Lily L.L. KongPPA(P)is a Singaporeangeographercurrently serving aspresidentof theSingapore Management University(SMU). She is the first female and Singaporean academic to helm a Singapore university. Prior joining SMU, she was a faculty member at the Department of Geography of theNational University of Singapore(NUS) and had held various senior managerial positions at NUS.[1][2][3][4]
Lily Kong | |
|---|---|
Giang Lily | |
 | |
| Born | 1965 Singapore |
| Occupation | Geographer |
| Awards | Public Administration Medal (Silver) |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | University College London National University of Singapore |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Geography |
| Sub-discipline | Cultural geography |
| Institutions | Singapore Management University National University of Singapore |
| Main interests |
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Career
editKong graduated in 1986 from theNational University of Singapore(NUS) with a bachelor's degree (honours) and obtained aM.A.from NUS in 1988. She then went on to complete aPh.D.in Geography atUniversity College Londonin 1991.[5][citation needed]A cultural geographer by training,[6]she became a faculty member in the NUS Department of Geography in 1991 and served as the Dean of NUS's Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences from 2000 to 2003. She also held other senior managerial positions in NUS, including Dean of the University Scholars Programme, Vice Provost (Education), Vice Provost (Academic Personnel) Acting Executive Vice President (Academic Affairs) of theYale-NUS College,Director of the Asia Research Institute, and Vice-President (University and Global Relations).[4]
In September 2015, Kong joinedSingapore Management University(SMU) as Provost and Lee Kong Chian Chair Professor of Social Sciences.[7]At the start of 2019, she succeeded Belgian academicArnoud De Meyeras President of SMU, becoming the first woman and also the first Singaporean academic to helm SMU.[2][3]
As President of SMU, Kong has focused on enhancing the quality of the university's students and faculty, developing educational programmes, growing the impact of the university's research, and reforming the university'ssexual harassmentpolicy.[2][8]
Kong has also been a member of Singapore'sPublic Service Commissionsince January 2009.[3]
In September 2020, Kong was announced as one of the 25 outstanding female leaders in the Asia-Pacific region according toForbes' list of 2020 Asia’s Power Businesswomen.[9]
Research
editKong has served as an editor or member of international editorial advisory boards for over 15 journals, includingSocial and Cultural GeographyandDialogues in Human Geography.She is also a series editor ofPacific Rim Geographies: Studies on Contemporary Culture, Environment, Cities and Development(Routledge), Co-Chief Editor of theARI-Springer Asia Series,and Book Series Advisor forThe Politics of Popular Culture in Asia Pacific(University of Illinois PressandHong Kong University Press). She also has 19 books and monographs to her name, as well as over 150 papers in international refereed journals and chapters in books. Her research interests include religion, cultural policy and creative economy, national identity, globalisation and migration, and the social construction of nature and the environment.[4][10]
Awards
editKong is a recipient of the following awards:[3][4][7]
- Singaporean awards
- NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Teaching Excellence Award
- NUS Outstanding University Researcher Award
- National Book Development Council of Singapore Book Award
- Pingat Pentadbiran Awam (Perak)(Public Administration Medal(Silver)), 2006
- Bintang Bakti Masyarakat(Public Service Star), 2020[11]
- International awards
- HonoraryDoctor of Science,Loughborough University
- Commonwealth Fellowship Award
- Fulbright Fellowship Award
- Association of American Geographers Robert Stoddard Award for Distinguished Service (Geography of Religion and Belief Systems)
References
edit- ^Sharma, Yojana."Universities overhaul sexual harassment rules after outcry".University World News.Retrieved15 July2019.
- ^abcDavie, Sandra (3 April 2018)."Social scientist Lily Kong to become first Singaporean academic to helm SMU".The Straits Times.Retrieved15 July2019.
- ^abcd"Professor Lily Kong".Public Service Commission, Singapore.Retrieved16 July2019.
- ^abcd"Lily Kong"(PDF).Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore.Retrieved16 July2019.
- ^Auto, Hermes (24 January 2022)."The university and the city | The Straits Times".straitstimes.Retrieved27 January2023.
- ^Chandran, Rina (3 January 2019)."No rest for the dead: Singapore digs up graves for highways".Reuters.Retrieved15 July2019.
- ^ab"Prof Lily Kong".Agency for Science, Technology and Research.Retrieved16 July2019.
- ^Otsuka, Hana (26 April 2019)."Sexual misconduct policies: local vs overseas universities – The Independent News".Retrieved15 July2019.
- ^Forbes Press Releases."Forbes Asia's Power Businesswomen List Spotlights 25 Outstanding Female Leaders".Forbes.
- ^"SMU Appoints Professor Lily Kong as Fifth President".Singapore Management University.3 April 2018.Retrieved16 July2019.
- ^"President's Profile".smu.edu.sg.Retrieved10 May2021.