AsianScientist (Jan. 19, 2018) – Professor Shyy Wei has been appointed by the Council of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) as its next president, with effect from 1 September 2018. He succeeds current president Professor Tony F. Chan, who will step down from the position on 31 August 2018.
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 the Clarence L. “Kelly” Johnson Collegiate Professor and the Department Chair of Aerospace Engineering of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
While in the US, 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. He is a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), and has been conferred multiple awards, including the 2003 AIAA Pendray Aerospace Literature Award. Shyy is the second Chinese scientist to be bestowed with this award, 50 years after Professor Tsien Hsue-Shen–the father of China’s missiles and space program—received it in 1953.
“Few people manage to be stellar scholars and well-experienced senior academic administrators at the same time, and 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 developments in Hong Kong and the mainland,” said HKUST Council Chairman Mr Andrew Liao Cheung-sing.
Outgoing president Chan congratulated his successor on his appointment and noted how Shyy has been indispensable to the advancement of HKUST’s academic and global standing. Shyy said he is deeply honored to have been selected for 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,” 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.”
———
Source: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.
