Professor Barry Halliwell, Tan Chin Tuan Centennial Professor and Senior Advisor to the Provost at NUS, has received an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from King’s College London.

An internationally acclaimed biochemist, and one of the world’s most highly cited researchers in biology and biochemistry, Prof Halliwell is distinguished especially for his seminal work on the role of free radicals and antioxidants in biological systems: both plants and humans. He is currently Chairman of the Biomedical Research Council of the Singapore Agency for Science, Technology and Research. 

The King’s College citation read, “For 25 years Barry Halliwell forged his career as an international scientific leader at King’s. After obtaining first class honours in biochemistry and his DPhil at Oxford, he came to King’s as a lecturer in biochemistry in 1974, became Reader in Biochemistry in 1985, and in 1988 was appointed Professor of Medical Biochemistry in King’s Division of Pharmacology. In 1986 he was awarded the University of London DSc for his work on the biochemistry of free radical reactions in plant and animal systems, and from 1995 to 1999 he concurrently held a visiting professorship at the University of California, Davis.”

Prof Halliwell joined NUS as Head of the Department of Biochemistry in 2000, and in 2006 went on to become NUS’s first Deputy President for Research and Technology for a 10-year period. He is often regarded as the father of the rapidly evolving field of free radical biology, and he continues to be very active in research as Programme Leader of NUS’s Neurobiology/Ageing Research Programme.

Professor Halliwell has published some 450 original data papers and he is one of the UK’s most highly cited scientists. His achievements have been widely recognised, including through fellowship of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Singapore Neuroscience Association; the Singapore President’s Science and Technology Medal; the Lifetime Achievement Award of the US Society for Free Radical Biology and Medicine; and the Ken Bowman Research Award for outstanding achievements in the field of cardiovascular research from the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences of Canada.

Professor Ted Hopf, Provost Chair Professor from the Department of Political Science at NUS Arts and Social Sciences, has won the Albie award in 2018 from The Washington Post for his journal article titled “The Distribution of Identity and the Future of International Order: China’s Hegemonic Prospects”, jointly written with Bentley B Allan and Srdjan Vucetic.

The Albie award, named after the late political economist Albert O Hirschman, recognises the best work on political economy. The winning works are curated by Daniel W Drezner, a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and a regular contributor at The Washington Post.

Prof Drezner said about the article, “There has been so much written about the liberal international order this past year. Its critics are piling on, and even its most enthusiastic cheerleaders have doubts. This article, however, suggests that the current hegemonic order is likely to be far more resilient than the pessimists believe. This is because the core ideas animating the current order – democracy and free markets – have far more popular support across the globe than elites tend to assume. Any Chinese effort to challenge or supplant the current order is therefore unlikely to gain many adherents.”

Mr Fung Fun Man, Assistant Director (Education) at NUS Institute for Application of Learning Science and Educational Technology and Instructor at NUS Department of Chemistry, is among a diverse group of 118 outstanding younger chemists from around the world honoured by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) for embodying the mission and core values of the organisation. The honour was in celebration of IUPAC 100th anniversary and the International Year of the Periodic Table.

The sole Singaporean in the group, Mr Fung is recognised for his contributions to education technology research and innovation. In particular, he is acknowledged for his outstanding effort in increasing the public appreciation and understanding of chemistry, as well as improving chemistry and science education for students.