Goh earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with first class honours in economics from the University of Singapore, and a Master of Arts in development economics from Williams College in 1967. After his studies, Goh returned to Singapore to serve in the Administrative Service. Goh whose dream was getting a PhD being disrupted as the government would not transfer his bursary bond to the university, where he had signed on as a research fellow after graduation. In 2015, Goh received the highest recognition from his alma mater the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from NUS that was presented to him for his contributions to Singapore in public service.
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