NUS SUSTAINABLE
FUTURES FORUM
Accelerating Science Translation through
Public-Private-People-Partnership
The NUS Sustainable Futures Forum marks the launch of NUS Sustainable Futures, a whole-of-university effort to drive sustainability research and education and develop innovative solutions for climate challenges, particularly those impacting Asia. A partner event of Ecosperity Week 2025, the forum also features 4 panel discussions on exciting research topics, from emerging energy technologies and climate-resilient agriculture to sustainable urban solutions and capacity building.

6 May 2025
2 – 6 PM

Marina Bay Sands,
Level 4 Ballroom

This event is by invitation only

Event Details

  •    
    1330 hrs Registration
    Marina Bay Sands, Level 4 Ballroom
    1400 hrs Arrival of Guest of Honour
    Dr Amy Khor
    Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment and Ministry of Transport

    Welcome Address: Professor Koh Lian Pin
    Vice President and Chief Sustainability Scientist, National University of Singapore (NUS)


    Opening Address by Dr Amy Khor
    1415 hrs Launch of NUS Sustainable Futures
    Dr Amy Khor, Prof Koh Lian Pin, and Co-Directors/Heads of NUS Sustainable Futures, will be invited on stage to mark the launch of the new initiative.
    1420 hrs Panel Discussion 1: Advancing Grid Modernisation and Renewable Energy Integration for a Sustainable Future
    Focuses on modernising grid infrastructure, integrating distributed and renewable energy resources, leveraging new technologies and addressing regulatory, economic and social aspects, while emphasising the importance of cross-sector collaboration.

    More speakers to be confirmed at a later date
     

    Ms Kitty Bu

    Vice President, Southeast Asia, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP)

    Dr Chan Jhan Yhee

    Southeast Asia T&D Leader, Arup

    Prof Iain MacGill

    Centre for Energy and Environmental Markets, University of New South Wales, Sydney

    Dr Su Bin

    Senior Research Fellow and Division Head, Energy Studies Institute, National University of Singapore (NUS)

    Prof Lee Poh Seng (Moderator)

    Co-Director (NUS Energy Solutions Hub), NUS Sustainable Futures
    1510 hrs Panel Discussion 2: Transformational Changes for Climate-resilient Agriculture in Southeast Asia
    Discusses the key strategies to secure food production in Southeast Asia in the face of climate change, covering topics such as the potential of AI digital twins for modernisation, the generation of carbon credits from decarbonisation practices and the potential to secure Singapore’s food imports.

    Dr Lesly Goh

    University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Scientist, Senior Technology Advisor and Former CTO at World Bank Group

    Prof Kaiyu Guan

    Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

    Asst Prof Janice Lee

    Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University

    Dr Lim Yuan Liang

    Director of Technology, Office for Space Technology and Industry, Singapore Economic Development Board

    Asst Prof Remi Luo

    Department of Geography, National University of Singapore (NUS)

    Assoc Prof L. Roman Carrasco (Moderator)

    Co-Director (Initiatives for Climate, Oceans and Nature), NUS Sustainable Futures
    1600 hrs Tea Refreshment
    1620 hrs Panel Discussion 3: Capacity Building Track by NUS Sustainability Academy
    Focuses on efforts by NUS and its key partners’ roles in developing and delivering continuing education training programmes rooted in climate, conservation and sustainability science and actionable research to help workers chart meaningful career transitions and address critical policy and industry demands.

    More speakers to be confirmed at a later date
     

    Prof Lawrence Loh

    Director, Centre for Governance and Sustainability, National University of Singapore (NUS) Business Schoo

    Ms Melissa Low (Moderator)

    Head (NUS Sustainability Academy), NUS Sustainable Futures
    1705 hrs Panel Discussion 4: Inclusive Cities for a Sustainable Future: Community, Health and Social Capital
    Examines the intersection of social capital, microclimate and health impacts, particularly on vulnerable communities in urban settings, and explores how urban sustainability efforts can integrate climate adaption strategies with social resilience to improve well-being in cities.

    More speakers to be confirmed at a later date
     

    Assoc Prof Yuan Chao (Moderator)

    Co-Director (Integrative Urban Solutions), NUS Sustainable Futures
    1755 hrs Closing Remarks
  • 6 May 2025 | 2 – 6 PM 
    Marina Bay Sands, Level 4 Ballroom 
    For enquiries, please contact sustainability@nus.edu.sg 

Speakers

sms-amy-khor-2

Dr Amy Khor

Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment and Ministry of Transport

Dr Khor has been the Senior Minister of State at the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment since October 2015, when the Ministry was known as the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources. She has held appointments in various Ministries, including the Ministry of Health (2011-2020) and Manpower (2012-2015). She holds a PhD in Land Management from the University of Reading, UK.

LPK 2023-4

Professor Koh Lian Pin

Vice President and Chief Sustainability Scientist, National University of Singapore (NUS)

Prof Koh helms NUS’ sustainability agenda, bringing stakeholders together to enhance the climate resilience and sustainability of Singapore through system-level mitigation and adaptation solutions. He oversees sustainability-related research at NUS, tackling the twin planetary crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, through a whole-of-university strategy that bridges academia with policymakers, industry and civil society. He leads the NUS Sustainable Futures and is the Director of the NUS Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions. He is also the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple Professor of Conservation.

  • 20720593345

    Ms Kitty Bu

    Vice President, Southeast Asia, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP)

    Ms Bu leads GEAPP’s Asia team, driving investments in clean energy to support a just transition. With over a decade of experience in energy and agriculture system decarbonisation, she has worked at the intersection of business, policy, and finance. She co-founded Rocky Mountain Institute’s China practice, shaping energy transition strategies, and later worked at the European Climate Foundation on Asia’s renewable energy scaling. Most recently, she led market expansion for Impossible Foods in Asia.

    chan jhan yee

    Dr Chan Jhan Yhee

    Southeast Asia T&D Leader, Arup

    Dr Chan is Arup's Energy Transmission & Distribution (T&D) Technical Leader for its Australasia Region as well as its Energy Team Leader for Singapore. He specialises in energy advisory and infrastructure projects requiring extensive power systems modelling and electrical T&D design services.

    UNSW macgill bio st_2

    Assoc Prof Iain MacGill

    Centre for Energy and Environmental Markets, University of New South Wales, Sydney

    Assoc Prof McGill's teaching and research interests range from electricity industry restructuring and the Australian National Electricity Market, to sustainable energy generation technologies, distributed energy resources, energy efficiency options, energy and climate policy and environmental regulation.

    su-bin-20201211

    Dr Su Bin

    Senior Research Fellow and Division Head, Energy Studies Institute, National University of Singapore (NUS)

    Dr Su leads the energy modelling programme at the Energy Research Institute and is actively involved in energy modelling related projects commissioned by government agencies. His research interests include energy and environmental systems modelling and analysis.

    LPS

    Prof Lee Poh Seng (Moderator)

    Co-Director (NUS Energy Solutions Hub), NUS Sustainable Futures

    Prof Lee’s research interests include microfluidics and microscale heat transfer, high performance thermal management techniques (in particular microchannel single- and two-phase cooling) and hybrid solar energy harvesting systems. He is also the Head of the NUS Department of Mechanical Engineering.

  • Lesly_Goh_165x165

    Dr Lesly Goh

    University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Scientist, Senior Technology Advisor and Former CTO at World Bank Group

    Dr Goh is a distinguished international policy advisor working to leverage data and technology innovations in developing countries in AgTech, FinTech, and Digital Transformation in Government. In October 2023, she was a resident at The Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Centre where she designed an innovation ecosystem bringing multi-stakeholder partnerships for decarbonisation of agriculture. Her work explores how biodiversity benefits that could unlock a “triple win” — supporting human health, environmental sustainability, and economic resilience.

    86711919547

    Prof Kaiyu Guan

    Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

    Prof Guan's research uses satellite data, computational models, fieldwork, and machine learning approaches to address how climate and human practices affect crop productivity, water resource availability and ecosystem functioning, with a focus on solving real-life problems, such as crop monitoring and forecasting, water management and sustainability, and global food security.

    lee_ser_huay_janice_teresa_enhanced

    Asst Prof Janice Lee

    Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University

    Much of Asst Prof Lee's work focuses on the social and ecological consequences of human impacts on the environment, especially within Southeast Asia. Specifically, she is looking at the conservation and development challenges faced by commercial and small-scale agricultural expansion in the tropics.

    NUS2025 WEB DESIGN-16 copy 2

    Dr Lim Yuan Liang

    Director of Technology, Office for Space Technology and Industry, Singapore Economic Development Board

    Having previously made significant contributions to defense technology at Defence Science Organisation, Dr Lim's current role involves planning and developing technological initiatives that bolster Singapore's space industry, promoting innovation, and facilitating international partnerships.

    Remi_Luo_X-254x300_enhanced

    Asst Prof Remi Luo

    Department of Geography, National University of Singapore (NUS)

    A climate change ecologist, Asst Prof Luo examines the impacts of climate variability and long-term trend on terrestrial ecosystems. His research interest is in studying the dynamics of the terrestrial carbon cycle, using data from several networks of ecological observations, Earth System Models, remote sensing, and results from field experiments.

    Roman[76]

    Assoc Prof L. Roman Carrasco (Moderator)

    Co-Director (Initiatives for Climate, Oceans and Nature), NUS Sustainable Futures

    Assoc Prof Carrasco is the Deputy Head of the NUS Department of Biological Sciences. His research interest revolves around the reconciliation of biodiversity conservation, food security and economic development in the tropics including identifying the mechanisms for global market systems to internalise the true economic value of tropical forests.

  • Lawrence Loh3

    Prof Lawrence Loh

    Director, Centre for Governance and Sustainability, National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School

    Prof Loh leads key sustainability initiatives for Asia-Pacific, ASEAN and Singapore, including steering the Singapore Governance and Transparency Index and ASEAN Corporate Governance Scorecard. In the domain of Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) relevant for strategic management and sustainable finance, he has extensive professional engagements in the global and regional arenas.

    Melissa[24]

    Ms Melissa Low (Moderator)

    Head (NUS Sustainability Academy), NUS Sustainable Futures

    A Research Fellow at the NUS Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions, Ms Low's research focuses on the transformative promise of transparency reporting, particularly on how it can increase the level of governments and stakeholders in ensuring environmental integrity when they enhance their climate ambition.

  • yuanchao

    Assoc Prof Yuan Chao (Moderator)

    Co-Director (Integrative Urban Solutions), NUS Sustainable Futures

    Assoc Prof Yuan is an associate professor with tenure at the NUS Department of Architecture as well as the Principal Investigator of Urban Climate Design Lab in NUS. He currently leads a research team – in collaboration with MIT and ETH Zurich – to conduct several studies on urban climate and future resilience for high density cities. His teaching and research focus include urban wind environment, air pollution, anthropogenic heat, passive cooling technologies, and urban greenery.

Contact Us

This forum is by invitation only. If you are keen to attend, please email sustainability@nus.edu.sg.

For more information on NUS Sustainable Futures, click here.

In partnership with:

Ecosperity Week_2025_logo-vertical-color