Press Release
HKBU appoints Professor Martin Wong Ding-fat as Provost
Tuesday, 17 January 2023
The Council of Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) approved yesterday (16 January) the appointment of Professor Martin Wong Ding-fat as Provost, with effect from 1 August 2023.
Professor Wong is a world-renowned scholar in the area of electronic design automation. He received his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of Toronto, and his Master of Science in Mathematics and PhD in Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC).
In 1987, Professor Wong joined the University of Texas at Austin as a faculty member in the Department of Computer Sciences. He joined UIUC in 2002 as a full professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and was later appointed as the Executive Associate Dean of the College of Engineering and the Edward C Jordan Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He joined The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2019, and is currently the University’s Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and the Choh-Ming Li Professor of Computer Science and Engineering. Professor Wong is a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), and the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences, with his professional contributions widely recognised.
Dr Clement Chen, Chairman of the Council and the Court of HKBU who chaired the Search Committee for the Provost, said: “The appointment of Professor Wong was made after a rigorous global search process. The views of HKBU staff members, students and alumni on the selection criteria for the new Provost were solicited at a consultation session held in August last year. After careful assessment by the Search Committee, Professor Wong is considered the most suitable candidate for the position.”
As Provost, Professor Wong will play a pivotal role in leading the academic and strategic planning of the University, and oversee academic staff recruitment and related human resources policies. He will also assist the President and Vice-Chancellor in steering the execution of the Institutional Strategic Plan.
Welcoming the appointment, Professor Alexander Wai, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKBU, said: “Professor Wong is a distinguished scholar with an outstanding track record in higher education and academic research, as well as rich administrative experience in academia at a senior level. His extensive involvement in developing higher education locally and internationally, and far-reaching insights on the dynamics of teaching and research on a global scale, will be instrumental to helping HKBU in formulating its ongoing development strategies.”
HKBU set up a Search Committee for the Provost in July 2022 chaired by Dr Clement Chen, Chairman of the Council and the Court of HKBU. The HKBU Council approved the Search Committee’s recommendation of Professor Wong’s appointment at its meeting yesterday, following four sessions of open forums for Professor Wong 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.
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