07 May 2017

An email sent out by Nanyang Technological University’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences to its final-year students has raised the ire of a number of undergraduates.

The email had asked for inspirational stories from its undergraduates, including stories from “graduating VIP students from an important or well-known family, sons or daughters of politicians, professors, celebrities”.

That line irked netizens, who felt that the approach was elitist and superficial.

Responding to the uproar, a spokesman for NTU felt that “the spirit and meaning of our open request for nominations” had been “misinterpreted and distorted”.

Sociologist Tan Ern Ser, an Associate Professor at the Department of Sociology of NUS, said it best: “In a meritocratic society, we celebrate achieved status – that is, achieved through individual merit, ability and diligence – rather than social background, which is not within our control. Highlighting a person’s social background is not only elitist but also contrary to our core values.”