A return to touring: alumni activity in South East Asia

November 2022 saw King’s return to South East Asia for our second international tour since the pandemic. President & Principal of King’s College London, Professor Shitij Kapur, and other senior academics and staff from King’s were joined by alumni living in Singapore and Malaysia during their two-day trip.

The events provided an opportunity for fellow alumni based in the region to come together, catch up and connect. In Singapore, alumni speakers included Cynthia Salim (MA Human Values & Contemporary Global Ethics, 2010), named in the Forbes 30 Under 30 in New York for her work as the founder and CEO of Citizen’s Mark, and organisational psychologist Alicia Yoon (Psychology, 2018). The talks were also live-streamed for alumni joining from Hong Kong.

‘Cynthia Salim gave an inspiring session on her journey after graduating from King’s’ says Dr Zhenling Luo (MSc Biomedical Sciences Research, 2005), secretary of the King’s College London Alumni Society in Singapore. ‘From working in the United Nations community on human rights in Geneva, Switzerland, to founding her own award-winning luxury ethical fashion brand and currently as a venture capital investor, she shared her experiences and wisdom, which were intriguing and inspiring to all.’

King’s Business School joined the tour too, with Executive Dean Professor Stephen Bach hosting a private roundtable lunch with a select few delegates called Sustainable Business: Leading with Impact and Purpose.

Those who attended the Malaysia alumni reception, which took place at the Ritz-Carlton in Kuala Lumpur, enjoyed a conversation between Dr Haniff Abdullah AKC (MSc War & Psychiatry, 2018), President of the International Association for Disaster Mental Health, and sustainability advocate Dipti Kumar (LLB, 2014; LLM, 2016).

Hannah Harrison, Head of Alumni Relations at King’s, remarked that it was ‘wonderful to reconnect with our alumni communities in Singapore and Malaysia after an extended period without travel and to introduce King’s President & Principal, Professor Shitij Kapur. Over 200 guests attended receptions during the tour, and particular thanks must go to our local alumni committees for their ongoing support and warm hospitality.’

Professor Kapur, in his first visit to South East Asia as the President & Principal, spoke at both events, offering a summary of the research underway at King’s as well as an overview of the newly redeveloped and pedestrianised Strand Aldwych area.

‘I am certainly looking forward to my next visit to King’s College London and exploring all these new developments,’ explains Dr Luo. ‘I will definitely be hunting for the whereabouts of our dear mascot Reggie the lion while on campus!’

For more information on how you can connect with our international alumni committees, visit our webpages.