02
November
2016
|
19:15
Asia/Singapore

Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong to be Governing Board Chairman of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy

Professor Wang Gungwu to step down as governing board chair after 12 years

The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKY School) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) today announced the appointment of Singapore’s Emeritus Senior Minister (ESM) Goh Chok Tong, 75, as the new Governing Board Chairman of the LKY School from 1 April 2017. Professor Wang Gungwu, 86, who has helmed the School’s Governing Board for 12 years, will step down on 31 March 2017.

ESM Goh, who is an NUS Economics alumnus and Honorary Graduate of the University, said: “I am honoured to be the new Chairman of the Governing Board of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at NUS. The LKY School, under the stewardship of Professor Wang Gungwu as the founding chairman, is widely regarded as the leading public policy school in Asia. I look forward to working with the Governing Board, Dean Kishore Mahbubani and his team, to continue the upward trajectory of this distinguished school.”

ESM Goh brings a vast wealth of experience in public policy to this appointment. He was the second Prime Minister of Singapore, and served from November 1990 to August 2004. Prior to becoming PM, he had served as First Deputy Prime Minister, and in various other ministerial positions in finance, trade and industry, health, and defence. ESM Goh was Singapore’s Senior Minister from August 2004 to May 2011, and Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) during the same period. He became the country’s Emeritus Senior Minister, and Senior Advisor to the MAS, in May 2011.

Professor Wang Gungwu, a prominent historian of Asia, has played an instrumental role in the establishment and growth of the School. As the founding Chairman, he has provided strong strategic leadership and guidance to the Board and the School. He inspired the School’s staff, students and alumni to embrace the School’s vision of governance and leadership excellence. Prof Wang’s many significant contributions have propelled the School to grow rapidly to become a leading global public policy school in Asia.

Said Prof Wang: “It has been an immense privilege to work with the Governing Board members, Dean Kishore Mahbubani, and members of the LKY School community to build a public policy school of top calibre here in Singapore, in the heart of Asia. I am confident that the stewardship of the Governing Board’s new Chairman, Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, will bring the LKY School to even greater heights.”

Under Prof Wang’s leadership, the School has made strong and consistent progress. A recent International Advisory Panel report rated the LKY School as “a school without peer in Asia”.

The School’s educational programmes have expanded very substantially both in scope and scale. Since its founding, it has attracted more than 2,350 students from over 80 countries – making the LKY School the most globalised public policy classroom in the world. The School has launched its 5th Masters Programme in International Affairs (“Masters in International Affairs”), and will receive its first intake in 2017.

Prof Wang played an instrumental role when the School decided in 2012 to establish a Chinese Studies Programme to consolidate and strengthen the School’s strategic engagements with China. His expertise and experience raised the standing of the School’s Chinese-language Master of Public Administration and Management programme and short-term training programmes in China.

A distinctive feature has been the many prominent personalities who have given keynote speeches or taught at the School. They include the former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, as well as Professor Robert Klitgaard and Professor Robert Putnam, both of whom are renowned professors in the field of public policy at Harvard University.

Said Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, NUS President: “We are deeply grateful to Professor Wang Gungwu for his vision and leadership in guiding the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at NUS over the last 12 years. He has helped shaped strategic goals and thrusts which, together with the dedicated efforts of the LKY School community, has enabled the School to build a very strong faculty, nurture promising young academics, and develop excellent research and educational programmes which are relevant to Singapore, Asia and the world.

NUS is truly privileged to have Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong as Chairman of the LKY School Governing Board from April 2017. The School’s strategic direction and long-term development will benefit greatly from ESM Goh’s deep experience in leadership and public policy.”

Said Professor Kishore Mahbubani, Dean of the LKY School: “Professor Wang Gungwu’s extraordinary global standing as a world-renowned scholar has helped to boost the standing and prestige of the LKY School enormously. He has been very dedicated in supporting our School. Prof Wang would make it a point to attend as many School functions as possible, including the School’s Valedictory Dinners for our graduating students, faculty research seminars and talks, as well as the School’s year-end Dinner & Dance for faculty and staff. He would also sing the School’s praises whenever he travelled round the world. Prof Wang’s approachable, humble and gracious demeanour has endeared him greatly to our School’s faculty, staff and students.

On behalf of the School, I would also like to extend a warm welcome to ESM Goh Chok Tong. It is truly a great honour for the School’s Governing Board to be chaired by a former Prime Minister of Singapore. We are confident that he will lead the School to achieve even greater success, both domestically and globally.”