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Singapore University of Social Science Endowment Fund
The Singapore University of Social Sciences Endowment Fund was established in 2017 alongside the institution's upgrade to Singapore's sixth autonomous...
Singapore University of Social Science Endowment Fund
The Singapore University of Social Sciences Endowment Fund was established in 2017 alongside the institution's upgrade to Singapore's sixth autonomous university. Chairman Mildred Tan, who also leads the Tote Board, governs an Investment Committee that includes GIC private-equity executive Tan Hwee Loo and Avanda Investment Management CIO Wee Ai Ning. The fund receives matching grants from the Ministry of Education at a 3:1 ratio, creating a forced-multiplier structure that accelerates asset accumulation. The fund invests across quoted equities and debt in Singapore, global private equity and private credit funds, global hedge funds, and Singapore-listed REITs. Confirmed positions span direct co-investments and fund-of-funds structures across venture, buyout, growth, and secondaries. A dedicated portfolio manager, Lum Weng Hong, oversees public equities and hedge fund allocations. The investment office participates in SBAI institutional roundtables and maintains a CAIA Association partnership that embeds alternative-investment training into SUSS finance degrees. Team governance sits with the Board of Trustees and a specialized Investment Committee drawing talent from GIC and Avanda Investment Management. The endowment fuels downstream philanthropic structures including the SUSS Student Care Fund, the SUSS Sustainability Endowment Fund, and the BinjaiTree Community Engagement Fund, among over a dozen named vehicles. In September 2023, SUSS signed an MOU with RSM Singapore through its Centre of Excellence for Social Good to equip SMEs with ESG practices — reinforcing the fund's role as a conduit for operational partnerships. The fund's structural differentiator is its tight coupling to Singapore's national social-enterprise architecture: Mildred Tan's concurrent chairmanship of the Tote Board, the MOE's outsized matching-grant leverage, and embedded partnerships with raiSE and Philanthropy Asia Alliance align the endowment with state-directed social investing in a way no other Singaporean university replicates.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
2017
Location
Region
Asia
Country
Singapore
City
Singapore
Corporate office
Singapore, Singapore
Principals
Mildred Tan
Chairman of the Board of Trustees
Tan Tai Yong
President
Wee Ai Ning
Member of the Board of Trustees and Investment Committee
Tan Hwee Loo
Member of the Investment Committee
Lum Weng Hong
Portfolio Manager
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at the SUSS Endowment Fund?
A Board of Trustees Investment Committee governs asset allocation, including Avanda CIO Wee Ai Ning and GIC's Tan Hwee Loo. Day-to-day portfolio management for public equities and hedge funds sits with Lum Weng Hong in the university's investment office.
How does the Ministry of Education matching grant affect the fund's growth?
The MOE provides up to S$3 for every S$1 donated, creating a structural multiplier unmatched by typical endowment matching. This forces rapid scale-up: a S$10M donation can generate up to S$30M in matching capital, significantly accelerating AUM.
What is the fund's actual AUM?
SUSS does not publicly disclose a current AUM figure. Altss research estimates approximately USD 400 million based on the university's historical matching-grant flows, donation records, and disclosed investment-portfolio breadth.
Does the endowment make direct investments or only fund commitments?
The portfolio spans both fund commitments and direct holdings. The fund holds quoted unit trusts, debt securities, and REITs directly in Singapore, while accessing global private equity, private credit, and hedge funds through fund structures.
How is the SUSS Endowment Fund connected to Singapore's social-enterprise sector?
Chairman Mildred Tan concurrently chairs the Singapore Totalisator Board, and SUSS holds MOUs with raiSE and the Philanthropy Asia Alliance. The endowment funds multiple university-affiliated social-good vehicles, including the SUSS Student Care Fund and Sustainability Endowment Fund, making social-enterprise alignment a core identity rather than a side mandate.
Which sectors or strategies does the endowment explicitly avoid?
No explicit exclusions are publicly documented. However, the fund's observable investments and ESG-oriented MOU with RSM Singapore suggest a tilt toward strategies with measurable social or environmental impact, consistent with the university's social-science mission.
What is the SBAI partnership and why does it matter?
SUSS is a stakeholder member of the Standards Board for Alternative Investments Investor Chapter, participating in institutional roundtables that shape industry standards for hedge funds and private markets. This signals a commitment to operational due diligence and governance norms aligned with global institutional allocators.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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