Campus Digest
HKBU names Professor Clayton MacKenzie as Provost
21 Dec 2016
Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) announced today that the Council of the University has approved the appointment of Professor Clayton MacKenzie as Provost, with effect from 1 June 2017.
As Provost, Professor MacKenzie will be responsible for overseeing the development of academic strategy and its implementation, and institutional research. He will oversee all the Faculties/Schools/Academy; academic budget planning and allocation; the review and execution of human resource policies for academic staff including academic staff recruitment, retention and development as well as equal opportunity policies; and the development and implementation of the University’s globalisation strategy (Greater China and international), covering teaching and learning, research, outreach and benchmarking.
Professor MacKenzie is currently Head of the School of Communication, International Studies and Languages of the University of South Australia. He started his career in higher education in Canterbury Christ Church University and the St Mary’s University College in London, UK in the 1980s. He took up a teaching post at Hong Kong Baptist University in 1993 and became Head of the Department of English Language and Literature in 2008 and served until early 2012.
A novelist and playwright, Professor MacKenzie’s research focuses on performance, iconography, and early modernism, while his publications span areas from literature, language, cultural studies and creative writing to law, international relations, music education, performing arts, pedagogy and higher education policy. He has produced 79 refereed publications, including two novels, three monographs and a play performed at the Royal Court Theatre, London.
Professor Roland Chin, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKBU, said: “Professor Clayton MacKenzie is a distinguished scholar with an outstanding track record in teaching, research as well as higher education administration. His impressive global insight and international experience in cross-disciplinary collaboration in teaching and research will be most helpful to the formulation and implementation of HKBU’s academic development strategies.”
Professor MacKenzie received his BA in English from the University of Rhodesia, Zimbabwe, a Master of Law in The University of London, UK, and his MEd and PhD degrees from the University of Glasgow, Scotland.
HKBU set up a Search Committee for the Provost and for the Vice-President (Teaching and Learning) in October 2015. The committee is chaired by Deputy Council Chairman Mrs Pamela Chan Wong Shui, and members include Council Treasurer Mrs Doreen Chan, lay Council member Mr Paul Poon, President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Roland Chin, elected staff representatives (Professor Edward Snape, Professor Sandy Li, Professor Lo Ping-cheung and Professor Reza Hoshmand), President of the HKBU Students’ Union Mr Wong Chun-hin and representative of the HKBU Postgraduate Association Ms Pan Wenhui.
The HKBU Council approved the Search Committee’s recommendation of Professor MacKenzie’s appointment at its meeting today, following three sessions of open forums for Professor MacKenzie to meet members of the University community. The views collected at the sessions were presented to the Council for its deliberation of the Search Committee’s recommendation.