Helen Chai (PhD) graduated with Bachelor of Science (Honours) and Doctor of Philosophy from the National University of Singapore (NUS). She was the Valedictorian of the Executive Master of Business Administration programme from California State University. Trained as a biochemical engineer, Dr. Chai began her career in the corporate sector in Asia Pacific roles in product management and business development for a leading clinical chemistry and medical diagnostics technology company. Transitioning to the public sector in the higher education industry, she became a founding member of the core team that started a new School at Nanyang Polytechnic, the School of Chemical and Life Sciences. She served as the department head of Bioprocess Technology, leading one of the school’s curriculum pillars. She was also among the pioneer staff at Singapore Management University (SMU) when it started classes at the Bukit Timah campus. Dr. Chai cuts a familiar figure and is a well-known veteran in Singapore’s tertiary education scene. She was featured in the National Library Board’s documentary “Is a University Degree a Sure Path to Success?”.
Dr. Chai returned to her alma mater NUS to serve as Assistant Dean and Director of BBA programmes at the NUS Business School. In her term since 2005, she has overseen the Undergraduate Studies (or BBA) Office, reintroduced the Accountancy degree, moved the Real Estate programme to the NUS Business School, managed three major curriculum reviews, and started the lifelong learning business programme for adult learners. Under her stewardship, the undergraduate student population grew from 1,000 to 4,000, and the annual intake increased from 325 to 1,000 freshers. She served on the infrastructure building committee for both the SMU Bras Basah city campus and NUS Business School Mochtar Riady Building. Dr. Chai is also a Resident Fellow at the NUS UTown Residence. A self-professed workaholic, she is passionate about her students and her work. For her contributions, Dr. Chai was conferred the 2017 National Day Awards Pingat Pentadbiran Awam (Gangsa) Medal.
