University Awards

Outstanding Service Award

In an era of rapid technological changes and greater ambiguity, it is all the more important for us all to stay curious and learn actively, so that our knowledge and insights are regularly refreshed. I continually challenge myself to be open to fresh ideas and learn new capabilities, so as to create new value. NUS is an immensely important institution that encourages exploration of new ideas, and creates new solutions to improve people’s lives. I am grateful for the many opportunities that NUS has given me to meet some of the best minds in the world, where the stimulating discussions have so often sparked off fresh insights. ” Ms YONG Ying-I
MBA (Harvard University)
MA (University of Cambridge)
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Current Portfolio

  • Permanent Secretary (Communications and Information), Ministry of Communications and Information
  • Permanent Secretary (Cybersecurity), Prime Minister’s Office
  • Chairman, SG-Innovate
  • Member, Board of the Singapore Symphony Group; and Singapore China Foundation

Lifetime Achievements

  • An economist by training, Ms Yong joined the Administrative Service in 1985 and served in the Ministries of Finance, Trade and Industry, Home Affairs, and Communications & IT before her appointment as Principal Private Secretary to then Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in 1997
  • She also served as founding Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the former Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) from 1999 to 2001 and Deputy Chairman from 2003 to 2007 and then IDA Chairman from 2007 to 2015
  • Ms Yong was appointed Permanent Secretary (Manpower) in 2002; Permanent Secretary (Health) in 2005; Permanent Secretary (National Research and Development) in 2011; and Permanent Secretary (Public Service Division) in 2012. She took on her current appointments in April 2019

Service to Nation and International Community

  • As CEO of IDA, Ms Yong oversaw the liberalisation of Singapore’s telecommunications market in 2000, as well as the national fibre broadband rollout in 2010
  • As Permanent Secretary (Health), Ms Yong organised the public sector healthcare ecosystem’s participation in a significant way in our national biomedical sciences research and innovation efforts, including the restructuring of our two leading tertiary hospitals into academic medical centres
  • Under Ms Yong’s leadership at the National Research Foundation (NRF), NUS grew its research capabilities significantly:

    The CorpLab@University programme was set up to establish joint R&D laboratories by industry with our universities. This helped NUS to strengthen partnerships with key industry players through the Keppel-NUS Corporate Laboratory, NUS-Singtel Cyber Security R&D Lab, WIL@NUS Corporate Laboratory and the Imaging Biomarker Development Lab, a collaboration between Duke-NUS Medical School and ImaginAb Inc, among others

    Two research centres were also set up through NRF’s Medium-Sized Centre funding scheme to consolidate research activities across universities, one of which is the Centre for Advanced 2D Materials at NUS

  • Ms Yong also played an instrumental role in the creation of AI Singapore or AI.SG, the national research and innovation programme for Artificial Intelligence launched in 2017. Led by NUS, AI.SG creates opportunities for research, innovation and talent development with schools, universities, research institutions and industry. These include AI programmes to tackle national Grand Challenges
  • She was founding Chairman of the Workforce Development Agency from 2003 to 2005, and also chaired the Civil Service College from 2012 to 2019

Awards and Accolades

  • Medal of Commendation Award, NTUC (2015)
  • Inducted into the Hall of Fame, IT Leaders Award (2014)
  • Public Administration Medal (Gold) (2005)
 Honour Roll Recipients