Singapore’s former Deputy Prime Minister Professor S Jayakumar has been appointed Pro-Chancellor of the National University of Singapore (NUS).
The appointment – which takes effect from July 1, for a term of three years – was made by President Madam Halimah Yacob, who is also the Chancellor of NUS.
“I am deeply honoured by this appointment as Pro-Chancellor of NUS, as that is where I first began my law studies and where I had my first job," Prof Jayakumar said. "I look forward to working closely with Chancellor, President Halimah Yacob, and my fellow Pro-Chancellors.”
University Pro-Chancellors act on behalf of the Chancellor during the Chancellor’s absence from the University, and preside at the annual Commencement ceremonies, NUS said in a press statement.
Prof Jayakumar has an illustrious career, spanning academia and the public service, for close to 60 years. He graduated top of his cohort at the NUS Faculty of Law (NUS Law) in 1963, and joined the Faculty as a lecturer in 1964. He was appointed Dean and served from 1974 to 1980.
While in NUS, Prof Jayakumar took leave to serve as Singapore’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and High Commissioner to Canada from 1971 to 1974. In 1980, he entered politics, and held many portfolios, such as Minister for Law, Home Affairs, Labour, Foreign Affairs as well as Deputy Prime Minister, Senior Minister, and Coordinating Minister for National Security.
Prof Jayakumar retired from politics in 2011 and returned to NUS Law in October 2011. He is now also Senior Legal Advisor to the Minister for Foreign Affairs.