Oral History Collection

Interviewee

Chin Tiong Tan

Publication Type

Transcript

Date of Interview

7-12-2010

Interviewer

Patricia Meyer

Description

Biography:

Provost, SMU, 1999–2008, and Deputy President, SMU, 2007–2009

Member of SMU start-up team

In 1998 Professor Tan Chin Tiong was one of the first three faculty members who joined the start-up team to create what would become Singapore’s third university, SMU. Among his many responsibilities during the planning phase of SMU, he oversaw faculty recruitment, public relations and marketing, and the liaison with Wharton. He was appointed provost of SMU in 1999, and in 2007 he also became deputy president. He focused on recruiting and developing the faculty, developing SMU’s graduate and research programmes, and institutional development.

In 2009, he took leave from SMU to become founding president of Singapore Institute of Technology.

During his twenty-year career at National University of Singapore prior to joining SMU, Professor Tan he served as head of the marketing department, head of the School of Management, and chairman of executive development programmes. His research interests include the socio-economic framework of business in Asia, and he has written on Asian perspectives in management, business and marketing.

Professor Tan publishes in international consumer research and marketing journals, and he sits on the editorial boards of several journals. He has authored or co-authored several books and book chapters, including Principles of Marketing: An Asian Perspective. Professor Tan has chaired and organised international conferences for the American Marketing Association, Association for Consumer Research, and Academy of International Business.

Active in management development and consulting, Professor Tan has designed and taught in many executive programs around the world. He is on the board of Citibank Singapore Ltd, and is the non-executive chairman of Superior Multi-Packaging Ltd. Professor Tan is also independent director of several publicly-listed companies and is active in many government agencies. He has been a past president and senate chairman of the Marketing Institute of Singapore.

He earned his bachelor’s degree from the then University of Singapore, his MBA from Western Illinois University (USA) and his PhD in business from Pennsylvania State University (USA).

Discipline

Higher Education Administration

Page Numbers

11

Comments

This is an abridged version of the original interview. Please contact Li Ka Shing Library at libIR@smu.edu.sg for access to the full version of the transcript and/or audio recording.