Congratulations to Our Dean’s List & Prize Winners

NUS Law celebrated the academic achievements of its top students at the annual Dean’s List and Prize Winners Ceremony held on the 25 September 2013. A joyous occasion for the faculty, more than a hundred winners received their awards from the Dean Professor Simon Chesterman.

Going by order of the year in which they are studying, each student was called to the stage to receive their certifications and have their photos taken with the Dean. Looking on, their parents beamed with pride as it is a significant milestone for the students.

Chen Zhida, who graduated with first class honours on the Dean’s List, has this to say about academic excellence: “Be humble and take every mistake as an opportunity to learn. The victories in life do not always go to the smartest or the most hardworking individual, but the one who is truly passionate about his work and is eager to improve.” Zhida paid kind attribute to a number of professors: “I have been inspired by several professors during my course of study in NUS Law – Professor David Tan for his wit and creativity, Professor Thio Li-ann for her astuteness in legal reasoning and Professor Eleanor Wong for her ability to bring out the best in every one of her students.”

Grateful to be given this award and for the positive learning experience, Year 1 Dean’s Lister Sam Yi Ting would like to thank the support of her family and friends, especially “since law school can be so stressful at times.” When asked about her inspiration, she said “my torts professor Goh Yihan inspired me the most. He is dedicated to his work and created an encouraging learning environment which increased my interest in the study of law.”

Year 1 Dean’s Lister Chiang Yuan Bo and winner of multiple prizes – such as the Law Society of Singapore Book Prize, Oxford University Press Law Prize, Shook Lin & Bok Prize, Straits Law Practice Prize in Legal Analysis, Writing and Research and the Tort Law Prize – feels very honoured and thankful to have been conferred these awards. “I am grateful to have the guidance of very good tutors like Professor David Tan and Professor Burton Ong. Both Profs are deeply passionate about their subjects and their engaging lessons inspired a great interest in me for torts and contracts respectively. I particularly enjoyed Prof David Tan’s many interesting hypotheticals which prompted deeper reflections on the law and Prof Ong’s drawing together of seemingly disparate concepts in contract law, revealing shared conceptual underpinnings.”

David Ernest S Chelliah Medal & Prize winner, Lau Qiuyu was heard to be saying that she was extremely humbled to have received the subject prize for Civil Justice and Process. She added, “I would like to thank the sponsor of the award and I greatly appreciate having the privilege to speak to Dr Jazmyn Chelliah at the awards ceremony. This award win would not have been possible without Professor Jeffrey Pinsler, who was extremely learned in the subject. He was patient and detailed in imparting his knowledge to us. I thoroughly enjoyed his Civil Justice and Process seminars and had benefited greatly from them.”