doctoral_advisor birth_place title profession birth_date term_start residence spouse image article_title term_end name alma_mater
john w. hutchinson singapore founding of singapore president of kaust president of the national university university professor , national university of singapore 1945 december 2008 2000 beijing , prc & singapore li cheng frameless shih choon fong
 june 2013 2008 shih choon fong harvard university
shih choon fong

professor shih choon fong -lrb- 施春风 ; born 1945 -rrb- is the former president of the king abdullah university of science and technology -lrb- kaust -rrb- and a renowned fracture mechanics expert .
before joining kaust as founding president in december 2008 , he was president of the national university of singapore -lrb- nus -rrb- for 9 years and has been widely acknowledged for creating the university 's research-intensive focus with an entrepreneurial dimension , as well as for nus ' elevated global reputation .
drawing from his experiences abroad , shih institutionalised a performance - and market-based evaluation and compensation system for academics .
shih also added more flexibility and responsiveness to the rigid british-based singapore higher education system by implementing new teaching and grading methodologies from the american system .
prof. shih was a key driver for the formation of the international alliance of research universities , and led the association of pacific rim universities -lrb- apru -rrb- for four years .
he was the founding chair of the governing board of the apru world institute and served on national-level committees such as the economic review committee , which crafted wide-ranging strategies for the re-making of singapore .
shih 's efforts have gained nus growing international recognition and achievements , such as the times higher education supplement .
shih was announced as the founding president of the king abdullah university of science and technology -lrb- kaust -rrb- on 13 january 2008 .
shih fully assumed this new role on 1 december 2008 .
in summer 2012 shih announced that he would step down as president of kaust in fall 2013 , after five years at the institution .
he was succeeded by caltech president jean-lou chameau in july 2013 .
under his guidance kaust has become internationally respected among the world 's best faculty , said kaust board chairman and saudi oil minister ali i. al-naimi in a tribute .
shih is among the highly cited researchers in the world for the category of engineering compiled by the institute for scientific information -lrb- isi -rrb- .
in 2004 , shih became the first singaporean to be elected as a foreign associate to the united states national academy of engineering .
he was awarded the french decoration `` chevalier '' in the order of the `` legion d'honneur '' in 2005 .
in recognition of his work and research achievements , shih was elected as a foreign honorary member of the american academy of arts and sciences in 2006 .
in 2007 , shih received the inaugural chief executive leadership award for asia pacific presented by the council for advancement and support for education .
he is a member of the international advisory board of the alexander von humboldt foundation and the queen elizabeth prize for engineering judging panel .
he is also advisor to peking university and the chinese academy of sciences .
those who admire his light-complexioned good looks and silvery mane of hair , have dubbed him `` the anderson cooper of the orient ''
