National University of Singapore (NUS) Medicine has launched the MOH–NUS Postgraduate Fellowship in Biomedical Ethics, a postgraduate programme to advance the understanding and translation of the practice of ethics in healthcare settings, and to equip healthcare professionals and leaders with the frameworks and tools to address real-world ethical challenges in everyday healthcare practice.
The first awardee of the Fellowship is Kwek Shi Qi, a registered nurse at the National University Hospital (NUH), and alumna of the Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, NUS Medicine.
Singapore’s healthcare system is growing increasingly complex, fuelled by advances in medical technology, an ageing population, and more informed patients. This complexity routinely brings critical questions of consent, communication, fairness and end-of-life decisions to the patient’s bedside. Beyond delivering excellent care, healthcare professionals must navigate these ethical challenges while balancing patient autonomy, professional responsibilities, and system-level constraints in a transparent and principled manner. It is essential to equip them with knowledge and understanding of biomedical ethics, ethical analysis and reasoning, so that they can recognise and resolve conflicts early, and reduce moral distress.
As the inaugural Fellow of the programme, Kwek will undertake a Master of Science in Biomedical Ethics at CBmE, NUS Medicine, in a unique model of healthcare ethics training that combines academic scholarship with formal placements in public healthcare and policy settings.
The Fellowship provides full funding for tuition and relevant university fees, and a monthly stipend of S$3,800 for the duration of the programme. It is supported by a fund of up to S$1.2 million from Ministry of Health (MOH), reflecting a national commitment to embedding ethical reasoning alongside clinical excellence in everyday practice.
