NUS Medicine receives S$3 million gift from Elaine and Eduardo Saverin Foundation

[SINGAPORE] The Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine), will get a S$3 million boost from the Elaine and Eduardo Saverin Foundation (EESF).

The amount will be used to establish a new scholarship for NUS Medicine’s Master of Clinical Mental Health and Psychotherapy (MCMHP) programme. 

NUS on Wednesday (Nov 26) said that it is the largest single scholarship gift received by the programme to date and will fully cover the tuition fees and provide a monthly stipend of S$3,000 for the 18-month full-time programme.

Up to 24 scholarships will be granted over a period of three years, based on merit.

It will be open to local and international applicants enrolled full-time in the MCMHP programme, with no service bond required, and scholars will be chosen by a joint committee from MCMHP and EESF. 

Recipients are, however, encouraged to make a moral commitment to work in the mental health and related sectors for a period of two years.

Professor Chong Yap Seng, dean of NUS Medicine, said: “We hope this contribution will not only strengthen our capacity for mental health education but also help drive meaningful transformation across the sector.”

The MCMHP was launched in 2024 to meet the rising demand for trained mental health professionals in Singapore and the region. It aims to equip graduates to support individuals with mild to moderate mental health needs in both clinical and community settings. 

Each cohort admits around 25 students from frontline sectors such as healthcare, social services, education and allied health. 

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EESF was set up by Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin – who topped Forbes’ 2025 list of Singapore’s 50 Richest for the third consecutive year – and his wife Elaine Saverin.

The EESF website describes the foundation as “an investor in tomorrow’s leaders and changemakers, and a driver of purposeful action for lasting impact”. 

Elaine Severin said that the partnership reflected their shared belief that every individual deserves the opportunity to thrive. “We are confident that the (programme’s) scholars will… also inspire others to join in making mental well-being a universal reality,” she added.