IT WAS to have been a routine discussion between an undergraduate and his professor at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) around 9.30 yesterday morning.

But events took a dramatic turn midway through it, and by the time all was said and done, the student was dead, the professor was in hospital, and bloodstains were spattered over the grounds of the university's School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering (EEE).

Yesterday, the first day of class after a week-long university term break, began ordinarily enough, with Associate Professor Chan Kap Luk, 45, meeting final-year engineering student David Hartanto Widjaja in the don's campus office.

Respected by staff, students

THE stabbing of Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Associate Professor Chan Kap Luk has stunned colleagues and students who hold him in high regard.

The School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering lecturer, who is 45, was supervising his alleged attacker, Indonesian student David Hartanto Widjaja, during his final-year project when the stabbing took place.

A colleague of Prof Chan, who did not want to be named, was in his office during yesterday morning's commotion. He described his colleague as a good-natured person.

Maths 'genius' and a loner

DAVID Hartanto Widjaja, 21, was a bright student who came to Singapore four years ago on an Asean scholarship. But things had not seemed right lately.

His performance was slipping and he was struggling with his final-year project, which was due next month.

Nanyang Technological University (NTU) president Su Guaning told reporters yesterday that he learnt from Associate Professor Chan Kap Luk that Widjaja was having problems with his project, which was a discussion on the creation of 3-D images.

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