The SMU Mensa Branch was officially established on 20^th August 2007 after three months of preparation that started in May 2007. It is my honor to be able to be the founding President of the Mensa community at SMU. However, this would not have realized without the support from the Mensa Singapore Management Committee, our SMU Faculty Advisor Practice Professor Desai Narasimhalu, and my pioneering team of Management Committee at SMU.  

Ever since the first day of our inception, we’ve identified ourselves as a group of Mensans who like to learn more knowledge and know more people in the business arena. With that in mind, we have focused our primary mission on promoting intellectual exchanges in the business domain.  Since August 2007, we’ve organized three events, two Mensa Singapore Admission Tests, and one chalet.  

Ø       Events

o        Business Discussion Forum (Banking) – 15 September 2007 

The inaugural event saw a good mix of 50 odd participants that include undergraduates, postgraduates, academics, practitioners, and Mensa Singapore members. Also, we managed to invite several distinguished guests to share with us their outlook in the banking sector.  

Distinguished Guests:

Practice Professor Arcot Desai Narasimhalu, Associate Dean, SMU
Dr. Markus Kobler, COO Asia, Bank Julius Baer Co. Ltd
Mr. Enoch Ch’ng, Managing Director, DBS Bank Ltd
Ms. Marina Tay, President, Mensa Singapore
Assistant Professor Narayan Ramasubbu, SMU
Assistant Professor Ted Tschang, SMU 

o        Grand Master of Memory Training – 11 January 2008 

Mr. Nishant Kasibhatla – a world record holder in memory - who delivered a memory training session at Mensa Singapore’s Soapbox in November 2007, conducted a similar training at SMU which was open to all students. The event was oversubscribed with over 70 students who registered. It was also through this event that more SMU students got to know of our presence. 

o        Business Discussion Forum (Entrepreneurship) – 26 February 2008 

After a first discussion forum, we held a second one on Entrepreneurship. Together with SMU Ventures (entpreneurship society), we invited several entrepreneurs to share on their starting up journey. Again, the event was over-subscribed with over 90 participants to the 70-person seminar room. The event was open to the SMU community and the public. 

The guests on the day include: 

Associate Professor Tan Wee Liang, SMU
Mr. Samuel Chia, Founder, NYDC Café and Restaurants
Mr. Francis Low, Managing Director, Science Buddies Pte Ltd
Mr. Nicholas Chan, Executive Director, Azione Capital Pte Ltd

Ø       Mensa Singapore Admission Tests 

Beside the events, we also conducted two tests at SMU to recruit more Mensa members, one in each semester of the academic year. To-date, we have one member on our Management Committee who was recruited through the first test held at SMU. We are looking forward to uncover more Mensans from SMU. 

Ø       Chalet (3^rd – 5^th December 2008) 

In the December vacation break, SMU Mensa co-organized a chalet with SMU Strategica (board game club) which was opened to all SMU students. This event was organized as a retreat for our Management Committee as well as a channel to mingle with the other students at SMU.

Through such social events, we are hoping to demonstrate that Mensans are not an exclusive group of people who live in their own world, but are no different from any other SMU students.

Having reported on the activities that we had organized thus far, the next major milestone for SMU Mensa will be its continuation. We are planning on an AGM in the summer break, where we will invite all Mensa members who are in SMU (student, staff, or faculty) to elect the 2^nd Management Committee. I’m confident that the efforts we have put in the past year will encourage more Mensans to step out and take the lead in shaping the Mensa community at SMU. If you are one out there, please, I urge you to come forward and lead the branch to greater heights in its second term.  

Jeff HONG
President, SMU Mensa