Celebrating 120 years of NUS Medicine and NUS
Published: 05 Jul 2025
Left to right: (1) Mr Muhammet Furkan Ilaslan, NUS Graduate Student Society President (2) Prof Chong Yap Seng, Dean, NUS Medicine (3) Prof Tan Eng Chye, NUS President (4) Dr Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State for Manpower and Health (5) Mr Goh Chok Tong, Emeritus Senior Minister (6) Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Foreign Affairs (7) Mr Hsieh Fu Hua, NUS Chairman (8) Mr Sean Pang Kai Xiong, NUS Student Union President (9) Mr Seah Cheng San, NUS Alumni Advisory Board Co-Chairperson (10) Ms Ovidia Lim-Rajaram, NUS Chief Alumni Officer
On 3 July 2025, the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS Medicine) celebrated a historic milestone of 120 years of excellence in education, research, and service at the NUS120 Gala Dinner, held at the Sands Grand Ballroom, Marina Bay Sands Expo.
The gala brought together faculty, staff, students, alumni, and distinguished guests in a momentous celebration of NUS and NUS Medicine’s shared legacy of shaping generations of leaders, innovators, and healthcare professionals in Singapore and beyond.
Dance performance by NUS Dance Blast! group
The evening commenced with a dynamic dance performance by NUS Dance Blast!, setting a festive tone for the night. This was followed by a series of welcome and congratulatory remarks by Ms Ovidia Lim-Rajaram, NUS Chief Alumni Officer, Professor Chong Yap Seng, Lien Ying Chow Professor in Medicine, Dean of the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, and Deputy Chief Executive (Education & Research), National University Health System, Professor Tan Eng Chye, President of NUS and our Guest-of-Honour Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Opening remarks by Ms Ovidia Lim-Rajaram, NUS Chief Alumni Officer
Remarks by Prof Chong Yap Seng, Dean, NUS Medicine
Speech by Prof Tan Eng Chye, NUS President
Address by Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Singapore.
A highlight of the evening was the celebratory cake-cutting for various NUS schools and colleges marking significant anniversaries. Represented by a total of 9 cakes, they were:
- NUS High School – 20th anniversary
- Kent Ridge Hall – 45th anniversary
- NUS Business School – 60th anniversary
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine – 120th anniversary
- NUS120 – 120th anniversary
- College of Design and Engineering – Engineering – 70th anniversary
- NUS Computing – 50th anniversary
- Duke-NUS Medical School – 20th anniversary
- Tembusu College – 15th anniversary
Celebratory cake-cutting ceremony (Left to right): (1) Dr Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State for Manpower and Health (2) Prof Chong Yap Seng, Dean, NUS Medicine (3) Mr Hsieh Fu Hua, NUS Chairman (4) Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Foreign Affairs (5) Mr Goh Chok Tong, Emeritus Senior Minister (6) Prof Tan Eng Chye, NUS President (7) Mr Sean Pang Kai Xiong, NUS Student Union President (8) Ms Ovidia Lim-Rajaram, NUS Chief Alumni Officer
The evening concluded with a soulful student-alumni performance by The Jazzlings, underscoring the spirit of community and intergenerational connection that defines the NUS family.
Band performance by The Jazzlings
More than a commemoration of history, the NUS120 Gala Dinner reaffirmed a collective commitment to shaping the future, nurture the next generation of leaders, advance frontiers of knowledge, and serve the society for generations to come. Learn more about NUS Medicine’s history and inspirational people here.
