Feel the world’s pulse, reach out and make a difference

GRADUATES at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur) were urged to catch the wave of opportunity – to catch it with their mind, and heart. In his address to graduands at the 40th Convocation of IIT Kanpur (31 May), NUS President Prof Shih Choon Fong recalled how a choice he had made 40 years ago, has led him on a journey of “adventure and service”.

FEELING THE PULSE: Prof Shih (centre, right) at the IIT Kanpur’s 40th Convocation.

While studying at Singapore Polytechnic, he was recommended by a visiting professor to take up graduate studies in North America. He took up the offer. “That choice took me to Harvard, where I earned my PhD. That choice took me back to Singapore to become President of NUS. That choice is now taking me to Saudi Arabia, to become the Founding President of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST),” he said.

“Going to America, coming back to Singapore, going to the Middle East... these are my personal journeys to the West. The path I chose has enabled me to find fulfilment. These days, the path to America is a well-trodden one, one that is also more congested. For IIT Kanpur graduates, staying in Asia may appear to be the road less travelled. Yet this road less travelled may offer better opportunities. Today I see the winds of change blowing in Asia. We are on the cusps of a new wave of opportunity in a rising Asia... See the world around you, feel its pulse, reach out and touch lives, make a difference...” he urged the young graduates.

Honoured for his quest in science, technology and culture

JOURNEYS to the West have sought scientific and technological advancement. However, in today’s interdependent and culturally complex world, the journey is now also a search for understanding of different peoples and cultures.

This in essence, was NUS President Prof Shih Choon Fong’s talk at the Brown University’s Commencement Forums. He was conferred an honorary doctorate of science by Brown University at its 240th Commencement.  In his remarks for the occasion, he talked about his student days – “I spent lots of time indulging my curiosity, which included taking things apart to see how they worked. This fascination led to my specialization – fracture mechanics – the study of how things break in order to understand what holds them together. My play became my work, and my work my play.”

HONOURED: NUS President Prof Shih Choon Fong receives honorary degree by Brown University.

This curiosity also fuelled his journey to the West and to Harvard University in particular where he received his PhD in 1973. A member of the Brown Faculty from 1981 to 1996, he is now internationally recognised for his contributions in nonlinear fracture mechanics and computational methods. He is among the world’s most frequently cited researchers in engineering. Among his many honours, he was elected a foreign honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.