Honorary Graduates

Professor Andrew Chua oration – 12 November 2008

Professor Richard Kerley, Vice Principal (Internationalisation and Commercialisation), will present for the Degree of Doctor of Education, Honoris Causa

Professor Andrew Chua Soon Kian

Andrew Chua has had many aspects to his career and has gained a profile in Singapore and throughout Asia that makes him an ideal honorary graduate of Queen Margaret University.

Andrew Chua is the Principal and Executive Chairman of the East Asia School of Business (EASB) in Singapore, the private educational institute with which Queen Margaret has had a very successful collaborative relationship for the past 6 years. Our relationship has been so successful because of the commitment and contribution of Andrew Chua to building a dynamic educational institution based on fundamental principles of developing high quality, high integrity academic systems and values.

This success has led to an arrangement where we now have a joint campus in Singapore, Queen Margaret Asia Campus, the first such campus opened by a British University in that part of the world.

Over 3 decades, Andrew worked throughout the Asia Pacific Region, in IT; marketing; consultancy and training. His career progressed and developed through work with names famous both in that region and globally. This progression, which took him into appointments with Wearnes Technology, Informatics, and what is now Price Waterhouse Coopers, led to him being Managing Director in Asia Pacific for Dell and ultimately MD for Dell in the People’s Republic of China. He also successfully pioneered and developed a launch and dramatic growth of the Dell business in India.

Many people would have been happy with such a successful business career but Andrew decided that he wanted a change and a new challenge. Just as his business career excelled in disciplines and with organisations that link South and East Asia with the countries of the North Atlantic, he has now committed himself and his energies to helping younger people build such links through higher education.

Andrew now heads one of the leading private education providers in Singapore, and one that has grown dramatically in recent years, with now well in excess of 2000 students.

Andrew is also President of the Association of Private Schools and Colleges (APSC) in Singapore.

The Association of Private Schools and Colleges Singapore (APSC) is the apex organization for Private Education Organisations (PEO) in the Republic. APSC 's supreme task is to work with all governmental agencies to promote managerial professionalism, academic excellence and educational delivery quality of member organisations, as well as enhance the educational experience and environments of its members 'international and local students.

APSC achieves these objectives through a wide ranging series of initiatives, consultations, and action plans. These include on-going dialogues with ministerial, public and statutory organizations, such as the Economic Development Board (EDB), the International Enterprise of Singapore (IE Singapore), the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), Consumers'Association of Singapore (CASE), and Standards, Productivity and Innovation Board (SPRING); as well as the promotion of industry self-regulation, student welfare protection, management best pra ctices, academic accreditation & regional marketing and expansion.

During the time that QM has worked with Andrew and EASB, we have seen two campus buildings outgrown and we now share with EASB a new third campus, an impressive building in a rapidly changing and developing part of Singapore. This path of development has enabled many hundreds of young people from South and East Asia to study for a UK degree and enhance their career prospects. These numbers also include many who are the recipients of EASB scholarships personally supported by Professor Chua. Our collaboration is also currently discussing plans that will enable students from the region to study a bi-lingual curriculum in various degree subjects that will enable them to advance their careers on a global basis.

Andrew holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Leicester University in UK and is a senior member of the Singapore Computer Society and Singapore Institute of Management. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK and a Founding Member of the Marketing Council Asia. He is also an honorary Professor of Management of Queen Margaret University. A Doctorate from Queen Margaret is a fitting culmination to his business and education career and recognition of his close links with this University.

For all of these reasons, Chancellor, and for recognition of his energy, his commitment and his contribution, we are delighted to honour Andrew Chua with an honorary Doctorate of the University.

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