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6 things you didn’t know about Prof Ho Teck Hua
Derek Rodriguez (MAE/2007) dives deep to discover the wealth of achievements of Prof Ho Teck Hua, NTU’s fifth President, and to get to know him better.
1. This isn’t the first time he has lived on the Nanyang Technological University campus.
Coincidentally, Prof Ho and his wife lived in the Yunnan Garden campus years ago although their paths didn’t cross then. Prof Ho stayed at a hall for two years as a student at the National University of Singapore in the mid-1980s, while his wife spent 15 years as a resident here when her father worked for Nanyang University. In fact, her dad was in the fifth batch of Nanyang University graduates. Prof Ho jokes: “If I had told my father-in-law I would be NTU President one day, I’m pretty sure he would have immediately said yes to me marrying his daughter!”
2. He was wooed back to Singapore after two decades in the United States.
Prof Ho was the first Singaporean selected for the Returning Singaporean Scientists Scheme, a programme by the National Research Foundation to attract highflyers back home. His last appointment before becoming NTU President in April 2023 was as Senior Deputy President and Provost of the National University of Singapore.
Over his career, he has clinched numerous teaching awards, including the Distinguished Teaching Award, the highest university-level award for teaching at the University of California, Berkeley. This year, he received the National Day Public Administration Medal (Gold) award.
3. He has a “cheerleader” parenting style.
“As a parent, I’ve become quite hands-off,” says Prof Ho, who called San Francisco home for more than 20 years. “Once my kids started college, I never asked them about their grades. I saw my role as that of a cheerleader, encouraging and energising them.” He believes in giving his children – and now his grandchildren – space to grow and urges them on while being there for them whenever they need advice. He believes in giving encouragement and affirmation rather than criticism and brings this approach to NTU as he becomes “parent” to the few thousand young people here.
Prof Ho regularly keeps in touch with his two children and three grandkids who live in the US, and enjoys chatting with his oldest grandchild using FaceTime.
4. He’s actually an introvert.
Prof Ho says he was “shy and nerdy” growing up. But he had a natural curiosity about things. “I read deeply on my school subjects and questioned my teachers as a truth-seeker when I felt something was not right,” he says. As a student at Chinese High School (now called Hwa Chong Institution), Prof Ho was greatly inspired by his mathematics teacher, and developed an abiding interest in the subject that is reflected in his research. “My passion for mathematics has prompted me to discover human behavioural patterns through the analysis of big data and by conducting laboratory and field experiments.”
5. He is inspired by superheroes.
“I like characters with superpowers because the characters always win. Justice prevails. But these superheroes have their flaws too. Iron Man, for instance, saved half the world despite having very human shortcomings. These characters teach us to embrace the strengths and weaknesses of those around us. We can all work together, with our flaws and quirks, to achieve great things,” he says, adding that having a team with diverse talents, like The Avengers, is an important element for NTU’s success.
6. He's big on marketing.
Marketing is one of Prof Ho’s areas of expertise as he seeks to encourage smart behaviour in areas such as health and transportation. One of his recently co-authored pieces of research is intriguingly titled “Cash incentives for weight loss work only for males”. And if you notice more yellow cabs on the road, it might be the result of a study he led that found that yellow taxis in Singapore were nine per cent less likely to have an accident than blue ones.
4 things that Prof Ho hopes NTU alumni will do
- Be NTU’s brand ambassadors.
Prof Ho wants alumni to connect NTU to the world. “NTU is a very young university, a teenager in the world of academia where many established universities have centuries of achievements and Nobel Prizes behind them. Our alumni are our best hope of influencing the world and changing it, while making a name for their alma mater.”
- Inspire their juniors.
Students at NTU have a lot to gain from alumni who have been there and done that, feels Prof Ho. He urges alumni to return and share their experiences with their juniors through mentorships or by providing internship opportunities. “We want to connect talent with opportunities within our ecosystem, after which we hope they can pay it forward by creating opportunities for others.”
- Come back for skills upgrading.
Prof Ho wants NTU to be the educational institution of choice when alumni consider postgraduate studies. “Your relationship with your alma mater doesn’t end with graduation or when you land your first job. Count on us to build up your human capital. Tell us what's lacking in the curriculum, and NTU will strive to provide it.”
- Uplift the lives of those who are less privileged.
Prof Ho considers it NTU’s mission to serve the community. He hopes to cultivate this service mentality, as well as a culture of kindness and philanthropy, at all levels. “Addressing humanity’s grand challenges starts with having a heart for those in need. Take the opportunity to give, to help others, even those beyond the NTU community.”
This article first appeared in issue 3 of U, the NTU alumni magazine.
