Bertil Andersson

Bertil Andersson FAA FIC is the third President of Nanyang Technological University (NTU). He assumed the appointment on 1 July 2011[1][2] and was inaugurated on 25 July 2011.[3]

Andersson received his BSc and MSc at Umeå University, Sweden, and his PhD and DSc at Lund University, Sweden.[4] He started his research career at Lund University, after which he became a Professor of Biochemistry at Stockholm University, Sweden, in 1986.[4] From 1996 to 1999, he served as the Dean of the Faculty of Chemical Sciences at Stockholm University.[4] In 1999, Andersson became the Rector (President) of Linköping University, Sweden, where he served until the end of 2003.[4]

From 2004 to 2007, he led the European Science Foundation in Strasbourg, France, as its Chief Executive.

From April 2007 to June 2011, Andersson served as Provost of NTU in Singapore.[5] Having strengthened NTU’s reputation as one of the fastest-growing research-intensive universities in the world, he was appointed President of NTU on 1 July 2011.[6]

Research and teaching

Andersson is a plant biochemist and the author of over 300 papers in photosynthesis research, biological membranes, protein and membrane purification and light stress in plants.[7] He has pioneered research on the artificial leaf, a promising area of sustainable energy research that uses sunlight to produce clean, low-cost sources of energy.[8] Sustainability is one of NTU’s five strategic areas under its NTU 2015 plan, supported by more than S$830 million in research funding.[9]

Andersson holds honorary doctorates from several universities, the most recent of which are Hebrew University of Jerusalem,[10] the University of New South Wales[11] and Symbiosis International University.[12]

He continues to hold academic appointments as Professor of Biochemistry at Linköping University and Adjunct Professor at Umeå University.[4]

Awards and appointments

In October 2013, Professor Andersson received the Medal for Educational Merit during the 30th Award Ceremony of the World Cultural Council. The medal was conferred by the WCC in recognition of his remarkable achievements, including his "contribution to the ascendancy of NTU, the fastest rising University in the global top 50, second amongst the world's young elite research intensive Universities under 50 years old."[13]

In November 2010, Andersson received the Wilhelm Exner Medal in Vienna, Austria. The award was given in recognition of his research in biochemistry as well as his contributions to European and Austrian research.[14][15] He is the first Singapore-based researcher to receive the award since it was introduced in 1921.[16] Other winners of the award include 16 Nobel laureates.[14]

A Visiting Professor and Fellow of Imperial College London, Andersson has been the key driver of the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, jointly established by NTU and Imperial College London.[2][4]

Andersson has a long association with the Nobel Foundation and served as Chairman of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry in 1997.[4][8] As the Chair of the

Global Alliance of Technological Universities, of which NTU is a founding member, he leads a network of seven top global universities focused on harnessing science and technology to solve urgent societal challenges.[4]

He has been a member of the boards of several Swedish and international foundations and learned societies, including the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Australian Academy of Science, Academia Europaea[4] and the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences.

Andersson is a research advisor to the Swedish government and was, between 2004 and 2009, the Vice President of the European Research Advisory Board of the European Commission in Brussels.[4] He is a board member of Singapore’s Building and Construction Authority and A*STAR.[4] He serves on the governing board of the Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, a Research Centre of Excellence at NTU.[17] He was previously a member of the Singapore National Research Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Board, set up by former Deputy Prime Minister Dr Tony Tan in 2006 to advise the Singapore government on its R&D strategy.

Andersson was elected to the Australian Academy of Science in 1999 as a Corresponding Fellow.

Controversy

Academic Cherian George was denied tenure under Andersson's watch despite excellent academic reviews. Andersson in an interview to Times Higher Education gave the impression that Cherian George did not receive tenure because of his academic shortcomings. He later clarified his statements saying that he had "no intention to lower the reputation or standing of Dr George in his field of work" [18] Cherian George has indicated that his non-tenure was a political decision undertaken by the University either by themselves or under pressure from the government. He has asked for NTU to disclose all the documents related to his tenure but Andersson has refused. [19]

References

  1. ↑ "NTU President to step down" (PDF). The Straits Times. 19 October 2010.
  2. 1 2 "NTU's new President and Provost to lead the way in transforming NTU into a world-class university that integrates education, research and innovation". News.ntu.edu.sg. Retrieved 2015-10-03.
  3. ↑ "NTU formally inaugurates Bertil Andersson as third President". News.ntu.edu.sg. 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2015-10-03.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 In the company of Nobel laureates: Professor Bertil Andersson
  5. ↑ "Top European scientist to take on No. 2 post at NTU" (PDF). The Straits Times. 10 October 2006. p. H4. Retrieved 2015-10-03.
  6. ↑ "NTU President Su Guaning announces that he will not seek new term upon completion of current term on 30th June 2011". News.ntu.edu.sg. Retrieved 2015-10-03.
  7. ↑ "NTU: Academic Profile: Prof Bertil Andersson". Research.ntu.edu.sg. Retrieved 2015-10-03.
  8. 1 2 "Inside the beautiful mind of a simple boy" (PDF). Today on Sunday. 31 July 2011. pp. 4/5. Retrieved 2015-10-03.
  9. ↑ "A global research powerhouse". Ntu.edu.sg. 2012-07-30. Retrieved 2015-10-03.
  10. ↑ "NTU incoming President, Professor Bertil Andersson receives honorary doctorate together with two Nobel laureates from top university". News.ntu.edu.sg. Retrieved 2015-10-03.
  11. ↑ "The Scientist with the Nobel Touch | Uniken". Uniken.unsw.edu.au. 2014-11-19. Retrieved 2015-10-03.
  12. ↑ "NTU President, Professor Bertil Andersson receives honorary doctorate from India’s President". News.ntu.edu.sg. Retrieved 2015-10-03.
  13. ↑ "World Cultural Council 30th Award Ceremony". Nanyang Technological University. 2 October 2013. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
  14. 1 2 https://web.archive.org/20110728191143/http://www.wilhelmexner.org/ENGLISCH/liste.php. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 3 November 2011. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. ↑ "Top Swedish scientist Professor Bertil Andersson is awarded the prestigious Wilhelm Exner Medal in Vienna". News.ntu.edu.sg. 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2015-10-03.
  16. ↑ "Prestigious medal for NTU professor" (PDF). The Straits Times. 21 May 2010. p. C6. Retrieved 2015-10-03.
  17. ↑ "Micro-organism research centre opens at NTU" (PDF). The Straits Times. 15 September 2011. p. B6. Retrieved 2015-10-03.
  18. ↑ "Journalism professor Cherian George rebuts NTU's comments, Education News & Top Stories". The Straits Times. 2015-01-06. Retrieved 2015-10-03.
  19. ↑ Loh, Andrew (2015-01-09). "NTU – university or censorship watchdog?". The Online Citizen. Retrieved 2015-10-03.

External links

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