SIF Strengthens Singapore-China Young Professionals Network

Shanghai, China, 21 May 2011 — The Singapore International Foundation (SIF) has appointed its alumni representative in Shanghai to strengthen relationships between professionals in the Chinese city and Singapore.

Mr Zhou Ji will partner the SIF in helping friends of Singapore in Shanghai remain connected through alumni engagement and networking activities.

The first in a series of such activities is today’s Young Business Ambassadors (YBA) Exchange - a sharing of business insights and perspectives between young professionals in the two cities.

Some 100 SIF programme alumni and partners, their colleagues and friends will discuss “Building and Creating Sustainable Businesses” with a panel of business professionals at this inaugural exchange.

Speakers include Ms Elim Chew, a social entrepreneur, youth outreach volunteer and YBA alumni.

The founder of streetwear chain 77th Street is also an SIF governor.

Mr Zhou was a participant of the Singapore-China (Shanghai) YBA programme, spending 12 weeks in Singapore on the business exchange programme in 2010.

Aside from the opportunity to develop his professional ties and network with business leaders, he got to immerse himself in Singapore culture and gained a better understanding of its people and policies.

He is enthusiastic about his role as SIF’s representative in welcoming Singaporean YBAs to Shanghai, and helping to build goodwill between young Singaporean and Chinese business professionals.

To date, the SIF has partnered Melbourne and Sydney (2000 – 2003), as well as Shanghai (since 2004) for this programme.

The seventh edition of the Singapore-China (Shanghai) YBA programme and inaugural run of the Singapore-India (Mumbai) YBA programme in September will add to SIF’s growing global network of young professionals.

Ms Jean Tan, the executive director of SIF, said the YBA programme has been “highly successful in fostering a close-knit network of Singaporean and Chinese young professionals”.

“We seek to build on this goodwill to grow the community of friends of Singapore in Shanghai. This, we will do with the help of our new alumni representative in Shanghai.

“The combination of new YBA programmes and the appointment of SIF representatives in major economic cities form part of the foundation’s effort to grow a global network of friends and bridge Singapore and world communities.”

This month’s SIF Connects! Shanghai event follows SIF Connects! events held in London and Jakarta in January and March, respectively.

This series of events aim to strengthen alumni relations and grow the foundation’s friends of Singapore communities in cities around the world.