Lai Yee Hing
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Lai Yee Hing is a Singaporean organic chemistry professor based in the National University of Singapore. He was the principal of NUS High School of Mathematics and Science and held this position from July 2004 to 31 July 2007.
Lai Yee Hing graduated with a B.Sc from the former Nanyang University (now National University of Singapore) in 1976 and received his PhD from the University of Victoria in 1980. Following that he spent 2 years in University of California Berkeley as a post-doctoral fellow, working with Peter Vollhardt. His research interests include novel aromatic compounds, conjugated organic materials and macrocycles.
Professor Lai is known for his passion in teaching organic chemistry and he is remembered by most of his students for setting challenging examination questions. His decision to take up the position as the principal of the NUS High School of Mathematics and Science was to fulfill a childhood dream. One of his main aim as the principal is to develop a passion in learning in the students. In an interview with the Ministry of Education, he said that "the passion for learning in general would build up a good foundation for learning, qualities such as determination, going the extra mile, doing things outside the curriculum. We would like to look at academic excellence as the outcome of the passion rather than the goal".
