Winners of the Nanyang Awards 2021

We are pleased to announce that the following MSE faculty members have been awarded the prestigious Nanyang Awards 2021.

• Nanyang Award (Innovation & Entrepreneurship) – Associate Professor Aravind Dasari

Associate Professor Aravind Dasari has been working in the fields of combustion of polymers, composites, and their fire protection aspects for over a decade. He is a recognised international authority in the field and has been involved as an ‘independent expert’ in many investigative consultancy projects on different topics in the building/construction sector. The knowledge that came with this exciting experience over the years has allowed him and his team to work closely with various companies and expand the usage of polymeric systems in different applications where fire protection (and flame retardancy) is often a significant hurdle.

The Nanyang Award for Innovation & Entrepreneurship gives the highest recognition to individuals or teams who have made significant contributions to the creation of a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem at NTU, and contributed to Singapore’s economic and national development through the creation of entrepreneurial leaders and new business ventures.

A/P Aravind Dasari (centre), recipient of the Nanyang Award for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, with Deputy President & Provost - Prof Ling San (left), and President - Prof Subra Suresh (right). Photo: NTUsg

• Nanyang Education Award (School) – Associate Professor Nripan Mathews

Central to Associate Professor Nripan Mathews’ teaching philosophy is the ability to convey the “bigger picture” to his students. He believes that the course matter he teaches will form only part of his students’ education at NTU, but still important for them to be able to integrate what they have learnt into a coherent framework of interrelated concepts that will make them good materials scientists and engineers. This coherent framework is necessary for his students to understand the concepts clearly, retain them beyond the instruction period and apply them in avenues beyond examinations. To achieve the aforementioned aims, Prof Mathews finds it necessary to address the fact that there is no “average student” around which the course could be designed. To him, differences in the student background and varying degrees of familiarity with the prerequisites of the subject need to be considered.

The Nanyang Education Awards give the highest recognition to an individual faculty member who has exhibited excellent teaching practice and enriched the learning experiences of their students through their enthusiasm, care and close rapport.

A/P Nripan Mathews (centre), recipient of the Nanyang Education Award (School), with Deputy President & Provost - Prof Ling San (left), and President - Prof Subra Suresh (right). Photo: NTUsg

Our heartiest congratulations to these faculty members on their excellent achievements!