Press Releases
Professor Chong Tow Chong Named Provost of Singapore University of Technology and Design
Professor Chong Tow Chong has been appointed as the founding Provost of the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).
As Provost, Prof Chong will assist SUTD’s President Prof Thomas Magnanti in steering the University’s development, including key areas such as its educational and research programmes. He will officially take on full responsibilities as Provost from 1 June 2010, although he will be deeply involved in the crucial early stages of SUTD’s development.
Prof Chong is currently serving as the Executive Director of the Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC) and the Data Storage Institute of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). He is concurrently a Professor with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Prof Chong will continue to hold his appointments as Executive Director of A*STAR’s Data Storage Institute and at NUS until 31 May 2010. (Please refer to Annex A (40kb .pdf) for Prof Chong’s detailed biography)
Mr. Philip Ng, Chairman of the SUTD Board of Trustees, said, “Prof Chong’s appointment was a result of an extensive search among many other highly qualified candidates. In the end, we felt that Tow Chong would be the ideal person to take on the position of University Provost. Prof Chong is an accomplished researcher and academician in his own right, and an experienced administrator who is well-regarded by his peers. Tow Chong’s extensive working experience with Government agencies and the local industry will also be a great asset to the University in its early days, as it seeks to establish itself.”
Commenting on his appointment, Prof Chong said, “It is an honour and privilege to serve as the founding Provost of SUTD. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be able to groom a new generation of technically grounded innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders of tomorrow, and give them room to dream big dreams and make impactful breakthroughs in the innovation space. I believe SUTD’s blend of the best western and eastern innovation cultures, anchored in the foundations of technology and design, would give the necessary ingredients to make this possible. I look forward to working with Prof Magnanti and the team towards creating a tightly integrated and multi-disciplinary curriculum that will give rise to a unique innovation culture we can call our own and achieve the University’s aspirations.”
SUTD also welcomes Professor Pey Kin Leong who has been appointed as its Associate Provost (Academic) with effect from 1 January 2010. (Please refer to Annex B (40kb .pdf) for Prof Pey’s detailed biography)
SUTD is distinguished by its unique interdisciplinary academic programme which incorporates elements of entrepreneurship, management and design thinking. Its tripartite partnership involving top universities Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Zhejiang University (ZJU) will draw together and create synergies from different cultures of education and research. These will lay the foundations of a vibrant and world-class university that seeks to nurture leaders who will build a better world.