A Palmerston North based researcher is keen to establish closer links between research institutes, universities and tertiary institutes in New Zealand and India to accrue benefits to both countries.
Professor Harjinder Singh, working as Co-Director of the Riddet Institute of the Massey University is currently working on many international projects, which he believes could bring synergies between New Zealand and his native India.
The Institute is engaged in discovery-based scientific research into foods and human nutrition, particularly functional foods and ‘future foods’ that address obesity and the metabolic syndrome.
It is one of the seven New Zealand Government funded Centres of Research Excellence. Massey University, University of Auckland, University of Otago and AgReserach and Plant & Food Research are among the Partners of Riddet.
“Being an Indian, it is a matter of proud for me to do something for my country,” Professor Singh said.
Hailing from Mandi Gobindgarh, a small town in the Indian state of Punjab, he has marked a new milestone in Diary Food Research in New Zealand.
Professor Singh is an internationally renowned specialist in dairy food research.
He is also the Fonterra Chair in Dairy Foods at Massey University.
Alumni of the Punjab Agriculture University, Professor Singh obtained his PhD in Dairy Science and Technology from the University College Cork, Ireland in 1986.
He has been working at the Massey University since 1989.
The American Dairy Science Association honoured him with the ‘Marschall Rhodia International Dairy Science Award’ in 2001 for his outstanding contributions to dairy chemistry. He also received the ‘Massey University Research Medal’ for research leadership in 2005.
Among the other honours that he received were the ‘William C Haines Dairy Science Award’ by the California Dairy Research Foundation in 2008 and the ‘Massey University Research Medal (Individual)’ for distinction in research the same year.
His contributions to food science were recognised when he was selected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society of New Zealand (2002), Fellowship of International Academy of Food Science and Technology (2006) and Fellowship of the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology (2006).
ISI chose him as a ‘highly cited researcher’ in 2006.
He is on the editorial boards of six journals.
A workaholic, Professor Singh has published 230 research papers in international journals, and holds four patents. He has presented more than 50 keynote addresses at national and international conferences.
“Despite the fact that I have done my Masters in Biotechnology from the Punjab Agriculture University, my life changed with the PhD in Ireland.
“I developed a passion for this field while working under my supervisor, who was my inspiration,” he said.
Professor Singh said he belonged to Punjab, where the agriculture and dairy sector formed the backbone of the State’s economy.
“It is a matter of pride for me to excel in one of these being a Punjabi,” he said.
Professor Singh is married to a dairy scientist and the couple have two children.
Amandeep Kaur is a journalist from India, currently employed in an immigration company based in Hamilton.
