A former top scorer in Hong Kong’s public examinations has been named the 18th president of Northwestern University in Illinois, United States. He will be the first Asian-American to lead the prestigious institution in 175 years.
Mung Chiang moved to Hong Kong from Tianjin in mainland China at the age of 11. He attended Queen’s College, the first public secondary school founded by the British colonial government in Hong Kong, before pursuing higher education at Stanford University in the United States.
He will take the helm from Michael Schill at the Illinois-based university on July 1.
Chiang achieved top scores in the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination, the former university entrance exam, in 1995, earning 10 straight As. He was named the South China Morning Post’s Student Linguist of the Year the following year.
In an interview with the SCMP after receiving a student award in 1996, Chiang said he could barely speak Cantonese and knew very little English when he first arrived in the city. He attributed his success to hard work and enthusiasm, and hailed the support of his parents and teachers as “real inspiration”.
“I am honoured and thrilled to be Northwestern’s next president,” Chiang said in a statement.
“Now is the moment to protect and advance the freedom to seek truth, as is stated in our motto and featured in our University seal: ‘Whatsoever things are true’. Now is again the time to take a Northwestern direction and look to our future.”
The Trump administration froze US$790 million in federal funding for Northwestern last April amid congressional inquiries into the school’s handling of diversity, equity and inclusion policies and Gaza anti-war protests.
More than 100 funded research projects were halted, and the institution cut more than 400 staff positions. However, the university reached an agreement with federal agencies last November, restoring funding and resolving the investigations.
Established in 1851, Northwestern University is highly regarded globally and ranks seventh among national universities in the US. Internationally, it is ranked 30th by Times Higher Education and 42nd in the QS World University Rankings.
In its official announcement, Northwestern described Chiang as a world-class educator and university leader who has focused on “championing free expression and preparing universities for the future”.
After his schooling in Hong Kong, Chiang moved to the US at 18 to attend Stanford University, where he earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering.
He began his academic career at Princeton University in 2003, where he spent 14 years, rising from assistant professor to one of the institution’s youngest chair professors.
In 2017, he moved to Purdue University as dean of the College of Engineering before being promoted to university president in 2023. Chiang also received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Dartmouth College in 2024.
His research specialities include network optimisation, fog computing, the Internet of Things and smart data pricing.
Chiang’s influence extends into Washington’s political and athletic circles. As a science and technology adviser to the US Secretary of State in 2020, he launched key tech diplomacy initiatives.
He now chairs the inaugural board of the congressionally chartered US Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation, following a 2024 appointment by the Secretary of Energy, and also serves on the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s board.
