University Awards
Recognising Excellence

Outstanding Service Award

I believe an education should build character, shape values and inspire students to serve society. That is the principle that has guided my life: 学以致用 (apply what you have learned).

I also believe in 饮水思源 (when drinking water, remember its source). We should always stay humble and grateful to those who have guided us along the way. With the right values, sense of purpose and gratitude, an NUS education can become a powerful force for a better future. ”
Mr Seah Moon Ming
 
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Current portfolio

  • Chairman, NUS High School of Mathematics and Science Board of Governors
  • Chairman, SMRT Corporation Ltd, SMRT Trains Ltd, SMRT TEL Pte Ltd, SMRT Buses Ltd, and Strides Holdings Ltd
  • Honorary President, Singapore Table Tennis Association and Global Cross-border Commerce Association
  • Patron, Kampung Senang Charity and Education Foundation Limited
  • Board Member, Honour (Singapore)

Awards and accolades

  • IES Lifetime Engineering Award, Institution of Engineers, Singapore (2023)
  • Meritorious Service Medal, National Day Awards (2022)
  • Medal of Commendation (Gold), May Day Awards (2020)
  • Oil Council's APAC Executive of the Year Award (2014)
  • Public Service Star, National Day Awards (2014)
  • NUS Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award (2011)
  • IES/IEEE Joint Medal of Excellence Award (2008)

Education

  • Stanford-NUS Executive Programme; Harvard Advanced Management Program
  • MSc (Naval Postgraduate School, USA)
  • BEng (National University of Singapore)

Lifetime achievements

An engineer by training and a veteran corporate and public sector leader, Mr Seah has spent over four decades steering major Singapore institutions in transport, defence, education, and energy, and has since 2021 focused on helping the next generation of leaders.

  • As Chairman of the Board of Governors of NUS High School of Mathematics and Science since October 2021, Mr Seah led the school's strategic review and set the direction for its Strategic Plan 2025–2029, further paving the way for interdisciplinary thinking and the integration of knowledge and practice.
  • Under his leadership and guidance, the school has established numerous partnerships with agencies and organisations in the engineering and energy industries, as well as the social services sector, to broaden students' authentic experiences and nurture pioneers, humanitarians, and innovators for the world.
  • Mr Seah also established the Seah Moon Ming Foundation, which contributes annually to bursaries and scholarships at NUS, NUS High School of Mathematics and Science, polytechnics, ITEs and art institutions. The foundation supports young talent, especially the next generation of engineers, and uplifts lower income families to achieve their goals.

Beyond NUS High School, Mr Seah has held senior leadership roles across Singapore's public transport, defence engineering, and public sector landscape.

  • As Chairman of SMRT Corporation Ltd and SMRT Trains Ltd since 2017, he led a cultural transformation of the organisation, introducing the Japanese Kaizen philosophy of continuous improvement, and oversaw significant improvements in the reliability of Singapore's two longest operating MRT lines.
  • He was previously Chairman of International Enterprise Singapore (2013–2018), Chairman of Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (2012–2020), and Chairman of Temasek Polytechnic (2006–2014). He also served as Deputy CEO and President (Defence) of Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd (2009–2013), Group CEO of Pavilion Energy (2013–2018), and Deputy Chairman of Ren Ci Hospital (2012–2013).
 Honour Roll Recipients