Behind every academic milestone is a longer story—of ideas pursued, students mentored, patients cared for, colleagues supported and paths shaped over many years.

That was the spirit of Duke-NUS Medical School’s Faculty Recognition Event 2026, held on 31 August at the School’s amphitheatre, where the Duke-NUS community gathered to honour faculty at different points in their academic journeys.

This year, the School recognised five newly appointed faculty members, 19 faculty who were promoted, 128 clinical faculty marking 10 years of service, and Professor Ng Keng Yeen, who was conferred the title of Emeritus Professor.

Faculty, leaders and guests gathered at the Duke-NUS Amphitheatre to celebrate the School’s newly appointed, promoted and long-serving faculty members.

Behind every milestone

Opening the event, Professor Patrick Tan, Dean of Duke-NUS, paid tribute to the sustained work behind each recognition.

“Each appointment, promotion and award reflects a much longer record of contribution: research pursued, lectures improved, trainees mentored, systems strengthened and patients cared for,” he said.

In his speech, Prof Tan also acknowledged guest speaker Professor Lim Shih Hui, who began the Faculty Recognition Event in 2021, for laying the foundation for this collective moment of recognition.

Noting that Duke-NUS’ faculty clinical community sits at the heart of its Academic Medical Centre partnership with SingHealth, he thanked Professor Silke Vogel, Vice-Dean for the newly established Office of Faculty Affairs, and her team for supporting faculty across their academic careers. This includes more than 2,240 clinical faculty who connect Duke-NUS’ strengths in education and research with SingHealth’s clinical expertise across 15 Academic Clinical Programmes (ACPs).
 

Honouring a distinguished legacy

One of the highlights of the event was the conferment of the title of Emeritus Professor on Professor Ng Keng Yeen, in recognition of his distinguished contributions to medicine, education and the Duke-NUS community.

Prof Ng has devoted more than three decades in Singapore General Hospital, building a distinguished career in gastroenterology and hepatology, particularly in liver disease, viral hepatitis and its complications. At Duke-NUS, he also served as Associate Dean for Clinical and Faculty Affairs, contributing to the growth and support of the School’s clinical faculty community.

“Keng Yeen has been a teacher, mentor and trusted colleague to many across our Academic Medical Centre,” said Prof Tan. “The title of Emeritus Professor recognises the depth of his contribution and the relationship with the School that continues beyond formal appointment.”

Emeritus Professor Ng Keng Yeen (left), who was conferred the title of Emeritus Professor at the event, shares a moment with Dean Patrick Tan.

The quiet work that builds institutions

That message of continuity also ran through the recognition of 128 clinical faculty members from across the ACPs who marked 10 years of service to Duke-NUS. Prof Tan described their contributions as the steady, often unseen work through which institutions are built.

“A decade cannot be reduced to a line on a CV or a date on a certificate,” he said. “It contains lectures and clinical rounds, research meetings and manuscript revisions, mentoring conversations, committee work and many contributions that rarely appear in formal citations.”

The event also celebrated the 24 newly appointed and promoted faculty members, recognising their scholarship, leadership and service to Duke-NUS and the wider Academic Medical Centre.
 

Reflections on an academic journey

If Prof Tan’s remarks framed recognition as a tribute to sustained contribution, Professor Lim Shih Hui’s reflections widened the lens to the unpredictability—and possibility—of an academic life.

Recalling his decision to join Duke-NUS in 2006 as part of the pioneer group building a new medical school, Prof Lim reflected on the value of taking on challenges, remaining open to unexpected opportunities and continuing to learn across disciplines. His own path has taken him through neurology, epilepsy care, medical education, acupuncture, an MBA, leadership roles and, more recently, work in integrative care.

He encouraged faculty not to see their careers as fixed tracks, but as journeys shaped by curiosity, courage, character and reinvention.

Professor Lim Shih Hui shared personal reflections from his academic journey, urging honourees to embrace new challenges, enjoy the path ahead and continue recognising the people who helped them along the way.

“You do not need to know the whole path in front of you,” he said. “You just need to know what is in front of you.”

Prof Lim also reminded honourees that success should be accompanied by gratitude. Using the image of an umbrella, walking stick and candle, he cautioned against forgetting the people and support systems that helped one move forward.

“Do not forget those who helped you along the way,” he said.
 

Building a culture of mentorship

Closing the event, Prof Vogel spoke about a wider academic culture built not only through formal processes, but through mentorship, honesty and collegial care.

She thanked the many people involved in supporting faculty appointments, promotions and recognition, including ACP leaders, committees, reviewers and Faculty Affairs colleagues.

“Faculty Affairs is not really about appointments and promotions,” she said. “It is about the culture around them.”

Professor Silke Vogel reflected on faculty affairs as a shared culture of mentorship and support, encouraging honourees to continue guiding the next generation of clinicians, educators and researchers.

For Prof Vogel, that culture lives in the everyday acts that help faculty grow: senior colleagues reading drafts, offering honest feedback, guiding younger academics and supporting others because they themselves had once been mentored.

“These are the intangibles no policy can mandate, but only our culture can provide,” she said.

Looking ahead, she encouraged honourees to continue paying that support forward.

“Please keep mentoring the person just behind you,” she said. “Keep showing your students what a life in medicine can look like.”

Taken together, the afternoon’s honours reflected the many stages of academic life—from being a student, to formal appointment, to leaving a legacy that endures.

As Prof Tan put it: “A strong academic community needs people at every one of these stages, and it needs the relationships between them.”

The event concluded with a reception, giving faculty, leaders and colleagues the opportunity to reconnect and celebrate the honourees.

Dean Patrick Tan (third from left) with honourees (from left) Associate Professor Lim Weng Khong, Adjunct Associate Professor Tudor Groza, and Clinical Associate Professor Kaavya Narasimhalu