KAUST welcomes President Tony Chan

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Speaking after his appointment was announced in April, Dr. Chan said the new role was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and he is eager to play a part in the University's next chapter as well as in Saudi Arabia's exciting new era of innovation.

Dr. Chan has been a friend of KAUST for more than 10 years, having initially hosted a delegation of the University's founding team in 2008 while he was with the U.S. National Science Foundation. He joined the University's Board of Trustees in 2011, and is most recently a member of the Board's newly established Innovation Committee.

"My deep history with KAUST and in the world of research and higher education has allowed me to see firsthand the significant way the University has influenced the global research agenda, and I believe we are only at the beginning of a bright future," he said.

KAUST Board Chairman Mr. Khalid A. Al-Falih said, "Dr. Chan's strong record as a leader in innovation will help KAUST accomplish its ambitious goals as an international university and empower us to continue contributing to the national priorities at the heart of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 strategy."

Prior to his new role at KAUST, Dr. Chan led the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) for almost 10 years, during which time he increased the university's global rankings, reputation, and impact, with HKUST now widely recognized as one of the world's leading universities.

Dr. Chan is an elected member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering; a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; and a fellow of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. His professional field is computational mathematics, and he was the assistant director of the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate at the U.S. National Science Foundation for three years. Before that, he spent 20 years at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he served as professor of mathematics, chair of the Department of Mathematics and dean of physical sciences. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in engineering from Caltech and his Ph.D. in computer science from Stanford University.

Dr. Chan moved to KAUST with his wife Monica. 

For Dr. Chan's full biography and curriculum vitae, please click here.