The Nanyang Spirit Through the Years: People, Progress, and Productivity
Sat, 6 May | 4 - 6pm

Venue: Nanyang Technological University (Nanyang Gateway Arch)
Meeting Point: Meet at the (Replica) Nanyang Gateway Arch (nearest bus stop is Academic Building South Bus Stop, Bus Stop No. 27251
Fee: Free with registration

When Nanyang University, affectionately known as Nantah, opened its doors in 1956, the three overlapping circles of its emblem propagated the values “People, Progress and Productivity”. With the subsequent formation of the Nanyang Technological Institute (NTI) in the 1980s and its evolution into Nanyang Technological University (NTU) today, have these values perpetuated through the years? How did the Nantah of 1956 transform into the NTU we know today? Can Nantah even be viewed as NTU’s predecessor, or were they two disparate entities linked together by the constructed Nanyang Spirit? 

To investigate this, we explore seven sites around NTU’s campus, chosen as gateways to trace the change and continuities in Nantah, NTI, and NTU’s history. Hear the stories behind these sites and oral history accounts from the people who once lived, played and studied here, and unpack what the Nanyang Spirit encompasses by sketching out the various strands connecting NTU’s heritage over its many iterations throughout its seven decades of history. 

What does the Nanyang Spirit mean to you?