The Council of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) approved today the appointment of Prof Wei Shyy as the next President with effect from 1 September 2018, succeeding Prof Tony F Chan who will step down from the position on 31 August 2018.
Prof Shyy is currently HKUST’s Executive Vice-President and Provost as well as Chair Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Prior to joining HKUST in August 2010, he was Clarence L. “Kelly” Johnson Collegiate Professor and the Department Chair of Aerospace Engineering of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He had led several multi-institutional research projects funded by the US government and industries on future space transport, bio-inspired flight and computational aeronautical science, and is a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). He is an editor of numerous peer-reviewed journals as well as a winner of multiple awards, including the 2003 AIAA Pendray Aerospace Literature Award. Prof Shyy is the second Chinese bestowed with such high honor, only after Tsien Hsue-Shen - father of China’s missiles and space program, who received the same award in 1953, exactly 50 years earlier.
Prof Shyy’s appointment is the result of an intense and rigorous global search process overseen by the Search Committee - with the support of an independent search firm, which took into account desirable key attributes of the new President as expressed by the University’s community, who were consulted through online survey and open sessions. Two top key attributes as agreed across University stakeholders include strategic vision and thought leadership, as well as appreciation of the development and implications of higher education, innovation and knowledge transfer locally, regionally and internationally. The committee then conducted rounds of interviews to shortlist a global pool of qualified candidates, and made recommendation to the Council after careful and thorough deliberations.
Announcing the appointment, HKUST Council Chairman Mr Andrew Liao Cheung-sing said the University is most elated to have Prof Shyy as its leader for the next five years. “Few people are a stellar scholar and a well-experienced senior academic administrator at the same time, and Prof Shyy is one of them. He has not only demonstrated a global mindset and outlook in higher education, innovation and knowledge transfer, but is also well aware of such spectrums’ development in Hong Kong and the mainland,” said Mr Liao. “I am confident that with his vision and capability, Prof Shyy will bring the University to another new height.”
President-designate Prof Shyy said he is deeply honored of being selected to the post. “I took great pride in being part of the HKUST community, not only because of our members’ talent and devotion, which have brought an institution so young to global recognition; but also because of their internal hunger for being better at what they do,” Prof Shyy said. “Going forward, I will strive to maintain and foster an open and conducive culture so each and every one of them can unleash their potential, fulfill their ambition and thus contribute to society by conquering challenges that matter.”
Also welcoming the appointment, President Prof Tony F Chan said, “I congratulate Prof Shyy on being selected as the next President of HKUST. It has been an honor and privilege for me to have led this great institution for the past eight and a half years, much of which was in partnership with Prof Shyy. The achievements of HKUST are due in no small part to his effort. I wish him all the best in continuing to advance HKUST’s academic and global standing.”
During his tenure in HKUST, Prof Shyy consistently advocated the broadening of educational scope and approach, as well as advancing research and knowledge transfer to help address global challenges. He is committed to promoting the University’s societal engagement and independent, entrepreneurial spirit. He has also led efforts in fostering diverse and inclusive campus culture to better reflect and support the University’s overall mission.
Born and raised in Taiwan, Prof Shyy received his BS degree in Power Mechanical Engineering from Tsing Hua University in Hsinchu, Taiwan in 1977, and his MSE and PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in the US. Prof Shyy has permanent Hong Kong residency and has served at several public and private organizations, including member of the University Grants Committee and Board of Directors of Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation. (Please find Prof Shyy’s CV here)
About The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) (www.ust.hk) is a world-class research university that focuses on science, technology and business as well as humanities and social science. HKUST offers an international campus, and a holistic and interdisciplinary pedagogy to nurture well-rounded graduates with global vision, a strong entrepreneurial spirit and innovative thinking. HKUST attained the highest proportion of internationally excellent research work in the Research Assessment Exercise 2014 of Hong Kong’s University Grants Committee, and is the world’s second in the latest QS’ Top 50 under 50 ranking. Its graduates were ranked 12th worldwide and top in Greater China in Global Employability University Survey 2017.
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