MORE than 1,400 individuals and organisations, which contributed over $100 million to Nanyang Technological University's (NTU) 21st Century Fund, were feted at a special ceremony last night.

In all, the fund has raised $200 million - inclusive of dollar-for-dollar matching donations from the Government - over five years.

The money raised has helped to fund more than 40 scholarships and bursaries and eight professorships, among other things.

At the appreciation dinner for donors in the Shangri-La Hotel, guest of honour President S R Nathan presented tokens of appreciation to those who had donated $1 million and above.

These included the Lee Foundation, the Lien Foundation, the Singapore Totalisator Board and businessman Ng Bok Eng.

President Nathan is also NTU's Chancellor and the fund's Patron-in-Chief.

Also present last night were individuals whose donations ranged from several hundred to tens of thousands of dollars.

There were also representatives from groups like the Shinnyo-en Singapore, the local chapter of a Buddhist group that originated in Japan. It had donated $250,000 to NTU's Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information through the fund.

'Education is very important, and we see the donation as our part in helping to nurture the youth,' said Ms Teo Poh Keng, vice-president of the management committee of Shinnyo-en Singapore.

This article was first published in The Straits Times on Mar 14, 2008.