Professor Alan K.L. Chan is Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple Chair Professor of Inter-Religious Studies and Harmony and Provost at Singapore Management University (SMU). He joined SMU as Provost-Designate in March 2025 and assumed the role of Provost on 1 April 2025.
Prior to joining SMU, Professor Chan was Provost and J.S. Lee Professor of Chinese Culture at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), where he provided leadership in academic planning, research development, curriculum innovation, and international engagement.
From 2009 to 2020, Professor Chan served at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, as Toh Puan Mahani Idris Daim Chair Professor of Humanities, Dean of the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, and, from 2018, Vice-President. During his tenure, he played a leading role in advancing interdisciplinary education, research excellence, and strategic academic initiatives.
Before joining NTU, Professor Chan was a faculty member in the Department of Philosophy at the National University of Singapore (NUS), where he held several leadership appointments, including Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and Associate Provost (Undergraduate Education). While at NUS, he received the Teaching Excellence Award on two occasions.
Professor Chan obtained his PhD in Religious Studies from the University of Toronto and began his academic career at the University of Manitoba, Canada. An internationally respected scholar in Chinese philosophy, religion, and intellectual history, he has published extensively and contributed significantly to the advancement of humanities scholarship and higher education in Asia and beyond.
As the inaugural holder of the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple Chair Professorship in Inter-Religious Studies and Harmony, Professor Chan leads efforts to strengthen research, education, and community engagement in inter-religious studies, fostering dialogue, understanding, and harmony among diverse faith communities.
