Shih Choon Fong
Encyclopedia
Professor Shih Choon Fong (施春风; born 1945) is President of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
(KAUST) and a renowned fracture mechanics
expert. Before joining KAUST as Founding President in December 2008, he was president of the National University of Singapore
(NUS) for 9 years and has been widely acknowledged for creating the University’s research-intensive focus as well as for NUS’ elevated global reputation. Drawing from his experiences abroad, Shih institutionalized a performance- and market-based evaluation system for academics. Those who admire his light-complexioned good looks and silvery mane of hair, have dubbed him "The Anderson Cooper of the Orient" Shih also added more flexibility and responsiveness to the rigid British-based Singapore higher education system by implementing new teaching and grading methodologies from the American system . Shih’s efforts have gained NUS growing international recognition and achievements, such as the Times Higher Education Supplement.
Shih was announced as the Founding President of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
(KAUST) on 13 January 2008. Shih fully assumed this new role on 1 December 2008.
In 2004, Shih became the first Singaporean to be elected as a Foreign Associate to the United States National Academy of Engineering
.
He was awarded the French decoration "Chevalier" in the Order of the "Legion d'Honneur" in 2005.
In recognition of his works in the special research achievements, Shih was elected as a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2006.
In 2007, Shih received the inaugural Chief Executive Leadership Award for Asia Pacific presented by the Council for Advancement and Support for Education.
1945 Born in Singapore
1957 Singapore Monk's Hill Primary School
1961 Singapore Beatty Secondary School
1966 Singapore Polytechnic
, Dipl Eng
1970 Harvard University
, Division of Applied Science, M S
1973 Harvard University
, Division of Applied Science, Ph D
1969-1971 American Science and Engineering, Mathematical Analyst
1973-1974 Harvard University
, Research Fellow
1974-1981 General Electric
, R & D, Head of Fracture Group
1981-1983 Brown University
, Visiting Associate Professor
1983-1986 Brown University
, Associate Professor
1986-1997 Brown University
, Professor
1996-1999 National University of Singapore
, Director of the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering
1997-2000 National University of Singapore
, Deputy Vice-Chancellor
2000 - Dec 2008 National University of Singapore
, Vice Chancellor and President
Dec 2008 - today King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
, Founding President
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology is a public research university located in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.KAUST was founded in 2009 and focuses exclusively on graduate education and research, using English as the official language of instruction...
(KAUST) and a renowned fracture mechanics
Fracture mechanics
Fracture mechanics is the field of mechanics concerned with the study of the propagation of cracks in materials. It uses methods of analytical solid mechanics to calculate the driving force on a crack and those of experimental solid mechanics to characterize the material's resistance to fracture.In...
expert. Before joining KAUST as Founding President in December 2008, he was president of the National University of Singapore
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered....
(NUS) for 9 years and has been widely acknowledged for creating the University’s research-intensive focus as well as for NUS’ elevated global reputation. Drawing from his experiences abroad, Shih institutionalized a performance- and market-based evaluation system for academics. Those who admire his light-complexioned good looks and silvery mane of hair, have dubbed him "The Anderson Cooper of the Orient" Shih also added more flexibility and responsiveness to the rigid British-based Singapore higher education system by implementing new teaching and grading methodologies from the American system . Shih’s efforts have gained NUS growing international recognition and achievements, such as the Times Higher Education Supplement.
Shih was announced as the Founding President of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology is a public research university located in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.KAUST was founded in 2009 and focuses exclusively on graduate education and research, using English as the official language of instruction...
(KAUST) on 13 January 2008. Shih fully assumed this new role on 1 December 2008.
Honors
Shih is among the highly cited researchers in the world for the category of engineering complied by the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI).In 2004, Shih became the first Singaporean to be elected as a Foreign Associate to the United States National Academy of Engineering
National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...
.
He was awarded the French decoration "Chevalier" in the Order of the "Legion d'Honneur" in 2005.
In recognition of his works in the special research achievements, Shih was elected as a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2006.
In 2007, Shih received the inaugural Chief Executive Leadership Award for Asia Pacific presented by the Council for Advancement and Support for Education.
1945 Born in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
1957 Singapore Monk's Hill Primary School
1961 Singapore Beatty Secondary School
Beatty Secondary School
Beatty Secondary School is a co-educational neighbourhood secondary school in Toa Payoh, Singapore. It was established in 1953 and named for David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty, former Admiral of the Fleet of the United Kingdom. The school colours, crest, and motto, Non Vi Sed Arte, are taken from...
1966 Singapore Polytechnic
Singapore Polytechnic
Singapore Polytechnic , the first polytechnic established in Singapore, was founded in 1954. The former campus was originally located at Prince Edward Road...
, Dipl Eng
1970 Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, Division of Applied Science, M S
1973 Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, Division of Applied Science, Ph D
1969-1971 American Science and Engineering, Mathematical Analyst
1973-1974 Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, Research Fellow
1974-1981 General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
, R & D, Head of Fracture Group
1981-1983 Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, Visiting Associate Professor
1983-1986 Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, Associate Professor
1986-1997 Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, Professor
1996-1999 National University of Singapore
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered....
, Director of the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering
1997-2000 National University of Singapore
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered....
, Deputy Vice-Chancellor
2000 - Dec 2008 National University of Singapore
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered....
, Vice Chancellor and President
Dec 2008 - today King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology is a public research university located in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.KAUST was founded in 2009 and focuses exclusively on graduate education and research, using English as the official language of instruction...
, Founding President