The Milton Tan Memorial Fund

Background

The late Dr. Milton Tan (20 October 1954 - 8 November 2010) had, over the years, undertaken the task to promote and establish the design discipline in Singapore of whom many are beneficiaries. Dr. Tan was a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects and UK Chartered Architects, held a BA and BArch from Nottingham University and a PhD in Design Creativity from Harvard University.

Dr. Milton Tan joined the NUS Department of Architecture, School of Design and Environment in 1982 and was Head of the Department from 1998 to 2002. He was later seconded to the Singapore Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA) as a Fellow and from 2002 to 2009 was the founding Executive Director of the DesignSingapore Council, the government’s lead agency for the integrated promotion and development of Singapore’s fast-growing design cluster.

In his lifetime, he has contributed significantly to the discipline of Architecture and Design in Singapore. As Head of Department of Architecture, he initiated the Best Progress Awards for Architecture students and as Director of the DesignSingapore Council, he spearheaded several initiatives that have brought significant change to Singapore’s creative and design industries not only locally, but also on an international platform. He was conferred The Public Service Medal by the President of Singapore in 2009. The NUS Department of Architecture continues his legacy through this fund to remember and commemorate his life and work. The Department has sought consent from Dr. Milton Tan’s family to name the fund after him. The Milton Tan Memorial Fund was officially formed in September 2012.