以表彰他对几何学、表示论和理论物理学作出极重要贡献。 他引入了基本而优美的概念和技术，影响深远。
2016年度邵逸夫数学科学奖颁予奈杰尔・希钦 (Nigel J Hitchin)，以表彰他对几何学、表示论和理论物理学作出极重要贡献。他引入了基本而优美的概念和技术，影响深远。奈杰尔・希钦是英国牛津大学Savilian 几何学讲座教授。
几何学是数学的核心。它与数学的其他部份有著密切的联系，包括与研究对称有关的表示论、微分方程、数论，近年更与理论高能物理有所关连。
From antiquity the subject of geometry has been at the centre of mathematics. The ancient Greeks were fascinated by the subject and studied it extensively, giving us Euclidean geometry. The modern view of geometry dates to the middle of the 19th century, when Gauss introduced and developed the theory of curved surfaces. He was followed by Riemann who constructed the theory of higher-dimensional curved spaces, now called Riemannian geometry. Their work began a period of flowering of geometry, and our present-day understanding of the subject emanates directly from their work.
Nigel Hitchin is one of the most influential geometers of our time. The impact of his work on geometry and on many of the allied areas of mathematics and physics is deep and lasting. On numerous occasions, he has discovered elegant and natural facets of geometry that have proven to be of central importance. His ideas have turned out to be crucial in areas of mathematics and physics, far removed from the context in which he first developed them. By exploring ignored corners of geometry, Hitchin has repeatedly uncovered jewels, many more than described below, that have changed the course of developments in geometry and related areas, and changed the way mathematicians think about these subjects.
奈杰尔・希钦 (Nigel J Hitchin) 1946年於英国德比郡霍尔布鲁克出生，现为英国牛津大学Savilian几何学讲座教授。1968年於牛津大学耶稣学院取得数学文学士学位，及1972年於牛津大学沃尔夫森学院取得数学博士学位。他分别在美国普林斯顿高等研究院担任研究助理（1971–1973）和纽约大学担任高朗研究所导师（1973–1974）。之后他回到牛津大学沃尔夫森学院担任初级研究员（1974–1977）和研究员（1977–1979）。於1979年他成为牛津大学圣凯瑟琳学院的数学导师及於1990年被委任为英国华威大学教授。他曾任英国剑桥大学劳斯玻尔数学讲座教授（1994–1997），自1997年起，他返回牛津大学任职Savilian几何学讲座教授。他是英国伦敦皇家学会院士。
