Tan Chorh Chuan

Tan Chorh Chuan (Chinese: 陈祝全; pinyin: Chén Zhùquán) is a former President of the National University of Singapore (NUS), serving from December 2008 to December 2017. Tan is currently a University Professor at the National University of Singapore. Tan was recognised for his leadership contributions to overcoming the Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic in 2003, while serving as the Director of Medical Services in Ministry of Health (MOH) from 2000 to 2004. Since January 2018, he has been the Chief Health Scientist at MOH and Executive Director of MOH's new Office for Healthcare Transformation, driving transformation of Singapore's healthcare system.

Tan Chorh Chuan
Tan Chorh-Chuan at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in 2013
2nd President of the
National University of Singapore
In office
December 1, 2008 – December 31, 2017
Preceded byShih Choon Fong
Succeeded byTan Eng Chye
Personal details
Born1959 (age 61–62)
Singapore
ResidenceSingapore
Alma materNational University of Singapore
ProfessionProfessor of Medicine
Scientific career
FieldsMedicine
InstitutionsNational University of Singapore
ThesisRegulation of erythropoietin messenger RNA (1992)

In this Chinese name, the family name is Tan.

Early life and education

Born into a family of nine children,[1] Tan studied in Catholic Junior College,[2] before graduating from the NUS's Faculty of Medicine in 1983 on a scholarship from Public Service Commission (Singapore).[3] Tan completed his PhD in 1992 with a dissertation entitled "Regulation of erythropoietin messenger RNA".[4]

Career

Upon graduation in 1983, Tan started his medical career as a renal physician. From 1987, he took on concurrent hospital and academic roles beginning as a faculty member with the Department of Medicine at NUS and Registrar, Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine at National University Hospital (NUH). In 1997, he became a Senior Consultant with the Division of Nephrology at NUH, and in 1999, a Professor of Medicine with NUS. He was the Chief and Head of the Department of Medicine at both NUS and NUH from 1997 to 1998. Subsequently, he became the Dean of Faculty of Medicine, NUS and also Chairman of the NUH Medical Board from 1997 to 2000.[5]

Tan was appointed as the Director of Medical Services at MOH from 2000 to 2004.[6] During his tenure, he led the public health response to SARS in 2003.[7]

Tan served as the NUS's Provost and Deputy President between 2004 and 2007 and then as Senior Deputy President before assuming the appointment of President from December 2008 to December 2017.[8][9] In 2005, he helped established the Duke–NUS Medical School, Singapore's first US-style graduate-entry medical school, serving as the Deputy Chairman of the School's governing body,[6] then as a senior advisor to the body.[10] Tan was also responsible for setting up, in partnership with Yale University, the Yale-NUS College, Singapore's first liberal arts college.[11][12] In 2008, Tan served as the chief executive for the National University Health System, bringing the various academic health institutions such as Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, and health institutions such as National University Hospital under an unified governance.[6][13]

Tan also served on Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research's (A*STAR) board as a deputy chairman from 2004 to 2017.[14][15] As of 2018, he was also the chairman of A*STAR's Committee of Government Scientific Advisors.[lower-alpha 1]

Since January 2018, he has been the Chief Health Scientist at MOH and Executive Director of its new Office for Healthcare Transformation, formed in 2018 to help accelerate, drive and contribute to the transformation of Singapore's healthcare system.[15]

Awards and honours

Tan was awarded Bintang Bakti Masyarakat (Public Service Star) for his contributions to overcoming the SARS epidemic in 2003, and Pingat Pentadbiran Awam (Emas) (Public Administration Gold Medal) for his directorship tenure at MOH in 2004.[6] He was awarded the National Science and Technology Medal in 2008.[17] In 2015, he was awarded Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Meritorious Service Medal) for his role as the President of NUS.[18] In 2018, Tan was awarded NUS' highest academic appointment of University Professor.[6]

Tan was elected to be an international member of the USA National Academy of Medicine in 2015.[19][20] Tan chaired World Economic Forum's Global University Leaders Forum from 2014 to 2016.[21][22]

Tan also received several honorary doctorates from:

  • Loughborough University UK (2009)[23]
  • Duke University USA (2011)[24]
  • King's College London UK (2012)[25]

Personal life

He is married to Dr Evelyn Lee, a consultant anaesthetist.[9]

Notes
  1. Taking the archived reference's last updated date, 27 November 2018 as the year he was appointed.[16]

References
  1. Tan, Rebecca (25 May 2016). "A Steady Hand At The Helm Read". Asian Scientist. Archived from the original on 26 May 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  2. "Prof Tan Chorh Chuan (Class of 1977) lauded for exceptional contributions to Singapore and global community". cjc.moe.edu.sg. Archived from the original on 16 February 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  3. Wong, John (November 2014). "Citation for Prof Tan Chorh Chuan" (PDF). SMA News. pp. 8–9. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  4. Tan, Chorh Chuan (1992). Regulation of Erythropoietin Messenger RNA. National University of Singapore. Archived from the original on 13 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  5. "Professor Tan Chorh Chuan". Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  6. hermesauto (5 January 2018). "NUS honours Prof Tan Chorh Chuan with University Professor title". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 13 February 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  7. Chee, Yam Cheng (August 2003). "SARS and MOH (Part 6)" (PDF). SMA News. pp. 7–17. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 December 2010. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  8. Frois, Cheryl (1 December 2008). "Prof Tan Chorh Chuan is new NUS President". Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  9. hermes (2 October 2017). "Interview with NUS president: NUS 'always looking for new ways of learning, teaching'". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 13 February 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  10. "NUS - National University of Singapore - Management - Professor TAN Chorh Chuan". Archived from the original on 24 February 2011. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  11. Koh, Fabian (18 October 2018). "NUS starts new endowed fund in honour of former president Tan Chorh Chuan". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 19 February 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  12. Fischer, Karin (6 May 2012). "What's in a Name? For Yale in Singapore, A Whole Lot". The Chronicle of Higher Education. Archived from the original on 1 November 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  13. "History of NUHS and its constituent entities". Archived from the original on 12 February 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  14. "Board changes at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)". A*STAR. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  15. "MOH | News Highlights". www.moh.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 16 February 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  16. "National Research Foundation (NRF) Board". www.nrf.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 27 December 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  17. "Tan Chorh Chuan To Lead Singapore's Healthcare Transformation". 5 September 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  18. "Public service commendation". NUS News. Archived from the original on 13 February 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  19. "NUS president Tan Chorh Chuan first Singaporean elected to the National Academy of Medicine". 19 October 2015. Archived from the original on 15 August 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  20. "NAM Elects 80 New Members, 2015". 19 October 2015. Archived from the original on 15 August 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  21. Secretariat, National Academy of Medicine; Future, Commission on a Global Health Risk Framework for the (16 June 2016). The Neglected Dimension of Global Security: A Framework to Counter Infectious Disease Crises. National Academies Press. pp. 125–126. ISBN 978-0-309-39093-4.
  22. "Tan Chorh Chuan". The George Institute for Global Health. Archived from the original on 16 September 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  23. "Lougborough University Honorary Doctorates 2009". Archived from the original on 15 August 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  24. "Tan Chorh Chuan receives honorary Doctor of Science at Duke University, 2011". Archived from the original on 15 August 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  25. "King's awards honorary degree to President of National University of Singapore, 2012". Archived from the original on 15 August 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
Academic offices
Preceded by
Shih Choon Fong		 President of National University of Singapore
December 1, 2008 - December 31, 2017		 Succeeded by
Tan Eng Chye
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