Violence in Singapore campus

where Mon Mar 02, 2009 4:55 pm

SINGAPORE: An information engineering professor of the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is undergoing emergency operation in hospital after he was allegedly stabbed by a final year student in his office on Monday morning.

Shortly after the attack, the body of the fourth-year undergraduate, believed to be an Indonesian Chinese, was found at the foot of the seven-storey School of Electrical, Electronic and Engineering building. He is also believed to have slit his wrist earlier.

NTU students returning from their mid-term one-week break were horrified at the shocking attack which happened at about 10.30am on the sixth floor, where the offices of the lecturers are located. The School of EEE is next to the School of Communications.

The attacked victim is identified as Prof Chan Kap Luk, who is is his 40s. He is said to be the supervisor of the student in a project.

Police said he suffered stab wounds on his back and arm and was rushed to the nearby National University Hospital. He is reported to be in stable condition.

Trails of bloodstains were seen along the entrance to the lecturers’ office, where a blood-soaked blue shirt was found.

An eye-witness, Liu Yan, 24, a final-year electronic enginneeing student from China, said he and his friend were studying in the Techno Plaza on the fourth level, when he happened to look out of the window and saw a student with blood oozing from on his arm running across a bridge, which links the School of EEE and the plaza.

Next, he saw the student on the glass rooftop of the bridge and moments later, he was no longer there. The rooftop was splattered with blood, he said.

“I immediately called the police and then, with my friend, rushed down to check. We were shocked to see the student’s body at the foot of the block,” said Liu.

In a statement, NTU said the next-of-kin of the student and professor have been notified.

NTU president Dr Su Guaning said, “The university is deeply shocked and saddened by what has happened. The matter will be investigated thoroughly.

“The university community will rally together at this difficult time and do our utmost to help the student’s family, the professor and his family, and those traumatised by the incident.”

Prof Chan is the Deputy Director of Biomedical Engineering Research Centre, at the NTU’s division of Information Engineering. He has been with the School of EEE since 1992.

He received his Bachelor degree in Electronic Engineering from Queen Mary College of University of London, UK, and PhD degrees from the Imperial College of University of London.

According to his website, his research interests include computer vision and machine learning. He has done significant research work his research areas and published over 40 top quality international conference and journal papers. -- ANN/ The Straits Times

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/3/2/nation/20090302142804&sec=nation