Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 2005

The 62ndCongregation for the Confermen t of Degree s techniques w i t h researchers f r o m d e v e l o p i ng regions of the scientific w o r l d, such as Poland, P a k i s t a n a n d C h i n a . H e ha s p r o m o t e d international exchange visits to his laboratory, e n a b l i n g y o u n g researchers to r e t u rn to their o w n c o u n t r i es t o c o n t i n ue the w o r k a n d to generate h i g h - q u a l i ty p u b l i c a t i o ns of t h e i r o w n . S e t t i ng t he h i g h e st s t a n d a r ds i n h is o w n w o r k , D r. Roberts has been a m o d e l f or o t h e rs i n his f i e l d. H e is also a p a s s i o n a te believer i n o p en access to scientific j o u r n a l s, p u b l i s h i ng an article o n the subject this y e ar i n Chemical and Engineering News ( v o l ume 83, pages 37-41). T h o u g h it has little to d o w i t h its core w o r k , his c o m p a ny has set u p a t e am t o d o a p p l i e d r e s e a r ch i n t h e f i e l d s o f v a c c i n es a n d i m m u n o l o g y to h e lp c o m b at diseases i n t h i r d w o r l d countries. Dr. Ro b e r t s has w o r k e d o n n u m e r o us k e y i n t e r n a t i o n al s c i e n t i f ic a d v i s o r y a n d e d i t o r i al boards, academies o f me d i c i ne a nd g r a n t r e v i ew committees. These i n c l u de the A l b e rt Schweitzer A c a d e my of Me d i c i n e, the N A S A A s t r o b i o l o gy P r o g r amme, the O x f o rd I n t e r n a t i o n al B i o m e d i c al C e n t re a n d t he I n t e r n a t i o n al C o u n c i l o f Science. H e is a m e m b er of m a n y scientific associations a nd h o l d e r o f m a n y p r e s t i g i o us f e l l o w s h i p s, i n c l u d i n g f e l l o w s h i ps of the R o y al Societ y a n d t h e A m e r i c a n S o c i e ty f o r A r t s a n d Sciences. He has h e ld v i s i t i ng professorships a n d l e c t u r e s h i ps at s e v e r al i m p o r t a n t universities, i n c l u d i ng Princeton, Berkeley a n d I l l i n o i s. A p a r t f r o m his N o b e l Prize, he has b e e n h o n o u r e d w i t h d o c t o r a t es f r o m t he u n i v e r s i t i e s of De r b y, S h e f f i e l d, B a th a n d Up p s a l a. D r . Roberts has been active i n Ch i n a. I n 2004, he g a ve lectures a t the W o r l d H i Tech F o r u m , v i s i t e d s e v e r al u n i v e r s i t i es a n d received an h o n o r a ry professorship f r om the F o u r th M i l i t a r y M e d i c al U n i v e r s i ty i n Xian, as w e l l as an h o n o r a ry p r o f e s s o r s h ip f r o m t he D a l i a n I n s t i t u te o f C h e m i c al Ph y s i c s. Recently D r . Roberts has b e en n a m e d vice- chairman of the International Science A d v i s o ry B o a r d o f J ames D . W a t s o n I n s t i t u t e o f Ge n ome Sciences, H a n g z h o u, a ma j or centre for g e n ome s e q u e n c i ng i n Ch i n a. D r. Roberts has a l o n g association w i t h T h e Ch i n e se U n i v e r s i ty of H o n g K o n g. H e has b e en a v i s i t i ng l e c t u r e r here a n d a k e y n o t e speaker i n c o n f e r e n c e s a n d symposiums. I n 1996, he w a s a W e i L u n V i s i t i ng Professor. M o r e r e c e n t ly D r. R o b e r ts has t a l k e d w i t h s t u d e n t s o f t he M o l e c u l a r Biotechnology P r o g r a m me o n h is l i f e i n s c i e n t i f ic r e s e a r c h. T o m o r r o w, he w i l l p r o v i de t w o lectures, one o n ' N o v e l Wa ys of F i n d i ng N e w Restriction E n z yme s' a n d a n o t h e r o n ' F r i e n d s a n d Foes: t h e Unseen Bugs W h o Share O u r Planet'. H e has established close l i n ks w i t h o ur D e p a r t m e nt of B i o c h em i s t r y a n d the Mo l e c u l ar Biotechnology P r o g r a mm e, g i v i n g a d v i ce o n t he d e v e l o pme nt of their academic a nd scientific p r o g r amme s. M r . C h a n c e l l o r, i t is m y h o n o u r t o present to y o u Dr. R i c h a rd J . Roberts, one of the m o s t i m p o r t a n t m i c r o b i o l o g i s ts o f o u r t i me , f o r t he d e g r ee of D o c t o r of Science, honoris causa. This citation is written by P r o f . David Parker Working for the benefit of others has been a consistent theme of Dr. Roberts' career. He has been generous in sharing his techniques with researchers from developing regions of the scientific world, such as Poland, Pakistan and China. He has promoted international exchange visits to his laboratory, enabling young researchers to return to their own countries to continue the work and to generate high-quality publications of their own. Setting the highest standards in his own work, Dr. Roberts has been a model for others in his field. 3 8 Chinese University Bulletin Autumn • Winter 2005