In 1963, Ngee Ann Polytechnic started as Ngee Ann College, a private institution financed by the Ngee Ann Kongsi. It was located at Teochew building in Tank Road. By 1967, the College became a legal and independent institution offering commerce and engineering courses. In 1968, Ngee Ann College became Ngee Ann Technical College (NATC)after the shift to the current Clementi campus. By 1981, NATC was re-named Ngee Ann Polytechnic to reflect its expanded role in catering for the increase in demand for technical expertise. In 1983, NP hosted the weightlifting and boxing events during the 12th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in our multi-purpose hall. In October, six representatives planted the NP flag on Tent Peak in Nepal's Annapurna Range. The 22-day expedition was a first for a local institution. In 1985, the Centre for Professional Development (then called Continuing Education Centre) was started to provide a platform for post-graduates and working professionals to further their education or upgrade their skills. 1988 was the year of NP's 25th anniversary celebrations. The late president Mr Ong Teng Cheong planted a Tembusu tree to mark the occasion. A staff party was held on 25 May and later in August NP launched a book on its history, The Ngee Ann story. Celebrations culminated in the planting of a time capsule by Dr Tay Eng Soon. The time capsule is planned to be unearthed in 2013. In 1993, NPNET, a $9 million campus computer network was launched on 15 October 1993. NP became the first local polytechnic to have such a network. NP's Human Resource department initiated the International Fellowship and Visiting Lecturer Scheme, a move that has brought in lecturers from UK, US, Australia, Japan, New South Wales, China and India. Two of NP's mass media vehicles, Tribune (the campus newspaper) and Radio Heatwave (the campus radio station) were started. They are managed by mass communication students. In 1999, the diploma in Early Childhood Education was the first local course of its kind. By 2000 NP's Alpha Centre was awarded the Excellence for Singapore Award for its numerous achievements in robotics, and it was the first time a polytechnic has received such an award. The NP Access for All (NPal) system was launched. Students can now obtain personal data from school such as exam results, attendance records, Co-Curricular Activity (CCA) points and timetables, and update their personal records via the internet. In 2001, NP was conferred the Public Service Award for Organisational Excellence when all 3 Managing for Excellence qualifying standards were achieved - the ISO 9001 certification, People Developer Award and the Singapore Quality Class. The Ngee Ann Learning Model (NLM) was introduced in July 2001. Students are provided with a more broad-based education as they are given options to study subjects not directly related to their course modules. NP unveiled the Lifestyle Library, the first library in a tertiary institution to provide a Borders-like environment, where students can find non-academic books, magazines, watch cable TV, surf the internet, listen to music CDs and watch movies on DVD. In January 2000, the Innohub was formed in to provide consultancy services, offer research and development (R&D) experience, and showcase technological expertise.