In less than 38 hours in November, Associate Professor Kua Harn Wei swam a total of 7.6km, cycled 360km, and ran 84.39km at the 2025 Taiwan Ultra Triathlon. He would go on to clinch first place in the Double Ultra Triathlon category.
As raucous cheers pushed him towards the finishing line, he noticed that they were not just coming from those who knew him but also from the supporters of other athletes. This experience continues to inspire him today as Hall Master of Kent Ridge Hall at NUS.
“That is the kind of community spirit I want to foster in Kent Ridge Hall. Competitive, yet caring,” said Assoc Prof Kua, who teaches at the College of Design and Engineering in the Department of the Built Environment.
Kent Ridge Hall, which celebrated its 45th anniversary in 2025, is known for its top cheerleading team, the KR Steppers, its accomplished dancers, and its vibrant hall culture.
Living up to its motto, “To seek, strive, and excel”, Kent Ridge Hall won Gold for its Flag fundraising efforts and Silver for its combined RAG performance with Sheares Hall at the NUS Students' Union RAG & Flag Day 2025. The annual event raises funds for Community Chest beneficiaries.
Assoc Prof Kua shares with NUS News how he encourages this dynamism in the hall.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What prompted you to take on the role of Hall Master of Kent Ridge Hall in 2021?
I've always enjoyed interacting with students and coaching the NUS Aquathlon team, having been a member, and eventually its captain and coach, during my university days. Coaching, especially, requires more engagement. I learn what athletes’ plans and pains are because these determine their performance in sports. When I was a Residential Fellow at Raffles Hall, a resident once came to me with his dilemma about balancing his running career with life and academics, and I thought: This feels like a homecoming. I saw my younger self in him, having the same challenges.
With those experiences, I started thinking that maybe I could contribute in a higher position. It would enable me to do more to motivate students, to come up with innovative programmes to interest them to outdo themselves in whatever they choose to do. I wanted to try taking Kent Ridge Hall to the next level.
How do you make Kent Ridge Hall a home away from home for students?
Every year at the retreat with our student leaders, my first slide on the first programme is always on respect. This is the bedrock. Our learning environment and community can be competitive, but if we do not respect each other, then a home away from home will not be possible. That is the time we can reaffirm who we are and what we believe in, which is community and respect.
We also encourage our residents to try activities in all areas: committees, culture, and sports. The challenge is for a sportsman to try playing guitar, for example. But communities need to welcome residents regardless of their background.
We also put a lot of attention on welcoming international students to try different activities, and we are seeing more of them in different communities and teams, playing active roles. Again, it goes back to community and mutual respect. When we hold meetings to teach the committee chairs about writing proposals, budgeting, and logistics, I also took the opportunity to emphasise this – let’s welcome everyone to try out.
What initiatives in Kent Ridge Hall are you excited about?
We are the first Hall to have an entrepreneurship element in the Southeast Asia Friendship Initiative (SFI)! SFI promotes deeper engagement and cultural understanding in the region. Last year, we linked our residents in the SFI up with entrepreneurship stakeholders in Phuket, Thailand, and they learnt about business opportunities there. It resonates strongly with me because I was a start-up owner before.
Along with Sheares Hall, we are one of the two Halls located nearest to the innovation 4.0 and i³ buildings (NUS’ main innovation and entrepreneurship hubs). This is why we have the N-House programme, an entrepreneurship-themed residence for alumni and students from the NUS Overseas Colleges (NOC) programme.
But it’s not just about the distance. To create an entrepreneurship environment, we also have our own KR Enterprise club (KRE) and encourage the N-House students to organise its activities. This is how we build on their expertise and get more of our residents involved in entrepreneurship, and many have gone on to join competitions organised by i³.
Could you share some memorable encounters you have had in your time as Hall Master?
One of our alumni, who was based overseas, extended a trip back here to attend our 45th anniversary gala dinner. I was deeply impressed by the rich culture of the hall at the event — some alumni even gathered their kakis to perform at the last minute. It speaks strongly of the bonds in Kent Ridge Hall. At our annual dance performance and biennale dance production, our residents also work with alumni on choreography, which allows them to benchmark themselves with some of our alumni who are also professional enough to represent Singapore in dancing competitions.
All this has prompted me to start a new initiative on our Kent Ridge Heritage. We want to help residents know more about the history of the place, but we cannot forget the human side of it, which is why we want to strengthen ties with our alumni. So far, proposals have included trivia involving our alumni, and more are rolling in.
What is your hope for the hall residents and community?
I hope they see the hall as a place where they can learn to see beyond — beyond themselves, the hall, NUS, and even Singapore. Look outwards! Hopefully, they can bring opportunities that they are offered here overseas, and bring back lessons that they can apply and benefit Singapore too.
Share:
Contributor
This story was first published on NUS News
