NUS confers Honorary Degrees on Ms Kay Kuok Oon Kwong and Professor Lim Pin

The National University of Singapore (NUS) today conferred honorary degrees on two outstanding leaders: Ms Kay Kuok Oon Kwong, Director of Shangri-La Hotel Limited, Singapore; and Professor Lim Pin, University Professor at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.

The honorary degrees were presented during the Main Ceremony of NUS Commencement 2026, presided by Tharman Shanmugaratnam, President of the Republic of Singapore and NUS Chancellor. The Honorary Degree is the University’s highest form of recognition for outstanding individuals who have rendered distinguished service and had a great impact in Singapore and globally.

Ms Kay Kuok Oon Kwong was conferred the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters, in recognition of her distinguished contributions to business and public service. She was recognised for her exemplary leadership as Chair of the Yale-NUS College Governing Board and her pivotal role in the transition from Yale-NUS College to NUS College.

Professor Lim Pin was also presented with the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters, as a tribute to his transformative leadership in advancing NUS’ growth and international standing, and his lifetime of distinguished contributions to medicine, higher education and public policy.

Ms Kuok and Prof Lim were joined by 57 graduates from the NUS School of Continuing and Lifelong Education, who received their degrees at the Main Ceremony today.

The NUS Class of 2026 comprises 17,953 graduates: 7,665 students will receive Bachelor’s degrees and 10,288 will receive graduate degrees. A total of 39 ceremonies will be held at the NUS University Cultural Centre over a period of 14 days, from 9 to 22 July 2026. NUS Commencement 2026 will conclude with the Commencement Dinner, which will be held on Friday, 24 July 2026.

NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye said, “We are proud to present honorary degrees to Ms Kay Kuok and Professor Lim Pin who are well respected in their respective professional fields and beyond. They have contributed with great distinction to Singapore and the community, exemplifying exceptional vision in elevating standards beyond conventional benchmarks to create long-lasting, positive impact. NUS is particularly privileged to have benefitted from their leadership during their appointments with us, and we are delighted to celebrate their achievements today.”

Celebrating the achievements of the Class of 2026, Prof Tan said, “Our newly minted NUS graduates have shown resilience, curiosity and excellence. These qualities will shape their journeys ahead as they pursue their aspirations. I encourage every graduate to carry the spirit of service, innovation and integrity, and apply their talents to make a positive impact in their communities and professions. I am confident that they will build a brighter future for Singapore and the world.”

This year, 156 students will be graduating as the pioneer cohort of 9 new programmes:

·        Master of Science (Artificial Intelligence and Innovation)

·        Master of Computing (Artificial Intelligence)

·        Master of Clinical Mental Health and Psychotherapy

·        Master of Science (Infectious Disease Emergencies)

·        Master of Science (Medical Pharmacology)

·        Master of Science (Sustainable Healthcare)

·        Master of Science (Artificial Intelligence for Science)

·        Master of Science (Climate Change and Sustainability)

·        Master of Audio Arts and Sciences

2026 Honorary Doctor of Letters Recipient – Ms Kay Kuok Oon Kwong

Ms Kay Kuok Oon Kwong is a Director of Shangri-La Hotel Limited (Singapore). She also sits on the Boards of Kuok (Singapore) Limited and its various subsidiaries, and Venture Corporation Limited. Ms Kuok was previously Executive Chairman of Allgreen Properties Limited, Managing Director of Shangri-La Hotels (Malaysia) Berhad and Director of Kuok Brothers Sdn Bhd.

Ms Kuok has made notable contributions to education, tourism, healthcare, the arts and the environment, serving and also having chaired and served on several other educational and community service organisations, industry groups and government bodies, including Singapore Business Federation, The Council for Board Diversity, Singapore Hotels Association, Mindfull Community Limited, Singapore Institute of International Affairs, National Healthcare Group Pte Ltd, MOH Holdings Pte Ltd, Singapore Tourism Board, NUS Board of Trustees, Yale-NUS College Governing Board, National Arts Council, South West CDC, Singapore Environment Council, National Environment Agency, The Courage Fund Limited and Northlight School.

Ms Kuok has received the Distinguished Service Order, Meritorious Service Medal, the Public Service Star (BEM) and the Public Service Medal (PSM) from the President of Singapore in 2023, 2015, 2005 and 1998 respectively. The Singapore Tourism Board honoured her with its Inaugural Award for Lifetime Achievement for Outstanding Contribution to Tourism in 2009 and its Special Recognition Award in 2004.

Ms Kuok is an Advocate and Solicitor (Barrister-at-Law) from Gray’s Inn, London.

Please refer to Annexe 1 for the Citation for Ms Kuok.

2026 Honorary Doctor of Letters Recipient – Professor Lim Pin

Professor Lim Pin is University Professor and Professor of Medicine at NUS. He is also the longest-serving Vice-Chancellor at NUS and the first professor to be conferred NUS' highest academic appointment, University Professor.

A Queen's Scholar in 1957, Prof Lim trained in Queen’s College Cambridge and King’s College Hospital London before returning to Singapore to build a career that spanned clinical medicine, research, and higher education leadership.

He made foundational contributions in research on magnesium metabolism, renal disease, thyroid disorders, and diabetes, publishing his findings in The New England Journal of Medicine and the British Medical Journal, and elevating local biomedical research to the world stage.

Prof Lim served as NUS’ Head of Medicine, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and subsequently Vice-Chancellor in 1981. He created and strengthened a lasting research culture on campus, tying promotion to research output and championing interdisciplinary collaboration. At the end of his tenure as Vice Chancellor in 2000, NUS had a multi-million-dollar annual research budget and half a dozen research institutes. He also transformed the way students learned, introducing the small-group tutorial system, the semester module structure, and the internet on campus.

Beyond the university, Prof Lim's counsel has been widely sought on matters of national importance. He chaired the National Biotechnology Committee and the Bioethics Advisory Committee, among others, earning a reputation for rigour, integrity and balance across science, ethics and public policy. His achievements have also been recognised at the highest levels, both nationally and internationally, including receiving the Public Administration Medal (Gold) (PPA), Meritorious Service Medal (PJG) and Distinguished Service Order (DUBC) from the President of Singapore in 1984, 1990 and 2000 respectively.

Please refer to Annexe 2 for the Citation for Prof Lim.