Media release: LASALLE College of the Arts appoints Dr Venka Purushothaman as its seventh President
LASALLE College of the Arts, University of the Arts Singapore (LASALLE), has appointed internationally recognised academic, arts and cultural leader Dr Venka Purushothaman as President from February 2026.
Dr Venka succeeds Professor Steve Dixon, who retires from the role after 14 years at the helm. Professor Dixon will continue to contribute to LASALLE in the position of Senior Fellow.
Prior to his appointment as President, Dr Venka served as Deputy President and Provost of LASALLE, where he was instrumental in leading transformative academic and institutional developments that elevated LASALLE’s global profile. His leadership has positioned LASALLE and Singapore at the forefront of cutting-edge arts pedagogy, intercultural and interdisciplinary learning, and integrating creative practice within the global knowledge economy.
Dr Venka is an authority of Singapore’s arts and education scene, having joined LASALLE in 2000 as a lecturer. Before entering academia, Dr Venka served in pivotal and pioneering roles at key cultural institutions, including The Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, National Arts Council Singapore and the Victorian Arts Centre in Melbourne, building institutional strategies and capacities. He continues to serve in an advisory capacity with various national and international arts and educational organisations today.
“On behalf of the LASALLE Board, I’m very pleased to appoint Dr Venka Purushothaman to the role of President. He brings deep experience and expertise in the arts and education, as well as a long-standing track record of significant contributions to the College and Singapore that speaks for itself. He is highly qualified to lead LASALLE into its next chapter as an internationally recognised arts university. I would also like to thank and commend Professor Steve Dixon for his dedication and service to the College. His visionary leadership has elevated LASALLE to new heights, and he leaves LASALLE in a very strong position for Dr Venka to take forward,” said Peter Seah, Chairman of LASALLE.
“I’m truly honoured to serve as LASALLE’s President, after witnessing the growth of the College for over 25 years. From our humble beginnings as a small arts centre, we have become a globally ranked, highly regarded university that has put Singapore on the world stage for arts, design and education. It has been my pleasure to serve alongside Professor Dixon and to build on his good work moving forward. As President, I look forward to spearheading transformative academic and organisational developments, and advancing LASALLE’s role in the global knowledge economy,” said Dr Venka.
“It has been my tremendous privilege to lead LASALLE since 2012, and to have worked with such wonderful colleagues, artists and students, who continue to inspire me every day—and will do so long after I retire. I’m delighted to hand over the reins to Dr Venka, who, during my tenure, has been an exceptional Deputy President and Provost. I have every confidence he will take LASALLE forward to new levels of impact and excellence,” said Professor Dixon.
Under Professor Dixon’s leadership, LASALLE achieved significant quality benchmarks and raised its international profile. In 2014 and 2019, LASALLE became the first and only local home-grown institution to be awarded the EduTrust Star, Singapore’s highest mark of quality for private education.
Global recognition followed with LASALLE’s debut on the QS World University Rankings by Subject in 2020. Since then, LASALLE has consistently remained on the rankings, achieving the position of Southeast Asia’s highest-ranked specialist arts institution for Performing Arts, and joint top for Art & Design.
As a founding member of the University of the Arts Singapore, LASALLE entered a new chapter in 2021, achieving university status.