Academic Profile : Faculty

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Prof Hong Hai
Emeritus Professor, College of Business (Nanyang Business School)
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Prof Hong Hai is currently an Emeritus Professor with the Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Prof Hong was appointed Professor and Dean of Graduate Programmes at Nanyang Business School in 2003 and subsequently Dean of the College of Business. Educated originally in engineering, management (MPA Harvard) and economics (PhD Carnegie-Mellon), he taught at Kellogg School at Northwestern University and NUS Business School. He served as President and Chief Executive of diversified group Haw Par Corporation Ltd (1990-2003), before returning to academia. A life-long learner, he developed a midlife interest in East Asian culture and medicine, researching and completing degrees in Chinese literature, Chinese medicine, and philosophy (PhD London School of Economics).

His research interests include East Asian culture and management, on which he has published The Rule of Culture: Corporate and State Governance in China and East Asia (Routledge (2020). His interest in the science and philosophy of traditional Chinese medicine is reflected in several books, including Principles of Chinese Medicine: A Modern Interpretation (Imperial College Press 2016). He is a frequent speaker on Chinese culture and medicine and practises medicine part-time at the Renhai Clinic, which he founded.

He has served in the Singapore Parliament and on many statutory boards and public-listed companies, including Singtel, SATS, and PTC Logistics, and was the founding Chairman of Pidemco Land, which later acquired DBS Land to form Capital Land.

Industry Experience
• Full-time corporate executive 1981-2003; President and CEO of diversified Haw Par Corp (1990-2003).
• Served on many public-listed company boards to 2019. These included Singtel, SATS, PTC Logistics, and Golden Agriculture Resources.
• Served on many Singapore government statutory boards including URA, SISIR, PUB and the National Statistical Commission.
• Author of three books for business executives, including The Rule of Culture: Corporate and State Governance in China and East Asia (London: Routledge 2020).
Prof Hong has a wide range of research interests, including East Asian culture and management, state governance in China, and the scientific basis for Chinese medical therapeutic models.