Singapore

In April 2005, Duke University and the National University of Singapore launched a unique partnership that created a new graduate medical school in Singapore – the first of its kind in Asia.

Under the agreement, the Singapore government is making a significant investment over seven years to establish the new school as part of its national strategy to become a leading center for medical research and education. The school’s curriculum is patterned after that of the Duke University School of Medicine. The school is part of the National University of Singapore system, but unique in that it is overseen by a governing board including a Duke representative who has veto power over any academic decision made by the board. Victor J. Dzau, MD, chancellor for health affairs at Duke University, serves as Duke’s representative on the board.

R. Sanders Williams, MD, dean of the Duke University School of Medicine, is also serving as founding dean of the GMS. He leads a Duke committee that oversees the development of the school, including facilities planning, faculty recruitment and student admissions.

“Singapore has made a vast commitment to becoming a leader in biomedical research, and they also fund an enviable level of social support and health services for their population,” Williams said when the partnership agreement was signed. “The leadership of Duke and the Singapore government share many values, and we believe our partnership will lay the foundation for health advances that will have global impact.”

The Duke Global Health Institute is working closely with Duke-NUS to recruit faculty members for a Health Services Research Department. This department will study areas such as the distribution and determinants of health and disease from a population perspective, the influence of social factors, financing systems, organizational structures and processes, health technologies and personal behavior on use of health-care services, and the quality, cost and effectiveness of these services.