SINGAPORE — The National University of Singapore (NUS) announced yesterday that it has appointed Professor Shen Zuowei, an internationally-renowned mathematician, as the new Dean of its science faculty.

Prof Shen, who currently heads the Department of Mathematics at the NUS Faculty of Science, will take over from Professor Andrew Wee from April 1 and become the faculty’s 22nd Dean.

Prof Shen first joined NUS as a lecturer at the Department of Mathematics in 1993 and became the Head of Department in July last year.

In 2010, he was the first Singapore-based academic to be invited as a speaker at the International Congress of Mathematicians.

In January, he was appointed by NUS as a Tan Chin Tuan Centennial Professor for achievement in his field of study and his significant contributions to the university’s academic policies and programmes.

NUS said Prof Shen has been “instrumental in developing the profile, scholarship and capabilities of the Department of Mathematics”.

Prof Wee will be appointed as NUS Vice-President (University and Global Relations) with effect from April 1. He has served as Dean of NUS Faculty of Science since April 2007. The university said during his tenure, the faculty deepened its research collaborations with the industry and established world-class research facilities such as the Graphene Research Centre.

Paying tribute to Prof Wee, NUS Provost and Deputy President (Academic Affairs) Tan Eng Chye said: “Under his able leadership, NUS Science has grown in stature, within and beyond Singapore, and won many local and international awards and grants.”