Leading spintronics expert and NUS alumnus Prof Teo Kie Leong named new Dean of NUS College of Design and Engineering

The National University of Singapore (NUS) appoints Professor Teo Kie Leong, a leading expert in the field of spintronics and experienced academic administrator, as the second Dean of its College of Design and Engineering (CDE). An NUS alumnus, Prof Teo currently serves as the Acting Dean as well as Deputy Dean (Academic Affairs and Education) of the College, and he will assume the new leadership appointment on 1 April 2024.

NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye said, “We are delighted to appoint Professor Teo Kie Leong to lead the NUS College of Design and Engineering as its new Dean, after a rigorous search for the best candidate locally and internationally. Prof Teo has a distinguished record of scholarly achievements and a strong reputation within the academic community in Singapore and beyond. The College will benefit greatly from Prof Teo’s extensive experience in driving transformative initiatives in education, research and enterprise. I am confident that Prof Teo’s leadership will fortify the College’s strategic vision and elevate it to new heights both locally and on the international stage.”

Prof Teo joined NUS in 1999 as a faculty member of its Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the then-Faculty of Engineering. He subsequently served as the Faculty’s Vice Dean, Research & Technology (2011 to 2019) and Deputy Dean (2019 to 2021). In his role as Vice Dean, Prof Teo oversaw an average of S$135 million annually in competitive research grants and charted the Faculty’s strategic research directions. He played a central role in fostering interdisciplinary research collaborations within and across faculties, as well as with industry and other institutions, enhancing the Faculty’s international profile in research. As Deputy Dean, he was primarily responsible for academic programme planning and development, as well as top talent management. Prof Teo was instrumental in the expansion of Continuous Education and Training programmes and transitioning the Faculty’s Master’s programmes to be self-funded.