Written by: Hu Kehui . Images by: Lee Zhi Heng
RVRC's first Rector's Dialogue for Academic Year 2026/27, entitled "The Search for Relevance, Identity and Meaning in Life: A Continuing Journey of Exploration," was held on 2 September 2026. Hosted by RVRC Rector Dr. Noeleen Heyzer and moderated by Abhay Hathwar, a Year 2 RVRC student, the session featured distinguished guest Dr. Geh Min - ophthalmologist, environmental conservationist, former Nominated Member of Parliament, former President of the Nature Society Singapore, and recipient of Singapore's inaugural President's Award for the Environment in 2006
Dr. Geh Min shared her life story, beginning with the challenges of choosing her path in her youth and how she came to embrace her role as a doctor. She also spoke of how her daughter's interest in nature drew her into nature groups, marking the start of her journey into nature advocacy and the positive impact she would go on to make on conservation and public attitudes toward it.
Through her work in conservation, Dr. Geh Min found relevance, identity, and meaning in life. While conservation may seem unrelated to medicine, she believes humans do not exist in a vacuum, and that the health of our environment is tied to our physical and mental wellbeing. Her encouragement to young people struggling to find joy in their work is to seek connections between seemingly unrelated fields. Recounting the discovery of Chek Jawa and its successful preservation during her presidency, she said: "For the first time, I realised what a national identity was. I felt the same emotions of joy as other Singaporeans, and I want them to have this feeling of connection to the environment and to themselves."
The session closed with student's questions about the role of advocacy in Singapore, ways to strengthen environmental consultations with the government, and how young people can find and live out their sense of purpose. Among them, Year 2 student Tara-Jade Sim asked whether "the role of advocacy is shifting towards trying to push for consultation further up the ladder rather than pushing to save places that are already slated for development." Dr. Geh responded warmly, expressing delight that more young people are speaking up publicly on environmental issues, and encouraged those interested in advocacy to continue building coalitions, collecting data, and seeking strategic allies to amplify impact. She also urged students to believe in themselves and to seek satisfaction and fulfilment in life.
Reflecting after the session, student moderator Abhay shared: "Dr Geh Min's passion for nature gave me renewed hope that, as young people, we too can find meaningful ways to contribute towards a future where development and environmental stewardship go hand in hand." The session revealed that relevance, identity, and meaning in life can be found in nature, as well as in both individual and collective pursuits.
