Uni picks proven hand to take over at medical helm

The associate dean of Chinese University's faculty of medicine, Philip Chiu Wai-yan, move up to replace Francis Chan Ka-leung, whose term of office as dean is over by the end of January.

University president Rocky Tuan Sung-chi said in an email to faculty teachers and staff on Thursday that Chiu was recommended by a search committee as the most suitable of 31 local and overseas applicants that had sought the post since last October.

Teachers and staff were also invited to a "recommended candidate" briefing session yesterday.

Chiu is understood to have met the university's senior management as well as the faculty's management.

According to university statutes, the dean of each faculty shall be appointed by the council on the recommendation of the vice-chancellor upon receipt of advice from a search committee.

In response to The Standard's inquiry, the university said: "Since the dean selection procedure is still ongoing, we have no further comment."

Chiu is associate dean (external affairs) at the faculty, director of its office of global engagement, professor and head of upper gastrointestinal and metabolic surgery in the department of surgery, director of the Multi-Scale Medical Robotics Centre, as well as director of Chow Yuk Ho Technology Centre for Innovative Medicine.

Outside campus, Chiu, a gastroenterologist, is the cluster service team head in upper gastrointestinal and metabolic surgery, and cluster director of endoscopy at Hospital Authority's New Territories east cluster.

He is also an honorary consultant at the department of surgery and director of endoscopy at Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin.

In October, he was bestowed the esteemed Karl-Storz-Harold Hopkins Golden Telescope Award as a keynote speaker at the Hamlyn Symposium at Imperial College London.

In April, he also took the gold medal with congratulations of the jury, as well as one other gold and two silvers at the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva.

A CUHK professor said Chiu is popular in the faculty and able to cope with the dean's demands given his years of experience and academic qualifications.

The professor also said Chiu keeps good relationships with academics in the mainland and overseas.