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News.com.au
05-08-2025
- News.com.au
‘Deeply disturbed': Uni under pressure after future doctor punched ex, took selfie
A Queensland university is under pressure to prohibit a medical student from graduating after he was found guilty of repeatedly punching his former partner at the school's medicine ball. Last week, James Cook University student Uvindu Pansuja Samarasi Jayasekara escaped conviction at Townsville Magistrates Court after attacking his ex at the yearly event. The court heard how Jayasekara, who is set to graduate and become a doctor at the end of the year, became jealous that she was talking to a friend, pushing her into a corner and attacking her. Mr Jayasekara then took a selfie on her phone with her as she cried and bled from her injuries. He was sentenced to two years' probation with $500 of compensation to the victim. JCU was slammed after it was revealed that a staff member provided a character reference for the student. The uni has since defended its decision to allow the student to graduate and said the reference provided by the professor was done so 'as a member of the public'. 'James Cook University does not tolerate domestic or family violence and is committed to fostering a safe, respectful and inclusive environment for all members of its community,' a statement provided to said. 'Following recent court proceedings and a guilty plea by a JCU medical student, the University has suspended the student and initiated a formal review of his suitability to continue in the medical program, in accordance with its established policies and procedures. 'In relation to the character reference provided, the member of staff was aware that they were not able to represent the University when providing a reference for the male student. 'The University makes clear that no staff member represents JCU in any court process and does so as a member of the public.' The James Cook University Medical Students' Association said it was 'deeply disturbed' by the reports in a statement on social media. 'No one in our community should have to experience harm, and we want to make clear that their wellbeing, safety, and recovery matter to us,' the statement said. 'There is absolutely no place for violence, abuse, or intimidation in the medical profession or our university community.' Townsville nurse and former JCU student Emma Coppens also wrote an open letter to the university, slamming the organisation for allowing Jayasekara to 'quietly continue his studies' after being charged. 'This is not just a legal matter, it is a moral one,' she wrote. 'By letting this perpetrator graduate, JCU is sending a devastating message to survivors of domestic violence: Your pain and trauma are secondary to protecting the reputation and career of an offender. 'How can the public trust the character of a doctor who has already proven capable of violence against a partner?'
Straits Times
26-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Charting his own course: How a business degree helps this national sailor prepare for life after sport
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, national sailor Ryan Lo flew Singapore's flag in his second Olympic campaign. PHOTO: COURTESY OF RYAN LO BRANDED CONTENT Charting his own course: How a business degree helps this national sailor prepare for life after sport A flexible curriculum, engaging modules and supportive lecturers at James Cook University help to make this athlete's return to school more smooth sailing National sailor Ryan Lo is used to setting his sights on the finish line in the horizon. But last year, he chose to return to the starting line – this time, in a classroom. After nearly a decade spent mostly overseas for training and competitions, he returned to Singapore last year at age 27 to pursue a Bachelor of Business (Majoring in International Business) at the Singapore campus of James Cook University (JCU). The university's business school is one of just four in Singapore accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business – a recognition held by only six per cent of business schools worldwide. Mr Lo sees the move as a transition to prepare for the corporate world once he retires from professional sailing. Returning to his studies marked a significant shift for someone who has dedicated most of his life to sailing. Inspired by two elder siblings who were also national sailors, he picked up the sport at seven and began making waves as a teenager. Some of his recent achievements include winning gold at the Hangzhou Games in 2023 and representing Singapore at the Paris Olympics last year. Track and field athlete Shanti Pereira and Mr Lo in Paris, flying the Singapore flag high at the 2024 Paris Olympics. PHOTO: COURTESY OF RYAN LO But even with a shelf full of medals and years of experience under his belt, he knew his sporting career would not last forever. This realisation made him revisit a path he had put on hold: education. Mr Lo's academic journey has been anything but conventional. After completing his first year of junior college, he left school to focus on training for the SEA Games. He later resumed his studies in Australia, followed by a stint at a university in the Netherlands – often taking gap years to keep up with his competition schedule. 'I have taken the most different route – a prolonged one – and I have sacrificed quite a bit in my educational journey,' he says. When he returned to Singapore, he began looking for a university that could support both his academic and athletic pursuits – and found JCU. 'As athletes, we need to transition into working life after a certain age so having an education definitely helps,' he says. For Mr Lo, studying while continuing to sail competitively is not just about planning for the future – it is about finding balance in the present. With the right support from JCU, it allows him to pursue both his academic goals and sporting commitments without having to choose one over the other. Mr Lo's family welcomed him home at Changi Airport after his return from the 2024 Paris Olympics. PHOTO: COURTESY OF RYAN LO From classroom to competitions A dedicated study advisor was 'instrumental' in helping him plan his modules ahead of each term to ensure minimal clashes with training and competitions. But if he has to miss any classes due to sports commitments, he can still access assignments and lecture slides through the university's online platform. His lecturers, he says, have also been very helpful and supportive in helping him to get up to speed for any classes that he would have to miss. Mr Lo says: 'A few athletes have studied at JCU and have excelled in their education and sports. JCU has the flexibility that I would require to balance between my education and my sporting commitments.' He was also awarded the JCU Sports Scholarship. Dr Su Chun Wei, chief of High Performance Sport Institute, Sport Singapore, says: 'We appreciate Sport Excellence Education partners like JCU, who partner us to support student-athletes in pursuing both their academic and sporting ambitions. 'Balancing elite sport and education is never easy, and therefore the flexibility and support provided by institutions such as JCU through their sports scholarships make a palpable impact for our athletes to succeed.' JCU's Trimester Program also gives students the option of joining the workforce more quickly. With this, students can complete their bachelor's degree in two years instead of three. Local students, however, can choose to pace themselves by taking on fewer subjects per term and completing their course over more than two years. For Mr Lo, who previously studied business and economics in the Netherlands, his prior experience earned him a four-month exemption. He is now on track to graduate by May 2026. A melting pot of cultures Although he is nearly a decade older than most of his course mates, Mr Lo enjoys his classes and project work. He values the diverse perspectives of his international peers, who come from countries such as China, Vietnam and Germany. The diversity extends to JCU's faculty as well. 'They are very passionate about what they do and deliver their lectures in an enthusiastic, entertaining way instead of just reading off lecture slides.' One of the more memorable modules was one on business negotiation. 'It was engaging because I'm a conservative person and I don't express myself very much. This encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone.' He also found some finance modules valuable in helping him make better investment decisions. For instance, he recalls having to read up on electric vehicle company Tesla's annual reports and financial statements to churn out a financial report for a class project. 'This finance project equipped me with the knowledge to determine the different methods of valuing companies and their effectiveness,' he adds. Mr Lo still plans to sail professionally and understands that his journey is different from many of his peers who followed the conventional academic path and are already ahead in their careers. 'Everyone has his or her own journey, even more so for athletes. Learning is a continuous journey and age is not a pivotal factor. It means a lot to us athletes that there is a university here that appreciates us.' Find out more about the Bachelor of Business (Majoring in International Business) programme available at the Singapore campus of James Cook University. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
20-06-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
New initiative to help young people with poor mental health when ‘red flags' appear
Minister of State for Health Rahayu Mahzam (third from right) at the launch event for the new initiative. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI New initiative to help young people with poor mental health when 'red flags' appear SINGAPORE – Young people with poor mental health will get more help through a programme that trains school counsellors and social workers to spot red flags and tackle distress before it escalates. The initiative launched on June 20 addresses a mental health crisis among Singapore's adolescents, which had brewed silently until the Covid-19 pandemic, said Dr Angelina Ang, a senior consultant in the emergency department of KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) who heads the programme. It comes after the hospital studied patients aged 10 to 19 who had been admitted to its emergency department in 2021 for trying to harm or kill themselves. The study, published in February, found that about one in five of these adolescents had visited a hospital or polyclinic for medically unexplained physical symptoms like headaches and stomachaches within the year prior to attempting self-harm or suicide. Said Dr Ang: 'Medically unexplained symptoms are red flags – symptoms of distress, anxiety, or maybe even abuse, and if we continue to sweep them under the carpet, they will crash on the child.' Difficulties sleeping, dealing with family conflict and anxieties related to academic performance were the top challenges faced by these adolescents. More than half the patients who attempted self-harm or suicide said they were confused or unsure about whether they truly wanted to end their lives, which suggests that their decisions can be driven by impulse and inability to process their emotions. The price paid for ignoring such signs is huge, said Dr Ang, citing a 2023 report by Duke-NUS Medical School and the Institute of Mental Health estimating that the cost to treat a child for depression and anxiety here averaged $10,250. To plug these gaps, the programme developed by psychologists from KKH and James Cook University (JCU) teaches community groups how to intervene when young people display these physical symptoms and have difficulty managing emotions. Since October 2024, more than 300 school counsellors and community mental health practitioners have been trained, KKH and Temasek Foundation, said in a joint statement. Parked under the Temasek Foundation Youth Connect programme, the initiative is complemented by screening at KKH's emergency department that coordinates care for these young people with schools and communities. KKH chief executive Alex Sia said since such screening was implemented since October 2022, it has assessed more than 2,500 young people, and provided support to over 1,300 of them . In addition, Dr Ang said the collaboration between KKH and JCU is developing a programme to tackle sleep habits of the young, which is an easier topic to broach than mental health. The programme remains in the works, but the team has started training community groups and professionals to deliver these interventions. Minister of State for Health Rahayu Mahzam said at the launch event at KKH that the Youth Connect Programme allows for a seamless care system that can minimise the risk of young people falling through the cracks. She added: 'Today's launch is more than just a new programme for mental health support. 'It represents our collective commitment – regardless of our area of work – to support young people that we meet, in ways that best suit them.' The programme joins a nationwide push for more to be done to address the mental health crisis plaguing Singapore's teens, with one in three young people reporting severe symptoms of depression, anxiety or stress, according to a recent nationwide survey. Mental disorders are the leading cause of disability and death among those aged 10 to 14 in Singapore, according to a study published in The Lancet Public Health medical journal in May. The study also ranked Singapore top in Asean for the impact of mental distress on its population. Despite many of Singapore's adolescents reporting signs of mental distress, a nationwide study of youth mental health by the National University of Singapore flagged a gap in their parent's understanding of the issues that their children faced. The study released in 2023 found that only about one in 10 parents observed signs of distress in their children, despite one in three reporting symptoms like depression and anxiety. Helplines Mental well-being Institute of Mental Health's Mental Health Helpline: 6389-2222 (24 hours) Samaritans of Singapore: 1-767 (24 hours) / 9151-1767 (24 hours CareText via WhatsApp) Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019 Silver Ribbon Singapore: 6386-1928 Chat, Centre of Excellence for Youth Mental Health: 6493-6500/1 Women's Helpline (Aware): 1800-777-5555 (weekdays, 10am to 6pm) Counselling Touchline (Counselling): 1800-377-2252 Touch Care Line (for caregivers): 6804-6555 Counselling and Care Centre: 6536-6366 We Care Community Services: 3165-8017 Clarity Singapore: 6757-7990 Online resources (for those aged 13 to 25) (for those aged 12 to 25) Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
