Chia-Wei Woo
Encyclopedia
Woo Chia-wei GBS (2000)
was the Founding President of the The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
. His dedicated efforts included his work in raising considerable funding and recruiting outstanding Faculty for the University.
Together with Chung Sze Yuen
, he created an institution, including a top ranked Business School. The HKUST Business School's MBA, EMBA and Executive Education
programs are consistently ranked as top in Asia (http://www.bm.ust.hk/) and World Top 50 MBA by the Financial Times
of London (http://www.bm.ust.hk/mba/). He retired in 2001 after 13 years of service and remains President Emeritus as well as University Professor Emeritus.
in 1937, he received his secondary education from Pui Ching Middle School
in Hong Kong
and went to the US in 1955, where he acquired his BS degree in Physics/Mathematics at Georgetown College in Kentucky, and his MA/PhD degrees in Physics at Washington University in St. Louis
.
Subsequently he taught at Northwestern University
and at the University of Illinois
, served as Northwestern's Chairman, Physics and Astronomy Department, then as Provost, Revelle College
at the University of California at San Diego (where he had pursued post-doctoral
work). In 1983, at the age of 45, he became President of San Francisco State University
, the first Chinese American
to head a major university in the US, to wit:
Since 1964, Woo has published 120 papers and books in various fields of physics, particularly in quantum many-body theory
, statistical mechanics
, liquid crystal
s, low temperature physics
, and surface physics. Under his supervision, 25 doctoral students and postdoctoral staff completed their thesis and research work.
and the California Academy of Sciences
; the Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship; Honorary Professorships at Fudan University
, Chinese Academy of Sciences
(Institute of Physics), Shenzhen University
, and Peking University
; the Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian Award by the United Nations Association; the Golden Key of the City of San Francisco; “Chia-Wei Woo Day” was declared by the Mayor of San Francisco
. He was National President of the National Association of Chinese-Americans during 1984-86. He was the U.S. China Olympics Liaison for the 1984 Olympics
held in Los Angeles. In 1991, he received a Distinguished Alumnus Award from his alma mater, Washington University
In 1995, he received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Georgetown College, and was named an Honorary Citizen by the Municipal Government of Shenzhen
. In 1996, he received a Distinguished International Service Award from the University of Minnesota
and an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Washington University; and was appointed as an CBE by Queen Elizabeth II. In 2000, he was awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star
by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). In 2001, he was awarded "Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur" by the President of the Republic of France.
.
From 1993 to 1996, he was appointed by the Chinese Government first as a Hong Kong Affairs Advisor, Hong Kong Affairs Adviser
then a Member of the Preliminary Working Committee, and then a Member of the Preparatory Committee, and was elected to the Selection Committee for HKSAR. He was appointed in 1998 to the Commission on Strategic Development of HKSAR and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. In 2000, he was appointed to the Council of Advisors on Innovation and Technology of HKSAR, and as Chairman of the Committee on Hong Kong - Mainland Technological Collaboration. He has spoken multiple times at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Ltd, Shanghai Industrial, First Shanghai Investments Ltd, IDT International Ltd, and Synergis; he is Senior Advisor to Hong Kong's Shui On Group.
Woo is listed in both “Who’s Who in America” and “Who’s Who in the World”.
Gold Bauhinia Star
The Gold Bauhinia Star is the highest rank in Order of the Bauhinia Star in Hong Kong, created in 1997 to replace the British honours system of the Order of the British Empire after the transfer of sovereignty to People's Republic of China and the establishment of the Hong Kong Special...
was the Founding President of the The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology is a public university located in Hong Kong. Established in 1991 under Hong Kong Law Chapter 1141 , it is one of the nine universities in Hong Kong.Professor Tony F. Chan is the president of HKUST...
. His dedicated efforts included his work in raising considerable funding and recruiting outstanding Faculty for the University.
Together with Chung Sze Yuen
Chung Sze Yuen
Sir Sze-yuen Chung, GBE, GBM is a mechanical engineer, industrialist, business executive and politician in Hong Kong. He succeeded Sir Yuet Keung Kan, as the Senior Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council and Executive Council in 1980 and served in the latter body until his first retirement...
, he created an institution, including a top ranked Business School. The HKUST Business School's MBA, EMBA and Executive Education
Executive Education
Executive Education refers to academic programs at leading graduate-level business schools worldwide for executives, business leaders and functional managers. These programs are non-credit and non-degree granting...
programs are consistently ranked as top in Asia (http://www.bm.ust.hk/) and World Top 50 MBA by the Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
of London (http://www.bm.ust.hk/mba/). He retired in 2001 after 13 years of service and remains President Emeritus as well as University Professor Emeritus.
Education & academia
Born in ShanghaiShanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
in 1937, he received his secondary education from Pui Ching Middle School
Pui Ching Middle School
Pui Ching Middle School is the name of a system of Baptist secondary school that first founded in Guangzhou, Guangdong and later to Hong Kong and Macau.- History :...
in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and went to the US in 1955, where he acquired his BS degree in Physics/Mathematics at Georgetown College in Kentucky, and his MA/PhD degrees in Physics at Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...
.
Subsequently he taught at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
and at the University of Illinois
University of Illinois system
The University of Illinois is a system of public universities in Illinois consisting of three campuses: Urbana-Champaign, Chicago, and Springfield. Across its three campuses, the University of Illinois enrolls about 70,000 students. It had an operating budget of $4.17 billion in 2007.-System:The...
, served as Northwestern's Chairman, Physics and Astronomy Department, then as Provost, Revelle College
Roger Revelle College
Revelle College was the first college founded at the University of California, San Diego, and named after oceanographer Roger Revelle in 1964...
at the University of California at San Diego (where he had pursued post-doctoral
Postdoctoral researcher
Postdoctoral research is scholarly research conducted by a person who has recently completed doctoral studies, normally within the previous five years. It is intended to further deepen expertise in a specialist subject, including acquiring novel skills and methods...
work). In 1983, at the age of 45, he became President of San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
, the first Chinese American
Chinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
to head a major university in the US, to wit:
Since 1964, Woo has published 120 papers and books in various fields of physics, particularly in quantum many-body theory
Many-body theory
The many-body theory is an area of physics which provides the framework for understanding the collective behavior of vast assemblies of interacting particles. In general terms, the many-body theory deals with effects that manifest themselves only in systems containing large numbers of constituents...
, statistical mechanics
Statistical mechanics
Statistical mechanics or statistical thermodynamicsThe terms statistical mechanics and statistical thermodynamics are used interchangeably...
, liquid crystal
Liquid crystal
Liquid crystals are a state of matter that have properties between those of a conventional liquid and those of a solid crystal. For instance, an LC may flow like a liquid, but its molecules may be oriented in a crystal-like way. There are many different types of LC phases, which can be...
s, low temperature physics
Absolute zero
Absolute zero is the theoretical temperature at which entropy reaches its minimum value. The laws of thermodynamics state that absolute zero cannot be reached using only thermodynamic means....
, and surface physics. Under his supervision, 25 doctoral students and postdoctoral staff completed their thesis and research work.
Honors/Awards
Woo has received many honors and awards for professional achievement and civic contribution, including Fellowships of the American Physical SocietyAmerican Physical Society
The American Physical Society is the world's second largest organization of physicists, behind the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. The Society publishes more than a dozen scientific journals, including the world renowned Physical Review and Physical Review Letters, and organizes more than 20...
and the California Academy of Sciences
California Academy of Sciences
The California Academy of Sciences is among the largest museums of natural history in the world. The academy began in 1853 as a learned society and still carries out a large amount of original research, with exhibits and education becoming significant endeavors of the museum during the twentieth...
; the Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship; Honorary Professorships at Fudan University
Fudan University
Fudan University , located in Shanghai, is one of the oldest and most selective universities in China, and is a member of the C9 League. Its institutional predecessor was founded in 1905, shortly before the end of China's imperial Qing dynasty...
, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Chinese Academy of Sciences
The Chinese Academy of Sciences , formerly known as Academia Sinica, is the national academy for the natural sciences of the People's Republic of China. It is an institution of the State Council of China. It is headquartered in Beijing, with institutes all over the People's Republic of China...
(Institute of Physics), Shenzhen University
Shenzhen University
Shenzhen University is a public university established in 1983 located in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. It is accredited by the State Council of the People's Republic of China and is funded by the Shenzhen government. The university took its first enrollment the same year at what Deng Xiaoping...
, and Peking University
Peking University
Peking University , colloquially known in Chinese as Beida , is a major research university located in Beijing, China, and a member of the C9 League. It is the first established modern national university of China. It was founded as Imperial University of Peking in 1898 as a replacement of the...
; the Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian Award by the United Nations Association; the Golden Key of the City of San Francisco; “Chia-Wei Woo Day” was declared by the Mayor of San Francisco
Mayor of San Francisco
The Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco is the head of the executive branch of San Francisco's city and county government. The mayor has the duty to enforce city laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the legislative branch....
. He was National President of the National Association of Chinese-Americans during 1984-86. He was the U.S. China Olympics Liaison for the 1984 Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
held in Los Angeles. In 1991, he received a Distinguished Alumnus Award from his alma mater, Washington University
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...
In 1995, he received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Georgetown College, and was named an Honorary Citizen by the Municipal Government of Shenzhen
Shenzhen
Shenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones...
. In 1996, he received a Distinguished International Service Award from the University of Minnesota
Minnesota Golden Gophers
The Minnesota Golden Gophers are the college sports team for the University of Minnesota. The university fields both men's and women's teams in basketball, cross country, gymnastics, golf, ice hockey, swimming, tennis, and track and field. Men's-specific sports include baseball, football, and...
and an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Washington University; and was appointed as an CBE by Queen Elizabeth II. In 2000, he was awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star
Gold Bauhinia Star
The Gold Bauhinia Star is the highest rank in Order of the Bauhinia Star in Hong Kong, created in 1997 to replace the British honours system of the Order of the British Empire after the transfer of sovereignty to People's Republic of China and the establishment of the Hong Kong Special...
by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). In 2001, he was awarded "Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur" by the President of the Republic of France.
Political career
He has served on Hong Kong Government's Industry and Technology Development Council and the Board of Overseers for the Institutes of Biotechnology, and was appointed by the Municipal Government of Shenzhen as Senior Advisor. He also serves or served on governing and advisory boards of a number of educational foundations and cultural organizations, including Business and Professionals Federation of Hong Kong, Shanghai-Hong Kong Council for the Promotion and Development of Yangtze; National Natural Science Foundation of China, Fudan University, Hua Qiao University, and Zhongguancun Science Park (Advisory Committee); Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology (Pakistan), World Scientific Publishing Company (Singapore), and China Europe International Business SchoolChina Europe International Business School
China Europe International Business School is one of the three international business schools affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University located in Shanghai, China. The school was established in 1994 in Beijing as a joint venture between the European Commission, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign...
.
From 1993 to 1996, he was appointed by the Chinese Government first as a Hong Kong Affairs Advisor, Hong Kong Affairs Adviser
Hong Kong Affairs Adviser
Hong Kong Affairs Advisers were appointments by PRC government after the last Governor of Hong Kong Chris Patten carried out his electoral reform in Hong Kong....
then a Member of the Preliminary Working Committee, and then a Member of the Preparatory Committee, and was elected to the Selection Committee for HKSAR. He was appointed in 1998 to the Commission on Strategic Development of HKSAR and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. In 2000, he was appointed to the Council of Advisors on Innovation and Technology of HKSAR, and as Chairman of the Committee on Hong Kong - Mainland Technological Collaboration. He has spoken multiple times at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Miscellaneous
He serves on several corporate boards, including Lenovo GroupLenovo Group
Lenovo Group Limited is a Chinese multinational personal technology company that develops, manufactures and markets desktop and notebook computers, workstations, servers, storage drives, IT management software, and other related products and services. Lenovo was incorporated in Hong Kong in 1988...
Ltd, Shanghai Industrial, First Shanghai Investments Ltd, IDT International Ltd, and Synergis; he is Senior Advisor to Hong Kong's Shui On Group.
Woo is listed in both “Who’s Who in America” and “Who’s Who in the World”.