SINGAPORE - Yale-NUS College professor Joanne Roberts has been appointed as the third president of the liberal arts institution.

The appointment will take effect on July 1, 2022.

In a statement on Monday (Nov 1), the National University of Singapore (NUS) said outgoing president, Professor Tan Tai Yong, will complete his full five-year term in June next year.

Yale-NUS' governing board unanimously voted to appoint Professor Roberts as Prof Tan's successor, NUS said on its website.

In 2017, Prof Roberts joined Yale-NUS as its inaugural associate dean of faculty (faculty development).

As the current executive vice-president of academic affairs, she oversees academic and student programming, admissions, financial aid, curriculum, research, experiential learning and student support.

On her appointment, the economist said: "I am excited to continue this good work, alongside our dedicated community members, to ensure the continued success of Yale-NUS and making sure its legacy continues beyond the end of my term."

The leadership transition comes after NUS declared in August that the college will stop accepting new students and has plans to merge with the University Scholars Programme (USP) by August next year to form the New College - a placeholder name for now.

Many Yale-NUS students, parents and faculty slammed the shock announcement in the following months, with the affair coming under Parliament scrutiny in September.

Yale-NUS' final cohort of students will graduate in 2025.

Prof Roberts has served as president of the Canadian Women Economists Network, and has taught at the University of Toronto and the University of Calgary, said Yale-NUS in a separate statement.

Madam Kay Kuok, chairman of the Yale-NUS governing board, thanked Prof Roberts for accepting the appointment.

"We are confident that she will capably lead the college during the next three years, ensuring that we provide the Yale-NUS experience to all our students and making sure that Yale-NUS is supported in the transitional years ahead," said Madam Kuok.

Moving forward, Prof Tan will continue to chair the Faculty Appointments Working Group to oversee the career growth and development of Yale-NUS faculty, including its future transition to NUS.

NUS noted that since Prof Tan became president in July 2017, he has led the college through many challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic, and steered the college with "a steady hand" through the announcement of the merger.

Prof Tan, who is the college's second president, had been chosen in March 2017 after an extensive global search which took seven months and considered 80 to 100 initial candidates.

The eminent historian, who also teaches at the college, said: "My work with Yale-NUS College in the past decade has been extremely fulfilling - from recruiting inaugural Yale-NUS faculty and shaping the signature academic programme of the college, to working with remarkable colleagues and students who embody the Yale-NUS ethos and spirit."

Separately, Prof Roberts is chairing the Common Curriculum Working Group, which looks into bringing together the Yale-NUS and USP education models to form the foundation of the New College.

Responding to queries from The Straits Times, a Yale-NUS spokesman said Prof Roberts' term as the third president of the college will end on June 30, 2025.