Laying out his vision for the university for the first time, NUS president Tan Chorh Chuan, 49, said he wants the university to use its location and knowledge to stand out internationally and fill the gap left by other established schools.

Already one of the world's best ranked universities, NUS is well positioned to become the No. 1 authority on Asia, he said, and could influence the future of the region.

Prof Tan, who became NUS president last month, was speaking at a lunch to welcome him held at the National University of Singapore Society's (NUSS) Kent Ridge Guild House on Thursday.

In attendance were several hundred people, including President S R Nathan, who is also the NUS Chancellor, Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Education, students and alumni.

He became NUS president last month. Kicking off his speech with an anecdote, Prof Tan described how he was too scared to cross a rickety bridge in Pakistan over a river, until he saw a local girl run across with a bag of potatoes on her back.

'Crossing the bridge was more a mental challenge than a physical one,' he said.

According to Prof Tan, the university was ready to take on the 'mental challenges', despite some of them having 'daunting bridges'.

'We need boldness, self-belief and conviction to overcome obstacles and to grasp the opportunities,' he said.

Read the full story in Friday's edition of The Straits Times.