Nanyang Technological University (NTU) presented the 2026 Nanyang Alumni Awards to 30 alumni in recognition of their outstanding achievements across various fields and contributions to the university and society. This year’s highest honour, the Nanyang Distinguished Alumni Award, went to Low Yen Ling, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Culture, Community and Youth, and Mayor of the South West District, and Irving Tan, president and chief executive officer of Western Digital.
Low Yen Ling, 52, graduated from Nanyang Business School in 1996 with a Bachelor of Business. She previously worked at the Singapore Economic Development Board and has long contributed to strengthening Singapore’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and professional services sector. As chief executive officer of Business China, she promoted bilingualism, biculturalism and stronger business and people-to-people ties between Singapore and China. She has also been a longstanding contributor to the NTU Singapore community.
She said: “My alma mater, Nanyang Technological University, nurtured me and gave me a solid foundation in my professional field. It is an honour to receive the Nanyang Distinguished Alumni Award.”
She also said that while knowledge is important, what matters more is putting it to use to help more people and bring progress and development to society and the nation. She hopes to create more platforms for university students to engage with and serve the community, connecting campuses with the wider community.
Irving Tan graduated from the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in 1995 and earned a Master of Business Administration from Nanyang Business School in 2000. He is also chairman of SATS.
Another eight people received the Nanyang Alumni Achievement Award, including Ang Yeong Hwa Feon, Asia Pacific managing director and vice president of global sales solutions at LinkedIn, and Yam Kum Weng, chief executive officer of Changi Airport Group.
Ang Yeong Hwa Feon: AI is reshaping jobs, not replacing them, but barriers to women’s advancement remain
Ang Yeong Hwa Feon, 54, graduated from Nanyang Business School in 1994. In 2017, she founded EmpowerIn, a peer-networking and mentorship community that has supported more than 200 senior women leaders across Asia Pacific and expanded to North America and the UK. In an interview, she said women are more visible at work, but progression remains a challenge. Women account for only about a quarter of hires into new artificial intelligence (AI) roles.
She believes organisations should hire and promote on skills and move from mentorship to sponsorship, actively putting women forward for stretch roles.
She said AI is reshaping tasks within jobs, rather than simply replacing entire jobs. “Universities should teach AI literacy across disciplines, alongside judgment, ethics and communication… Employers should rethink entry-level roles so young people can build experience.”
Eight people received the Nanyang Outstanding Young Alumni Award, including Gavin Lee, 36, head coach of the Singapore men’s national football team. He led Singapore to qualification for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, the nation’s first appearance at the tournament since 1984. He said the award gave him an opportunity to reflect on the people and experiences that had shaped his journey. While it was an individual award, he certainly did not see it as an individual achievement.
“I would also encourage students not to become too consumed by the outcome they're trying to achieve. Have ambitions, certainly, but place your attention on the things you can control, the quality of your work, your willingness to learn and how you treat the people around you.”
Hello Group regional casting director Priscilla Hoo, 39, who was involved in local casting for the 2018 Hollywood film Crazy Rich Asians, was also among the recipients. Having received the Nanyang Alumni Service Award last year, she had not expected to receive the Nanyang Outstanding Young Alumni Award so soon after. In 2020, she and her fellow graduates founded NTU Singapore’s School of Art, Design and Media Alumni Association, and she served as its president from 2022 to 2024. Her hope for young Singaporean creatives, including fellow alumni and students, is that they will dare to dream bigger and never feel limited by the size of the country, or abandon creative careers because of AI’s rapid development. She believes the creative industry has always been evolving, and that the next generation should develop the skills, adaptability and confidence to use technology responsibly and creatively.
Another 12 people received the Nanyang Alumni Service Award in recognition of their longstanding volunteer service and contributions to strengthening alumni ties. NTU Singapore currently has 331,000 alumni based in 174 countries and has established 86 alumni associations in Singapore and overseas.
