USM PENANG, 5 July 2025 — Professor Dato’ Dr. Aileen Tan Shau Hwai from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) has earned another major achievement in her long career in marine science and helping coastal communities.

She was recently awarded the Anton Bruun Medal at the 33rd Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) Assembly under UNESCO in Paris.

This medal is one of the highest international awards in ocean science. It honours people who have made big contributions to the field.

As Director of USM’s Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies (CEMACS), Aileen Tan’s work in protecting marine life and promoting sustainable aquaculture has gained worldwide attention. Her efforts have helped both science and local communities.

To mark the occasion, she gave the Anton Bruun Memorial Lecture, titled “Co-Producing Ocean Solutions: Empowering Coastal Communities Through Science and Policy Integration.”

In her speech, she stressed that science should benefit everyone—not just scientists—and called for teamwork across different fields to solve ocean problems together.

“Science connects people. People connect to nature,” she told the global audience, urging for solutions that include and support local communities.

She also shared success stories from Malaysia, such as oyster farming and youth-led eco-entrepreneurship, showing how science can improve livelihoods, support women (gender empowerment), and protect the environment (ecosystem stewardship).

The Anton Bruun Medal, created in 1970, honours Dr. Anton Frederick Bruun, a Danish oceanographer and the first chairman of the IOC.

It is awarded biennially during the IOC Assembly to individuals who have made significant advancements in solid earth studies, physical and chemical oceanography, meteorology, and marine biology.

This award not only celebrates Aileen Tan’s lifelong work, but also shows Malaysia’s growing role and leadership in global ocean efforts under the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

Text: Tan Ewe Hoe/Photo: Professor Dato’ Dr. Aileen Tan Shau Hwai