SINGAPORE - Mr Richard Eu, chairman of the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) board of trustees, will be stepping down on June 30. He will be appointed its first pro-chancellor next month, the university said on Tuesday (June 15).
Mr Eu will be succeeded as chairman by Mrs Mildred Tan, chairman of the Tote Board. She is also a member of the Council of Presidential Advisers.
Mr Eu, who is chairman of Eu Yan Sang International, played a key role in SUSS' transformation to becoming Singapore's sixth autonomous university in 2017.
He was appointed chairman of SIM University's (UniSIM) board of trustees in September 2015 and continued to serve as chairman when UniSIM was restructured into SUSS.
During his tenure as chairman, SUSS grew from four schools to five, and increased its academic programme offerings from 50 to more than 80, serving 19,500 students. He also oversaw the commencement of Singapore's third law school at SUSS in 2017.
Mr Eu said: "As SUSS embarks on its next phase of growth amidst social and economic challenges in a rapidly changing world, I am heartened to entrust the baton into the capable hands of Mildred, who will build on SUSS' strong foundations of lifelong and applied learning, and advance our mission to equip learners to serve society."
Commending Mr Eu's contributions to the university, Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing said: "Richard has contributed much to the advancement of Singapore's education system by establishing SUSS as an autonomous university with a strong focus on lifelong learning and the social sciences.
"This has created more educational opportunities for students, especially adult learners, to fulfil their aspirations and meet the evolving needs of our country."
Mrs Tan thanked Mr Eu for his leadership and noted the impact of the pandemic on staff and students at the university.
She said: "We have seen dramatic changes of moving our programmes and courses online, and many have had to adjust to the new normal. These dramatic changes, our adaptability and resilience auger well at SUSS as we begin to see our future in the new horizon and what it holds for us."
Mrs Tan was the managing director with Ernst & Young Advisory from 2002 to mid-2018, where she was responsible for the business advisory portfolio. She joined the SUSS board of trustees last year.
SUSS president Cheong Hee Kiat said the university was excited to welcome Mrs Tan to chair the board and looked forward to working with Mr Eu as pro-chancellor.
He said: "SUSS will benefit from (Mrs Tan's) extensive experience and insights as we continue to pursue our vision to be a leading university for social good as part of our new strategic direction.
"We also want to express our deep appreciation to Richard for his significant contributions during his appointment as chairman of the SUSS board of trustees. He has provided invaluable strategic counsel to the university during its developmental years and laid the foundation for its strategic focus in the next five to 10 years."
