2023 Faculty Annual Teaching Excellence Awards

Congratulations to Professor Loy Wee Loon ’87, Associate Professor Jolene Lin Grad.Dip.Sing.Law ’05, Associate Professor Umakanth Varottil PhD ’10, Assistant Professor Benny Tan ’12, Assistant Professor Tan Hsien-Li PhD ’09 and Sheridan Fellow Ms Hillary Chua, on being awarded the faculty-level Annual Teaching Excellence Award for 2023!

The award is given by NUS Law to recognise faculty members who have demonstrated a high level of commitment to teaching.

Although only Assistant Professors Benny Tan and Tan Hsien-Li could make it for the Start of Term Welcome lunch, at which Professor Wayne Courtney (Vice Dean of Academic Affairs and Undergraduate Studies) presented the awards, all of them were only too willing to share their perspectives on what is integral to being an educator, and how they strive to make a difference in helping students learn.

For Assistant Professor Benny Tan, identifying with the struggles that law students face helps him create lesson plans that capture their interest. The award is his fifth, and he had also won the Teaching Excellence Award at the university level for AY17/18. Here, he shares his sentiments and teaching philosophy.

“I started off as an average law student, so I fully understand the struggles in trying to find one’s footing in the study of law. Where appropriate, I infuse my lessons with humour, and apply digital tools (such as screening YouTube videos) to capture students’ attention and interest. I am a very strong believer in balancing academic rigour and imparting industry-relevant and practical skills, as well as the competency to find answer(s) to new problems. I am especially conscious of the fact that a usual course spans only 12 teaching weeks, so I am more interested in how to imbue in my students an ongoing passion in the subject and an independent learning ability that remains well after they have completed the course. My philosophy is ‘Impactful Teaching, Impactful Research’, and my promise to every student who attends my class is ‘learn a lot, laugh a lot’.”

For Associate Professor Umakanth Varottil who has also won the faculty-level Annual Teaching Excellence Award multiple times, and the university-level Teaching Excellence Award once, creating an inclusive environment that motivates student engagement is important. He says:

“The dynamic nature of the legal field makes the teaching of law a fascinating endeavour. I am particularly motivated by the need to keep up with cutting-edge developments in the law within my areas of specialisation, and to create an intellectually stimulating environment that motivates students to critically engage with the policy surrounding the evolution of legal principles. As a law educator, I am also conscious of my role in creating a positive and inclusive atmosphere that enables students to express their ideas and reasoning, ask incisive questions and challenge conventional wisdom.”

To Assistant Professor Tan Hsien-Li, fostering a supportive environment and building students’ confidence is key to effective learning. Here, she elaborates on how she does that, and the rewarding nature of being an educator.

“Law school is gruelling. I felt like this as an undergraduate and I want to ease the way for my students – learning (and teaching) is much more effective when stress and doubt are diminished. Illuminating how the law works through practical examples and showing law’s relevance in theory, case law and literature leads to ‘Eureka!’ moments. I try to build students’ confidence by doggedly practising legal logic and argumentation, with a good dose of humour and pragmatism in every lesson. It is hard work for my students and me, but a fun and rewarding semestral journey.”

Sheridan Fellow Ms Hillary Chua may have joined the faculty recently — she started teaching in August 2021 — but the recognition is testament to her commitment to her students as they embark on their legal journey at NUS Law. She says:

“I am deeply humbled to receive this award, and I would like to thank my wonderful students for the privilege of journeying through the torts syllabus together. I also hope that they find time to pause and enjoy university life. My gratitude extends to the torts teaching team. My teaching style has been shaped by excellent role models – my teachers in chemistry, clinical ethics, company law and evidence law, and especially my torts tutor, to name a few – who have all left big shoes that I can only hope to fill.”