This article is from NUS News. Full credit to the original source.

First row (from left to right): NUS President Prof Tan Eng Chye; NUS Pro-Chancellor Mrs Theresa Foo; NUS Chairman Mr Hsieh Fu Hua; and NUS Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost Prof Aaron Thean. Back row (from left to right): Assoc Prof Peter Alan Todd; Prof Yan Ning; Mr Liew Mun Leong; Prof Cheong Koon Hean; Prof Liu Xiaogang; Assoc Prof Damith Chatura Rajapakse; and Asst Prof Hou Yi.

NUS paid tribute to seven outstanding educators, researchers and professionals for their contributions to the University, Singapore and the global community at the NUS University Awards 2025. The annual Awards recognise members of the NUS community who are trailblazers in their fields and have made sterling contributions to NUS, Singapore, and the global community.

Speaking at the awards ceremony held at the University Cultural Centre on 12 September 2025, NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye highlighted the significance of this year’s awards, noting that 2025 marks NUS’ 120th anniversary. He thanked all award winners for their contributions and commitment towards building NUS into what it is today. 

Acknowledging the central role of AI in shaping the future, Prof Tan emphasised that as a forward-looking university, NUS must not remain on the sidelines while others build capabilities, innovate and ride the AI wave. To this end, NUS is mounting a robust and comprehensive approach to AI that spans its core mission areas of education, research, innovation and enterprise, as well as administration. “We will stay ahead, empower and uplift the whole organisation to fully leverage on AI in all that we do. We are striving forward, with AI and through AI, towards our vision to be a leading global university, shaping the future,” he added.

Top accolade – Outstanding Service Award

This year, the prestigious Outstanding Service Award was conferred on Professor Cheong Koon Hean, Rector of NUS College and Chairman of the Centre for Liveable Cities Advisory Panel under the Ministry of National Development; and Mr Liew Mun Leong, CEO of Gelephu Mindfulness City and Founder and Principal Consultant of Building People Consultancy Pte Ltd., in recognition of their inspiring leadership and dedicated service. Both are accomplished individuals who have made sustained contributions in selflessly serving the University and society.

Professor Cheong Koon Hean

A globally recognised urban planner and architect, Prof Cheong is instrumental in shaping Singapore’s urban form across multiple decades, from strategic land use and heritage conservation to sustainable public housing and smart‑town innovation.

As former CEO of both the Urban Redevelopment Authority and the Housing & Development Board, she redefined the standards of city-making—spearheading transformative plans for Marina Bay and introducing new generations of public housing marked by inclusivity, biophilia and smart technologies.

As a member of the NUS Board of Trustees for 12 years and now the Rector of NUS College, Prof Cheong bridges academia with public policy through her extensive experience in public service. She has also served on the advisory committees of the former NUS School of Design and Engineering, and NUS Faculty of Engineering.

Currently Chairman of the Centre for Liveable Cities Advisory Panel and the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities, Prof Cheong continues to influence national and international agendas on urban innovation and sustainability. She also advances global urban sustainability through her many advisory and leadership roles with institutes such as the International Federation for Housing and Planning, the Urban Land Institute, and the World Economic Forum’s Real Estate and Urbanisation Council.

Delivering the citation for Prof Cheong’s conferment, Professor Simon Chesterman, NUS Vice Provost (Educational Innovation) and Dean of NUS College said, “Professor Cheong is a stateswoman of city planning and a champion of public service. Her leadership exemplifies the integration of academic excellence, policy insight and civic responsibility.”

On her motivation to serve, Prof Cheong shared, “One of the greatest rewards in serving NUS is to see it grow from strength to strength. My wish is for NUS to not only achieve world-class academic excellence, but to also be the catalyst that encourages curiosity, innovation and risk-taking, nurturing young hearts and minds to think beyond grades and self, aspiring to make a better world.”

Watch this inspiring video on Prof Cheong’s dedicated contributions towards the University and society.

A community coming together to celebrate excellence (from left to right): Prof Teo Kie Leong; Prof Tan Eng Chye; Mr Liew Mun Leong; Mrs Theresa Foo; Prof Cheong Koon Hean; Mr Hsieh Fu Hua; Prof Aaron Thean and Prof Simon Chesterman.

Mr Liew Mun Leong

The veteran corporate leader’s five-decade career is marked by many valuable contributions to both public infrastructure and private enterprise. Contributing to Singapore’s journey towards becoming a key transportation hub, Mr Liew played a pivotal role in the corporatisation of Changi Airport. He also provided strategic leadership across major infrastructure projects, including Terminal 4, Jewel Changi Airport and Changi East.

In the private sector over a span of 32 years, he led as CEO and was an active board member of several significant companies, many of which were publicly listed. These include CapitaLand, Capital Mall Trust (the first REIT in Singapore) and the Singapore Exchange. He also chaired the boards of Capital Mall Asia, Changi Airport Group, Surbana Jurong Consultancy Holding and Pavilion Gas.

Throughout his extensive career, Mr Liew has shared his expertise in engineering, strategic management and infrastructure development on various boards and panels. In 2024, he was appointed by Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck as CEO of Gelephu Mindfulness City, a special administrative region envisioned as a vibrant economic hub within Bhutan.

An NUS alumnus, Mr Liew was Provost’s Chair Professor (Practice) at the NUS Business School, Faculty of Engineering, and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. He also provided expertise on various boards within NUS, including NUS Business School’s management advisory board and NUS School of Continuing and Lifelong Education’s inaugural industry advisory board, where he fostered collaborations between academia and industry. Mr Liew was also the Rector of Ridge View Residential College, where he provided mentorship to students.

Delivering the citation for Mr Liew’s conferment, Professor Teo Kie Leong, Dean of the College of Design and Engineering at NUS, lauded his visionary leadership and dedicated services to Singapore, as well as NUS, “Mr Liew’s impact is felt both nationally and internationally, spanning the fields of engineering, infrastructure development, business and public service.”

Sharing his aspirations for the University, Mr Liew said, “Having served as Practice Chair Professor (pro-bono) across Business, Public Policy, and Engineering in NUS, I encourage the university to deepen its engagement and foster stronger collaboration between academia and industry. A university’s ultimate measure lies not only in education but in the practical application of knowledge—preparing graduates to innovate, lead and deliver impactful solutions to real-world challenges.

Watch this inspiring video on Mr Liew’s dedicated contributions towards the University and society.

The honour roll

The NUS University Awards 2025 also recognised the accomplishments of five outstanding educators and researchers.

University Research Recognition Award

Professor Liu Xiaogang, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, and the Department of Surgery, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, was recognised for his groundbreaking research that has placed NUS at the forefront of his area of expertise.  

A global leader in nanophotonics and bioimaging, Prof Liu has made transformative contributions to the development of advanced X-ray imaging and optical sensing technologies. His work on all-inorganic perovskite nanoscintillators and high-resolution X-ray luminescence extension imaging has redefined deep-tissue visualisation. This remarkable research has enabled breakthroughs in diagnostics, radiotherapy monitoring and multi-spectral imaging.

Young Researcher Award

Assistant Professor Hou Yi from the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, College of Design and Engineering; and Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore was commended for conducting groundbreaking research with the potential to extend the frontiers of knowledge in his field.

A Presidential Young Professor, Asst Prof Hou has made sterling contributions to the field of renewable energy, particularly in perovskite solar cell technology. He has received global acknowledgement for his work, including his inclusion in the MIT Innovators Under 35 list for the Asia-Pacific region. His recognition as a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher in the Cross-Field category from 2022 to 2024 further highlights his exceptional impact on his field.

Outstanding Graduate Mentor Award

Professor Yan Ning from the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, was honoured for his excellent and committed mentorship in nurturing the next generation of scholars and thought leaders.

Prof Yan is one of the world’s foremost names in the broad area of catalysis, particularly in the conversion of waste biomass feedstocks into valuable molecules such as amino acids and fuels. Under his guidance, his students have made many impactful research contributions, won prestigious awards at various international scientific competitions, and flourished in diverse and illustrious careers as academics, industry practitioners, and even entrepreneurs.

Outstanding Educator Award

Two faculty members were acknowledged for being exemplary educators who have excelled in engaging and inspiring students in their quest for knowledge:

1) Associate Professor Damith Chatura Rajapakse from the Department of Computer Science, School of Computing

Assoc Prof Rajapakse is a teacher who inspires, a mentor who empowers, and an innovator whose influence is felt far beyond the campus. His teaching evaluations consistently soar above School and Department averages, and his students regularly nominate him for best teaching in every course he conducts. A trailblazer in educational technology, Assoc Prof Rajapakse also has a flagship innovation known as TEAMMATES, a peer-evaluation platform now used by over a million users across more than 1,500 institutions worldwide, which has significantly enhanced collaborative learning.

2) Associate Professor Peter Alan Todd from the Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science; and Tropical Marine Science Institute

An experimental marine ecologist who focuses on organism-environment interactions in nearshore waters, Assoc Prof Todd’s teaching philosophy is “learning by doing science”. He employs problem-based learning to inspire creative thinking and designs authentic assignments that challenge students to use high-level cognitive skills. His courses are designed to encourage knowledge synthesis where students get to produce “ready-for-submission” scientific papers. Over 50 journal papers by undergraduate students as first authors have been published with his guidance.

Read more about the NUS University Awards recipients here and the NUS press release here.