SINGAPORE – The Ngee Ann Kongsi has pledged up to $6 million to Duke-NUS Medical School to advance healthcare education and nurture the next generation of healthcare leaders and professionals.
The Teochew philanthropic organisation and the school signed a memorandum of understanding at the Ngee Ann Kongsi Members’ Gala Night on Monday.
The $6 million funding will be disbursed over six years in the Ngee Ann Kongsi Distinguished Scholars Programme.
Established in 2009, the programme supports Duke-NUS’ doctor of medicine students with scholarships and awards.
The programme will also be extended to clinical, nursing, and allied health professionals and educators from the Academic Medicine Education Institute under the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre.
Senior Minister of State for Finance Chee Hong Tat, who was guest of honour at the event, highlighted The Ngee Ann Kongsi’s contributions over the years.
It donated $37.7 million to charity in 2021, and $15 million in 2022 to give secondary school students free digital access to Lianhe Zaobao and other content for mother tongue language-learning.
Speaking in Mandarin, Mr Chee said these philanthropic efforts will help reduce inequality and build a more united society that can better face future challenges.
He urged members of the audience to donate and offer what they can to give back to society, and in so doing work with the Government to create a new social compact through the Forward Singapore exercise.
Forward Singapore, a year-long public consultation which aims to chart a road map for Singapore for the next decade, is expected to release a report on Friday.
Held at the Chui Huay Lim Club, Monday’s event was attended by more than 300 guests comprising members of The Ngee Ann Kongsi and 10 Teochew clans and associations, including Teochew Federation (Singapore), Teochew Poit Ip Huay Kuan, Teo Ann Huay Kuan and Singapore Kityang Huay Kwan.
Since the 1930s, The Ngee Ann Kongsi has been donating to various causes in Singapore in the areas of education, welfare and the arts. In the past two years, it has also been supporting healthcare education and research.
Dr Wu Chiaw Ching, president of The Ngee Ann Kongsi, highlighted the transformative power of education in bettering society.
“We are proud to join hands with Duke-NUS to support and nurture healthcare professionals across all health domains, empowering them in their education to enhance the quality of care and benefit society.”
Professor Thomas Coffman, dean of Duke-NUS, said the additional support will benefit a diverse community of healthcare professionals and educators in the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre.
“With this visionary partnership, we are poised to cultivate a cohort of versatile, forward-thinking medical practitioners and allied health experts, bolstering Singapore’s future healthcare landscape.”
