiative and exposure - all of these provides a compelling experience for an undergraduate who aspires to make a mark for themselves in their own lives, and maybe, for society and the world.

For the single-minded, pragmatic scholar, the immediate rewards of USP will not be so obvious. One cannot so easily make the linkage between breadth, critically and openness to an immediate job prospect compared to say, the knowledge of the civil engineer or the training of the statistician. One cannot immediately know where the jobs are in what sector - for the student in USP, the skill profile matches the requirements of many other jobs. I might go out on a stick and claim that there is an USP-edge here, that the skills acquired through the course of study at USP provides the graduate with additional skills that add value to the existing skill acquired through the major. The USP-engineer could potentially see connections than the non-USP engineer, and so on… Yet these skills are the intangibles - can’t be graded, can’t be quantified, with only the CAP being a proxy as to how well the person has acquired these skills.