Metadata

Synopsis

Born in 1959, Singapore, attended the National University of Singapore, graduating with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) in 1983. Briefly touchers on his career history in NUS. Talks in detail about his initial meeting with Rick Levin, former President of Yale University, in 2007 when the idea of Yale-NUS College was first discussed. Discusses in detail the proposal for setting up a liberal arts educational programme that NUS submitted to the Ministry of Education in 2008, including details about NUS’ initial discussions with Claremont Colleges and other options of partner universities and colleges. Talks at length about conversations between Yale University and NUS about creating a new model of liberal arts education which brought together intellectual traditions of the West and the East, the considerations, and concerns for setting up such a programme and the impact it would have.

Discusses reactions and perceptions of both the Yale and NUS communities to the idea of Yale-NUS College as a liberal arts institution situated in Singapore, and describes ways in which various stakeholders at both institutions were engaged in these discussions. He elaborates on conversations with key leadership and faculty of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) and Faculty of Science, highlighting initial concerns. He also highlights key differences between Yale-NUS College and existing programmes, namely those under the FASS, residential colleges in University Town, and the University Scholars Programme (USP). Reflects briefly on NUS Board’s initial reaction to the College.

Talks about the roles that NUS and Yale play in setting up the College, including details on curriculum design, faculty recruitment, governance and funding, and the physical design and construction of the campus. He discusses in more detail, the process of campus design and construction, reflecting on the decisions of its current location and alternative locations that were considered. He talks about his role in the search committee for the recruitment of faculty. Reflects on how the College aligns with his vision of when it was first conceived. Discusses what he considers are critical milestones of the College: student intake, faculty hiring and curriculum, employability of College graduates. Talks briefly about the relevance of liberal arts education in today’s context. Reflects on the College’s current success and future challenges. Talks in depth about his working relationship with Rick Levin on this project. Discusses his opinions of Pericles Lewis, the former founding president, and the appointment of Tan Tai Yong as the next president of the College. Talks about his hopes for the College for the next five years.