Mr S. Chandra Das

Mr S. Chandra Das graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Economics in 1965 from the then University of Singapore. Before entering university, he worked as a teacher after completing his Certificate in Education at the Teachers Training College in 1960.

Mr Das has more than 50 years of experience in a number of different sectors, helming corporates, government entities and social enterprises at the highest levels. He began his career in 1965 at the Economic Development Board, where he rose to become Director of Export Promotion Centre. He served in this role until 1968, when the Centre was absorbed into INTRACO, Singapore’s primary trading arm for overseas markets development and raw materials sourcing. Mr Das served as Intraco’s Managing Director for 10 years until 1986.

He has been appointed to the Boards of numerous listed corporate entities including Neptune Orient Lines, Sembawang Group and Jurong Shipyard. He served as Chairman of TalkMed Group Ltd., Deputy Chairman of Yeo Hiap Seng Ltd, and Director of Ascendas-Singbridge Pte Ltd. Mr Das has been involved with NTUC Co-operatives since 1972 and was Chairman of NTUC Fairprice from 1993 to 2005. He also chaired The Central Co-operative Fund for ten years. On the diplomatic front, he was Singapore’s first Trade Representative to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics from 1970 to end 1971. From 2005 to 2014, he was Singapore’s non-resident ambassador to Turkey, and also served as non-resident High Commissioner to Sri Lanka from 2015 to 2025. 

Mr Das was elected as a Member of Parliament in 1980 and retired in 1996 after serving for four terms. He has held prominent and pioneering roles in public service, including the position of Chairman of the Government Feedback Unit. He was the first Chairman of the Trade Development Board and has also served on the Boards of the Port of Singapore Authority and the Public Utilities Board. Currently, he serves as a Life Trustee of the Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA).

In recognition of his significant contributions to the co-operative movement, public sector and business community, Mr Das has been conferred numerous awards - Golden Cross of Merit of Poland, President’s Medal by the Singapore Australian Business Council, Distinguished Service (Star) Award by the National Trades Union Congress, and the Public Service Star Award (BBM) by the Singapore Government. The University of Newcastle, Australia and St John’s University, New York, United States of America also conferred him honorary doctorates. 

Mr Das has been the University's Pro-Chancellor since 2007. He was the Chairman of the University’s Entrepreneurship Development Centre Advisory Panel from Academic Year 1988/1989 to 1999/2000. He chaired the fundraising committee for the S Rajaratnam Professorship in Strategic Studies at the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS), which raised $10 million (including a matching grant from the Singapore government of $3 for every dollar donated) in 1998. He also chaired the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies Endowment fundraising committee, which achieved its target of raising $40 million (including dollar-for-dollar matching grants from the government) in 2008.