- The
Executive Master in Healthcare Leadership and Management is curated by the
Asian Institute for Healthcare Leadership and Management (Asian HEAL)
under the auspices of the SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute.
- The
programme, awarded by the National University of Singapore, bridges Asia’s
most innovative health systems through a landmark Singapore–India
collaboration and practitioner- led learning.
Bangalore, 20th November 2025 : Through a new postgraduate programme Executive Master in Healthcare
Leadership and Management, the SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute is
deepening cross-border collaboration with India through its Asian Institute for
Healthcare Leadership and Management (Asian HEAL) to strengthen regional
leadership capacity and prepare senior healthcare professionals to drive
transformation across Asia’s health systems.
This partnership draws on leading expertise from
across the region, including distinguished Indian healthcare leaders such as Dr
Devi Prasad Shetty, Chairman, Narayana Health, and Dr N. Venkatesh Prajna,
Chief, Cornea and Refractive Surgery Services, Aravind Eye Hospital. Both have
pioneered some of Asia’s most impactful innovations in delivering affordable,
high-quality, and sustainable care.
A milestone in Singapore-India collaboration
The Executive Master’s programme represents a
first-of-its-kind collaboration between Singapore and India, combining
Singapore’s governance capabilities with India’s expertise in affordable care
delivery innovations. Its curriculum is grounded on regional perspectives, with
the 15-month, part- time programme beginning in Singapore and featuring
immersive site visits to India as well as Thailand and the Philippines.
The syllabus underscores the value of Asian-led
solutions to manage Asian healthcare challenges. By drawing lessons from
Asian-led models rather than Western frameworks, the programme equips leaders
to navigate the region’s unique social, economic, and infrastructural
realities. This approach also fills a critical gap: acknowledging that Asia’s
diverse population densities, resource limitations, and cultural contexts
demand solutions designed from within.
“Asia’s healthcare challenges cannot be solved by
importing models, they must be shaped by leaders who understand the realities
on the ground. Asian HEAL offers a powerful platform for us to share what has
worked in India and learn from our neighbours, so that together we can build
systems that are efficient, compassionate, and designed for scale. This
collaboration marks an important step toward creating the next generation of
healthcare leaders for our region,” explains Dr Shetty.
Real-world impact through practitioner-led learning
The Executive Master’s programme focuses on
experiential learning through real-world case studies, site visits, and
interactions with practicing faculty across Asia. The curriculum covers strategic
management, innovation, operations, and systems thinking, empowering
professionals to translate leadership theory into practicum.
Through Dr Shetty and Dr Prajna’s participation as
teaching faculty, participants gain direct insights into India’s transformative
healthcare models, including Narayana Health’s community-based cardiac care and
Aravind Eye Care’s scale-driven, high-volume approach. These models are highly
relevant lessons on how technology, operational design, and data-driven
management can expand access and improve outcomes, even under resource
constraints.
Underscoring the value in the cross exchange in
learning, Dr Prajna points out, “Collaboration is at the heart of sustainable
healthcare transformation. Through Asian HEAL, we have a unique opportunity to
engage deeply with peers across Asia, exchange practical insights, and
collectively reimagine how care can be delivered more effectively. When regional
expertise comes together in this way, it creates lasting impact for both
practitioners and the patients we serve.”
A unique part of the programme in India will be a
fireside chat with Dr Prajna and Dr Paul Salins, Senior Maxillo Facial Surgeon
and Director of Mazumdar Shaw Medical Foundation, which will enable
participants to lean into their insights on how collaboration across borders
can inspire practical innovation.
The dialogue, titled “Strategic Innovations for Future
Healthcare”, will explore the ways in which technology, leadership, and
cross-sector collaboration are redefining hospital operations and patient care
in the region.
“Dialogues like the fireside chat are important in
highlighting the lived experiences of healthcare practitioners. These
conversations offer invaluable insights from those who have successfully
navigated change within complex health systems. By grounding our teaching in
real-world practice, we empower participants to translate leadership principles
into measurable systems transformation that can directly improve patient care
and outcomes across the region,” shares Professor Ong Biauw Chi, Course
Director of the Executive Master’s Programme, who is also Chief Risk Officer,
SingHealth.
By synergising Singapore’s systems excellence with
India’s spirit of innovation, the Executive Master in Healthcare Leadership C
Management programme is poised to leverage collaborations in healthcare
leadership in Asia to empower professionals to build stronger, more equitable,
and future-ready health systems.
About Asian HEAL
The Asian Institute for Healthcare Leadership and
Management (Asian HEAL) is a leadership knowledge platform that seeks to
elevate healthcare management excellence in Asia. Housed under the SingHealth
Duke-NUS Global Health Institute (SDGHI), Asian HEAL draws on the combined
expertise of SingHealth, Singapore’s largest healthcare group, and Duke-NUS
Medical School, a leading academic medical institution, to strengthen
healthcare leadership and management capabilities across Asia.
Engaging with a network of healthcare professionals in
Asia, we champion an Asian-focused approach to addressing healthcare management
challenges by enhancing regional capabilities, developing a cadre of astute
healthcare leaders, and fostering regional collaboration.
About SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute
The SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute is an
enabling platform for global health activities across the SingHealth Duke-NUS
Academic Medical Centre.
Harnessing the strengths and expertise of SingHealth
and Duke-NUS Medical School, the institute advances health equity by addressing
current and emerging health challenges across Asia and beyond. In collaboration
with partners worldwide, we work to tackle prevalent health issues, strengthen
health systems, and better protect countries from pandemics and disease
threats.
About the Executive Master in Healthcare Leadership
G Management
The Executive Master in Healthcare Leadership and
Management is awarded by the National University of Singapore, ranked eighth in
the world and first in Asia.
Curated by the Asian Institute for Healthcare
Leadership and Management (Asian HEAL), it is designed to equip senior
healthcare professionals with the strategic foresight, operational acumen, and
collaborative mindset required to transform Asia’s health systems.
The inaugural run of the programme is delivered
through immersive modules in Singapore, India, Thailand and the Philippines,
blending classroom learning with experiential engagement, guided by leading
practitioners from across Asia’s healthcare ecosystem.
Registration for the August 2026 intake of the
Executive Master’s programme is now open. Find out more here: https://www.duke-nus.edu.sg/sdghi/asianheal/executive-master
