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Institute of Advanced StudiesNanyang Technological University, Singapore

ISSUE 20 • January 2017

Editor-In-Chief: Prof Phua Kok Khoo, Founding Director, Institute of Advanced Studies, NTU, Singapore

▪ 2nd Forum of Asian Institutes for Advanced Studies

▪ Interviews with Nobel Laureate Prof Sir John Walkerand Fields Medallist Prof Ngô Bảo Châu

Ministers and Distinguished Guests Gracedthe International Conference on the Modernisation of Chinese Medicine

Editor-in-Chief Phua Kok Khoo

Members Kwek Leong Chuan Low Hwee Boon Xiong ChiChris OngLouis Lim

Charlotte WeeRaymond LiuErin OngSun HuiMeng Yu

PUBLIC LECTURES25 | China's One Belt One Road: Global Opportunities and Challenges

29 | Chua Lam's Reminiscence of his Childhood Days in Singapore

SPECIAL ARTICLES31 | Nobel Laureate Prof Sir John Walker and the Mitochondrial Powerhouse

34 | An Interview with Fields Medallist Professor Ngô Bảo Châu

FoRThComIng EvEnTS

ContentsFEATURES 3 | 2nd Forum of Asian Institutes for Advanced Studies

7 | The International Conference on the Modernisation of Chinese Medicine

ConFEREnCES and WoRKShoPS11 | TUM-NTU Joint Workshop on Biomedical Imaging

13 | IAS NTU-Institute of Physics (UK) Joint Workshop on Physics Education: Envisioning Physics Education for the 21st Century

16 | Tsinghua-NTU Joint Workshop on Quantum Materials

18 | IAS-CERN Joint Workshop on Collaboration with ASEAN Countries

21 | IAS Spearheads Dialogue to Improve Collaboration Between Singapore and APCTP

23 | 4th Workshop on Standardisation of Chinese Physics Terminology

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3 | ISSUE 20 • JANUARY 2017

2nd Forum of Asian Institutes for Advanced Studies (1 to 2 December 2016)

Pearlyn Ng Woong Suang School of Humanities and Social Sciences, NTU

Invited directors, professors and participants of the 2nd Forum of Asian Institutes for Advanced Study.

representatives from both the developed and developing nations, contributing to the Forum’s diverse discussion on the topic of IAS’s role, as well as the unique challenges encountered by the various institutes. During the 1st Forum in 2011, hosted by the Korea Institute for Advanced Study (KIAS), the participating IASs were

The 2nd Forum of Asian Institutes for Advanced Studies was held from 1 to 2 December 2016 at the Nanyang Executive Centre, Nanyang Technological

University. It witnessed the active participation of Institute Directors from not only Asia, but also Europe and South Africa. There was thus a good mix of IAS

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institutes for sciences such as theoretical physics and mathematics. In this 2nd Forum at NTU, the participating IASs included centres for humanities, social sciences and interdisciplinary research as well. It is also the first time that IASs based in Europe, such as those from Birmingham, Munich, and Warwick, joined the forum with other Asian IASs.

A total of 15 directors and professors of IASs attended the Forum. We were honoured to have Fields Medallist

The panel discussion generated much debate on four issues identified by moderator Prof Da-Hsuan Feng (bottom right picture): 1) Should IASs focus on doing basic or applied science? 2) What are the differences between IASs in developing countries and those in developed countries? 3) Should the funding scheme of IASs be public or privatised? 4) How can IASs help to solve global problems, such as global warming and energy shortage?

Prof Ngô Bảo Châu as the keynote speaker. He gave a very interesting talk on “The role of IAS in a developing country: the case of Vietnam Institute for Advanced Study in Mathematics (VIASM)”.

During the Forum, the importance of IASs as a medium for interdisciplinary connections within the university was highlighted. Many participants also regarded IASs as platforms that allow them to take a leap towards international collaboration, especially in the area of

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Prof Ngô Bảo Châu (Fields Medallist 2010) agreed that IAS is a good platform for scientific exchange, which helps to achieve high quality research.

Prof Peter Vale (Director, Johannesburg IAS) believes that IASs are not think-tanks for quick policy and quick answers, but platforms for exchange and discussions.

Prof Jaewan Kim (Director, Open KIAS Center, Korea Institute for Advanced Study), one of the organisers of the 1st Forum hosted by KIAS, mentioned in his welcome address that knowledge and wisdom come from the exchange of ideas.

knowledge advancement and in raising the level of research quality. Many Directors foresaw greater international collaboration through networks such as the UBIAS (University-Based Institutes for Advanced Study), joint workshops, international fellowship programmes and public outreach schemes. Many of these leaders believe that the commendable reputation and stability of IASs could be tapped on positively to boost the standards of their own institutes as well.

The Forum was also an eye-opener, for it brought to light the emerging ties between NTU and other institutes. These connections were reiterated by Prof Giorgio Riello (Warwick Institute of Advanced Study) who brought up the Warwick-NTU Joint PhD Programme in Neuroscience and the NTU-Warwick Double Masters Programme in Politics and International Studies which were drawn up under an agreement between both universities. Other fresh links include the Afro-Asian partnership and more specifically, the University of Johannesburg-NTU synergy highlighted by Prof Peter Vale (Johannesburg Institute for Advanced Study), which look forward to both cross-disciplinary and cultural exchange of knowledge across the cit ies of Singapore and Johannesburg.

An issue that was succinctly brought up during the Forum was a debate about whether IASs should emphasise on basic research, or applied science research. The discussion generated a spectrum of opinions, with most opinions geared towards the idea of prioritising curiosity-driven research. Yet, as ideal as curiosity-driven research may sound, Prof Chi Tat Chong (Institute for Mathematical Sciences, NUS) iterated that such research is not entirely feasible. For instance, it is challenging to propose this direction in a small, pragmatic economy such as Singapore’s – in order to obtain funds to carry out curiosity-driven research, the institute must be able to convince the government that their research has the ability to produce a tangible impact on its economy.

Another recurring topic of discussion is the role of IASs in developing countries, most of which face limitations in their research endeavours due to the lack of funding. Prof Eliezer Rabinovici (Hebrew University) believes that IASs serve as gates in countries where research is unappreciated. They open doors by demonstrating quality research to the masses, and in the process, pique the interest of the next generation towards specific subjects. However, due to scarce financial support, these may not be easily achieved by developing countries for they are persistently hindered by issues such as shortage of manpower, impermanent facilities and research staff.

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The Forum provided a space for the directors to discuss opportunities for collaboration between their respective institutes.

The participants enjoyed an afternoon of art appreciation at the National Gallery Singapore.

On the aspect of funding, many institutes agreed that public funding places great pressure on the recipient university to adhere to the demands of the government, thereby limiting their creative interest in the field of research. This is a very common problem for institutes in Asia, where governments place great emphasis on practicality and results, but not so much for institutes in European countries such as Germany.

Lastly, there were proposals to combine the study of humanities with that of science more actively, when it comes to solving humanity’s problems such as climate change and energy shortages. Although many Directors believe that IASs have the potential to solve humanity’s

problems with the help of research, they also noted that the potential of research and discovery ultimately lies in the hands of governmental policies.

The 2nd IASs Forum set useful directions for the next Forum and laid out the steps that respective institutes have to take, such as collectively assisting developing countries in their development of science and knowledge, working towards greater independence from the influence of the state in terms of research and public policies, as well as collaborating with other IASs of different disciplines to overcome physical problems faced by mankind today. ▪

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The International Conference on the Modernisation of Chinese Medicine (23 October 2016)

Soh Shan Bin Institute of Advanced Studies, NTU

Many patients are now visiting Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) physicians to seek more holistic treatment that either complement

their Western medicine therapies or provide an alternative treatment. However, the understanding of the role of traditional Chinese medicine in the modern healthcare setting is still lacking.

The International Conference on the Modernisation of Chinese Medicine, jointly organised by the Institute of Advanced Studies (IAS) at NTU and the Academy of

Chinese Medicine, Singapore (ACMS), set out to explore how the practice of TCM can be modernised, better understood by biomedical professionals, and find an appropriate role within the public healthcare system. The conference was held on 23 October 2016 at the Suntec Convention & Exhibition Centre.

As expressed by the conference organising committee chairman and IAS Senior Fellow Prof Hong Hai in his welcoming remarks, the conference hoped that TCM physicians would support modernisation by subjecting

The conference attracted over 500 interested healthcare professionals and members of the public.

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their therapies to clinical trials. Those therapies that are proven can then be incorporated into mainstream evidence-based medicine.

We had the privilege of the presence of Minister for Health Mr Gan Kim Yong as the guest-of-honour and were also honoured to have Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organisation, to deliver a keynote speech. A doctor highly trained in biomedicine, Dr Chan called for more research on Chinese medicine in her speech, and encouraged medical practitioners to look at those areas where both TCM and modern medicine can converge to tackle the unique health challenges of the 21st century.

The conference also featured a good slate of foreign and local speakers, who shared their research and experiences of incorporating TCM into mainstream medicine. Prof Hongxin Cao, Director of the Technology Department, State Administration of TCM in China, and Prof Chang Hen-Hong, Dean of the College of Chinese Medicine in Taiwan, gave invaluable insights to the hospital administration of integrating TCM and western medicine in their healthcare system. Hospitals and healthcare administrations in Singapore could study and learn from these models and apply relevant practices locally.

Local experts and doctors, Prof Joanne Yoong (Director, Centre for Health Services and Policy Research, NUS),

Dr Yu-Tien Wang (Singapore General Hospital), Prof Hwee Ling Koh (Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore) and Prof Yeh-Ching Linn (Department of Haematology, Singapore General Hospital), shared their research on Chinese medicine with the audience. One common point mentioned in their talks was that TCM held the key to solutions of certain healthcare problems and more research should be done in this area. To echo Dr Yong-Peng Swee (Deputy Chairman, HSA Complementary Health Products Advisory Committee), healthcare practitioners should aim “to be a compassionate doctor, regardless Chinese medicine or Western medicine”.

We also had Prof Guirong Dong (Head Acupuncture Department, Yueyang Hospital, Shanghai) and Prof Zhiqiang Guo (Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine), who gave clinical examples in acupuncture and gynaecology respectively on how Chinese medicine could work well with Western medicine to achieve better clinical outcomes. Ms Karen Wee, a graduate from NTU’s Biomedical Sciences and Medicine (Chinese Medicine) double degree course, described her experience on the importance of understanding both Chinese medicine and Western medicine in order to provide better treatment for patients. She also emphasised that Chinese medicine in its unique way could be the answer to preventing and treating certain chronic illnesses of the aged. With

Prof Hong Hai (IAS Senior Fellow) gave his closing remarks at the end of a successful conference.

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Minister Gan graced the event as Guest-of-Honour.

In her keynote address, Dr Margaret Chan attributed her youthful appearance to TCM.

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countries facing ageing populations worldwide, the prevalence of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus and Alzheimer’s disease are on the rise, and Chinese medicine could play an important role in alleviating these problems.

We were pleased to have Prof Ping-Chung Leung (Director, Institute of Chinese Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong; IAS NTU International Advisor) and Dr Siew-Buoy Tan (NTU Chinese Medicine Clinic) joined the speakers at the panel discussion on "Clinical Practice: Safety & Clinical Trials of TCM Drugs; Joint Use of TCM and Western Methods". There were interesting discussions regarding the topic of the immune system, and the panel unanimously agreed that diseases develop because of low immunity, or imbalance in the immune system of the human body. Citing his personal experience as a survivor of lung cancer, Prof Guo described how he used Chinese medicine after undergoing operation to build up his immunity and to prevent a relapse. It has been seven years since he was

diagnosed with lung cancer, and now he is still going strong. He is a successful example of how TCM can help to improve the immune system.

Prof Shih Hui Lim (Senior Associate Dean at Duke-NUS Medical School and Council Member of ACMS) chaired the panel discussion. He added that neurological disorders could be compared to immunological disorders – the body is either experiencing deficiencies or hyper-production. He commented that adjusting the imbalance of the immune system in TCM is similar to the concept of “yin yang”, and might be the universal approach for treating diseases.

The conference attracted more than 500 participants, including biomedical professionals, TCM physicians and healthcare administrators. It was definitely an eye-opening experience for healthcare professionals and the general public to learn about how the practice of TCM can be modernised and to consider the greater role TCM can play in the future of Singapore’s healthcare system. ▪

The panel discussion chaired by Prof Shih Hui Lim (4th from right) and Dr Huang Youyi (extreme right), touched upon the immune system of the human body and its relation to diseases. The panellists include (from left): Prof Yeh-Ching Linn, Prof Ping-Chung Leung, Prof Zhiqiang Guo, Prof Guirong Dong, Prof Hwee Ling Koh, and Dr Siew-Buoy Tan.

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CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS


TUM-NTU Joint Workshop on Biomedical Imaging(9 to 11 November 2016)

Munich in early November is just starting to get cold, but the generous hospitality of the people at the Technical University of Munich (TUM)

and the aesthetic beauty of the city warmed the 10 delegates from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) visiting TUM for the first TUM-NTU Joint Workshop on Biomedical Imaging, held from 9 to 11 November 2016.

The first day of the workshop coincided with the 2016 US Presidential Election. Director of TUM-IAS Prof Ernst Rank, began his welcome speech with a note on the historic significance of the day for both the US and Germany. He then introduced TUM to the delegates: 14 departments in 390 buildings with about 41,000 students, 47 Humboldt Senior Research Fellows and 13 Nobel Laureates. The emphasis at TUM is on interdisciplinary research and teaching with TUM-IAS acting as a source of symbiosis for the scientific culture. Prof Franz Pfeiffer, the coordinator for the two-day program, then briefly went through the agenda for the meeting followed by a short introduction by Prof Russell Gruen (Vice-Dean for Research, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, NTU), thanking the host for organising the workshop.

The first talk for the workshop was an impressive pièce de résistance by Prof Markus Schwaiger. Prof Schwaiger is Director of Nuclear Medicine at TUM’s rechts der Isar clinic and also the clinical Director of the University Hospital. He spoke on the use of multimodal imaging for visualising biological processes and medical diagnostics.

Prof Balázs Gulyás, Scientific Director of the Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Programme at NTU's Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, then spoke about neuroimaging and multimodal probe development at NTU.

It was an active and hectic exchange of scientific information for the next two days with an impressive list of excellent scientific talks from both sides: Prof Thomas Misgeld (TUM): In vivo imaging of neuronal cell biology in development and disease; Prof Swee Hin Teoh & Prof Kanyi Pu (both NTU): Biological applications of organic semiconducting nanoparticles in imaging, therapy and optogenetics; Prof Axel Haase (TUM): From Medical Engineering (Medizintechnik) to Bioengineering at TUM; Prof Russell Gruen (NTU): NTU’s approach to medical technologies; Prof Franz Pfeiffer (TUM): X-ray Phase-Contrast and Dark-Field Imaging for Pre-Clinical and Clinical Applications; Prof Yehuda Cohen (NTU): Real-time high resolution imaging and experimental behavioural studies of the human microbiomes; Prof Hendrik Dietz (TUM): Toward nanoscale DNA machines and robots; Prof Daniela Rhodes & Prof Sara Sandin (both NTU): Single particle cryo-EM and correlative microscopy; Prof Dirk Wohlleber (TUM): Antiviral immunity in the liver visualized by dynamic imaging; Prof Murukeshan Vadakke Matham (NTU): Multi and hybrid optical imaging for medical diagnostic and effects of nano revolution. Also, accompanying the delegates for the meeting were Dr Jasbir Singh and Prof Parasuraman Padmanadhan from NTU.

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TUM clearly demonstrated its leadership in cutting edge technology and research. The university computing center has more than 2 million cores and researchers were able to perform the state-of-the-art computation and simulation. There was a nuclear reactor on campus, providing a nuclear source for some of the medical and

nuclear research. The next workshop will be held in NTU, Singapore. Meanwhile, researchers from both universities will identify common projects that they could collaborate and enhance the research links between the two universities. ▪

TUM and NTU delegates at the joint workshop on Biomedical Imaging.

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IAS NTU-Institute of Physics (UK) Joint Workshop on Physics Education: Envisioning Physics Education for the 21st Century (5 to 6 September 2016)

Co-chaired by Prof Paul Hardaker (Chief Executive, Institute of Physics (UK)) and Prof Phua Kok Khoo (Director, IAS NTU), the two-day workshop

of international insights on physics education was organised by a joint collaboration between IAS NTU and IOP (UK), along with strong support from the Ministry of Education, National Institute of Education, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences at NTU, and the Institute of Physics (Singapore).

The workshop aims to explore how physics can continue to be attractive and relevant to the demands of society now and in the future. In order to meet this increasing demand for science-based as well as technical skills, it is

essential to make educational systems more attractive, dynamic and relevant. This is not just for developed countries but also for developing countries. Students should be equipped with knowledge and experience to not only advance their careers but make invaluable contributions to society.

The distinguished speakers in the workshop include Professors Paul Hardaker (IOP, UK), Charles Tracy (IOP, UK), Pao Chuen Lui (National Research Foundation, Prime Minister's Office, Singapore), David Pritchard (MIT), Lay Nam Chang (Virginia Tech), Mary Whitehouse (University of York), Nicola Wilkin (University of Birmingham), Bernard Taylor (Stockton Riverside

Speakers and participants posing for group photography at the workshop.

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College), Tajamal Butta (IOP, UK) and Chorng Haur Sow (IOP, Singapore). More than 200 teachers and scholars, including those from Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia, Brunei, China and Taiwan, attended this workshop.

The programme comprised lectures by eminent speakers, hands-on activities and practical demonstrations, panel discussion and roundtable discussions on Physics Education in Asia and ASEAN.

In his talk “Delivering a STEM Education System That’s Fit for Purpose,” Prof Paul Hardaker (IOP, UK) shared his views on an ideal education system. He spoke about how a strong and effective working partnership between the educationalists and the politicians would be necessary for an ideal education system. He mooted on the curricula breadth and the challenge of combining academic and vocational learning together to promote lifelong learning and development. Prof Charles Tracy (IOP, UK) gave an insightful talk on “A Physics Curriculum Based on Big Ideas.”

Prof David Pritchard (MIT) stressed the global perspective of education in the post-internet era during his presentation on “Physics Education Research on Learning in Online and Blended Environments and the Future”. He elaborated the multiple levels of cognitive knowledge and pointed out the abundance of materials available online, physics educators today should focus more on imparting strategic and adaptive expertise to their students.

Prof Bernard Taylor (Stockton Riverside College) demonstrated his lecture “Effective Use of Practical Work to Enhance Physics Instruction” with engaging and light-hearted practical activities including “exploding film canister”, “glow in the dark paper” and the “bat detector and ultrasonic dog chaser”.

The panel discussion on “Implementing Physics Education for the 21st Century: Vision & Tools” was chaired by Dr Darren Wong (Ministry of Education). To facilitate the holistic development of students, physics educators should encourage and nurture their students to build a strong foundation in physics. The study of physics helps students appreciate the beauty and power of physics ideas, its great stories and discoveries as part of human endeavour. Studying physics can open doors to many professions. Employers regularly state the global need for more physics graduates and an even greater need for people with specific technical skills. It is therefore pertinent to nurture a skilled work force with a deep disciplinary understanding of physics and to push for new frontiers in research, innovation and enterprise.

The cluster session on “Physics Education in Asia Today” was moderated by Prof Chorng Haur Sow (IOP Singapore) and the speakers were Professors Yuxin Liu (Peking University), Ravi Bhattacharjee (Delhi

Prof David Pritchard (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) lecturing on “Physics Education Research on Learning in Online and Blended Environments and the Future”.

Panel Discussion on Implementing Physics Education for the 21st Century: Vision & Tools(Panellists from left) Professors Lay Nam Chang (Virginia Tech), Yuxin Liu (Peking University), Paul Hardaker (Institute of Physics, UK), Pao Chuen Lui (National Research Foundation), David Pritchard (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Dr Charles Tracy (Institute of Physics, UK), Nicola Wilkin (University of Birmingham) and moderator, Dr Darren Wong (Ministry of Education).

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University), Proty Wu (National Taiwan University), Tai Kai Ng (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology) and Leong Chuan Kwek (IAS NTU).

Prof Yuxin Liu offered the historical overview of the physics education, the rapid development in the last 30 years, and the present implementations in China. Prof Ravi Bhattacharjee illustrated the challenges faced by physics educators in India. Despite having one of the largest scientifically trained manpower in the world, India is ranked amongst the bottom on the Human Development Index. Prof Proty Wu showcased the educational structure adopted by the Ministry of Education in Taiwan while Prof Tai Kai Ng detailed the proposed change of moving from the traditional elite-based structure in Hong Kong to a more holistic US-like general education system. Prof Leong Chuan Kwek highlighted the importance for Asian countries to engage in cross-region dialogues on physics education and to learn from one another.

The roundtable discussion on “Physics Education in ASEAN” featured six ASEAN speakers - Phichet Kittara (Mahidol University, Thailand), Monika Raharti (Center for Young Scientists, Indonesia), Yann Rem (Royal University of Phnom Penh), Hajah Hardimah Haji Mohd Said (Universiti Brunei Darussalam), Chorng Haur Sow (IOP, Singapore) and Sin Zang Sua (Chung Hua High School, Seremban, Malaysia). It was moderated by Prof Choy Heng Lai (National University of Singapore). Although ASEAN countries have geographical proximity, they also have diverse cultural backgrounds. The similarities and differences between their education systems, the common challenges facing them in terms of

physics education, and possible approaches to overcome these challenges were also actively discussed.▪Feedback from the participants:

”Presentations by speakers from different countries on their education systems gave me an interesting and insightful perspective of how policy changes can affect educational outcomes. I am particularly impressed by the passion of all speakers in sharing their belief, passion and optimism on improving the education system of their countries.”

- Chee Wei WeiJurong Junior College

”It was an inspirational talk by Prof Proty Wu. His idea of finding a meaning in what he does and what students do. He exemplified this by initiating telescope Do-It-Yourself (DIY) without getting any assistance from universities or the government. He mentioned that since he is paid by the taxpayers and since his research may not directly affect them, he opened up his DIY telescope programme to the public for free.

Throughout the workshop, I was thinking that less emphasis has been given on how to empower myself in teaching physics and hence to empower students consequently. Luckily, Prof Proty Wu has inspired me with his work presented on the second day. Thanks for inviting him.”

- Erkan PolatdehirHwa Chong Instituition

Roundtable Discussion on Physics Education in ASEAN.(From left) Drs Phichet Kittara (Mahidol University), Monika Raharti (Center for Young Scientists), Yann Rem (Royal University of Phnom Penh), Hajah Hardimah Haji Mohd Said (Universiti Brunei Darussalam), Prof Chorng Haur Sow (Institute of Physics, Singapore), Sin Zang Sua (Chung Hua High School, Malaysia) and moderator Prof Choy Heng Lai (NUS).

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Tsinghua-NTU Joint Workshop on Quantum Materials (19 to 20 September 2016)

Interface effect plays a dominant, if not important, role in the mechanism of high critical temperature superconductivity. This conclusion, according to Prof

Qikun Xue, who spoke at length at the workshop on Quantum Materials jointly organised by the Department of Physics at Tsinghua University, China, and the Institute of Advanced Studies at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore, is the culmination of numerous results that he and his collaborators have observed in their experimental work.

If the theory is right, theorists may need to return to their drawing boards and re-examine their current theories more carefully.

Prof Xue, who is currently Vice-President of Research at Tsinghua University, also spoke about the need for closer collaborations between China and Singapore in his welcome address at the workshop. There was a vibrant exchange of scientific presentations between the two universities. Led by Prof Rainer Dumke, there were a

Tsinghua and NTU speakers at the Joint Workshop on Quantum Materials.

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total of six NTU delegates who spoke about their recent research in Singapore at the workshop. An equally impressive line up of presentations on recent research work done at Tsinghua, ranging from superconductivity to anomalous quantum Hall effect to quantum information science, was also presented.

At the end of the workshop, the Singapore delegates visited several well -equipped state-of-the-art laboratories at Tsinghua University. There were also discussions on how the two universities could forge stronger ties and develop synergies in key areas of research.

The following talks were delivered at the workshop: “Superconducting atom chips” by Prof Rainer Dumke (NTU); “Is the high temperature superconductivity an interface problem?” by Prof Qikun Xue (Tsinghua); “Strange correlations as a probe for Symmetry Protected Topological phases” by Prof Pinaki Sengupta (NTU); “Universal efimovian expansion of scale invariant quantum matters” by Prof Hui Zhai (Tsinghua); “Quantum simulators with hollow fibers” by Prof Leong Chuan Kwek (NTU); “QKD” by Prof Xiangbin Wang

(Tsinghua); “Electronic structure and superconductivity in 2D B based system” by Prof Jun Ni (Tsinghua); “Cockroach, a quantum matter” by Prof Tomasz Paterek (NTU); “Emergent edge supersymmetry in 2D topological superconductors: a sign-problem-free Majorana quantum Monte Carlo study” by Prof Hong Yao (Tsinghua); “Fluorescence and Resolved-sideband Raman Cooling of Semiconductors” by Prof Qihua Xiong (NTU); “Production and verification of close to 1000 atom entangled spinor Bose-Einstein condensate” by Prof Li You (Tsinghua); “Duality quantum algorithms for efficient simulation of quantum systems” by Prof Guilu Long (Tsinghua); “Recent experimental progresses on the quantum anomalous Hall effect” by Prof Ke He (Tsinghua); “A velocity sensor and large Fizeau’s light dragging effect based on the collective state of atoms” by Prof Shau-Yu Lan (NTU); “Electronic structure of lightly doped cuprated studied by STM” by Prof Yayu Wang (Tsinghua); “Geometry of reduced density matrices” by Prof Bei Zeng (Tsinghua) and “Topological quantum states: from electrons to phonons” by Prof Yong Xu (Tsinghua). ▪

Prof Qikun Xue (Vice-President for Research, Tsinghua University) delivering his welcome address at the workshop.

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IAS-CERN Joint Workshop on Collaboration with ASEAN Countries (26 to 27 September 2016)

Ameir Shaa School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, NTU

The Institute of Advanced Studies (IAS) and CERN co-organised a joint workshop on collaboration with ASEAN countries from 26 to 27 September

2016 at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. The workshop focused on international co-operation in particle physics and related technology research in the ASEAN region. Co-chaired by Prof Phua Kok Khoo (Director, IAS NTU), Prof Ngee-Pong Chang (City College of New York), Prof Emmanuel Tsesmelis and Prof Albert De Roeck from CERN, both current research undertaken by students in ASEAN and the state of physics in ASEAN were discussed at the workshop.

CERN is at the forefront of research in particle physics. The organisation was founded in 1954 and has 22 member states currently. Physicists and engineers at CERN are probing the fundamental structure of the universe. They use the world's largest and most complex scientific instruments to study the basic constituents of matter – the fundamental particles. The particles are made to collide together in the Large Hadron Collider at a speed close to that of light. The process gives the physicists clues about how the particles interact, and provides insights into the fundamental laws of nature.

Many students are pursuing their PhDs at CERN, working on one of the many experiments there. NTU's CN Yang Scholars also visited CERN on exchange programmes which help them develop fresh insights into the world of research and aim high in their future research work. During the workshop, ASEAN students presented their work on various experiments at CERN and/or in their own home universities. The general

Ambassador Ong Keng Yong (Former Secretary-General of ASEAN) delivering the opening address.

Welcome address by Prof Phua Kok Khoo (Director, IAS NTU).

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Panellists from left to right, Dr Burin Asavapibhop (Chulalongkorn University), Dr Sen Chandany (Royal University of Phnom Penh), Prof Albert De Roeck (CERN), Dr Jose Perico Esguerra (University of the Philippines Diliman), Dr Chinorat Kobdaj (Suranaree University of Technology), Prof Leong Chuan Kwek (IAS), Dr Suharyo Sumowidagdo (Indonesian Institute of Sciences), Prof Emmanuel Tsesmelis (CERN), Dr Wan Ahmad Tajuddin Wan Abdullah (University of Malaya) and Prof Phua Kok Khoo (Director, IAS) at the Panel Discussion on ASEAN-CERN Collaboration.

Professors Albert De Roeck (left) and Emmanuel Tsesmelis introducing the laboratories, facilities and experimental physics programmes in CERN.

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Delegates of the IAS-CERN Joint Workshop posing for a memorable photograph.

atmosphere was welcoming and receptive to the ideas brought about and proposed by these students.

The remaining presentations were given by professors from universities in the various parts of ASEAN. The main topic of discussion was the state of physics research in ASEAN. A common theme from these presentations was that in ASEAN, there were only a few people interested in pure physics as a subject. Most of the (relatively) bright students chose engineering over physics as a career. Not only that, there is very little funding from governments to the universities for fundamental research. This makes it very hard for students to pursue a career in physics even if they are interested. The discussions were illuminating as well as eye opening as it makes one realise the need to push the boundaries of education, especially in physics, in ASEAN.

The panel discussion on the second day, moderated by Prof Ngee-Pong Chang, debated on what could be done to improve the state of physics education in ASEAN. The panel members included representatives from each country in ASEAN as well as Professors Albert De Roeck and Emmanuel Tsesmelis from CERN. The state of physics in ASEAN was discussed and it was generally agreed that High Energy Physics (HEP) is not an end in itself and that the process of gaining knowledge should be encouraged. Also, it was agreed that the general mindset of ASEAN countries should be shifted slowly from engineering towards pure physics research topics

such as Dark Matter, Cosmology and Particle Physics. A research forum driven by students was proposed so as to nurture and hone the younger generation and gear them towards the many exciting developments in particle physics in the coming years.

The discussion was further enriched by the proposal of an ASEAN Physical Society to be set up in 2017 to coincide with ASEAN’s 50th anniversary. The ASEAN Physical Society would not only be an avenue for sharing ideas but also to conduct experiments and to put forth new theories. It would bring about people from all over ASEAN to work on something new together. Furthermore, an ASEAN physics newsletter was proposed. CERN is highly supportive of the ASEAN Physical Society initiative.

Lastly, the future of physics in ASEAN was discussed. It was generally agreed that ASEAN should not only look to the western world for improvements in physics, but within ASEAN itself, as the region can offer just as much knowledge and ideas. The pressing need for ASEAN scientists to work together and collaborate on more publications was reiterated and an ASEAN platform to allow easy access to papers and ideas was proposed.

The road ahead in the realm of particle physics is exciting and illuminating, and it is best for ASEAN to join the western world in making improvements in pure physics research. ▪

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IAS Spearheads Dialogue to Improve Collaboration Between Singapore and APCTP

Prof Bum-Hoon Lee (President, Asia Pacific Centre for Theoretical Physics) and his team visited the Institute of Advanced Studies at Nanyang

Technological University on 3 November 2016 to discuss further cooperation between APCTP and Singapore.

Previously in 2013, IAS had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with APCTP to encourage research collaboration between Singapore and South Korea. The APCTP hopes that eminent researchers in Singapore will also apply for funding from APCTP for joint workshops between the APCTP and IAS.

The visit also witnessed the sealing of renewed MoU between IAS and APCTP.

In the afternoon, Prof Lee presented his speech on “Holography Principle: New Paradigm of Theoretical Physics” to the staff and students from the Division of Physics and Applied Physics at NTU.

The holographic principle relates a theory in space to a theory defined on the boundary of the space. The theory, formulated in 1993 by Nobel Laureate Prof Gerard ‘t Hooft (1999), together with Prof Lenny Susskind from Stanford, showed that the amount of information stored

(From left) Prof Leong-Chuan Kwek (Deputy Director, IAS), Mr Jiyong Bak (APCTP Programme Officer), Dr Hwee Boon Low (Institute of Advanced Studies, NTU) and Prof Bum-Hoon Lee (President, APCTP) discussing the possibilities of further research collaboration between IAS and APCTP.

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in a spatial region is related to the area of the boundary of that region. More generally, the information encoded in a (D+1) dimensional space can be mapped to a D-dimensional surface. The idea arose from black hole physics, but it has since been applied extensively to other areas of research, including quantum information science.

Aside from the visit, Prof Lee also met with members of IAS to discuss the possibility of synergising research at NTU with the International Centre in Pohang, South

Prof Bum-Hoon Lee interacting with the staff and students from the NTU Division of Physics and Applied Physics.

Prof Pinaki Sengupta (PAP NTU, second from right) introducing NTU PAP's research activities to Prof Bum-Hoon Lee (extreme right).

Korea. Prof Lee and his team also visited the National University of Singapore, where they were hosted by Prof Chorng-Haur Sow (NUS). ▪

About the APCTPThe APCTP is an international research institute for physical sciences. Located in the Campus of the Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), in Pohang, South Korea, the Centre was founded by Nobel Laureate Prof Chen-Ning Yang in 1996.

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4th Workshop on Standardisation of Chinese Physics Terminology

To standardise the Chinese Physics Terminology and to minimise inconsistencies and discrepancies in translation, President of the Chinese Physical

Society Prof Guo-Zhen Yang and IAS Director Prof Phua Kok Khoo initiated the first Workshop on Standardisation of Chinese Physics Terminology in 2011. Following the second workshop (Taiwan) in 2012 and the third workshop (Beijing) in 2013, the fourth Workshop was co-organised by the National Academy for Educational Research (NAER), Taiwan and National Taiwan University from 19 to 20 July 2016.

The workshop aimed to discuss the differences in Chinese physics terminologies, explore the possibility of standardisation, propose amendments and retain some variances. It also helped to establish a clear communication network for timely contact, feedback and modification, as well as standardise the physics terms used in Primary

and Secondary school textbooks. The ultimate goal is to have standardised physics terminologies approved by respective national committees and used in official publications in all Chinese-speaking countries and regions.

The workshop was well attended by more than 20 top experts from various renowned institutions, including Dr Ching-Lung Lin (Director, Development Center for Compilation and Translation, National Academy for Educational Research, Taiwan), Prof Ching-Ray Chang (Vice President of Administrative Affairs, National Taiwan University), Prof Chao-Ming Fu (Secretary General, Physical Society of Taiwan), Prof Xing Zhu (Director, Physics Terminology Committee, Chinese Physical Society), and Dr Qing Liu (Deputy Director, China National Committee for Terms in Sciences and Technologies).

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Administrative Vice-President of NAER Dr Kung-Bin Kuo delivered the welcome address. He thanked Prof Phua and Prof Xing Zhu for their continuous support and commitment to the standardisation of Chinese physics terminology. He also emphasised the importance of the outcomes from the discussion and expressed the determination to put in more effort in the future.

The workshop featured nine special report presentations on different aspects of translating terminologies, ranging

from regional differences in translation practices, to statistics, to case studies and methods for improvement. They are: “The professional development of the translation of academic terminologies in Taiwan” by Dr Ching-Lung Lin; “Summary of the compilation of the dictionary of Chinese science and technology” by Dr Qing Liu; “The translation of common physics terms in the examination and approval of secondary school textbooks” by Prof Jong-Ching Wu (National Changhua University of Education, Taiwan); “Tracing to the source should become the habit of physics terminology translation” by Dr Zexian Cao (Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences); “Studying the physics terminology translation with the example of thermal physics” by Prof Yuan-Tsun Liu (Soochow University, Taiwan); “ The importance of timely translation of new terminologies” by Dr Lingan Wu (Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences); “Statistical study of character and word frequency in Chinese books” by Prof Tzay-ming Hong (National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan); “How to accelerate the compilation of new physics terminologies” by Dr Chao-Cheng Kaun (Research Center for Applied Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taiwan) and “The heritage of translating physics terminology” by Prof Xing Zhu (Peking University, China).

The workshop was a great success with several agreements reached. The next workshop will be held in Beijing. ▪

Dr Kung-Bin Kuo (Administrative Vice-President, NAER) presenting a souvenir to Prof Phua Kok Khoo (Director, IAS).

Delegates from China, Taiwan and Singapore at the workshop.

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China's One Belt One Road: Global Opportunities and ChallengesJeremy Goh School of Humanities and Social Sciences, NTU

The Institute of Advanced Studies (IAS) and Nanyang Centre for Public Administration at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU),

Singapore Management University (SMU) and Ee Hoe Hean Club co-organised the public lecture on “China’s One Belt One Road: Global Opportunities and Challenges” on 3 December 2016 at the Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium, SMU. The distinguished speaker was Prof Da-Hsuan Feng, Director of Global Affairs and Special Advisor to Rector from the University of Macau. Around 350 people attended the talk.

As noted by Prof Phua Kok Khoo (Director, IAS) in his opening speech, this public lecture was the first in the OBOR series to be conducted in English. Prof Feng added that this would enable a wider audience to have access to a better understanding of OBOR in general.

In his talk, Prof Feng first introduced the OBOR initiative, which originated from two speeches in September and October 2013 by China’s President Jinping Xi. Encompassing the “Economic Belt of the Silk Road” and “21st Century Maritime Silk Road”, OBOR has the following mission and objectives, as translated by Prof Feng:

In 2013 the President of the People's Republic of China Mr Xi Jinping proposed the “One Belt, One Road (OBOR)” Initiative. “One Belt, One Road” refers to “the Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB) and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road (MSR)”. To ensure the quick development of the MSR, China is investing heavily in Southeast Asia to construct the infrastructure. The “One Belt, One Road” initiative has not only brought great development opportunities to many of the ASEAN countries, but also has actively and effectively promoted the cultural exchange between different countries.

Prof Feng sharing his viewpoints on One Belt One Road with the audience.

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“The mission of OBOR is a boulevard of peaceful friendship, through the increased understanding, trust and comprehensive interactions to enhance mutual development, realise mutual prosperity and create win-win collaborations. OBOR intends to link up Asia, Europe and Africa continents. On the eastern end is the robust East Asia economic circle, on the Western end is a well-developed European economic circle, and the middle consists of many nations with enormous economic potentials.”

In addition, he argued that the inherent meaning of OBOR is essentially a trend that has been in progress for a millennium, rather than one which is relatively recent, since it is natural to connect OBOR with the ancient land and maritime-based Silk Road. This justified the need to explore this initiative through a historical perspective – a framework largely neglected vis-à-vis economic development and technological lens. Using this perspective, Prof Feng posed the following question: What does OBOR mean to the individual, China as a nation, and the world?

Prof Feng proceeded to discuss the ancient Silk Road in detail. In texts, there is little mention of Chinese individuals utilising the Silk Road to do business with the West, except for accounts such as those of Qian Zhang (164–114 BC), the “pioneer of the Silk Road”, and Xuan-Zang Tang (600–664 AD), who brought Buddhism from India to China. Prof Feng suggested that the class hierarchy in dynastic China – which placed businessmen at the bottom of the hierarchy – could explain this trend. Subsequently, he pointed out that this period also witnessed non-Chinese entering China via the Silk Road. To illustrate this, he cited the robust Jewish community – consisting between 5000 to 8000 individuals – in Kaifeng, the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1126 AD). Considering these developments, Prof Feng argued that the West influenced China far more than the reverse, and the realisation of OBOR could be the fulfilment of humanity’s millennium wish.

Prof Feng went on to compare the ancient Silk Road with OBOR, indicating that the latter saw stronger Chinese involvement when compared to the former in general. This was especially so, given President Xi’s overseas visits to countries such as Sarajevo, Warsaw, Bangladesh and Cambodia, as well as the presence of institutions such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. By the same token, Chinese multinational corporations, such as Huawei, are expanding their operations and generating higher profits through OBOR.

Subsequently, Prof Feng shared two possible outcomes of OBOR – the Neo-Renaissance and the emergence of a supercontinent comprising Europe and Asia. He mentioned the joint conference between The League of European Research Universities (LERU) and the Association of East Asia Research Universities (AEARU) in December 2013 – the first collaboration between the Presidents of European and East Asian universities under the same roof. This meeting explored the importance and purpose of higher education. In particular, two questions were asked: How did universities contribute to the development of civilisation? What is the role of universities during the Renaissance? In response, Prof Feng observed the role of universities in popularising higher education within a Renaissance and Neo-Renaissance setting, pushing forth humanity’s deep and accurate understanding of nature, culture and oneself, thus improving the quality of humanity in the process of doing so.

Based on his observations, Prof Feng went on to discuss the East-West platform we stand on at present. First, he noted an inherent attitude transformation between the East and West through comparing the Nobel citations of Rabindranath Tagore (1913) and Mo Yan (2012):

“… He has made his poetic thought expressed in his own English words, a part of the literature of the West”

– Nobel citation of Tagore

“Who with hallucinatory realism merges folk tales, history and the contemporary”

– Nobel citation of Mo Yan

Second, Prof Feng pointed out that the growth of the Internet, accompanied by the proliferation of smart devices and popularisation of social media, has made people from all corners of the world equal. Third, he stated that the 21st century is full of severe man-made challenges, ranging from hatred between people, population explosion, to global warming and energy shortages. With these developments in mind, Prof Feng argued that the Neo-Renaissance would nurture a completely unprecedented culture, and new paradigms are required to mitigate pertinent problems in the present. He remains positive that a new generation resembling Descartes, Copernicus and Newton, and their peers, armed with a new cultural background, will appear.

Subsequently, Prof Feng elaborated on the second result of OBOR – the emergence of a super-continent, which

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The audience participated actively during the Q&A session, with Prof Feng fielding question after question.

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(Front left) Prof Phua Kok Khoo (Director, IAS NTU) presenting memento to Prof Feng.

was the dream of the millennium, with prominent leaders such as Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan, who crisscrossed Europe and Asia. Indeed, China’s construction of the high-speed rail facilitates the formation of the Asia-Europe supercontinent. Having completed 20,000 kilometres of railway track, China’s high-speed rail is an important part of its transportation infrastructure, as well as a commodity with global commercial value. He argued that the emergence of the supercontinent, coupled with the existing Neo-Renaissance setting, would result in a millennium mind-set transformation.

Prof Feng went on to examine potential challenges which OBOR would face. According to him, China must have a profound understanding of the political, economic and cultural of nations – countries in Europe, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Muslim World and Russia – and vice-versa in order to render OBOR successful. Prof Feng elaborated on the case of India, the country of his birth. Personally, he found the country especially intriguing, having a complex and deep culture, ancient history, and modern political structure. More importantly, Prof Feng deemed India as one of the toughest challenges for China to develop OBOR, particularly in developing mutual understanding. The strategic importance of cooperation between India and China was encapsulated in the words of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India:

“If China and India hold together, the future of Asia is assured. This holding together need not be confined by diplomacy, it can, by all means, be a psychological force that can work wonders in the realm of creativity.”

Prof Feng echoed the sentiments of a brilliant article written by notable Indian journalist Manoj Das that was published in The Hindu on 7 January 2001, who proposed the establishment of a well-placed academy of Asian literatures to facilitate a mutual understanding of different cultures, which would in turn foster a deep mutual understanding between China and India. He also suggested that higher education institutes, especially those in Greater China, South Asia and Southeast Asia in particular, should render Nehru’s words as part of their missions. Prof Feng further postulated that, as one of history’s greatest ironies, OBOR could in fact be the driving force for the realisation of Nehru’s dream. At the same time, he observed that OBOR would challenge China’s efforts on preserving its rich and robust culture whilst understanding the culture, ways and means of other civilisations.

In summary, Prof Feng reiterated that OBOR should, with vigour, enhance the deepened understanding of different cultures, with reference to President Xi’s words:

“A fundamental point about OBOR is cultural communication. Indeed, only through cultural c ommunica t i on can one e s t ab l i sh mind - s e t communication, and with that once can realise OBOR’s construction and landing projects in reality.”

He added that there are increased opportunities to gain mutual understanding with OBOR as a global platform. Prof Feng gave the example of Beijing Normal University’s invitation to the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay to explore collaboration via OBOR. He proposed that more of such initiatives should take place to foster goodwill between China and other countries, especially India. To conclude, Prof Feng pointed out that the success of OBOR cannot be merely the success of China, it must be the success of humanity. ▪

“If China and India hold together, the future of Asia is assured. This holding together need not be confined by diplomacy, it can, by all means, be a psychological force that can work wonders in the realm of creativity.”

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Chua Lam (蔡澜), a famous gastronome, author, film producer and businessman, recalled his childhood days in colonial Singapore in a public

lecture held at Chui Huay Lim Club on 28 October 2016.

Chua Lam was accompanied by his elder sister Chua Liang (蔡亮), his younger brother Chua Swan (蔡萱), and his niece Chua Yun (蔡芸).

Delivered in Mandarin, the two-hour talk was organised by the Institute of Advanced Studies & and the Nanyang

Centre for Public Administration at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), and Chui Huay Lim Club. The event was supported by the Chinese Heritage Centre and Centre for Chinese Language and Culture, NTU. Entitled “My Recollection of Singapore,” the public lecture was chaired by Prof Zhou Min, a Tan Lark Sye Professor of Sociology at Nanyang Technological University (NTU).

At the opening of his speech, Mr Chua spoke about how “friendship is the thing that will last forever.” He

From left: Niece Chua Yun (蔡芸), younger brother Chua Swan (蔡萱), older sister Chua Liang (蔡亮), Chua Lam (蔡澜) and chair of the talk, Prof Zhou Min (NTU).

Chua Lam's Reminiscence of his Childhood Days in Singapore

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compared the kinds of friendship between the past and the present days, and urged young people to cherish their friends as much as they can.

Later on, Mr Chua gave advice on how y o u n g p e o p l e c o u l d s t a r t t h e i r entrepreneurship in carrier services. Among the audience, a student who was interested in food sought advice from Mr Chua on starting his own carrier services.

“I think it is a great idea to sell fried rice on the street,” Mr Chua replied in Mandarin. “I don’t know why young people nowadays are not willing to do the most basic thing. If you do not do it, how can you succeed?”

Subsequently, Mr Chua juxtaposed his perspective of food service with the idea of entrepreneurship. “I think everything is the same as selling fried rice. If you are serious about it, you will give your full attention to every dish of rice you make. I believe in that manner, people will like your fried rice and you can then make a lot of money.”

In her delivery, Chua Liang recalled the difficulties back then when her family relocated from Chaozhou, China, to Singapore, and that her family was one of the pioneer generations of Singapore. She revealed that the Chua family is eager to publish a book about the family lineage and ancestry.

At the end of the talk, Mr Chua held a book-autographing session for his most recent titles, books authored by Chua Lam and his sister, brother and niece. ▪

About Chua LamBorn in Singapore, Chua Lam gradu-ated from Nihon University, Japan, and went to Hong Kong in 1963. He became a producer, producing well-known film titles at the Orange Sky Golden Harvest film company. He went on to host several television programmes and started his own restaurant in Shenzhen, China.

Chua Lam chatting with his fans during the autograph session.

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Nobel Laureate Prof Sir John Walker and the Mitochondrial PowerhousePhua Wen Yi Institute of Advanced Studies, NTU

Q: What most excites you about mitochondria, and why did you pick this as the focus of your research?

Prof Walker: I picked it because the way in which the body harnesses the energy in foodstuffs is an important topic in biology. From a molecular point of view, it had been largely ignored when I started to work in the field in the late 1970s. Therefore, to me it seemed to provide an opportunity to build a career and do something important. Although it is a very interesting topic, at that time very few studies had been done at a molecular level. The thing that has interested me all along about mitochondria is its involvement in human diseases. There are neuromuscular diseases that arise from mutations in mitochondrial DNA that are maternally inherited. They're collectively quite common. In Britain, it is estimated that 1 in 6,000 people have a form of

In countless living organisms, including humans, mitochondria are responsible for generating adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which cells utilise as an energy source. It was for his work in elucidating the enzymatic mechanism underlying the synthesis of ATP that Prof Sir John Walker, a British professor, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1997.

Prof Walker has worked at the Medical Research Council in Cambridge University since 1974. Years before his Nobel award, Prof Walker conducted research on peptide antibiotics in the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, at the University of Oxford, where he was awarded his PhD in 1969. Subsequently, he spent two years working at the University of Wisconsin, and another three years in France. Although Prof Walker was knighted in 1999, he confessed he disliked hearing students and colleagues address him with the honorific, Sir, and that he would much rather they call him by his first name.

Prof Walker visited Singapore twice for the International Photosynthesis Workshop series, once in June 2012 for the 2nd Workshop on “Natural and Artificial Photosynthesis, Bioenergetics and Sustainability”, and again in March 2016 for the 4th Workshop on “Solar Energy for Sustainability: Photosynthesis and Bioenergetics”. In this interview, Prof Walker shares his focus of research and the mitochondrial powerhouse. Here are the highlights of his interview:

Figure illustration depicting the general mitochondrion structure.

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mitochondrial disease. Such diseases are untreatable, difficult to diagnose, and can only be managed.

Q: Can you give some examples of diseases that are mitochondrial-based?

Prof Walker: It's becoming evident that there is some involvement of mitochondria in neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease, and also probably Alzheimer's disease. These have become major scourges of advanced countries like the United States, Britain, and Singapore, and they're becoming a huge burden economically speaking, as the population ages. So we must do our utmost to understand them, find preventions and possibly a cure.

Most of the other diseases have complicated names, such as Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON). The symptoms can be quite complex. Often, they're effects of the eyes, muscles, and other organs. They're often carried in children and can be fatal. But there are also interesting aspects of the diseases. You can have two siblings carrying the same mutation, but one may be very strongly affected while the other sibling is not affected at all. We have many copies of mitochondrial DNA in our cells, so the onset of the disease seems to relate to the number of copies of mitochondrial DNA that are actually carrying the mutation versus those that are normal in mitochondrial DNA molecules.

Q: What have been your most significant findings thus far with regards to ATP synthase and the mitochondrial proteome?

Prof Walker: I think it's the realisation that the ATPase works by a rotary mechanism. When we proposed that in 1994, some people were shocked by the idea that it was driven by a rotary mechanism involving a mechanical coupling. Some people told me I had made a mistake, that enzymes don't work in that way. But fortunately the proposal was confirmed by direct visual observation of the rotary action.

Prior to this in the 1980s, it had been shown by Sanger’s group, of which I was then a member, that mitochondrial DNA does not use the universal genetic code; it has a modified genetic code. I contributed quite a lot to establishing that this was so by doing experiments to demonstrate it. Some of the codons have a different meaning and specify amino acids that are different between those specified by the same codons in the Universal genetic code.

Q: What research are you currently involved in?

Prof Walker: Lately, I've become very interested in finding that there are significant differences between the ATP enzymes between different species and that they consume different amounts of energy to make an ATP molecule. The overall structure is the same, but some

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organisms pay more energy to make an ATP molecule than others. So for example, humans pay significantly less than some bacteria do. I think it's because we are able to generate a relatively high voltage across the inner membranes of our mitochondria, whereas we think the microorganisms pay more energy because they're not able to generate such a high voltage. It means they drive a machine with a lower gear, but the cost to them is they have to pay more energy to drive the rotary of the enzyme.

So now I'm studying different animals. We're working our way through the tree of life. We've looked at all classes of vertebrates and are now working through invertebrates, such as nematode worms. What we want to know is, "How much energy does it cost to make an ATP molecule in all of these diverse creatures?"

Q: Do you miss doing hands-on research?

Prof Walker: I do. Before the Nobel prize, my office was directly in the lab, so I had direct contact with my coworkers. Now, I feel distanced from our experimental work. I find that being a Nobel Laureate tends to make some young people nervous of you, and that's something that still disturbs me. I try to be informal and talk to them, and often that works well.

Q: Have there been times you felt you were not progressing fast enough in your research?

Prof Walker: I've never felt that. Sometimes I have felt frustrated that we couldn't find the solution to a particular problem, but I'm well aware that science doesn't progress in a linear progression. It goes forward in jumps. Providing one has that view, you can cope with it. Earlier in my career in the Medical Research Council in Cambridge, I was surrounded by scientists who had made major contributions in biological science, and I saw the way they had to struggle to overcome problems. Therefore, I learned that persistence was a major part of being successful in research.

Q: Has your research on ATP, ATP synthase, and proteomics had any influence on current medical technology?

Prof Walker: I've really focused on the basic science. The problem I've undertaken is a big one that hasn't been completely solved. I want to arrive at an understanding

of the basic principles and how the ATP synthase works. Potentially, this understanding could have a medical impact. For example, I have become interested in exploiting differences between human and bacterial ATP synthases to develop new antibiotics to counter the resistance of bacterial pathogens.

Q: For students intending to study or pursue a career in molecular biology, do you think they might gain wider exposure or better prospects as a researcher if they venture to the US or Europe instead of remaining in Singapore?

Prof Walker: Certainly, there are wonderful facilities in Singapore for doing science and students are well taught, but science is an international enterprise. So I think it's important to visit and spend time in major countries where major science is being done. As a student in Oxford, I thought it was important to spend some time in the US. I also spent time in French laboratories. These were very valuable experiences, both from a scientific and cultural point of view. I would always recommend that, if circumstances permit, students should go to work and study in a major lab somewhere else in the world after they graduate.

Q: Do you have a planned retirement age, or will you be working for as long as you are able?

Prof Walker: My current plan is to continue working full time. Of course it depends on myself remaining healthy, and one needs to reassess that from time to time, but I have no plans to retire.

Q: If you could ever get your hands on any ancient mitochondria of an extinct organism, which would it be, and would it excite you as much as the mitochondria you now work with?

Prof Walker: That's quite an interesting question. The origin of the mitochondria goes back 2.5 to 3 billion years ago, so knowing more about the early history of mitochondria would be interesting. But in the material one recovers from fossils, there's often not much, or frequently, no biological material left, so we have to work with what's around today and make deductions. Some of the experiments I do require the animal to be killed so that we can recover the mitochondria, and that is why we work mostly with the animals in the food chain, often using animal tissues purchased from the supermarket. ▪

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An Interview with Fields Medallist, Professor Ngô Bảo ChâuPearlyn Ng Woong Suang School of Humanities and Social Sciences, NTU

On 2 December 2016, Fields Medallist Prof Ngô Bảo Châu attended an interview session organised by the Institute of Advanced Studies

(IAS). He was interviewed by Mr Zheng Liu and Mr Duong Nghiep Khoan – students from the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (SPMS) of NTU, as well as Dr Chi Xiong (IAS and SPMS, NTU).

During the interview, Prof Ngô shared stories from his childhood, and his experiences of transiting from an experimental school to a gifted school specialised in mathematics – a turning point which sparked his interest

in mathematics at a young age. His passion for the subject eventually led him to the International Mathematics Olympiad, where he clinched two gold medals. When asked by the SPMS students what strategies he employed for competition, Prof Ngô shared his technique of being acquainted with the different types of complicated problems before taking the Olympiad exams.

Prof Ngô also shared previous challenges he faced in the course of his academic journey, one of which includes his struggles with mathematical problems that place great emphasis on language. Having been overly comfortable

(From left) Zheng Liu, Prof Ngô Bảo Châu, Duong Nghiep Khoan and Dr Chi Xiong.

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with elementary problem solving during his Olympiad years, he found it difficult adapting to problem solving at an intermediate level, especially in terms of language utilised by the newer, tougher mathematical problems. At that point in time, mathematics progressively became harder and harder for the young Prof Ngô to comprehend.

A breakthrough arrived when he met his supervisor, Prof Gerard Laumon, in Paris. It was only through personally working with Laumon that he began to overcome the complexities of understanding mathematics at a deeper level. In the eyes of Prof Ngô, Laumon was a mentor figure who left a significant impact on him, and who also possessed the attributes that constitute a good PhD supervisor. Prof Ngô recalled that even though Laumon was strict, he was extremely helpful and displayed great dedication to his students.

When enquired about academic goals, Prof Ngô stated that one should strike a balance between pursuing expertise in a specific area and the desire to acquire a wide range of knowledge in the course of one’s academic career. He believes that mathematicians should constantly seek new and significant problems to work on. Although working on the same problem and its variations allows one to become more specialised in that particular field, doing so may hinder the inventiveness of that person. As such, Prof Ngô finds motivation in working on new projects and expanding his vision, despite having attained the prestigious Fields Medal.

During the session, Prof Ngô also mentioned a few key moments of his academic career, such as the period

during which he worked on the proof of the fundamental lemma for the unitary groups. One of the important phases was when he translated papers on the topic into his new language, a process which aided him greatly with reformulating the proof of lemma. Eventually, he was able to publish a paper on it together with Gerard Laumon, and it clinched the Clay Research Award in 2004. Another significant moment was when he finally worked out the proof for the general case of the fundamental lemma, after having spent almost three years working away from the unitary group case without success. The fruitless research evoked great frustration from Prof Ngô, until he met Mark Goresky after a seminar at IAS Princeton who fortunately, was one of the creators of the “perverse sheaf”. Goresky provided him with crucial information on the sheaf property which was vital to the case he was working on. The piece of information helped Prof Ngô fill up the gaps of the case almost instantly, allowing the work to be materialised and completed. Prof Ngô attained the Fields Medal for the proof of the general case of the fundamental lemma in 2010.

On top of his passion for the mathematics, Prof Ngô also expressed a deep interest for culture and the arts. To him, mathematics is an important part of culture as it emphasises on precise expression just like literature and visual art, each of which have their unique modes of expressing specific concepts and feelings. Prof Ngô perceives mathematics as similar to these forms of art, as it too, captures the process in which the mathematician – like an artist, endures hardships to complete a piece of work. ▪

In his interview, Prof Ngô spoke candidly about his research and life experiences.

FoRThComIng EvEnTS

Institute of Advanced StudiesNanyang Executive Centre60 Nanyang View #04-09 Singapore 639673Tel: (65) 6790 6491Fax: (65) 6794 4941Website: http://www.ntu.edu.sg/ias

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