Academic Profile : Faculty

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Prof Ling San
Deputy President and Provost
Professor of Mathematical Sciences
External Links
 
Professor Ling San is Deputy President and Provost at NTU Singapore. Currently President’s Chair in Mathematical Sciences, he joined NTU in April 2005 as the Founding Head of the Division of Mathematical Sciences in the School of Physical & Mathematical Sciences (SPMS). He was Chair of SPMS from April 2008 to December 2010, and Dean, College of Science, from August 2011 to December 2017, before being appointed Provost on 1 January 2018. Prior to joining NTU, he spent 13 years at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

Between August 2022 and July 2024, Professor Ling also served concurrently as the Chief Scientific Advisor for the National Research Foundation, Singapore. He is also a member of the Committee of Government Scientific Advisors, Singapore.

Professor Ling’s research interests are in applications of algebra and number theory to combinatorial designs, coding theory, cryptography and sequences. He has published about 250 journal and conference papers and two textbooks, and edited several conference proceedings. His research has clinched more than S$25 million in funding.

A visiting scholar at institutions such as the University of California, Berkeley, CNRS, ESSI Sophia Antipolis, INRIA, ENS Lyon, Macquarie University, the Technion, and Hanyang University, he is a recipient of the Singapore Youth Award (Science & Technology) in 2001, National Science Award (Team) in 2003, Service to Education Award from the Singapore Ministry of Education in 2010, Public Administration Medal (Silver) from the President of the Republic of Singapore in 2013, Fellowship of the Singapore National Academy of Science in 2014, and Public Administration Medal (Gold) from the President of the Republic of Singapore in 2024. A passionate educator, he has also won numerous teaching excellence awards at both NTU and NUS.

Active in serving the professional community, he has previously been a Vice President of the Singapore National Academy of Science, President of the Southeast Asian Mathematical Society and the Singapore Mathematical Society, and a member of the Board of Directors of the International Association for Cryptologic Research. He currently serves on the Management Board of the Institute for Mathematical Sciences at NUS and the International Board of Overseers of Sabancı University. Professor Ling has also served as a reviewer for research funding agencies in Singapore and abroad.

He obtained his BA and MA in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge, and has a PhD in Mathematics from the University of California, Berkeley.
1. Applications of algebra and number theory to combinatorial designs, coding theory, cryptography and sequences
2. Arithmetic of modular curves and Galois representations
 
  • Algebraic approaches to coding theory and related topics
  • Towards Harmonious Transitions to Post-Quantum Cryptography: Technical Challenges and Innovative Approaches
Awards
• Public Administration Medal (Gold), President of the Republic of Singapore, Singapore, 2024
• Public Administration Medal (Silver), President of the Republic of Singapore, Singapore, 2013
• National Science Award (Team) 2003
• Singapore Youth Award (Science and Technology), 2001
 
Fellowships & Other Recognition
• Fellow, Singapore National Academy of Science, since 2014
 
Supervision of PhD Students
NTU
13. Yang Siwei Allen, Thesis title: Lattice Based Crypto and Homomorphic Encryption (tentative), 2022 – present (co-supervision with Wang Huaxiong).
12. He Yimeng, Thesis title: Post-quantum Crypto (tentative), 2022 – present (co-supervision with Wang Huaxiong).
11. Tang Khai Hanh, Thesis title: New and Improved Zero-knowledge Argument Systems for Code-based Cryptography, 2018 – 2022 (co-supervision with Wang Huaxiong and Nguyen Ta Toan Khoa).
10. Jareena Tharnnukhroh, Thesis title: On Constacyclic Codes and Their Generalizations, 2017 – 2022.
9. Li Zhe, Thesis title: Post Quantum Cryptographic Constructions, 2016 – 2020 (co-supervision with Xing Chaoping).
8. Xu Yanhong, Thesis title: Group Signatures with Advanced Features and Lattices 2014 – 2018 (co-supervision with Wang Huaxiong).
7. Zhang Juanyang, Thesis title: Revocable Cryptosystems from Lattices 2014 – 2018 (co-supervision with Wang Huaxiong).
6. Cheng Shantian, Thesis title: Lattice Packing and Lattice Reduction Algorithm, 2012 – 2016 (co-supervision with Xing Chaoping).
5. Romar Basillaje Dela Cruz, Thesis title: Secret Sharing Schemes and Linear Codes, 2008 – 2014 (co-supervision with Wang Huaxiong).
4. Wei Lei, Thesis title: Analysis of Iterated Block Ciphers, 2008 – 2012 (co-supervision with Wang Huaxiong).
3. Dau Son Hoang, Thesis title: On Index Coding with Side Information, 2008 – 2012 (co-supervision with Chee Yeow Meng).
2. Martianus Frederic Ezerman, Thesis title: On Quantum Error-Correcting Codes, 2007 – 2011.
1. Jia Yan, Thesis title: Algebraic Methods in Coding Theory, 2006 – 2011.

NUS
1. Yang Siman, Thesis title: On Explicit Towers of Function Fields over Finite Fields, 2001 – 2005.

Chulalongkorn University (Thailand)
2. Ekkasit Sangwisut, Thesis title: Hull of Constacyclic Codes over Finite Fields, 2012 – 2014 (co-supervision with Patanee Udomkavanich).
1. Somphong Jitman, Thesis title: Skew-Cyclic Codes over Finite Chain Rings, 2009 – 2011 (co-supervision with Patanee Udomkavanich).

University of the Philippines, Diliman (The Philippines)
1. John Mark T Lampos, Thesis title: On Duadic Codes over Z4+uZ4, Supercodes, and Quasi-Cyclic Product Codes, 2017 – present (co-supervision with Lilibeth Valdez).

Central China Normal University (China)
1. Xu Pan, Thesis title: Study on Generalized Symbol Weights of Linear Codes and Related Topics, Oct 2021 – Sep 2022 (co-supervision with Hongwei Liu).

Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (China)
1. Cheng Yingjie, Thesis title: A Construction of Asymptotically Optimal Cascaded CDC Schemes via Combinatorial Designs, Oct 2022 – Sep 2023 (co-supervision with Xiwang Cao).

Anhui University (China)
2. Li Shitao, Thesis title: (tbc), Sep 2023 – Nov 2023 (co-supervision with Minjia Shi).
1. Li Xiaoxiao, Thesis title: (tbc), Oct 2023 – Sep 2024 (co-supervision with Minjia Shi).