Professor Koh Lian Pin is Vice President (Sustainability and Resilience) and Chief Sustainability Scientist at NUS. Helming the University’s sustainability agenda, he brings a range of stakeholders together to enhance the climate resilience and sustainability of Singapore through system-level mitigation and adaptation solutions. He oversees and champions sustainability-related research at the University, tackling the twin planetary crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, through a whole-of-university strategy that bridges academia with policy makers, industry and civil society.

Prof Koh, who is also the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple Professor of Conservation, as well as Director of the Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions, is passionate about promoting societal understanding of the world we live in both locally and globally, amplifying the University’s and Singapore’s contributions to global sustainability efforts.

An internationally renowned name in the field of sustainability and environmental science, he is one of the most highly cited conservation scientists in the world, with over 20 years of international research experience under his belt. His previous stints include Swiss National Science Foundation Professor at ETH Zurich, Chair of Applied Ecology and Conservation at the University of Adelaide, Vice President of Science Partnerships and Innovation at Conservation International Foundation, and Technical Director of the Marine Climate Change Science Programme at the National Research Foundation Singapore.

An NUS alumnus, Prof Koh joined the NUS Department of Biological Sciences in 2020, having returned to Singapore under the National Research Foundation’s Returning Singapore Scientists scheme. His research is centred on developing policy-relevant science, as well as science-based decision support tools, to reconcile humanity’s needs with environmental protection. This is complemented by his rich work in advocacy, which has seen him drive global sustainability efforts in his roles as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and Founding Director of ConservationDrones.org, as well as offer a science-based perspective to socioeconomic and environmental issues on both local and global platforms, including the UN COP sessions, TEDGlobal and TEDx and, locally, the 14^th Parliament of Singapore as Nominated Member of Parliament (2021 – 2023), among others.

Prof Koh received a BSc (First Class Honours) and MSc in Biological Sciences from the National University of Singapore and a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Princeton University.