NUS Open House 2026
Public Health: Creating Healthier Communities
Public health is about creating healthier communities. It focuses on prevention and on shaping the conditions that support well-being across the life course.
Public health looks at the bigger picture: how diseases spread, why health outcomes differ, and how policies and environments influence our well-being.
If you are curious about the world around you, care about people and communities, and want your work to have real and lasting impact, public health offers many pathways to turn that interest into action.
About the School
The Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health at the National University of Singapore is Singapore’s national school of public health.
Building on public health research and training at NUS since 1948, the School was established in 2011 to bring together education, research, and practice in addressing population health challenges in Singapore and the region.
Its work covers a wide range of public health issues, from infectious diseases to population and health systems research.
Through its education and research, the School supports the development and application of policies and programmes that improve health in Singapore and the region.
To learn more about the student experience, hear from Grace, 5th President of the Public Health Club, as she shares her personal journey and explores the diverse opportunities within the world of public health.
What You Didn’t Know About Public Health (Online)
Date:
Time:
3 March 2026, Tuesday
5pm to 6pm (SGT)
When people hear ‘public health’, they often think of infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and the work involved in preventing outbreaks, monitoring infections, and responding to health emergencies. While this is an important aspect of public health, it odes not capture the full scope of the field.
Public health also focuses on long term health challenges such as chronic diseases, mental well-being, ageing, and health inequalities. It considers how policies, environments, and everyday conditions including housing, transport, workplaces, and communities, influence how people feel, function and live their lives.
At its core, public health is about supporting healthier and more inclusive communities and enabling people to live well across the life course.
In this session, you will learn more about our Public Health programmes and how they can lead to diverse and meaningful career pathways. You will also gain a glimpse of how public health thinking is applied in practice.
Our Speakers
Dr Raymond Lim
Domain Leader for Social & Behavioural Sciences, NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health
Dr Rayner Tan
Assistant Professor, NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health
As Programme Director for the Second Major and Minor in Public Health, Dr Raymond Lim works closely with students. He helps them understand how behaviour, communication, and everyday choices influence health. His work focuses on health promotion and public health communication. In particular, he examines how people make decisions and how health messages and programmes can be designed to support healthier lifestyles.
His research and teaching span behavioural science, evaluation of public health programmes, and workplace health promotion. They also cover topics such as diabetes and the prevention and control of sexually transmitted infections and HIV. He is especially interested in applying evidence from mixed methods and qualitative research to improve how public health programmes are designed, delivered, and evaluated in real-world settings.
Dr Rayner Tan leads The Courage Lab, where his work focuses on understanding and addressing stigma, strengthening community engagement, and advancing health equity. Trained as an implementation and socio-behavioural scientist, he works closely with communities to translate research into practical and meaningful action.
Beyond academia, Dr Tan is deeply involved in community and policy work. He is Head of Research at The Greenhouse Community Services Limited, a board member of Project X Society, and treasurer of the Society of Behavioural Health. He also co-leads SG Mental Health Matters and Project Hayat, a community-led initiative contributing to Singapore’s national suicide prevention efforts, and represents community perspectives on the Agency for Care Effectiveness (ACE) Consumer Panel.
Why Public Health? (In-person)
Date:
7 March 2026, Saturday
Time:
Session 1: 11am – 12pm (SGT)
Session 2: 1pm – 2pm (SGT)
Location
Stephen Riady Centre Level 1 (Utown) [Google Maps]
Global Learning Room
2 College Ave West, Singapore 138607
Public health is about creating healthier communities. It focuses on shaping the conditions that support well-being across the life course, from addressing infectious diseases and chronic conditions to improving mental well-being, ageing, and health equity.
Public health places strong emphasis on prevention and early action. Its highly interdisciplinary nature brings together perspectives from fields such as science, engineering, social sciences, and policy, helping students apply what they already know to real-world health challenges.
If you are curious about the world around you, care about people and communities, and want your work to have real and lasting impact, this talk will show how public health can turn those interests into action.
You will also learn how a Minor or Second Major in Public Health can complement your primary degree by adding practical skills and broadening your perspectives, supporting a wide range of future career pathways.
Find out more:
Our Speaker
Associate Professor Liow Chee Hsiang
Vice Dean (Education), NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health
Associate Professor Liow Chee Hsiang is a medical doctor with extensive experience in public and global health practice. He spent over 14 years working in south-west China, where he oversaw a wide range of initiatives including village doctor training, medical and dental services, HIV prevention and care, leprosy programmes, disaster relief, and rehabilitation for children with autism and cerebral palsy. He has also been involved in global health programmes and evaluations across the Greater Mekong Sub-region and Southeast Asia.
At the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, he plays a key role in shaping education and training, with a strong focus on how health and social programmes are designed, implemented, and evaluated. He teaches global health and programme design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation (DIME) at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and works closely with practitioners through training and advisory roles. His experience spans the design and evaluation of over 100 programmes in Singapore and the region.
NUS Public Health Programme Booth
Curious about public health? Drop by our programme booth to discover our programmes and the wide range of courses we offer. Meet our faculty and students, hear their stories, and get your questions answered.
Date:
7 March 2026, Saturday
Time:
9am to 5pm (SGT)
Location
College of Alice & Peter Tan (Utown)
Multi – Purpose Hall [Google Maps]
8 College Ave East, #B1-50, Singapore 138615
Click here to find out more about the Minor or Second Major in Public Health from our graduates!
