In conversation with GK Goh and Goh Yew Lin
Standing in front of the signage to the GK Goh Centre for Neuroscience are (from left): Mrs and Mr Goh Yew Lin and Mr GK Goh

Mr Goh Yew Lin (centre) and his wife, Mrs Charlotte Goh, with Mr GK Goh at a special appreciation event to honour their transformative investment in Duke-NUS’ pursuit of bold neuroscience ideas that will impact patients lives // Credit: Norfaezah Abdullah, Duke-NUS


In December 2023, neuroscientists at Duke-NUS detailed how they aim to decode ageing and develop new and more effective treatments for many debilitating neurodegenerative and neurological conditions, whose impact is not just felt by the individual but their families and loved ones too. Thanks to a generous $5 million gift from the GK Goh family that helped establish the GK Goh Centre for Neuroscience under the Neuroscience and Behavioural Disorders Programme at Duke-NUS, the scientists can now accelerate their efforts. Combining their range of expertise under the newly established Centre, the team of investigators led by Professor Zhang Suchun will be able to make a quantum leap in pursuing this high-risk, blue-sky research project that will transform our future, bringing hope to patients and caregivers around the world.

MEDICUS interviewed Mr GK Goh and his son and Duke-NUS Governing Board Chairman Mr Goh Yew Lin about the motivation behind the gift, the role of philanthropy today and what research-intensive institutions like Duke-NUS need to do to resonate with philanthropists and communities.

Infographic on Mr GK Goh

 

MEDICUSThank you, gentlemen, for giving us this interview. What inspired you to contribute $5 million to neuroscience? And can you share more about your passion for supporting scientific advancements, particularly in the field of brain research?

GK GOH:
A lot is happening at the frontiers of medical research, but the advances in neuroscience are among the most important and exciting, thanks to new technologies and brilliant scientists. We are finally seeing breakthroughs in some of the most difficult diseases of ageing, such as Alzheimer’s. There’s still a lot to do. Duke-NUS’ team led by Professor Zhang is already making important discoveries, and I’m sure they will make good use of the funds to advance such research further. I also hope they will inspire more young Singaporeans to pursue neuroscience research—this is an area where much more needs to be done, and soon.

 

MEDICUS: What is the main challenge for basic science when it comes to resonating with private donors?

GK GOH: We live in a really exciting time of accelerated scientific discoveries. The challenge is to explain that excitement in terms that lay people can understand and to be seen as good stewards of the hard-earned funds given by donors. 

GOH YEW LIN: For donors, the sheer range of new therapies and technologies is intimidatingly complex. NK cells, QKD, CAR-T, LLMs, GAI—and those are just the acronyms from this morning’s inbox. We have to make this alphabet soup understandable and focus attention on the potential impact of research. But it’s also important for donors not to think that we have a magic potion that guarantees research success every time, or else one negative outcome (and there will be disappointments) may become an impediment to future giving. Failure is part of research, allowing for the elimination of dead ends as scientists work towards viable solutions. The road towards a treatment for Alzheimer’s is a good illustration—the science can only move forward through a long, painful process of testing until we have the first pathways to therapy.

 

A photo of Goh Yew Lin which is accompanied by some information about him, his career and personal interests


MEDICUS: Mr Goh Yew Lin, you previously said that people give for one of three reasons: transactional, relational and conviction, can you elaborate on this and how this mix of reasons is influencing gifting decisions here? 

GOH YEW LIN: Most donors start off giving to a charity because a friend asked for a donation, or perhaps by buying a table at a fund-raising dinner. That’s relational or transactional. There’s also legacy giving, where someone is being honoured through a named gift. However, over time, with deeper engagement, these relationships can evolve into something more sustained and substantial, but the path to conviction giving is never the same: every donor has a different context, and we need to look beyond the gift itself to understand what resonates with the giver.

Philanthropy is sometimes depicted as the more fortunate in society giving back. I’ve always had a problem with the idea of “giving back” because it would suggest one has taken out something disproportionately in the first place! Philanthropy is simply sharing one’s good fortune or ability with others. One should give because one can, and because of the good that can result. It is an investment in our shared future.

Each gift our family has made over the decades is also an acknowledgement of our good fortune to live in Singapore, where sound government has created a conducive and safe environment for us to build our businesses.  

 

A Common Flameback woodpecker perching outside Goh Yew Lin's neighbour’s window in 2023

Mr Goh Yew Lin is an avid nature photographer. He captured a Common Flameback woodpecker perching outside his neighbour’s window in 2023 // Credit: Goh Yew Lin


MEDICUS: Mr GK Goh, how do you stay motivated and engaged in both your philanthropic work and your interests at the age of 91? 

GK GOH: I am in the office every day. When I’m not in the office, I go fishing, do gardening or cook. I keep in touch with global news. I look for interesting businesses to invest in. I was 75 when I was asked in 2007 to chair the National Museum, and the Temasek International Foundation (TIF) at its formation. 

With my TIF team, I travelled to many places I would never have visited otherwise, from Almaty to Ramallah, meeting officials as well as beneficiaries. I always tried to visit the local markets to see how ordinary people live. It was often tiring, but it was always exciting. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to do something completely new despite my age. Maybe it helped me to stay young.  

If you start thinking that you are too old to learn and to do what you enjoy, you will age very fast.

Mr GK Goh perched on the side of a boat in the ocean off Western Australia with a blue marlin

The moment Mr GK Goh set a record as the oldest person to land a blue marlin in Western Australia in October 2023 // Credit: Goh Yew Lin


MEDICUS:
And Mr Goh Yew Lin, how do you de-stress amid your busy schedule and many responsibilities?

GOH YEW LIN: I am very fortunate that my public and business roles are so complementary.  Music, whether listened to or played, engages the mind in very different ways from anything in my day jobs, taking the listener to alternate universes of emotion and intellectual engagement. A few minutes focused on learning something at the piano can completely alter my state of mind.

Mr Goh Yew Lin (left), his mother Mrs Madeline Goh, and his father, Mr GK Goh, at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music at the National University of Singapore where they endowered a professorship in 2019

Mr Goh Yew Lin (left), his mother Mrs Madeline Goh, and his father, Mr GK Goh, at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music at the National University of Singapore where they endowered a professorship in 2019 // Credit: Goh Yew Lin


MEDICUS
Looking ahead, how would you describe the wider economic outlook for Singapore and the region and what opportunities do you see for the biomedical sector in particular?  

GOH YEW LIN: Singapore has patiently built up a very strong capability in biomedical research over the past two decades. The research coming out of Singapore institutes is now world-class, and alongside this will come opportunities for commercialisation. This is a very good time for investors to get engaged, and we already see many more international venture capital firms investing in Singapore’s biomedical startups.   


MEDICUS: In your view, what opportunities or threats does AI bring to the biomedical sector and in particular a medical education and research-intensive institution like Duke-NUS?   

GOH YEW LIN: There is a lot of noise around the impact of generative AI on the future nature of work. Experts describe it as the biggest thing since the invention of the Internet browser. Even before the latest iterations of machine learning, many skills and services have already been disrupted by new technologies, and the only certainty is that the pace of change is going to increase. 

From a research standpoint, this will speed up the rate of discovery and improvements in the quality of care. From an individual standpoint, however, it increases the possibility that one’s hard-earned skills may be superseded or made less valuable. 

At Duke-NUS, we have to reconsider what’s truly essential for a future-ready medical education, and we will have to strengthen competencies in data science and other foundational aspects of artificial intelligence. Understanding AI will become necessary whether one is a scientist or a full-time clinician. We also need to provide our graduates with a broad base of skills upon which to build their careers, so that they can pivot along the way.  Change is unpredictable but unavoidable, and we will have to get ahead of the curve.  


MEDICUS: In an interview with The Edge back in 2004, you described G.K. Goh Holdings’ management style as a blend of common sense and old-fashioned principles guided by long-term strategic objectives. Can you elaborate on this philosophy, why it works for you, and do you apply this in your role as Duke-NUS Governing Board Chairman?
   
GOH YEW LIN: Common sense is often undervalued, and too much reliance is sometimes placed on consultants to validate what we already know (or should know). After we sold our financial services businesses in 2005, we built a small team to look for investments with a long-term growth horizon.  

When we first invested in Australian aged care in 2013, it was six years after we had started studying the sector, and it was very much out of fashion. But we liked the aged care sector: globally, there is a shortage of investment, but the need for quality aged care is increasing every year. We looked at various countries, but we chose to invest in Australia in part because there was a clearer (though not perfect) policy framework. 

Mr GK Goh and his wife mark the topping out of Allium Care Suites in Upper Thomson in 2018

Mr GK Goh and his wife mark the topping out of Allium Care Suites in Upper Thomson in 2018 // Credit: Goh Yew Lin

So, when the opportunity came to acquire a 50 per cent stake in one of Australia’s largest private operators of residential aged care, we were ready. Our capable managers have grown Opal from 48 to 100 homes in the past decade. The ride has not always been smooth, but it’s a meaningful business, bringing joy and dignity as well as we can to those we care for, at a vulnerable point in their lives. Our decision to launch Allium Care Suites in Upper Thomson was driven by our desire to bring a more personalised model of residential aged care to Singapore, drawing in part from what we had learnt abroad.

We also invest actively in early-stage science-based university spinouts (primarily around Oxford and Cambridge). We have a particular interest in Japan and have been increasing our investments there for the past eight years. We like looking for opportunities before ideas become fashionable. The markets will eventually come around if our thesis is sound, and we aren’t in a rush.

How does this relate to my chairmanship of Duke-NUS? It’s simply that I try to look beyond the immediate issues to understand the available pathways and the risks and opportunities associated with each so that we can position Duke-NUS as a key contributor to Singapore’s biomedical and healthcare ecosystem while continuing to provide an outstanding medical education. It sounds simple; I wish it was!

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MEDICUS: What is the secret to being an effective chairman?

GOH YEW LIN: A board has three main functions: governance, strategy and leadership. Governance is self-evidently important, as long as it doesn’t become bureaucratic box-ticking. The key priority for a chairman is to make sure he has a good CEO/Dean and to draw a clear line between the roles of chairman and CEO. Good executive leadership then allows the Board to focus on strategic issues that will be critical for the organisation’s future.  

The chairman needs to fully understand the purpose and context of the institution. Why does Duke-NUS exist? Who are the key stakeholders, and what does success mean for each of them? How do we bring their different and evolving expectations into alignment with what is achievable? How do we get the resources for our aspirations? 

Duke-NUS is probably the most complicated of all my boards:  there are five core stakeholders (Ministries of Education and Health, Duke University, the National University of Singapore and SingHealth) and there’s also an important relationship to Singapore’s scientific ecosystem. 

Further, there are the expectations of our donors, faculty, scientists and students. A listening ear, empathy and a curious but critical mind are necessary. Finally, I try to ensure that my board is not overwhelmed by too much detail so that we can focus on what’s really important.


MEDICUS: What is your vision for Duke-NUS in the next five years?

GOH YEW LIN: Duke-NUS is already making a real impact in research and medical care in Singapore and beyond. Though young, our alumni are already doing great things. So, first of all, we need to sustain what we is already ongoing and do it even better, building deeper and richer partnerships at the leading edge of scientific discovery. Second, we need to grow our commercialisation engine, to find more investors who can turn our best ideas into real products that improve lives. Third, our educational curriculum needs to adapt to the rapid changes in technology and especially AI, so that our students will be well prepared for the very exciting world that lies ahead of them.


MEDICUS: 
What advice would you give to younger generations interested in combining philanthropy with personal passions?

GOH YEW LIN: Go deep into understanding the causes you are supporting: Giving with conviction is ultimately much more satisfying. And volunteer your time. Walking in unfamiliar shoes can completely alter your perspective on the meaning of life and the necessity of giving.


MEDICUS: 
Thank you both very much for sharing your insights.


This interview was conducted over email and edited by Nicole Lim, Senior editor.

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