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The Council of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has approved the appointments of new Deans of the Graduate School, Business Administration, and Social Science.  Prof. Lutz-Christian WOLFF, Wei Lun Professor of Law, will serve as Dean of the Graduate School on a concurrent basis for a period of three years, with effect from 1 September 2014.  Prof. Kalok CHAN will serve as Dean of Business Administration from 4 November 2014, and Prof. CHIU Chi-yue as Dean of Social Science from 11 November 2014, both for a term of five years on a full-time basis. 

Prof. Lutz-Christian Wolff Appointed Dean of Graduate School 

Prof. Lutz-Christian Wolff joined CUHK in 2005 as a founding member of the Faculty of Law (then the School of Law).  He served as Associate Dean (Faculty Development) and Director of the Master of Laws Programmes in International Economic Law, Common Law and Chinese Business Law before he took up his current position as Associate Dean (Graduate Studies) and Head of the Graduate Division of Law in 2010. 

Professor Wolff remarked, ‘I feel honored to be appointed as the new Dean of CUHK’s Graduate School.  I am looking forward to working with a team of very capable and dedicated colleagues to contribute to CUHK’s ongoing success in postgraduate teaching and research.’  

Professor Wolff received his first and second PhD from Passau University, Germany, in 1990 and 1997 respectively.  He specializes in international business law, Chinese investment law, comparative law and private international law.  With a background that spans legal practice and teaching in both Germany and Hong Kong, Professor Wolff has published numerous books and articles on issues in his area of expertise.  He has also spoken around the world on Chinese law and the legal aspects of doing business in the mainland.  

Professor Wolff has received various CUHK awards for his outstanding teaching and research achievements, including the Research Excellence Award in 2008, the Vice-Chancellor’s Exemplary Teaching Award in 2007 and 2011 and the University Education Award in 2013.  In 2014 he was awarded the title ‘Wei Lun Professor of Law’. 

Prof. Kalok Chan Appointed Dean of Business Administration 

Professor Chan is currently Chair Professor of Finance and Acting Dean of the School of Business & Management at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He obtained his BSc in Economics from CUHK, and PhD in Finance from Ohio State University.  As a leading scholar and a prominent researcher, Professor Chan has had numerous publications in top ranked finance journals, and has been ranked as the top finance researcher in the Asia-Pacific region.  His research interests focus on dynamics of asset prices, derivatives, market micro-structure, and international financial markets.

Professor Chan was with Arizona State University before he joined HKUST. At HKUST, he has served as the Head of Finance Department from 2003 to 2013, was the founding director of the HKUST-NYU Stern Joint Master in Global Finance program, and has established the Value Partners Centre for Investing.

Professor Chan remarked, ‘I am excited and honored to return to CUHK, my alma mater, to take up the role of Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration.  Thanks to the vision and efforts and the former leadership, the CUHK Faculty of Business Administration has been on an upward trajectory and on strong foundations to be further built on.  With the increasing demand for business education in this region, there are immense growth opportunities for the Faculty.  I look forward to working closely with the faculty, staff, students, and alumni, to make CUHK an exciting place for creating and disseminating knowledge, and bringing positive changes to society.’.

Professor Chan is active in contributing to the profession.  He was the President of Asian Finance Association from 2008 to 2010, and has served as a member of a number of committees including the Risk Management Committee of Hong Kong Exchanges, HKSAR Advisory Committee of Human Resource Development (Financial Services),  Hospital Authority Investment Committee, Hang Seng Index Service Limited and Hong Kong Housing Authority. 

Prof. Chiu Chi-yue Appointed Dean of Social Science 

Prof. Chiu Chi-yue is an internationally renowned behavioral scientist.  He received his PhD from Columbia University (New York) in social psychology, and is currently Professor of Management and Marketing at Nanyang Technological University (NTU, Singapore). Professor Chiu has created several new fields of investigation in basic and applied social sciences, including multiculturalism and creativity, and polycultural psychology. The rich implications of his research on the development of personal, social and cultural competences have been extensively exploited in education, management, marketing, legal studies, arts, sports, communication, and international relations. Being an active researcher, Professor Chiu owns an impressive record of research awards and publications with significant impact. He is also an innovative and passionate educator and the winner of several outstanding teaching awards at the universities he taught.  He has also supported the teaching and research at CUHK by serving as Visiting Professor of Social Science in 2012, and a research fellow at the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies since 2010. 

Professor Chiu remarked, ‘To enlighten: that’s the terminal value of social sciences;  to develop rigorous and relevant teaching and research programs for the betterment of humanity and collective good: that is the direction we will take to realize the potential value of social science research and education at CUHK.’ 

Professor Chiu possesses extensive academic management experience.  During his early years at the University of Hong Kong, he served as the Associate Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, and as the Head of the Department of Psychology there.  He is the Founding Director of the Culture Science Institute and the Research Director of the College of Business at NTU.  He has actively contributed to the academic community through his editorial roles in reputable journals and book series. For eight years, he has collaborated with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences to offer voluntary research development training to Chinese social scientists in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Europe and Australia. 

Full-time Appointed Deanship 

In accordance with the guidelines and procedures for the search and appointment of full-time faculty deans, the University formed search committees to launch worldwide searches for the Deans of Business Administration and Social Science.  Having thoroughly considered the nominations/applications received, the Search Committees recommended Prof. Kalok Chan for the Deanship of Business Administration and Prof. Chiu Chi-yue for the Deanship of Social Science.  Pursuant to the searching and appointment procedures, both professors met with teachers and students of their respective faculties earlier to exchange views on the future developments of the faculties, and the Council subsequently appointed them as Deans.