cells. PROFESSOR JAMES MIRRLEES (ECONOMIC SCIENCES, 1996) Economist James Mirrlees, 79, of Scotland, received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1996 for his theory of optimal income taxation, which allowed optimal tax schedules to be calculated using realistic economic models. PROFESSOR HAROLD KROTO (CHEMISTRY, 1996) The English chemist shared the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of fullerenes - nanometre-scale carbon structures with remarkable properties and many potential applications. Sir Harold, 76, is currently carrying out research in nanoscience and cluster chemistry as well as developing new Internet approaches to educational outreach. PROFESSOR WOLE SOYINKA (LITERATURE, 1986) Nigerian playwright, novelist and poet Wole Soyinka won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986. The 81-year-old, who continues to lecture extensively in Nigeria and around theworld, is the first African to be honoured in that category. PROFESSOR ADA YONATH (CHEMISTRY, 2009) Professor Ada Yonath, 76, a director at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2009 for her work with ribosomes. She is one of a handful of women who have won the prize in chemistry.

NTU president Bertil Andersson, one-time chairman of the Nobel prize committee for chemistry, told The Straits Times that both the university and the Nobel Foundation agreed that Singapore would be a wonderful venue for the event.

"It is apt and timely that Singapore is chosen as the venue, because this country is well-known globally for education excellence," said Professor Andersson, a biochemist and a trustee of the Nobel Foundation. The opportunity to