Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,


Together with the Widjaja family and about 100 students and staff, I bid farewell to David yesterday evening. University officers continue to accompany the family and are on hand to provide help and support. The family is flying home with David’s ashes today.

Prof Chan, is recovering well and has been discharged from hospital to recuperate at home. I spoke to him today. He is grateful for the outpouring of support from members of the NTU community.

As police investigations are still on-going at this time, I ask that we do not speculate on what led to the tragedy, but to focus instead on the healing and support of all those traumatised by the tragedy.

I would like to thank the university community for rallying together at this difficult time. The crisis management team responded swiftly and the pastoral care process was activated immediately. I was also much heartened by the offers of help received from all quarters, inside and outside the University.

Although NTU’s pastoral care structure and processes are in place with caring professionals, faculty, staff and student groups, my sense is that we need to work harder on detecting signs of trouble and to get help to where it is needed. Thus I have initiated a review to examine how we can better spot members of the NTU community who might need help so that there can be timely intervention. We will do our utmost to help everyone handle the stresses that exist in any university community. We must pull together and help each other, as family members would.

I shall keep you informed.


DR SU GUANING
PRESIDENT