Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has received a gift of S$20 million from the Toh Kian Chui Foundation to the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine). With matching funds from the Singapore government, the total endowment for LKCMedicine - a partnership between NTU and Imperial College London - may go up to S$50 million. The gift will go towards setting up an endowment to fund, in perpetuity, a Distinguished Professorship, a Gold Medal student award, scholarships, research and education.
In recognition of the gift, the upcoming three-storey Annex at LKCMedicine's headquarters building at 11 Mandalay will be named after Mr Toh Kian Chui, a respected philanthropist and well-known businessman in the construction industry. To be completed by mid-2013, the distinctive glass building will house a variety of teaching and learning facilities, including a lecture theatre, a seminar room, and an interim library, among others.
The Toh Kian Chui Distinguished Professorship aims to attract world-renowned clinicians and scientists who can make impactful contributions to mentoring and research that will help propel the School to the forefront of medical education and research internationally.
In addition to the Professorship, NTU announced the creation of the Toh Kian Chui Scholarship and Gold Medal. Up to 25 scholarships could be awarded to deserving medical students to fully cover their prevailing tuition fees and living and book allowances annually. The Toh Kian Chui Gold Medal, which comes with a cash award worth up to S$10,000, will be given to the top performing medical student from each cohort. An endowment of S$10 million has also been set aside to support medical education and research initiatives at the School.
Lauding the Foundation's contribution, NTU President, Professor Bertil Anderson, said, "NTU is deeply privileged to receive this wonderful gift from the Toh Kian Chui Foundation. This endowment will go a long way in helping deserving and bright young Singaporeans achieve their dream of getting a quality medical education at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine. The gift will also enable NTU to attract top talents to play a leading role in the medical school and take Singapore's medical education and research to greater heights. The endowment will support vital research activities that will not only improve the lives of Singaporeans, but also redefine the future of medicine and healthcare as we know it today."
Ms Toh Keng Choo, the daughter of Mr Toh Kian Chui, said, "We are honoured to be part of a noble mission to produce future doctors of Singapore who will put patients at the heart of their exemplary care. The Foundation has long been a supporter of efforts to level the playing field for students from disadvantaged families. Supporting medical students and research are part of our mission to educate our youths, and to alleviate sufferings caused by illness. The Foundation is deeply committed to educating deserving students enrolled in all levels of tertiary institutions in Singapore."
Advancing medical education and research and helping medical students through scholarships and bursaries will honour the wishes of Mr Toh, who would have studied medicine if he had been given the opportunity to do so.
Chairman of the School's Governing Board, Mr Lim Chuan Poh, said, "The spirit of the Toh Kian Chui Foundation's gift resonates with the ethos of the School which aims to nurture doctors who will advance the science and practice of medicine to serve the community. With this generous gift, LKCMedicine will be better able to ensure that no deserving student will be deterred from pursuing a world-class medical education. At the same time, LKCMedicine will also be able to pursue even more meaningful and impactful research for the community."
LKCMedicine Dean, Professor Dermot Kelleher who is concurrently Principal of the Faculty of Medicine at Imperial College London, said, "The Toh Kian Chui Foundation honours us deeply by making this gift to the LKCMedicine endowment fund. LKCMedicine's pioneering students joining in August will be just the first of many generations to benefit from the Foundation's generosity. The Toh Kian Chui Foundation is not only making the gift of education to deserving medical students at LKCMedicine, it is also making an important long-term contribution to Singapore, by investing in and encouraging its future doctors to strive for excellence in healthcare."
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