Shih Choon Fong is University Professor at NUS and Senior Advisor to the President of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS). He holds an MS and PhD from Harvard University and a diploma in Engineering from Singapore Polytechnic.

As NUS President (2000-2008), Professor Shih championed bold educational innovation, most notably founding NUS Enterprise and the groundbreaking NUS Overseas Colleges (NOC) program. Against initial skepticism, he pioneered this radical initiative to immerse Singaporean students in Silicon Valley's entrepreneurial ecosystem, believing in their potential to become resourceful, globally-minded innovators. His visionary leadership helped transform NUS's academic culture and inspired generations of entrepreneurs.

Professor Shih later served as Founding President of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST, 2008-2013). A globally sought-after leader in higher education, he has advised institutions including MIT, Stanford University, Peking University, and SUSTech, among others.

His distinguished career has been recognized with honors such as the French Légion d'Honneur (2005), the Chinese Academy of Sciences Medal of Honor (2019), and Harvard's Centennial Medal (2018) for his contributions to research and academic leadership. He has also received honorary doctorates from Brown, Waseda, and Loughborough Universities.

In Singapore, Professor Shih has contributed to national strategy as a member of key committees, including the Economic Review Committee chaired by then-DPM Lee Hsien Loong.

Chew Kheng Chuan, (KC), is a respected leader in philanthropy, education, and the arts, known for his principled commitment to social progress. A proud Peranakan with deep roots in Singapore—his great-grandfather was the pioneering immigrant Chew Boon Lay, after whom the Boon Lay neighborhood is named—he has dedicated his career to advancing culture, education, and civic participation.

The first Singaporean admitted to Harvard College, where he graduated cum laude in Social Studies, Chew later became one of Asia’s most accomplished fundraisers. As Vice President of Endowment & Institutional Development at NUS (2003–2008), he secured over 1.5billion—quadrupling the university’s previous fundraising efforts.

At NTU (2009–2012), he facilitated Singapore’s largest−ever private education donation, which, with government matching, totaled nearly SS$ 1.5 billion—quadrupling the university’s previous fundraising efforts.

A lifelong advocate for the arts, he chaired The Substation for two decades (2000–2021), nurturing Singapore’s independent arts scene, and remains a board member of the Intercultural Theatre Institute, founded by Kuo Pao Kun. His leadership extends to Harvard alumni networks, where he has interviewed Singaporean applicants since 1983 and served as president of the Harvard Club of Singapore (2015–2020).

Chew’s intellectual contributions include co-editing A Shift in the Wind (2023) and chronicling his family’s legacy in Chew Boon Lay: A Family Traces Its History. His writings on Chinese philanthropy reflect his belief in civic engagement and social betterment—values that have guided his decades of quiet but impactful service.