By Imelda Saad, Channel NewsAsia, 2 Oct 2012
World-renowned British geologist and educator, Professor Ronald Oxburgh, was conferred the Honorary Citizen Award (HCA) by President Tony Tan Keng Yam at the Istana on Tuesday.
The award is the highest form of recognition bestowed by the Singapore government to individuals who have contributed significantly to the country's growth and development.
Prof Oxburgh played a leading role in advancing Singapore's research & development (R&D) in science and technology.
Positions he holds include the co-chair of the Agency of Science, Technology and Research's (A*STAR) Science & Technology Advisory Committee.
Since 2002, he served on the board of A*STAR and was instrumental in helping to formulate A*STAR's R&D blueprint.
He was also a key player in shaping two other national science and technology (S&T) plans - the 2010 S&T Plan and the 2015 Science Technology and Enterprise Plan which supported high quality research and top scientific talent.
Beyond A*STAR, Prof Oxburgh has also helped to shape other key development areas of Singapore.
Since 2006, he has been the co-chair of the Environmental & Water Technologies (EWT) International Advisory Panel (IAP) to provide counsel on global environmental and water issues.
Deputy prime minister Teo Chee Hean, who is also the chairman of the National Research Foundation, said Prof Oxburgh is an eminent international expert in science policy and sustainable energy who has contributed significantly to Singapore's higher education, science and technology landscape as well as energy policy since 1997.
A*STAR chairman Mr Lim Chuan Poh said Prof Oxburgh has contributed significantly to the various A*STAR boards and committees as someone who has the greatest interests of A*STAR and Singapore at heart.
On being conferred the Honorary Citizen Award, Lord Oxburgh said it was a pleasure and a privilege to work with dedicated colleagues who have done much to raise the international profile of Singapore's R&D.
"We've seen the development of Singapore research, we've seen the development of universities in a way that I don't think we've seen anywhere else in the world," said Prof Oxburgh.
"So it has really been a pleasure to be involved in this in a small way and to see the immense success that Singapore has had on the world's stage."
This is the 12th HCA conferred by Singapore.
Previous Honorary Citizen recipients include Nobel Prize recipient Dr Sydney Brenner, Tata chairman Mr Ratan Tata, and Professor Edward Holmes, deputy chairman, Translational and Clinical Science Group of A*STAR and executive chairman of the National Medical Research Council.
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