Video: NTU officer found hanged and Prof Su Guanning’s email to NTU staff and students

A NANYANG Technological University infocomm project officer was found hanged in a staff apartment at the NTU campus on Friday night.

Mr Zhou Zheng, 24, a Chinese national from the Division of Information at the School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE) was pronounced dead in his flat at Block 101C Nanyang Heights at about 10.50 pm.

His body, which was found hanging in the balcony of his apartment, was believed to have been taken down by a friend before police arrived.

Confirming the death, which comes less than a week after a final year student, also from the School of EEE, fell to his death after stabbing a professor on Monday morning, NTU said the university is providing every assistance to Mr Zhou’s family.

‘Professional counsellors and senior university officers were immediately on site to offer support, help and counsel where needed,” said an NTU statement on Saturday.

Separately, NTU President, Dr Su Guaning sent an email to all faculty staff and students on Saturday morning informing them that the university is ‘deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Mr Zhou’ and that his family has been notified. It is not known if the family members are in Singapore.

‘We are doing our utmost to help his family and friends, residents at Nanyang Heights and anyone in the NTU community that may be traumatised by what has happened in our campus this week,’ said Dr Su.

‘We shall rally together and pull through this difficult period.’

On Monday, David Hartanto Widjaja, 21, an Indonesian student whose scholarship was terminated, stabbed Associate Professor Chan Kap Luk, 45, in the back during a discussion in his office at the NTU campus, then slit his own wrists before fleeing and falling four floors to his death shortly after.

Prof Chan, who suffered injuries to his back and right hand, has been discharged from hospital and is on medical leave.

Source: Straits Times

 

Professor Su Guanning’s statement to NTU staff and students (thanks Janet for the email!)

Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,

It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that one of our colleagues, Mr Zhou Zheng, an infocomm project officer was found to have passed away in an apartment at Nanyang Heights at about 10.50pm on Friday, 6 March 2009. The Dean of Students, the university counselling professionals and other senior university officers were on site immediately to offer support and counsel.

The university is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of one of our staff. Mr Zhou’s family has been notified. We are doing our utmost to help his family and friends, residents at Nanyang Heights and anyone in the NTU community that may be traumatised by what has happened in our campus this week.

The university board of trustees, management and the NTU community, send our heartfelt condolences to the family of the late Mr Zhou. We will extend every assistance to the family to help ease their pain.

We shall rally together and pull through this difficult period.

DR SU GUANING
PRESIDENT

EDITORS’ NOTE: Dr Su, you must have made a mistake. Mr Zhou Zheng did not “pass away” of natural causes. He committed suicide by hanging himself. Both Zhou Zheng and David Widjaja are from the Division of Triple E. What is happening? Lightning doesn’t strike twice in the same place, let alone in less than a week!!