09 Jan 2013

Keppel and NUS appoint Professor Chan Eng Soon as the Keppel Chair Professor

Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd (Keppel O&M) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) have appointed Professor Chan Eng Soon, Dean, NUS Faculty of Engineering, as the Keppel Chair Professor.

Professor Chan takes over from Professor Andrew Palmer, who served as the second Keppel Chair Professor from 2006 to 2012. The inaugural Keppel Chair Professor was Professor Torgeir Moan, who held this appointment from 2002 to 2006.

Professor Chan's research interests and activities are focused on offshore engineering and marine processes, including extreme waves, hydrodynamics, wave-structure interactions, sediment transport and coastal protection, tidal hydrodynamics and circulation in tropical waters. He has a Doctor of Science degree in Hydrodynamics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Professor Chan has led by example in his many key appointments in NUS. He set up the Physical Oceanography Research Laboratory (PORL) in 1995 to pursue research on coastal and offshore processes relating to tropical marine waters. Professor Chan served as Director of Tropical Marine Science Institute (TMSI), Head of Department of Civil Engineering and Executive Director of Centre for Offshore Research and Engineering (CORE) before his appointment as Dean of Engineering.

Professor Chan's significant contributions to the setting up of major infrastructure and research and development (R&D) programmes have enhanced NUS's international and national linkages with renowned institutions and centres in ocean and offshore technology. For example, the $10 million Offshore Technology Research Programme (OTRP) - which was mapped out together with Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) - has facilitated tie-ups with strategic national and international partners in major research projects.

In addition, Professor Chan has been instrumental in the setting up of a consortium comprising FloaTEC, Keppel O&M, KOMtech and NUS - also known as f(K)N - in 2012. The consortium aims to seek commercially viable solutions to meet the challenges of deepwater field developments in Brazil, and facilitate technology exchange between Brazil's ocean basin, tow tank and numerical laboratories and Singapore's research institutes, through collaborations with universities and research institutes in Brazil as well as industry partners. The consortium also promotes engineering undergraduate exchange programmes between NUS and the Brazilian universities, and invites Visiting Professors and Research Fellows.

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About Keppel Chair Professorship

The Keppel Chair Professorship (KCP) Programme seeks to enhance Singapore's competitiveness in the Ocean, Marine and Offshore industry by attracting world-class researchers and practitioners in to Singapore. This facilitates the transfer of technology and the creation of new knowledge and processes. More specifically, the KCP Programme has the following objectives:

• Set up an infrastructure to promote interest in Ocean, Marine and Offshore Technology
• Map out the technology roadmap for the Ocean, Marine and Offshore industry
• Set up networks to facilitate exchange of knowledge between local and foreign offshore and marine industries
• Identify strategic research projects and collaborators
• Conduct courses and tailor advanced courses in offshore and marine technology for students and those in the industry
• Facilitate the transfer of technology and know-how to enhance the capabilities of the industry's workforce

About Keppel Offshore & Marine

Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd (Keppel O&M) is a global leader in offshore rig design, construction and repair, ship repair and conversion, and specialised shipbuilding. Its near market, near customer strategy is bolstered by a global network of 20 yards in the Asia Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, Brazil, the Caspian Sea, Middle East and the North Sea regions. Integrating the experience and expertise of its yards worldwide, Keppel O&M aims to be the provider of choice and partner for solutions for the offshore and marine industry.

For further information, please contact:

Media
Clement Lim
Senior Executive
Group Corporate Communications
Keppel Corporation
Tel: (65) 6413 6296
Email: clement.lim@kepcorp.com