Professor TOH Kian Lam is a visionary higher education leader with over 25 years of senior management experience across Asia’s academic, public, and non-profit sectors. Currently serving as Director of Student Development Services at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), he leads the university’s largest administrative department (120+ staff) and oversees holistic student development across career services, counselling, Physical Education and sports, and student life.

Prior to this role, Professor Toh made significant contributions as Dean of the Faculty of Management & Hospitality and School of General Education & Languages at the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong (THEi). In this capacity, he:

·         Oversaw 3 academic departments and 7 bachelor’s degree programmes in Professional Accounting, Public Relations & International Event Management, Sports & Recreation Management, Hotel Operations Management, and Culinary Arts & Management and, the School of General Education & Languages.

·         Spearheaded a 73% surge in student enrolment (AY23/24) and launched pioneering Putonghua-medium bachelor degree programmes.

·         Achieved a 95% graduate employment rate (AY22/23 and AY23/24) and secured the institute’s first Programme Area Accreditation in Sports & Recreation—a critical milestone toward university title eligibility.

·         Initiated the Chinese MBA degree programme in Digital Transformation and received more than 2,000 applicants vying for 350 places.

Professor Toh’s distinguished tenure at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, showcased his strategic prowess across three pivotal roles:

1.    Executive Director, Local Community Engagement Office: Leveraged NTU’s expertise to drive community-centric initiatives, enhancing student experience through social responsibility programmes.

2.    Director, Office of International Affairs: Elevated NTU’s global standing (Top 11 QS ranking); coordinated 200+ annual international delegations and 20+ university-level MoUs.

3.    Director (Special Projects), Office of China Affairs: Engineered NTU’s China strategy, including the proposed branch campus in Tianjin Eco-City and partnerships with top Chinese universities.

His leadership extends beyond academia into nation-building. He received the Public Service Medal (PBM) from the President of Singapore in 2012 for outstanding community contributions, including chairing the Chong Pang Community Committee and Chong Pang Citizens’ Consultative Committee, the apex grassroots organization.

Professor Toh holds a PhD from Indiana University, USA and an EMBA from the National University of Singapore. His career is defined by transformative outcomes in education, internationalisation, and elite sports management—including project-directing Singapore’s US$1.36 billion Sports Hub and facilitating medal-winning athlete programmes for Hong Kong and Singapore.