Singapore’s Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong visits Imperial

Singapore’s Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong met some of Imperial’s trailblazing scientists and students during a campus visit.

The Senior Minister toured some of Imperial’s cutting-edge laboratories to see pioneering research in artificial intelligence, quantum, and other future technologies. 

Imperial’s President Hugh Brady and Vice-President (Communications and Strategic Engagement) Amanda Wolthuizen welcomed the Senior Minister, who is the former Prime Minister of Singapore, to Imperial’s South Kensington campus. 

Professor Hugh Brady gave an overview of Imperial’s Science for Humanity strategy, and the Schools of Convergence Science initiative. As part of Imperial’s Global network, it launched Imperial Global Singapore, a research and innovation hub.  The network is committed to building long-term collaborations with a diverse range of partners and stakeholders, fostering new high-impact partnerships and developing deeper links with our alumni. 

President Hugh Brady said: "It was a privilege to welcome Senior Minister Mr Lee Hsien Loong to Imperial to showcase some of our world-leading research and our vibrant community of Singaporean students. His visit reflects the deep and growing ties between the UK and Singapore in science, innovation and education.  

"Our scientists are working side-by-side with Singaporean partners to tackle global challenges and deliver real-world impact. Our research and innovation hub, Imperial Global Singapore, is a powerful platform for this collaboration, and we are proud to be building a shared future of discovery and progress."  

Imperial – which is second in the QS World University Rankings – hosted a research showcase for the Senior Minister, including a presentation from the team developing Nightingale AI, a pioneering initiative for a Large Health Model aimed at transforming the healthcare sector. Professor Aldo Faisal, from the Department of Computing and the Department of Bioengineering, and Director of the UKRI AI for Healthcare Centres, explained how it could transform clinical practice, enabling AI systems to reason, adapt, and design new treatment protocols across all medical specialties rather than just analyse data.

Professor Neil Ferguson, Director of the School of Public Health, and Professor Azra Ghani, the Academic Director of Imperial Global Singapore are developing a dynamic, aware, and responsive AI-powered surveillance and response system for emerging threats. The system will have potential applications across sectors ranging from real-time crises response to urban planning. 

The Senior Minister also saw a project led by Professor Simone Di Giovanni, from the Department of Brain Sciences, which is deploying frontier neurotechnology and systems biology to target disease and ageing. 

The Senior Minister then visited Dr Joseph Cotter’s laboratory in the Department of Physics to see an Imperial-built quantum sensor – a new type of accelerometer that uses ultracold atoms to make highly accurate measurements. Imperial are developing quantum-enhanced inertial sensor technologies to underpin future long-range navigation systems that do not rely on satellites. 

Imperial has a vibrant community of more than 450 Singaporean students who are forging paths in research, innovation and entrepreneurship. The Senior Minister met some of the students to hear about their experiences and ambitions. Welcoming the students, the Senior Minister said he was pleased to meet some of Imperial's many Singaporean students and urged them to embrace the opportunities from science and technology progress made over the last decades and to make the most of their potential.

Imperial at SWITCH

Imperial’s Vice Provost (Research and Enterprise) Professor Mary Ryan spoke at the Singapore Week of Innovation & Technology. Professor Ryan spoke at an Insights Session about unlocking potential in AI-driven materials research. The festival brings together market leaders, entrepreneurs, creators, accelerators and investors from the global innovation ecosystem. 

Imperial Global Singapore

Last year, Imperial launched its first overseas research and innovation hub in Singapore to strengthen collaboration between the UK and Singapore.

Imperial Global Singapore is based the National Research Foundation Singapore (NRF) Campus for Research Excellence and Technological (CREATE). CREATE is an international research campus and innovation hub that hosts interdisciplinary research centres from top global universities and research institutes to work in collaboration with local institutions.

Imperial Global Singapore sees Imperial’s scientists working closely with university, industry, government, and third-sector partners in Singapore.

The Hub, which is led by Professor Azra Ghani, builds on Imperial’s longstanding collaborations with partners in Singapore enables scientists to rapidly scale new scientific breakthroughs and technology to societal benefit and commercialisation in Southeast Asia.

Imperial is Singapore’s top research collaborator in the UK by publications, with over 5,000 co-publications between Imperial and Singapore institutions between 2020-2025. 

Imperial is proud to currently host more than 450 students from Singapore and to have more than 4,000 alumni who call Singapore home.

Find out more about Imperial Global Singapore