Top honour for Gobindgarh-born scientist
Monday, 03/12/2012
http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=56680&boxid=57965&uid=&dat=2012-12-03
Fatehgarh Sahib : A scientist hailing from Mandi Gobindgarh town of this district Dr Harjinder Singh has been honoured with the New Zealand’s top award in this year’s Prime Minister’s Science Prize. This award of $500,000 has been given jointly to him with another scientist Professor Paul Moughan of New Zealand for their contribution in the field of food technology.
Dr Harjinder Singh before leaving this country passed his matriculation from Aasroya School Mandi Gobindgarh, Prep from AS College Khanna and MSc in Bio Technology from Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana. In 1982, he left for Ireland to complete his PhD and in 1989 he was appointed as Assistant Professor in Massey University Auckland. Presently, he is Co-Director in one of the seven research centres of Food Technology in New Zealand- the Riddet Institute at Massey University, which is focused on food, nutrition and health sciences.
When the award was announced on Wednesday last, he was in his home town Mandi Gobindgarh with his parents and a minister of New Zealand visiting India informed about this honour to him over phone. Talking to Daily Post at his residence on Sunday, Dr Harjinder Singh said, “ I am extremely honoured and humbled to receive this honour from the Prime Minister of New Zealand. It was very special because being a migrant to New Zealand, I have been recognised at the highest level by my adopted country.”
Dr Singh, who also played an important role in signing MoU with Massy University by the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbhandhak Committee Education Directorate, said, “It is also a matter of great pride for me that the New Zealand Government has shown their faith in our research hoping that it would strengthen New Zealand’s growing food and beverage industry.”
