Kwan Ok Lee

Professor Kwan Ok Lee is a leading academic in real estate and urban planning at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School, serving as Deputy Head of the Department of Real Estate and holding the Dean’s Chair position. She specializes in housing markets, urban neighbourhood dynamics, and policy analysis, with a focus on household well-being and equitable urban development. Her research bridges micro-urban contexts (e.g., green space accessibility during pandemics) and macro-level housing affordability challenges in Asia and beyond. She has received multiple teaching awards, including the Annual Teaching Excellence Award (2016/2017) and Business School Excellence Awards (2020/2021, 2022/2023).

• Education: PhD in Policy, Planning, and Development (USC, 2011); MSc in Urban Planning (Harvard, 2006); BSc Architecture & BA Art History (Ewha Womans University, 2001).
• Research Leadership: Editor/Co-Editor for four journals (e.g., Housing Studies), and board member of the Asian Real Estate Society (AsRES).
• Policy Engagement: Adviser to institutions like the World Bank, Singapore’s Ministry of National Development, and the Urban Land Institute, securing ~S$1.9M in grants.

Her work emphasizes socially responsible urban planning, integrating economic, sociopolitical, and physical dimensions. Teaching innovations include flipped classrooms and executive training programs for urban planners.

• Awards: 7 teaching awards post-tenure; high student feedback scores.
• Grants: Over S$1.9M secured through policy collaborations.

Current roles include leadership in NUS’s real estate programs and affiliated research at the Institute of Real Estate & Urban Studies.