On 14 November 2007, SMU President Professor Howard Hunter, together with Mr Teo Chiang Long, President of the Ngee Ann Kongsi and Mr Lim Kee Ming, Vice-President of Ngee Ann Kongsi, unveiled a plaque for the newly named Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium. The event, graced by Guest of Honour Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister of State for Education and Manpower, recognised SMU as the first university in Singapore to receive an endowed contribution from the Teochew charitable organisation since Parliament passed the amendment to the Ngee Ann Kongsi (Incorporation) Ordinance on 17 July 2007, which allows the philanthropic foundation more flexibility to give to educational institutions and charities.
The S$3 million endowed contribution by the Ngee Ann Kongsi will be matched dollar for dollar by the Singapore government, adding a total of S$6 million to the SMU Endowment Fund.
Located on the second level of the School of Accountancy / School of Law building, the Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium has hosted numerous university-wide events, public lectures, forums and corporate events such as the Presidential Distinguished Lecturer Series, the Lien Fung's Colloquium, the Lee Kong Chian Ministerial Forum, the President's State of the University Address and the Climate Change Forum. In its brief history of two years, the Auditorium has been the venue for important government and private conferences attended by Singaporean and foreign ministers, ambassadors, prominent business leaders and academic luminaries.
Commencing in 2008, the Ngee Ann Kongsi Annual Lecture Series will provide a platform for industry leaders and eminent scholars of international renown to share their knowledge and perspectives with an audience as diverse as pre-university students, undergraduates, staff and faculty of SMU, executives, civic leaders and other interested members of the Singapore community. The lecture series will feature speakers who are leading voices in the debate on global issues that are shaping the future of business, society and the environment.
Speaking to a distinguished audience at the unveiling, Prof Hunter noted how honoured SMU is to be the first university to benefit from the Foundation as it redefines its philanthropic mission in the education sector..
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| (From left) Mr Lim Kee Ming, Vice-President of Ngee Ann Kongsi; Mr Teo Chiang Long, President of Ngee Ann Kongsi; Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister of State for Education and Manpower; Prof Howard Hunter, President of SMU unveiled the plaque for the newly-named Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium at SMU's School of Accountancy / School of Law |
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"Education remains the founding spirit and cornerstone of Ngee Ann Kongsi and we have dedicated ourselves to supporting the education of all strata of the Singapore community. SMU has distinguished itself remarkably in seven years from a young upstart to a leading university strongly rooted in innovative pedagogy, social consciousness and global exposure. We are happy for this opportunity to be a partner in contributing to university excellence and shaping young visionary leaders out of SMU."
- Mr Teo Chiang Long, President of Ngee Ann Kongsi
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