Adelaide graduate is Singapore President

Alumni

University of Adelaide graduate Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam has been elected President of the Republic of Singapore.

The President is Singapore's head of state and has been popularly elected since 1993. Following an election in August, Dr Tan became the seventh President of Singapore and the third to be elected by the public. He was sworn in on 1 September.

Dr Tan received a PhD in Applied Mathematics from the University of Adelaide in 1967 and also holds qualifications from the University of Singapore and MIT.

He has had an illustrious career in both the public and private sectors, including serving 10 years as Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and three years as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Overseas-Chinese Banking Corporation.

"The University of Adelaide is pleased to count among its alumni many graduates who have made major contributions to public life. On behalf of the University community, I congratulate Dr Tan on being elected to this illustrious position," said the Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor James McWha.

"Dr Tan is an outstanding alumnus and friend of the University of Adelaide. He is widely recognised as an exceptional leader and longstanding advocate for educational and cultural relations between Australia and Singapore.

"In 2005, Dr Tan was a worthy recipient of the University of Adelaide's Distinguished Alumni Award, joining the likes of other noted Singapore leaders Dr Cheong Choong Kong and the late Mr Ong Teng Cheong.

"Through his support of the formation of the Singapore Adelaide Alumni Fund in 2008, Dr Tan was instrumental in championing the educational links between Australia and Singapore," Professor McWha said.

Dr Tan is the second University of Adelaide graduate to be elected President in Singapore; the fifth President, and first to be directly elected, was Adelaide architecture graduate Mr Ong Teng Cheong.

Story by David Ellis