Yale-NUS appoints Joanne Roberts as its third president

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

The appointment will take effect on July 1 next year.

In a statement yesterday, the National University of Singapore (NUS) said the 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 Prof 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).

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 make 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.

NUS noted that since Prof Tan became president in July 2017, he has led the college through many challenges.

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 is looking 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.