Marine & Offshore Engineering Expert Visits Singapore Under MTP Programme

Oxford professor, Paul Taylor, will visit the National University of Singapore from 25 March to 2 April 2013 under the Maritime Technology Professorship (MTP) programme, which aims to enhance research and development (R&D) in marine and offshore engineering research in Singapore.

Professor Taylor is a Professor of Engineering Science and Fellow at Keble College in University of Oxford. During his period in Shell International Exploration and Production BV, he published his recommendation on current blockage which had become the industry standard for offshore structure design. His work on work statistics and the analysis of field measurements has resulted in a more realistic design wave in offshore engineering and led to significant savings for Shell and its partners.

Professor Taylor has contributed significantly to steep-wave modelling with an aim to develop a robust, fully nonlinear 3D model for extreme waves. He has also worked on violent wave-structure interaction problems. His interests in extreme storms led to investigations into long-term wave statistics, extrapolation to design conditions and climate variability.

The MTP is one of the areas under the Memorandum of Understanding on the Maritime and Port Research Programme, which the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) signed with NUS in 2005. MPA pledged S$3 million towards the MOU with the aim of boosting R&D in the marine and offshore engineering industry, as well as engaging the participation of prominent visiting professors or renowned industry experts as R&D project leaders or advisors. The funding from MPA would be matched by NUS either totally or with support from the industry.

Established at the Centre for Offshore Research & Engineering (CORE) at NUS, the MTP programme supports NUS-industry partnerships in promoting maritime R&D in Singapore by engaging prominent visiting professors or internationally renowned experts to identify ideas and concepts for R&D programmes in the maritime area, participate in R&D programmes and projects, and share their expertise and knowledge with local students, faculty staff and industry through lectures, seminars and workshops.

The four international experts in the field of offshore engineering appointed as visiting professors under the MTP programme are:

1. Professor Paul Taylor (University of Oxford)

2. Professor John Dempsey (Clarkson University)

3. Professor Rodney Eatock Taylor (University of Oxford)

4. Dr John Halkyard (John Halkyard & Associates)

“MPA is pleased to work with NUS on the Maritime Technology Professorship. It is important for the industry to work together to create a dynamic maritime R&D cluster that supports our vision of being the world’s leading international maritime centre. We hope the visiting professors will be able to share their knowledge with our local experts and also collaborate with the industry on research projects,” said Mr Toh Ah Cheong, Director (Technology), MPA.

Professor Chow Yean Khow, Executive Director of CORE and Maritime Institute at NUS said: “We are delighted with the outcome of the MTP programme. The four professors have contributed significantly to both the academic and research scenes at NUS which will in turn be translated to the development of new capabilities and services for the maritime industry. We are grateful to MPA for their strong support of the Maritime Technology Professorship.”

Professor John Dempsey was the first visiting professor to be appointed in the NUS Department of Civil Engineering from August 2008 to December 2008. The professors appointed under the MTP have been visiting NUS annually.

Professor Taylor’s visit to NUS includes delivering a guest lecture to students from the NUS Faculty of Engineering, as well as supervising a research project by a PhD student related to marine and offshore engineering.

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Press Release , April 01 , 2013;  Image: NUS