NUS celebrates 22 outstanding alumni for their service to alma mater and contributions to society

The National University of Singapore (NUS) honoured the achievements of 22 outstanding alumni at the prestigious NUS Alumni Awards 2025.

Held biennially since 2005, the Awards recognise NUS alumni who have distinguished themselves through significant and impactful contributions to their alma mater, society and the world. The Awards are presented in four categories: the Eminent Alumni Award, the Lifetime Service Award, the Distinguished Alumni Award, and the Outstanding Young Alumni Award.

This year, NUS conferred the Eminent Alumni Award on Ms Ho Ching, Temasek Trust Chairman, in recognition of her exemplary leadership and lasting impact on Singapore. This award is presented to NUS alumni who have distinguished themselves nationally or globally through their exceptional and sustained contributions and achievements in public or community service; in the arts, sports, culture or entrepreneurship; or in a profession or scholarly field. The Guest-of-Honour, Mr Desmond Lee, Minister for Education and Minister-in-Charge of Social Services Integration, presented the award to Ms Ho. Past recipients include Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Mr Goh Chok Tong, Professor S Jayakumar, Dr Noeleen Heyzer, Ambassador Chan Heng Chee and Madam Halimah Yacob.

The inaugural Lifetime Service Award  ̶  a new award category introduced this year  ̶  was presented to Mr Andrew Lim Ming-Hui, Partner at Allen & Gledhill LLP and former member of the NUS Board of Trustees; Mr Johnny Tan Khoon Hui, past Co-Chairman of the NUS Alumni Advisory Board; and Mr Yeo Keng Joon, Chairman and Director of Bharat Luxindo Agrifeeds Private Limited, India. This award honours individuals who have devoted a decade or more of service to nurturing NUS alumni networks, interest groups and/or volunteer programmes, including internship and mentorship programmes.

NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye said, “Beyond academics and research, a university’s achievements lie in the positive impact it has on mankind and the world. These exceptional alumni have dedicated their lives, harnessing the knowledge, skills, and values acquired at NUS to become forces for positive change ― revolutionising industries, uplifting the vulnerable, and mentoring those who walk the corridors of NUS after them. They have flown the NUS flag high, and we are very proud of them. Congratulations to all recipients of the NUS Alumni Awards 2025!”

Eminent Alumni Award 2025 Recipient – Ms Ho Ching

After graduating from NUS in 1976 with an engineering degree, Ms Ho began her career at the Ministry of Defence. She went on to serve as Director of the Defence Materiel Organisation and Deputy Director of the Defence Science Organisation. Her work at MINDEF contributed to strengthening Singapore’s defence self-reliance, and she was among a pioneering generation of engineers who laid the groundwork for critical national infrastructure.

In 1987, she joined Singapore Technologies (ST), where she played a pivotal role in advancing its engineering and technology capabilities, and led the formation of one of the largest engineering and development companies in the region. Her appointment as CEO of ST Group in 1997 distinguished her as one of the few women leading a major industrial group at the time.

Ms Ho joined Temasek Holdings as Director in 2002, later becoming Executive Director and CEO in the same year. She positioned Temasek as an active long-term investor, guiding its expansion into growth markets and emerging sectors, navigating multiple economic cycles, and expanding its network of international offices. Under her leadership, Temasek also nurtured local companies like Singapore Airlines, Singtel and DBS Bank — providing capital and strategic support that helped several evolve into strong regional or global players. When she stepped down in 2021, Temasek’s S$90 billion portfolio had grown to over S$380 billion, with investments around the world.

Since 2022, Ms Ho Ching has chaired Temasek Trust, the philanthropic arm of Temasek Holdings. In this role, she provides strategic oversight and guidance to the management team, shaping its vision and mandate and overseeing the stewardship of its philanthropic assets.

A passionate champion for social causes, Ms Ho is a longtime supporter of the Autism Resource Centre (Singapore) and patron of the Autism Association (Singapore). As founding Chairman of Trailblazer Foundation, she has backed its initiatives in education, health, sports, music, and community development for the uniquely talented. She has also supported organisations focused on dignity in healthcare such as the Assisi Hospice. 

Over the years, Ms Ho has received numerous accolades, including the Public Administration Medal (Silver), the Public Service Star, and the Institution of Engineers Lifetime Engineering Achievement Award.

“I thank NUS for the signal honour of this award. It is a reminder of the privilege of a university education, and the responsibility it carries – to help open more pathways for others to strengthen society and build better for generations to come,” said Ms Ho Ching.

Distinguished Alumni Award Recipients

Nine NUS alumni received the Distinguished Alumni Award for demonstrating excellence and leadership in their chosen field or industry, including significant accomplishments, innovations, or contributions that have made a positive impact to the sector, community, and country.

These recipients were:

• Dr James Geng Jing, CEO and Director of the Board, Greenland Holdings Group

• Professor Lim Chwee Teck, NUSS Chair Professor, College of Design and Engineering, and Director, Institute for Health Innovation and Technology, NUS (2025 President’s Science Award)

• Mr Lim Huan Chiang, Group CEO and Executive Director, A-Smart Holdings Group

• Er. Lim Peng Hong, Managing Director, PH Consulting Pte Ltd

• Dr Sharon Nai, Principal Scientist, A*STAR Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (A*STAR SIMTech) and Director, Additive Innovation Centre

• Mr Ng Wai King, Chairman and Senior Partner, WongPartnership LLP, NUS Board of Trustees member

• Professor Benjamin Ong Kian Chung, Professor, Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS (The Public Service Star (COVID-19), National Awards (COVID-19))

• Justice Judith Prakash, Senior Judge, Supreme Court of Singapore, NUS Board of Trustees member

• Mr Bahren Shaari, Member, Council of Presidential Advisers and Founder, Maha2 Advisory Services, NUS Board of Trustees member

Outstanding Young Alumni Award Recipients

Nine NUS alumni below the age of 40 received the Outstanding Young Alumni Award for distinguishing themselves in their chosen fields. Many of them have also rendered excellent volunteer service to NUS and/or the community while exemplifying the best attributes of youth in today's world.

These recipients were:

• Mr Zamiq Azmeer bin Borhanudin, Commercial Counsel APAC, Energy Exemplar

• Ms Chang Qingyang, Co-Founder and CEO, ConcreteAI

• Ar. Chio Wen Tian, Principal Architect, CHIO Architects and Founding Partner, mono.poly

• Ms Chung Wing Lam, Senior Principal Clinical Pharmacist, Watson’s Personal Care Stores Pte Ltd

• Mr Alvin Lim, CEO and Co-Founder, Climate Bridge International

• Mr Harry Pham Van Anh, Founder and President, ECO Vietnam Group

• Mr Janson Seah, Co-Founder and CEO, StaffAny

• Dr Sui Xiaonan, Professor, Northeast Agricultural University

• Dr Jackie Tan, Venture Builder, Circles

For more information on the NUS Alumni Awards, please visit: https://nus.edu.sg/alumnet/community/alumniawards