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Monday, 29 March 1999

Fortune magazine's Asian Businessman of the Year, Deputy Chairman and CEO of Singapore Airlines Dr Cheong Choong Kong, will receive a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Adelaide on Tuesday, 30 March.

The University's Alumni Association announced the award to Dr Cheong in recognition of his "sustained and distinguished service as an alumnus to management and communication especially in Singapore".

The award is to be presented to Dr Cheong at a lunch in his honour on Tuesday, March 30 at the University.

Born in Malaysia, he came to the University of Adelaide as a Colombo Plan Scholar and graduated with First Class Honours in Mathematics (Bachelor of Science) in 1963. He then took his PhD in Mathematics at ANU in Canberra.

Dr Cheong taught Mathematics at the University of Malaya and was an Associate Professor when he joined Singapore Airlines in 1974.

His distinguished career includes:

• Chairman of Singapore Airport Terminal Services
• Chairman of SIA Engineering Company
• Director of Singapore Press Holdings
• Board Member of the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies
• Council Member of the Australia-Asia Institute
• Vice-Chairman of the Singapore-US Business Council
• Board Member of the Singapore International Foundation

He has also served as Chairman of the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation and as Chairman of its successor, Singapore International Media.

Dr Cheong has always involved himself in the University of Adelaide's Alumni activities both in Singapore and in Adelaide. He played a central part in the program for students from the three South Australian universities during the July 1995 Asian Seminar in Adelaide.

In February 1999 Fortune magazine recognised Dr Cheong with its Asian Businessman of the Year Award.

The University of Adelaide's Distinguished Alumni Award was decided in October 1998, but Dr Cheong has been unable to receive the award until now.