Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) today announced that prominent behavioural scientist and academic leader Professor Ho Teck Hua has been appointed president of the university with effect from 24 April 2023.

Professor Ho will be the fifth president of NTU Singapore, which celebrated its 30^th anniversary last year and is ranked among the top 50 in major global academic rankings.

Professor Ho joins NTU from the National University of Singapore (NUS) where he has been senior deputy president and provost since 2018. Upon his appointment as president, Professor Ho will also become an NTU Distinguished University Professor, in recognition of his outstanding contributions as a scholar across multiple fields.

Ms Goh Swee Chen, Chair of the NTU Board of Trustees, announced Professor Ho’s appointment in a message to NTU faculty, staff, students, and alumni this afternoon. She said that NTU had conducted a global search for its next president, in line with international best practices of leading universities.

Ms Goh said: “NTU’s achievements and rapid rise to become a leading university in a relatively short span of time are due to the visionary leaders who have steered the university through its formative years. Our next president will ensure that NTU continues its momentum built up over the course of its history.

“Professor Ho is an internationally accomplished academic with outstanding leadership qualities and a deep commitment to advancing excellence in higher education, research, and innovation. He brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the role and will work closely with the University leadership and community to implement and realise the ambitions and goals outlined in the NTU 2025 strategic plan and beyond. The Board of Trustees and I are delighted that he will lead NTU forward in its next chapter of development.”

On his appointment as the fifth president of NTU, Professor Ho said: “I have long admired NTU – a dynamic, young, world-class university. It is a real honour for me to be given the opportunity to work with the NTU community, its trustees, faculty, staff, students, and alumni, to take the university to greater heights.

“Together, we will further strengthen the university's academic programmes, its research excellence, and its local and global impact in addressing the world's most pressing challenges, such as sustainable development and climate change. I am confident that NTU, as one of the world’s leading universities, will continue to nurture well-rounded students and inspire faculty and staff to drive innovation and impact in areas of great importance to society.”

Ms Goh thanked members of the nine-person search committee for their dedication and commitment: “Our search process was thorough and highly competitive, and the quality of the candidates is a reflection of NTU’s global stature and its attractiveness to world-class academic talent. I am grateful to the members of the search committee for generously giving their time to this important task.”


World renowned academic

An acclaimed expert in the fields of behavioural economics, management science, and marketing, Professor Ho is renowned for his research, teaching, and consulting on behavioural game theory, marketing-operations interface, and pricing. His appointment as an NTU Distinguished University Professor is the highest academic honour bestowed on eminent faculty members with extraordinary scholarly achievement.

Professor Ho holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering with first class honours and a master’s degree in computer and information sciences from NUS, as well as a master’s degree and a doctorate in decision sciences from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

His academic career began at NUS, and was followed by two decades at business schools in the US: the Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles; the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania; and the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.

Returning to NUS in 2011 as a Tan Chin Tuan Centennial Professor, Professor Ho served as vice president (research strategy) and deputy president (research and technology) before becoming senior deputy president and provost. In the latter role, he was responsible for overseeing three key areas at NUS – education, research, and innovation and enterprise.

Professor Ho is the founding executive chairman of AI Singapore, a national research and development programme. He sits on the boards of the Defence Science and Technology Agency, DSO National Laboratories, the Government Technology Agency, the National University Health System, and Greenland Linklogis Group Holdings. He is also a fellow of the Civil Service College Singapore and president of the Singapore Academy of Engineering.

Professor Ho succeeds Professor Subra Suresh as NTU president. Professor Suresh returned to the United States after his five-year tenure at the end of 2022.

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