Returning to Singapore after 30 years in North America was a major turning point in my life.
I had pursued my passion as an academic in North America.
My stint as NUS President gave me the opportunity to enable others to pursue their passions and advance the University together.
Being able to help others reach for their best has been particularly rewarding.
”
Prof Choon Fong SHIH
Professional Diploma in Civil Engineering (Singapore Polytechnic);
MSc, PhD (Harvard University)
Distinguished Visiting Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, NUS
Founding President and Professor of Mechanical Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia
- Provided leadership for NUS as President for almost a decade, leading its transformation as a highly regarded research university embracing an entrepreneurial dimension and promoting the University's global profile and reach while building research and educational partnerships with leading institutions around the world
- Served on national committees and boards in Singapore such as the Economic Review Committee tasked to craft wide-ranging strategies for re-making Singapore, the Economic Development Board, the National Research Foundation, the Singapore International Foundation, as well as the Materials Research Society of Singapore
- Enjoys worldwide recognition for his pioneering contributions in nonlinear fracture mechanics, the study of how materials break so that they can be made stronger. With about 150 publications in leading scientific journals, he is listed by the Institute for Scientific Information as among the world's most highly cited engineering researchers
- Played a key role in the formation of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), comprising 10 of the world's leading research universities spanning four continents, and served as Chairman and Chairman Emeritus of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU), comprising 42 leading research universities modeled after the premier Association of American Universities. He also chaired the Governing Board of the APRU World Institute, an institute of advanced studies seeking to address scientific, social, and economic issues of global importance
- Vice-Chancellor and President, NUS (2000 - 2008)
- Deputy Vice-Chancellor, NUS (1997 - 2000)
- Director, Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (1996 - 1999)
- Chairman (2002 - 2006) and Chairman Emeritus (2006 - 2010), APRU
- Member, Board Executive Committee, Universitas 21 and U21 Global (2000 - 2007)
- Member, MIT Visiting Committee for Materials Science and Engineering (2001 - 2006)
- Board Member, National Research Foundation (2006 - 2008)
- Board Member, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (2002 - 2007)
- Member, Economic Review Committee (2002 - 2003)
- Board Member, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (2002 - 2007)
- Ted Belytschko Applied Mechanics Award, American Society for Mechanical Engineers (2008)
- Chief Executive Leadership Inaugural Award for Asia Pacific, Council for Advancement and Support for Education (2007)
- Foreign Honorary Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2006)
- La Croix de Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur, The Republic of France (2005)
- Honorary Doctor of Science degrees conferred by
- Brown University in the United States (2008)
- Waseda University in Japan (2007)
- Loughborough University in the United Kingdom (2005)
- Foreign Associate, US National Academy of Engineering (2004)
- George Rankin Irwin Medal, American Society for Testing and Materials (1986)
"I view life as a never-ending and ever-changing journey of learning and discovery. Being true to your passions, values and beliefs makes the journey all the more meaningful and fulfilling - and fun."