On Tuesday (21/05), FTUI invited Dr. Ar. Lai Chee Kien to deliver a guest lecture. He is the Vice President of the Society of Architectural and Urban Historians of Asia and a lecturer at the National University of Singapore.
“I would like to express my gratitude to the team who organized this event. This guest lecture marks the third time. We invite educators, experts, and professors from abroad to give lectures. Hopefully, this public lecture will be beneficial to all participants,” said Dr. Ir. Achmad Hery Fuad, M.Eng., Chair of the FTUI Architecture Department, in his welcoming remarks.
In this public lecture, Dr. Lai presented “The Impact of Tourism on the Singapore Landscape.” Singapore was previously part of Malaysia, separating in 1965.
“After separating from Malaysia, Singapore as a new nation had to create many new things, such as the traveller’s palm as a representative tree and the Merlion statue as a national symbol. Additionally, Singapore is also quite famous for its waterfalls, one of which is the Jewel Rain Vortex found at Jewel Changi Airport,” explained Dr. Lai.
He continued, “As a new country, Singapore faced difficulties in promoting itself abroad. Various methods were employed until Singapore succeeded in attracting foreign tourists. Unfortunately, this endangered local components as the country became too focused on tourism.”
Prof. Dr. Ir. Heri Hermansyah, ST., M.Eng., IPU., Dean of FTUI, expressed, “We are delighted to host a public lecture with Dr. Lai presenting on the impact of tourism on the Singapore landscape. Singapore, with its unique history after separating from Malaysia in 1965, has undergone a significant transformation in the tourism sector. The material presented by Dr. Lai provides valuable insights for our students on how tourism can influence urban development and the environment. We hope this lecture will inspire students to better understand and explore the relationship between tourism and urban design.”
The hope is that this guest lecture will broaden the perspective of FTUI Architecture students in designing spaces that are responsive to the needs of the tourism industry. Additionally, through a deeper understanding of how tourism affects urban development and the environment, students are expected to contribute to the development of sustainable urban environments. This lecture is also expected to inspire students to further explore the relationship between tourism and urban design, encouraging them to create innovative and sustainable designs.
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Public Communication Office
Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia
