The Chancellery

General Information

The President of the Republic of Singapore is the Chancellor of the University. The Chancellor holds the authority to confer degrees and presides at Commencement when present. The Chancellor may appoint such persons to be Pro-Chancellors as s/he may consider proper. If for any reason the Chancellor is unable to exercise any of his functions, s/he may authorise any of the Pro-Chancellors to exercise those functions on his behalf. There are currently six Pro-Chancellors appointed by the Chancellor.

The Chancellor

President Halimah Yacob

Madam Halimah Yacob started her career with the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) in 1978. Throughout her 33 years of service, she served in various posts, including as NTUC Deputy Secretary General, Director of the Legal Services Dept, Director of the Women’s Development Secretariat, Director of the Singapore Institute of Labour Studies (now renamed as the Ong Teng Cheong Institute of Labour Studies) and Executive Secretary of the United Workers of Electrical and Electronic Industries.

Mdm Halimah also represented Singapore on the Governing Body of the Geneva-based International Labour Organisation for 12 years and was the first Singaporean to do so. She contributed in various capacities to formulate labour standards and strengthen their enforcement for workers worldwide. She also participated in various national level committees to review Singapore’s economy and job creation.

Mdm Halimah entered politics in 2001 upon her election as a Member of Parliament (MP) of the Jurong Group Representation Constituency (GRC). Her last and fourth term as an MP before she became President of Singapore was in the newly formed Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC. During her career as an MP, she was appointed Minister of State for the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports and was later appointed as the ninth Speaker of Parliament, the first woman to hold that office.

Apart from her official appointments, Mdm Halimah also served as patrons to a number of charitable and welfare organisations representing people with disabilities, disadvantaged families, women, and those with mental health issues.

For her passion in championing women’s causes, Mdm Halimah was awarded the Woman of the Year by Her World Magazine in 2003 and the Aware Heroine Award in 2011. She was also cited on the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame in 2014. Berita Harian, a Malay language newspaper, awarded her the Achiever of the Year in 2001.

Mdm Halimah stepped down as Speaker of the Singapore Parliament in August 2017 to contest in the Presidential Election and was sworn in as the 8th President of the Republic of Singapore on 14 September 2017, the first female President in Singapore’s history.

Mdm Halimah holds a Master of Laws degree from the National University of Singapore. In 2016, the university conferred on her an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree.

Pro-Chancellors

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Mr Gautam Banerjee

Mr Gautam Banerjee was appointed Pro-Chancellor of the University in 2019.

Mr Gautam Banerjee currently serves as Chairman of Blackstone Singapore.

Mr Banerjee was the Executive Chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Singapore for 9 years until his retirement on 31 December 2012. He was also the Chief Operating Officer for PwC Eastern Cluster, which includes China, Australia, Japan, Korea and South East Asia and a member of the global firm’s Strategy Council. Mr Banerjee was elected Executive Chairman of PwC Singapore in 2004, and served as the interim Chairman of PwC India in 2009/2010.

Mr Banerjee joined PwC Singapore in April 1982 after qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in London and was admitted to the partnership in July 1989. He has led various business units in the firm, including its largest business unit, the Assurance practice.

Mr Banerjee’s current roles include serving as Chairman of the Singapore Centre for Social Enterprise Ltd, a Term Trustee of Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA), and a member of the Defence Science & Technology Agency. He has also served on the Corporate Governance Council of the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Companies Act Reform Steering Committee.

Currently, he serves on the Boards of Singapore Airlines Limited, Singapore Telecommunications Limited, and GIC Private Limited.

Mr Banerjee was a Nominated Member of Parliament in Singapore from 2007 to 2009. He served as a member of the Economic Strategies Committee chaired by the Finance Minister of Singapore from 2009/2010. He was awarded the Public Service Medal by the Singapore Government in 2014.

Mr Banerjee is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and the Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Singapore. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in Accounting and Financial Analysis from the University of Warwick, United Kingdom, and was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) by the same university in 2014.

Mr Chan Sek Keong

Mr Chan Sek Keong was appointed Pro-Chancellor of the University in 2015.

Mr Chan Sek Keong graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Malaya in Singapore in 1961. From 1962 to 1986, he worked at several law firms in Malaya and Singapore and was also a partner in Messrs Shook Lin & Bok, Kuala Lumpur.

He was appointed as Singapore's first Judicial Commissioner in 1986 and was subsequently appointed as a Judge in 1988. He became the first locally-qualified Attorney-General in 1992 and served in that capacity until 2006 when he was appointed as the Chief Justice of Singapore, a position he held until he retired in November 2012. He was a Senior Judge of the Supreme Court from 5 January 2015 to 4 January 2018.

He was conferred the Distinguished Service Order (Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang) DUBC, Singapore in 1999 and (Darjah Utama Temasek) the Order of Temasek (2nd Class) in 2008.

He is an honorary Doctor of Laws of the National University of Singapore and the Singapore Management University. He was the first local law graduate to be elected Honorary Bencher of Lincoln's Inn in 2010. He joined the National University of Singapore's Faculty of Law as its first Distinguished Fellow in October 2014.

Mrs Theresa Foo

Mrs Theresa Foo was appointed Pro-Chancellor of the University in 2019.

Mrs Theresa Foo was the Founding Chairman of Singapore Business Federation Foundation where she worked closely with the business community to build an inclusive Singapore by encouraging, enabling and enhancing the contributions of business to the social, vocational and educational upliftment of Singaporeans in need of assistance.

Mrs Foo was also the founding Chairman of Gardens by The Bay where she was instrumental in establishing a high standard of Corporate Governance to ensure that, as a registered charity, the Gardens is run and managed soundly and judiciously.

Mrs Foo is a retired banker by profession, having had an illustrious banking career spanning over 40 years in the banking industry. She was Bank of America’s first female Vice President in Asia and later became the first female Chief Executive appointed by Standard Chartered in 1993. She was nominated as one of Euromoney’s Top 50 Women in Finance in 1997.

Concurrent to her banking career, Mrs Foo has been deeply involved with the Arts and Heritage in Singapore. She is the immediate past Chairman of Esplanade Co Ltd where she helped with the building and growth of the national arts venue for 17 years. For her dedication to the arts and heritage in Singapore, she was named Champion of the Arts in 2001 and presented with the Friends of MCCY Award by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth in 2015. She was also recognised for her contributions to the Singapore community when she received the Public Service Star Medal in 2008 and the Meritorious Service Medal in 2014.

Mrs Foo graduated from the Australian National University with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Professor S Jayakumar

Professor S Jayakumar was appointed Pro-Chancellor of the University in 2020.

Born in 1939, Professor S. Jayakumar was a Cabinet minister in Singapore for three decades (1981 – 2011), serving under three Singapore prime ministers, Lee Kuan Yew, Goh Chok Tong and Lee Hsien Loong. His portfolios included Foreign Affairs, Home Affairs, Law and Labour. He was also Coordinating Minister for National Security. He rose to become Deputy Prime Minister (2004) and Senior Minister (2009). He retired from politics in 2011. Before entering politics, he taught Law at the Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore (NUS), and was Dean of the Faculty (1974 – 1979). He also served as Permanent Representative to the United Nations (1971 – 1974).

Currently, he is Senior Legal Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. He is also Emeritus Professor and Pro-Chancellor of NUS.

He is married to Dr Lalitha Rajahram and they have a daughter, two sons and six grandchildren.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

The Order of Temasek (with High Distinction), awarded by the Singapore Government (2020)
The Public Service Star awarded by the Singapore Government (1980)
Honorary Member for Life and Fellow for Life, conferred by Singapore Academy of Law (2008)
The Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, awarded by the Government of Japan (2011)
Outstanding Service Award, conferred by the National University of Singapore (2014)
Honorary Member, conferred by the Law Society of Singapore (2007)

Mr Po’ad Bin Shaik Abu Bakar Mattar

Mr Po’ad Bin Shaik Abu Bakar Mattar was appointed Pro-Chancellor of the University in 2012.

Mr Po’ad Bin Shaik Abu Bakar Mattar graduated with a Bachelor of Accountancy from the University of Singapore and holds a Master in Management from the Asian Institute of Management (Makati, Philippines). He is also a Chartered Accountant registered with the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants.

Mr Po’ad Mattar was appointed as a Member of the Public Service Commission in 2004. Between 1990 and 2022, he had served as a director of several listed and non-listed companies, including MediaCorp TV Singapore Private Limited (formerly Television Corporation of Singapore), member of the Ngee Ann Polytechnic Council, member of the Public Utilities Board and director of its wholly-owned subsidiary, PUB Consultants Private Limited and member of the Council of Presidential Advisers. He has been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal (PJG), the Public Service Star (BBM), the Public Service Medal (PBM) and MUIS Distinguished Service Award.

Mr Teo Siong Seng

Mr Teo Siong Seng was appointed Pro-Chancellor of the University in 2019.

Mr Teo Siong Seng is the Executive Chairman of Pacific International Lines (Pte) Ltd, the largest container ship owners and operator in Southeast Asia.

Pacific International Lines (PIL) is ranked 12th among the world’s top container shipping lines, with a focus on China, Asia, Africa, Middle East, Latin America and Oceania.

Mr Teo is also the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PIL’s listed subsidiary, Singamas Container Holdings Ltd, Hongkong, a leading container manufacturer and logistic operator.

His other appointments are as following:

Immediate Past Chairman of the Singapore Business Federation (SBF)
Honorary President of Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Director, Business China
Honorary Consul of The United Republic of Tanzania in Singapore
Joint Chairman of the Africa South East Asia Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Independent non-executive Director of COSCO SHIPPING Holdings Co., Ltd. and COSCO
SHIPPING ENERGY TRANSPORTATION CO. LTD
Independent non-executive Director of Wilmar International Limited
Non-executive and non- independent Director of Keppel Corporation Limited

Mr Teo was also a Nominated Member of Parliament, Singapore from 2009 to 2014 representing the business sectors and Chinese Community.