以表彰他對幾何學、表示論和理論物理學作出極重要貢獻。 他引入了基本而優美的概念和技術，影響深遠。
2016年度邵逸夫數學科學獎頒予奈傑爾・希欽 (Nigel J Hitchin)，以表彰他對幾何學、表示論和理論物理學作出極重要貢獻。他引入了基本而優美的概念和技術，影響深遠。奈傑爾・希欽是英國牛津大學Savilian 幾何學講座教授。
幾何學是數學的核心。它與數學的其他部份有著密切的聯繫，包括與研究對稱有關的表示論、微分方程、數論，近年更與理論高能物理有所關連。
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.
奈傑爾・希欽 (Nigel J Hitchin) 1946年於英國德比郡霍爾布魯克出生，現為英國牛津大學Savilian幾何學講座教授。1968年於牛津大學耶穌學院取得數學文學士學位，及1972年於牛津大學沃爾夫森學院取得數學博士學位。他分別在美國普林斯頓高等研究院擔任研究助理（1971–1973）和紐約大學擔任高朗研究所導師（1973–1974）。之後他回到牛津大學沃爾夫森學院擔任初級研究員（1974–1977）和研究員（1977–1979）。於1979年他成為牛津大學聖凱瑟琳學院的數學導師及於1990年被委任為英國華威大學教授。他曾任英國劍橋大學勞斯玻爾數學講座教授（1994–1997），自1997年起，他返回牛津大學任職Savilian幾何學講座教授。他是英國倫敦皇家學會院士。
