President of Singapore lays foundations of new Imperial & NTU medical buildings

The President of Singapore today laid foundation stones to mark the development of two buildings for the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine.

LKCMedicine’s Dean James Best and Imperial's President Alice Gast with the President of Singapore

The new buildings in Singapore, the Experimental Medicine Building located at Nanyang Technological University (NTU)’s main campus and the Clinical Sciences Building at the Novena Campus, will provide state-of-the-art facilities for students and researchers of the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine), set up by Imperial and NTU in 2010 to address the country’s healthcare needs. Its first 54 students were admitted in August 2013 and the new facilities will be home to the growing medical school, which is set to train annual cohorts of 150 future doctors.

At a ceremony on Thursday 8 January 2015, held at NTU’s School of Biological Sciences, Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam Tan, President of Singapore, triggered the simultaneous laying of foundation stones at the two sites of the new buildings. In October 2014, President Tan visited Imperial during his State Visit to the UK, where he met many of the 400 strong Singaporean student body at the College.

Dr Tan said: "I am delighted to lay the foundation stone for the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine's Experimental Medicine Building and Clinical Sciences Building. This promising young medical school builds on the strong foundations of the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Imperial College London. I look forward to seeing the School flourish and make its mark on the world stage through state-of-the-art training of doctors who put patient care first and push the boundaries of care through multidisciplinary research."

LKCMedicine’s facilities physically complement the medical curriculum designed by Imperial College London for the first course it has developed and delivered overseas. In Learning Studios, Alcove Clusters, Simulation Wards, Clinical Skills Laboratory and Communication Centre students will develop the skills and knowledge required of healthcare professionals caring for patients today and into the future. The buildings will also promote collaboration between students, faculty and clinicians through the use of multidisciplinary and interactive spaces.

• See slideshow of artist's impressions of the two new buildings below.

Imperial's President Professor Alice Gast addresses guests at the stone laying ceremony

Imperial's President Professor Alice Gast said, “Today’s ceremony celebrates the creation of modern facilities for our joint medical school in Singapore. It also signals the ambition of our far-sighted collaboration. Together NTU and Imperial College London are laying foundations for research discoveries and for the innovative integration of education and research in LKCMedicine.

“Both new buildings harness new technologies and foster collaborative working between disciplines, which will be the hallmark of future advances in health. LKCMedicine doctors-to-be will be surrounded by this exciting research enterprise as they begin acquiring the skills and knowledge they need to care for patients today and into the future.

“It is a privilege for Imperial to contribute to this remarkable journey, on a path laid by the Singaporean government to improve the health of its citizens and the health of the world.”

HE Antony Phillipson, the British High Commissioner to Singapore said, “We are delighted that the buildings at NTU and Novena will further strengthen the links between UK and Singapore. With a life sciences industry that generates a turnover of more than £50 billion (SGD 100 billion) annually and employs more than 165,000 people in the UK alone, we are proud of this collaboration between Imperial College and NTU as it demonstrates the UK’s commitment to working in partnership with Singapore for research, development and innovation in healthcare. Singapore and NTU are natural partners for the UK and Imperial College respectively and we look forward to furthering our collaboration in other areas as well.”

Designed by DP Architects, the architects behind many of Singapore’s iconic landmarks including the Marina Centre, Singapore University of Technology and Design, and the Singapore Flyer, the seven-storey Experimental Medicine Building will be completed by July 2015. The 20-storey Clinical Sciences Building will open its doors in 2016 and will be part of Singapore’s largest healthcare complex, Health City Novena, which, when completed in 2030, will be physically linked to Tan Tock Seng Hospital and will include facilities offering intermediate and long-term care.

Solid Foundations

Dr Naomi Low-Beer, Vice Dean (Education) at LKCMedicine, meets President Tan

At the ceremony, Mr Lim Chuan Poh, chairman of the medical school’s governing board said, “Whether it is to build a physical infrastructure, develop an organisation or grow a relationship, it is important to start with a solid foundation. In this regard, the coming together of Imperial College London and NTU, with their excellent track records and combined strengths in medicine, engineering and the biomedical sciences, to establish Singapore’s newest medical school has provided LKCMedicine with an excellent foundation upon which to grow and develop. In the same way, the partnership with the National Healthcare Group (NHG), as our primary healthcare partner, with Tan Tock Seng Hospital consistently voted the top teaching hospital in Singapore further reinforced this strong foundation. To add to the strength of this foundation, I would like to acknowledge the very strong support that the School has received from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health.”

Dean of LKCMedicine Professor James Best said, “The dual campus of our medical school will expose our students to the crucial aspects of modern medicine – familiarity with emerging technologies through novel teaching methods, and systems-based research and treatment approaches through continuous contact with researchers and clinicians. Combined with early patient contact, we nurture a patient-centric approach to medicine in our students. With our firm commitment to an innovative and forward-looking education, we aim to continue to attract Singapore’s brightest young aspiring doctors.”

The Experimental Medicine Building will be part of NTU’s Life Sciences cluster – comprising LKCMedicine, its School of Biological Sciences, its School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering and its Research Techno Plaza. 

NTU President Professor Bertil Andersson said, “With the two new buildings completing the University’s new Life Sciences cluster, we will bring together pioneering experts from different schools at NTU”.

“Coupled with our strong links with Imperial College London, we are creating a multidisciplinary hotbed for innovative new ideas and approaches to solve tomorrow’s healthcare issues,” Prof Andersson said. “At the same time, the medical school will nurture a generation of caring doctors well-versed in using the latest technology to help their patients lead longer and healthier lives.”

Slideshow of artist's impressions of the new Experimental Medicine Building and Clinical Sciences Building