Outstanding Educator Award

Associate Professor ASLAKSEN, Helmer

PhD (UC Berkeley), Cand. Mag (University of Osio)
Department of Medicine

Current Teaching Portfolio
General Education Module: Heavenly Mathematics: Cultural Astronomy
General Education Module: Mathematics in Art and Architecture

Teaching Achievements
  • enjoys high visibility as a maths educator both locally and internationally

Teaching Strengths
  • makes students look at their surroundings differently and question things they take for granted
  • helps students see applications of mathematics to science and its relationship with history, culture, art and architecture
  • focuses on the visualisation of concepts to balance the purely formal approach
  • shows students that mathematics is not just about taking exams, but about appreciating the beauty of patterns

Publication Credits
37 papers published in top journals such as The Mathematical Intelligencer and Journal of Algebra. Subjects covered are mathematics, astronomy, maths education and computer science

International Standing
  • Member, Organising Committee of Topic Study Group, International Congress on Mathematical Education, Denmark, 2004
  • Guest lecturer of the American Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Association of America on topics related to his General Education Modules
  • Book reviewer for Oxford University Press (2003), Springer Verlag (2002), Cambridge University Press (1998)

Service to Community
  • Chairman, Organising Committee, Singapore Mathematical Olympiad, 2003-2004
  • Member of Programme Committee, The Great Science Challenge, Channel 5, 2004
  • Academic Consultant, Ancient Chinese Inventions, Discovery Channel
  • Academic Consultant, Art Figures: Mathematics in Arts, Singapore Art Museum, 2002
  • Academic Consultant, The Dating Game - Calendars and Time in Asia, The Asian Civilisations Museum, 2000

Awards and Accolades
  • Teaching Excellence Award, NUS Faculty of Science, 2002/2003
  • Teaching Excellence Award, NUS Faculty of Science, 2001/2002
  • Prize winner, Boeing Science Writing Contest, 2001

Teaching Aspiration
to develop a teaching programme for maths teachers on how to help students overcome "maths phobia" and see the beauty and centrality of mathematics.