NUS honours nine outstanding individuals for exceptional contributions to education, research and service
Industry leader Lee Tzu Yang, defence scientist Quek Tong Boon and healthcare leader Tan Ser Kiat conferred top accolades
The National University of Singapore (NUS) today recognised the achievements of nine exceptional educators, researchers and professionals at the NUS University Awards 2016. The annual award ceremony honours individuals who have contributed to the University\'s mission through their exceptional achievements in education, research, and service to Singapore and the global community.
NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan said, “The NUS University Awards celebrate the accomplishments and impact of our diverse and talented NUS community. The strength, talent and dedication of the NUS community have enabled our University to make significant and distinctive contributions to the progress of Singapore, and to the advancement of research and its beneficial application globally. We are truly proud of our award recipients this year. Their passion, creativity, perseverance and outstanding achievements will galvanise NUS’ talented community to be constantly self-surpassing and to achieve and contribute even more in the future.”
This year's award categories include the Outstanding Service Award, Outstanding Educator Award, Outstanding Researcher Award and Young Researcher Award.
Outstanding Service Award
The University presented the prestigious Outstanding Service Award to three illustrious individuals: Mr Lee Tzu Yang, Chairman, The Esplanade Company Limited, and Chairman, Middle East Institute at NUS; Professor Quek Tong Boon, Chief Defence Scientist, Singapore Ministry of Defence, and Chairman, Temasek Laboratories; and Professor Tan Ser Kiat, Emeritus Consultant, Singapore General Hospital, and Clinical Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. The awards were given in recognition of their exceptional contributions towards the development of the University, Singapore and the international community.
Mr Lee Tzu Yang
Mr Lee Tzu Yang, Chairman of The Esplanade Company Limited and Chairman of the Middle East Institute at NUS, is widely regarded as one of Singapore’s foremost industry leaders, a cherished patron of the arts and a highly respected advisor to Singapore and NUS. He joined Shell in 1979 and retired as Chairman of Shell Companies in Singapore at the end of October 2014 after 35 years of service in operational, commercial and strategy functions across a range of markets.
Mr Lee was a member of the NUS Council, and later the NUS Board of Trustees, from 2004 to 2010. He was also a board member of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy from 2008 to 2010, and as a member of the advisory committee from 2002 to 2014 to the University’s Master of Science in Environmental Management – NUS’ first multi-faculty programme.
Mr Lee has served as Chairman of the Board of the Middle East Institute at NUS since its establishment in 2007. As Chairman, he has guided the work of the Institute, and supported its research and outreach work in areas of key economic and political interest to Singapore as the only institute in Southeast Asia focused on the Middle East region.
Mr Lee was appointed Chairman of the Founders’ Memorial Committee in 2015. He heads a 15-member committee tasked with gathering views from the public, and to conceptualise a memorial to honour and remember the values and ideals of Singapore’s founding generation of leaders. Throughout his stellar career, and even after retirement from Shell, Mr Lee continues to be closely involved in organisations that have a significant impact on the development of Singapore, and the daily lives of Singaporeans.
Professor Quek Tong Boon
Professor Quek Tong Boon, Chief Defence Scientist of the Singapore Ministry of Defence and Chairman of Temasek Laboratories, is a pioneer in defence science research with more than 35 years of engineering experience and he has been involved in the creation of critical technological capabilities for the defence of Singapore. Prof Quek is a firm believer in leveraging Singapore’s local technology ecosystem to multiply the capacity of the defence technology community and he has been very proactive in reaching out to the academia, research institutions and industry to create collaboration opportunities.
Prof Quek helped to establish the Temasek Research Fellowship scheme in local universities to attract outstanding young researchers to conduct and lead defence research. He also initiated the formation of two research centres in NUS – the Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology in 2013 and Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Research in 2010.
Throughout his career, Prof Quek has demonstrated a visionary zeal in pursuing science and technology for national interest and serves as an inspiring mentor to researchers to develop innovative R&D solutions.
Prof Quek’s vision of developing an indigenous engineering capability for small satellites led to the nation’s first indigenously developed microsatellite launched in 2011, and laid the foundation for the development of most of the Singapore satellites launched in 2015, including two NUS-developed satellites and Singapore’s first commercial Earth observation satellite.
Professor Tan Ser Kiat
Professor Tan Ser Kiat is Emeritus Consultant at the Singapore General Hospital and Clinical Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. Prof Tan is held in high regard as an illustrious surgeon, academic, healthcare leader and popular mentor. He is well-known for his dedication to and passion for healthcare in Singapore. Prof Tan has dedicated more than 40 years to public healthcare and served in numerous national-level committees that helped to shape the clinical care delivery framework and healthcare system in Singapore.
Hallmarks of Prof Tan’s 12-year tenure as Group Chief Executive Officer of SingHealth, Singapore’s largest public healthcare group, include enhancing patient care and staff development, and improving medical education. Prof Tan also guided the healthcare group through the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome outbreak in 2003 with courage and unwavering determination.
A passionate advocate of quality medical education and the mentoring of younger doctors, Prof Tan was a pioneer Governing Board Member for the Duke-NUS Medical School when it started in 2005. He actively identified suitable faculty from SingHealth’s clinicians for the school in its early days. Prof Tan stepped down from the board in February 2016, after having helped lay a strong foundation for the training of doctors who are exposed to clinically-related research and facilitating the development of outstanding clinician scientists at the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre.
Prof Tan’s influence extends well beyond Singapore, and he currently serve as an Honorary Fellow of various colleges such as the American College of Physicians and Royal Australasian College of Physicians.
Six outstanding educators and researchers honoured
The NUS University Awards 2016 also recognised the accomplishments of six outstanding educators and researchers:
Outstanding Educator Award
- Associate Professor Gerald Koh Choon Huat
Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health at NUS and NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine - Associate Professor Paulin Tay Straughan
Department of Sociology, NUS Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences
Outstanding Researcher Award
- Professor Sumit Agarwal
Department of Economics, NUS Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences; Department of Finance, NUS Business School; and Department of Real Estate, NUS School of Design and Environment - Professor Aung Tin
Department of Ophthalmology, NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
Young Researcher Award
- Associate Professor Christian A. Nijhuis
Department of Chemistry, NUS Faculty of Science - Associate Professor Qiu Anqi
Department of Biomedical Engineering, NUS Faculty of Engineering
Please refer to the Annex 1 for the full list of award recipients and Annex 2 for the citations.
