Singaporean hon fellow of IEE

NTU don is 1st S'porean to gain engineering society honours. NANYANG Technological University deputy president Er Meng Hwa is the first Singaporean to be made an honorary fellow of the renowned Institution of Electrical Engineers.


He follows in the footsteps of telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell in becoming a fellow of the London-based institution, Europe's largest professional engineering society.

Only one or two honorary fellowships are awarded each year.

Professor Er, 49, was chosen for his work in engineering research and education. He contributed to the growth of the school as dean of NTU's School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering from 1996 to May this year. The number of academic staff at the school has increased from about 100 in 1996 to 270, making it one of the largest worldwide. Under Prof Er's watch, the number of PhD and master's students grew from about 100 to 700.

Prof Er has been at NTU for about 20 years, and published more than 240 papers in international journals and conferences.

He is on the boards of organisations such as DSO National Laboratories and SP PowerGrid. IEE president John O'Reilly said he helped strengthen NTU's 'research expertise in a number of leading-edge technology areas'. He has also helped develop NTU's research facilities and forged ties with leading international partners.

Prof Er received his award at a ceremony in London yesterday.

Even though engineering is becoming less popular among students here, he said it 'will continue to provide the core technology for many innovations and inventions, including life sciences'.

HO AI LI
The Straits Times Interactive, 15 September 2005