‘Like 8 immortals crossing the sea’: Chinese leadership programme grads find strength in collaboration

Published Nov 04, 2026, 09:00 PM

Updated Nov 04, 2026, 09:00 PM

The inaugural Chinese Community Leadership Programme linked 25 participants from clan associations and built new ties for future teamwork and leadership.

Graduates have already planned a movie screening for about 30 disadvantaged families, showing how shared ideas can become real help.

Organisers will expand the programme to two runs in 2027, aim to train 100 or more leaders in five years, and set up an alumni network.

SINGAPORE – Like the classic Chinese legend of the eight immortals who employ their unique powers to cross a sea together, Callie Chen and three other fresh graduates of the Chinese Community Leadership Programme (CCLP) have collaborated to organise a movie screening for children from disadvantaged families.

Chen, who heads social affairs at Ningpo Guild, said: “I come from a relatively small association with limited resources and an even smaller pool of people available to help. There were ideas I felt could be fun and meaningful, but we simply didn’t have the capacity to carry them through.”

The movie screening on Jan 23, 2027, will be held at Huang Clan Association in Geylang, made possible by Stanley James Ng, the youth chairman of the clan association.

Lin Zhanghan, 41, and Nancy Ong, 44, both from the Singapore Foochow Association, are also pitching in to help with the movie screening. Lin is assembling youth volunteers, while Ong helps to find event sponsors and vendors for fringe activities.

Ng said it is rare for clan associations to work together, given that each has its own history and way of doing things.

“CCLP put us in the same room every week. Smaller associations bring ideas and energy, and larger ones like ours can bring space and resources,” he added.

The first cohort of the four-month leadership programme graduated on Nov 4.

Ng, 41, who was voted valedictorian of the cohort, had picked All Wishes Come True, a Chinese animated film inspired by The Eight Immortals Cross The Sea, for the movie screening.

He said the deities’ collaboration is a metaphor for the Chinese community leaders’ team spirit. “Different associations and strengths making one crossing together, doing good, helping people in need,” said the general counsel.

Chen, a 41-year-old financial consultant, hardly had opportunities to meet people around her age who, like her, are active in clan associations until she joined 23 others in their 30s and 40s to enrol in the first run of the programme.

CCLP is jointly organised by the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA) and Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCCI), and co-developed with Nanyang Technological University.

It will be expanded to two runs for about 50 participants in 2027. The aim is to develop 100 or more next-generation Chinese community leaders over the next five years.

An alumni network will be established for graduates to stay connected, exchange ideas and explore collaborations.

Lin, managing director of Bo Yi Arts & Designs and chairman of his association’s youth league, said the movie screening has provided a platform for his youth volunteers to learn and contribute to society.

“I hope they’ll grow more confident, get to know one another better and feel proud of what they can accomplish together,” he said.

Called Happy Bompipi, the movie event will welcome around 30 families and give a care pack to each child who attends.

Ong, founder of Drum Circle Singapore, said one of her biggest takeaways from CCLP is the connections she has made.

“Working with people from different associations brings together different skills, experiences and ideas,” she said. “The connections also give us a chance to share the challenges and ideas we each encounter in our associations, learn from one another and offer support.”

Participants also explored practical ways to address common organisational challenges. During one masterclass, they developed a basic artificial intelligence-powered prototype to address operational needs such as event scheduling, registration, communications and resource management.

SFCCA president Thomas Chua, who is also SCCCI’s honorary president, said the community’s continued development needs a new generation of leaders who can look beyond their own organisations, support one another and share responsibility for the community’s future.

He told The Straits Times that the graduates’ connections and collaborations are among the valuable outcomes of the inaugural run.

“We will continue to engage them by inviting them to participate in our activities and keeping in touch (with them) to learn about their ongoing contributions to the community,” he said. “Where appropriate, we may also explore opportunities for some to take on roles in our committees and, potentially, the council.”

Speaking at the graduation ceremony at Nanyang Business School on Nov 4, Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat, who also chairs the Chinese Community Liaison Group, noted the overwhelming response to the inaugural CCLP programme, with over 120 nominations received.

He also listed three areas of focus for Chinese community organisations: modernisation and transformation, leadership succession, and facilitating interaction between new immigrants and the local community.

Turning to the CCLP graduates and clan association leaders, he said in Mandarin: “I hope all of you will not only remain actively involved but also encourage more young people to join Chinese community organisations, and help nurture the next generation of leaders for our community.”

Chin Soo Fang is senior correspondent at The Straits Times, covering a wide range of topics including community, politics, social issues, consumer, culture and heritage.

发布于2026年11月4日晚上9点

更新于2026年11月4日晚上9点

首届华人社区领袖计划将来自宗亲会的 25 名参与者联系起来，为未来的团队合作和领导力建立了新的联系。

毕业生们已经计划为大约 30 个贫困家庭放映电影，以此表明集思广益可以带来真正的帮助。

组织者计划在 2027 年将该计划扩大到两期，目标是在五年内培训 100 名或更多领导者，并建立一个校友网络。

新加坡——就像中国古典传说中八仙运用各自独特的神通渡海一样，陈嘉莉和其他三位华人社区领袖计划（CCLP）的应届毕业生合作，为来自贫困家庭的孩子们组织了一场电影放映活动。

宁波公会社会事务负责人陈女士说：“我所在的公会规模相对较小，资源有限，能帮忙的人就更少了。我有一些想法，觉得既有趣又有意义，但我们根本没有能力去实现它们。”

2027 年 1 月 23 日的电影放映活动将在芽笼黄氏宗亲会举行，这要感谢宗亲会青年会长 Stanley James Ng 的促成。

来自新加坡福州公会的林章涵（41岁）和翁南希（44岁）也参与了此次电影放映活动的筹备工作。林章涵负责招募青年志愿者，而翁南希则负责寻找活动赞助商和周边活动的供应商。

吴先生表示，宗族协会之间很少合作，因为每个宗族协会都有自己的历史和行事方式。

“CCLP每周都让我们聚在一起。规模较小的协会带来想法和活力，而像我们这样的大型协会则可以提供场地和资源，”他补充道。

为期四个月的领导力培训项目的第一批学员于11月4日毕业。

41岁的吴同学被评为该届毕业生代表，他选择放映电影《愿望成真》，这是一部受《八仙过海》启发而创作的中国动画电影。

他表示，神明的合作象征着华人社区领袖的团队精神。“不同的团体和力量汇聚一堂，携手共渡难关，行善积德，帮助有需要的人，”总法律顾问说道。

41岁的财务顾问陈女士几乎没有机会结识像她一样活跃于宗族协会的同龄人，直到她与其他23名30多岁和40多岁的人一起报名参加了该项目的第一期。

CCLP由新加坡宗族公会（SFCCA）和新加坡中华总商会（SCCCI）联合主办，并与南洋理工大学共同开发。

该项目将于 2027 年扩大规模，举办两期，约 50 名参与者。目标是在未来五年内培养 100 名或更多下一代华人社区领袖。

我们将建立校友网络，让毕业生保持联系、交流想法并探索合作机会。

博艺艺术设计公司总经理兼协会青年团主席林先生表示，此次电影放映活动为他的青年志愿者提供了一个学习和为社会做贡献的平台。

“我希望他们能变得更加自信，更好地了解彼此，并为他们共同取得的成就感到自豪，”他说。

这场名为“快乐邦比”的电影活动将迎来约 30 个家庭，并向每位到场的孩子赠送一份关爱包。

新加坡鼓圈创始人翁女士表示，她从CCLP获得的最大收获之一是建立了人脉关系。

“与来自不同协会的人合作，可以汇集不同的技能、经验和想法，”她说。“这种联系也让我们有机会分享各自在协会中遇到的挑战和想法，互相学习，并提供支持。”

参与者还探讨了应对常见组织挑战的实用方法。在一次大师班上，他们开发了一个基于人工智能的基础原型，以满足活动安排、注册、沟通和资源管理等运营需求。

新加坡华侨社区协会主席兼新加坡华侨社区协会名誉主席蔡志强表示，社区的持续发展需要新一代的领导者，他们能够超越自身组织的局限，互相支持，共同承担社区未来的责任。

他告诉《海峡时报》，毕业生们建立的人脉和合作是首届活动的宝贵成果之一。

他说：“我们将继续邀请他们参与我们的活动，并与他们保持联系，了解他们对社区的持续贡献。在适当的情况下，我们也会探讨让他们在我们的委员会乃至理事会中担任职务的机会。”

11月4日，国家发展部长兼中华社区联络小组主席徐芳达在南洋商学院的毕业典礼上发表讲话，指出首届中华社区联络小组计划获得了热烈反响，共收到120多份提名。

他还列出了华人社区组织的三个重点领域：现代化和转型、领导层更迭以及促进新移民与当地社区的互动。

他转向华人领袖培训项目毕业生和宗亲会领导，用普通话说：“我希望你们不仅继续积极参与，还要鼓励更多年轻人加入华人社区组织，帮助培养我们社区的下一代领导人。”

Chin Soo Fang 是《海峡时报》的资深记者，报道范围广泛，包括社区、政治、社会问题、消费者、文化和遗产等话题。