NUS Business School raises S$600,000 at 60th anniversary gala dinner
NUS Business School closed out a year of celebrations for its 60th anniversary with a fundraising gala dinner that raised S$600,000 to establish the NUS Biz 60th Anniversary Impact Fund. The new fund contributes to a milestone total of S$6 million raised for the School’s anniversary celebrations, with the funds benefitting scholarships, bursaries, student programmes and other educational opportunities for future generations.
The year-long celebration leading up to the dinner included a two-day homecoming event for alumni, an appreciation event for corporate partners, a birthday bash with carnival activities for faculty, staff and students and an alumni networking evening.
The event on 7 November 2025 at the Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore brought together 600 guests, including faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors and corporate partners. The Guest of Honour was Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, who is an alumna of the Business School. Several other distinguished business and community leaders were in attendance, including Dr Amy Khor, former Senior Minister of State; Mr Peter Seah, Chairman of DBS Group Holdings and Singapore Airlines; and Mr Ow Fook Chuen, Commissioner of Inland Revenue and Chief Executive Officer of the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore.
Noting that the School and Singapore both celebrate their diamond anniversaries this year, Ms Fu acknowledged the role that NUS Business School has played in the nation’s economic transformation by developing generations of business leaders and nurturing crucial competencies and capabilities. At the same time, she highlighted the need for them to adapt to today’s challenging global landscape.
“Singapore is not resigning ourselves to being a mere bystander. Neither should the NUS Business School,” said Ms Fu, citing growing polarisation, a weakening business outlook amid economic uncertainty and rising global temperatures as some of the threats that businesses must navigate.
She commended the donors honoured at the event, many of them Business School alumni, for their generosity that will ensure greater opportunities for the next generation. “This spirit of giving back creates a virtuous cycle. Today’s successful alumni support tomorrow’s innovators and leaders, who will in turn build the companies and solutions that Singapore needs for the decades ahead.”
In his address, NUS Business School Dean Professor Andrew Rose thanked the community of donors, alumni and partners for their support and contributions to the School’s success.
“As we look ahead, we remain committed to shaping a certain kind of graduate: principled, prepared, and purpose-driven leaders — for Singapore, for Asia, and for the world,” he said.
“We need to reinforce that culture of philanthropy, of alumni involvement, and of responsible leadership. This is how we build the future.”
Six decades of business leadership and nation-building
Since its founding in 1965, NUS Business School has grown into a leading institution in Asia and beyond, recognised for its rigorous academic programmes, industry networks and thought leadership. It is consistently ranked first in Asia by independent publications and agencies such as the Financial Times and Quacquarelli Symonds.
Over the past six decades, the School has cultivated a diverse community of 50,000 alumni and 60 global chapters and expanded its offerings across undergraduate, postgraduate and executive education in response to the changing needs of business and society. The extensive research conducted by the School’s faculty members and research centres has also advanced knowledge in areas such as finance, analytics, sustainability, entrepreneurship and the digital economy.
The night was dedicated to the Business School’s donors who sponsored tables at the dinner and made direct donations to the NUS Biz 60th Anniversary Impact Fund for scholarships and student priorities. Donors received commemorative plaques in recognition of their support for the next generation through scholarships, bursaries and awards. They included alumni couple Mr Teo Cheow Tong and Ms Tarn Teh Chuen, who established the Mr and Mrs Teo Cheow Tong Bursary in 2022 for students pursuing the Accountancy programme, and Mr Star Yuan Xingwei, founder and CEO of TOMORO COFFEE, whose TOMORO COFFEE Scholarship supports outstanding Business Administration undergraduates.
Said Mr Teo, who is from the Bachelor of Accountancy Class of 1982, “There are many students from less fortunate backgrounds. Some work night and weekend jobs on top of their day jobs just to fund their studies. I benefitted from an enriching university education and wanted to pay it forward to today’s young accounting graduates.”
Amid the plaque presentations, guests enjoyed performances by students and alumni, such as the “Dance of Harmony”, which was centred on racial harmony in Singapore. It was performed by alumni and students of the Chinese Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA-C) programme and directed by the NUS Alumni Network Arts Club.
The evening of celebration concluded with the singing of a commemorative anniversary song titled “The Future of Tomorrow”, symbolising the School’s unity and forward momentum. The song was adapted from “33 As One,” a song composed in Chinese by the 33rd cohort of the EMBA-C programme to celebrate the friendships formed in their shared learning journey.
