Prof. Charles Ng Elected President of ISSMGE
We are very thrilled to announce that Prof. Charles Ng, CIVL’s very own Chair Professor, has been elected President of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE). Installation of the presidency took place at the 19th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ICSMGE) in Seoul from September 18 to 21, 2017. The ICSMGE, held every four years, was opened this year by former UN Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki-moon.
The ISSMGE is the world’s pre-eminent professional body representing the interests and activities of engineers, academics and contractors in geotechnical engineering. The ISSMGE plays an instrumental role in bringing together international engineers and scientists for the advancement and promotion of geotechnics, its engineering and environmental applications. Established in 1936 by Harvard University’s Prof. K. Terzaghi, “Father of soil mechanics”, the ISSMGE has now become a truly global organisation, providing focus and leadership to some 90 member/national societies and 20,000 individual members (www.issmge.org).
Prof. Terzaghi was the society’s first president (between 1936 and 1957), and 15 presidents have served since. Prof. Ng, highly esteemed both within and beyond the geotechnical engineering community, is the third Asian and first from greater China to assume the position of President of ISSMGE.
Prof. Ng, who is also the current Associate Vice-President for Research and Graduate Studies at HKUST, has devoted a tremendously impactful and decorated career to research in Geotechnical Engineering, Infrastructure Development and Planning, and Green Building and Sustainable Development. Among the many awards and accolades he has garnered are a 2nd Prize in the Scientific Advancement Award presented by the State of China in 2015 and a First Prize in the Scientific Advancement Award from the Ministry of Education, China in 2013.
We are incredibly honoured, proud and blessed that Prof. Ng is part of the CIVL family. We wish him our very best in all current and future endeavours!
