George Yeo, Chancellor of Nalanda University, resigns

The Chancellor of Nalanda University, George Yeo, resigned on 25 November 2016. He cited that when he was invited to take charge he was “repeatedly assured that the University would have autonomy. This appears not to be the case now”.

Yeo also stated that the dissolution of the Governing Board of the university and creation of a new one came as a complete surprise to him. He stated that he was neither involved nor consulted before the decision was taken.

Earlier on 23 November 2016, Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen terminated his nine-year-long association with the University, first as a Chancellor and later as a member of the Governing Board. He had resigned as the Chancellor in February 2015.

About George Yeo

• George Yeo is a former Singaporean politician.

• He also served as the member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP).

• He served in the Cabinet from 1991 to 2011 as the Minister for Information and the Arts (1991–99), Minister for Health (1994–97), Minister for Trade and Industry (1999–2004) and Minister for Foreign Affairs (2004–11).

• In the 2011 general election, he lost his seat in Parliament when the PAP's team in the Aljunied Group Representation Constituency was defeated by the team from the Workers' Party. Thereafter, he announced retirement from politics.

• Prior to entering Parliament, he was a Brigadier-General in the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF).

• He was the Director of Joint Operations and Planning at the Ministry of Defence from 1986 to 1988.