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Professor Lily Kong is the fifth President and the first Singaporean to lead Singapore Management University. She is also the first Singaporean woman to serve as President of any university in Singapore. She holds the Lee Kong Chian Chair Professorship of Social Sciences, with a courtesy appointment at the College of Integrative Studies. She was previously Provost of SMU from 2015 to 2018. Before joining SMU, she held various senior management roles at the National University of Singapore, including Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Dean of the University Scholars Programme, Vice-President (University and Global Relations), and other vice provost positions. She joined the faculty of the NUS Department of Geography in 1991.
Professor Kong earned a BA (Hons) in Geography (First Class) from the National University of Singapore in 1986, an MA in Geography from NUS in 1988, and a PhD in Geography from University College London in 1991. Her research specialisations include urban transformations and social and cultural change in Asian cities, with interests in religion, cultural policy and the creative economy, national identity, globalisation and migration, and the social construction of nature and the environment. She has published 12 books and monographs and over 150 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. She has served as an editor or editorial board member for more than 15 international journals and as series editor or advisor for multiple book series. Under her leadership at SMU, the university has advanced initiatives in digital transformation, sustainable living, and growth in Asia, launched new colleges, research centres, and overseas centres, and achieved significant growth in enrolment, research funding, industry partnerships, and philanthropic support. She is a Fellow of the British Academy and has received awards including the Public Administration Medal (Silver) and other national and international honours. She serves on Singapore’s Public Service Commission and chairs the World Cities Summit Knowledge Council.
SMU's Resilient Workforces Institute findings indicate AI boosts productivity in 70.7% of adopting firms with minimal displacement. Explore implications for Singapore's job market.
SMU's new institute addresses Singapore's ageing challenges through interdisciplinary studies on economies and well-being, building on ROSA's legacy.
Explore SMU's new Longevity Societies and Economies Institute, urging redesigns in work, communities, and support for Singapore's ageing population.
Explore SMU's LSEI launch and its role in advancing research on longevity economies and well-being amid Singapore's super-aged transition.
Explore SMU's new UNESCO Chair in Sustainability Law Futures led by Assoc Prof Michelle Lim, a Sarawakian scholar driving innovation in environmental law for Singapore and Asia-Pacific higher education.
Explore SMU President Lily Kong's recent delegation to National Chengchi University in Taiwan, highlighting deepened ties, holistic education insights, and future collaborations boosting Singapore-Taiwan higher ed.
Explore how SMU achieved the title of world's most improved university in QS Subject Rankings 2026, with top 50 breakthroughs in business and finance, and insights into its rise.
Explore SMU's landmark 2026 historians' gathering on geopolitics, society, and culture, featuring international scholars and ties to S$556m SSRC funding.
Explore SMU's SMU2030 blueprint unveiled at APAIE 2026, redefining universities through impact-driven education, research, and partnerships amid AI and demographic shifts in Singapore.
Explore how SMU President Professor Lily Kong's visionary leadership earned her the 2026 CASE Asia-Pacific Leadership Award, transforming philanthropy, sustainability, and alumni engagement at one of Singapore's top universities.
Singapore Management University intensifies its focus on measurable global impact through the Office of Impact, scholarships, research, and partnerships.
SMU hosted FORCE2026, the first FORCE11 conference in Asia, exploring open science, AI in research and publishing integrity from 3-5 June 2026.
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