DISTINGUISHED ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ALUMNI AWARD 2024
AWARD RECIPIENTSMr Tan Yam Pin (Economics '63)
Mr Tan Yam Pin graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Singapore in 1963 and was offered a Colombo Plan scholarship to do an MBA at the University of British Columbia.
After pursuing his MBA, he returned to Singapore to teach in the Department of Economics under the University of Singapore’s Faculty of Arts. He subsequently set up the Department of Business Administration, currently known as the NUS Business School, together with three other colleagues.
He taught for three years before leaving for Vancouver, Canada where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant. He returned to teach at the University for a year before he left to continue his career in the private sector.
Mr Tan built an illustrious career spanning 30 years in the corporate world – he headed the Cold Storage group of companies in Singapore and Malaysia, Fraser & Neave group of companies, including Centrepoint Properties Ltd, and the Asia Pacific Breweries Ltd group of companies across Asia.
Following his retirement in 2002, Mr Tan was appointed Non-Executive Chairman of Power Seraya Limited, Singapore (2004-2010) and Singapore Food Industries Ltd (2005-2010). He was also a Non-Executive Director of Great Eastern Holdings Limited (2005-2017), Keppel Land Limited Singapore (2003-2021) and Certis CISCO Security Pte Ltd (2005-2008).
Beyond Singapore’s shores, he was on the Board for BHP Steel Pty, later renamed BlueScope Steel Limited in Australia (2003-2013), The East Asiatic Company A/S Denmark (2003-2006), and Leighton Asia Limited, Hong Kong (2006-2015).
Despite his busy schedule, Mr Tan found time to connect with his alma mater, and served as a Council Member of the University of Singapore from 1986 to 1991.
ln 1990, he was appointed a member of the Singapore Public Service Commission. He continued to serve the Commission for the next 30 years (1990-2020) and as a Vice Chairman in the last 10 years of service.
Mr Tan was awarded The Public Service Star (BBM) in 1999 and The Public Service Star (Bar) in 2010.
Ms Suchen Christine Lim (English '72)
Suchen Christine Lim graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Singapore in 1972. Ten years later she returned to university as a mature student and graduated in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the National University of Singapore.
A highly accomplished author, Ms Lim is known for her critically acclaimed fiction that explore themes of cultural identity, the complexities of history, Singapore society’s diverse cultural and linguistic tensions. Set against significant historical events, her third novel, “Fistful of Colours”, explores ethnic identity, mixed race marriage, and artistic freedom. A multi-layered work, it was awarded the inaugural Singapore Literature Prize in 1992, and was chosen as one of “10 classic Singapore novels” by The Sunday Times.
Her writing career began in the 1980s with the publication of her debut novel, “Rice Bowl”, which established her as a significant voice in Singapore’s literary scene. Her subsequent works such as “A Bit Of Earth” and “The Lies That Built A Marriage” garnered similar critical acclaim. “The River’s Song”, launched during the Singapore Writers’ Fest 2013, and in New York, 2014, was featured in Kirkus Reviews (USA) as one of the “100 Best Books of 2015”. Her latest work, “Dearest Intimate”, about the brutality and tenderness of relationships in the world of Cantonese opera and life during the Japanese Occupation won critical praise.
In addition to being a writer, Ms Lim’s dedication to fostering the next generation of literary talent is evident in her commitment to mentorship, teaching, and providing platforms for young writers to showcase their work. She also served as a judge for the Commonwealth Literature Prize and was on the judging panels of many literary awards in Singapore.
Ms Lim was awarded the Fulbright Foundation Award to attend the University of Iowa’s International Writing Programme in 1996 and became the university’s international writer-in-residence in 2000. She had also held several writing residencies in Southeast Asia, the United Kingdom and Australia. She went on to win other prestigious arts awards such as the Southeast Asian Writers Award and was conferred the Cultural Medallion, Singapore’s most prestigious arts accolade in 2023.
Professor Paul Cheung (Sociology '76)
Professor Paul Cheung graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Singapore in 1976. After obtaining his PhD at the University of Michigan, he returned to teach in the Department of Social Work.
Throughout his career, Professor Cheung has made remarkable contributions to the field of geography and spatial analysis. In his role as Chief Statistician of the United Nations, he played a pivotal role in developing the global statistical system and establishing an inter-governmental platform on Global Geospatial Information Management (GGIM), which explores all issues on global geospatial information.
In the local scene, he served as the Chief Statistician of Singapore (1991-2004) and transformed Singapore’s national statistical system. The 2000 Singapore population census was the first in Asia to make full use of population and business registers and the Internet to collect data. As Director of the Population Planning Unit (1986-1994), he drafted the new population policy in 1986. The landmark pro-natalist population policy reversed the anti-natalist stop-at-two policy.
He now serves as the Director of the Asia Competitiveness Institute at the NUS Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, where he leads a team of researchers examining the socioeconomic development prospects of Asian countries.
Beyond his formal roles, Professor Cheung contributed significantly to the establishment of the Social Service Research Centre at FASS and is now involved in creating an Urban Observatory for Cities of Tomorrow at NUS Cities.
In recognition of his achievements for his work worldwide, Professor Cheung received many national and professional awards such as the Public Administration Medal (Gold) by the Government of Singapore and the Royal Order of Sahametrei (Grand Officer) by the Government of Cambodia.
Mr Bilahari Kausikan (Political Science '76)
Mr Bilahari Kausikan graduated with a Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) from the University of Singapore in 1976. He received a Fulbright Scholarship to pursue a PhD in international relations at Columbia University. He ultimately decided that a PhD was irrelevant as he did not want to teach, and completed his studies with a Master of Arts degree from Columbia University.
A diplomat for more than three decades, Mr Kausikan has been an influential voice in shaping Singapore’s positions on regional and international issues, including those related to Southeast Asia, ASEAN, China, and the United States. He is known for his pragmatic and assertive approach, which has earned him respect for his sharp analysis and strategic insights.
As a representative of Singapore, he is actively engaged in ASEAN forums, facilitating dialogue, cooperation, and conflict resolution among member states. His articles and speeches, which provide thought-provoking analyses of regional issues, have influenced policymakers and scholars alike.
During his 37 years in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Mr Kausikan served in a variety of appointments at home and abroad, including as Ambassador to the Russian Federation, Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York and notably, as the Permanent Secretary of the MFA from 2010 to 2013, where he played a key role in formulating and implementing Singapore’s foreign policy.
Following his retirement in 2013, he was Ambassador-at-Large from 2013 to 2018 and is currently Chairman of the Middle East Institute, an autonomous institute of the National University of Singapore.
In recognition of his outstanding contributions in the field of diplomacy, Mr Kausikan was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Gold) and the Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Meritorious Service Medal) by the Government of Singapore. He was also conferred the Order of Bernardo O’Higgins with the rank of Gran Cruz by the President of the Republic of Chile and the Oman Civil Merit Order by the Sultan of Oman.
