The university, also referred to as CityU, thanked Boey, a Singaporean, for his contributions during his three-year tenure as president, according to The Standard.
“The executive committee of the [university’s] council has appointed provost and deputy president Professor Lee Chun-sing as acting president with immediate effect to ensure continued operation,” it said last Friday.
“The council will provide full support to ensure stability during the transition.” It added that a global search for the next president would begin shortly.
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Freddy Boey Yin Chiang, former president of Hong Kong’s City University of Hong Kong. Photo courtesy of the university |
A council source said Boey’s five-year contract had been due to run until 2028, as reported by South China Morning Post. An expert in biomaterials engineering, Boey became CityU’s fifth president in May 2023, succeeding Professor Way Kuo, who had led the institution for 15 years.
Over the past two years, CityU has entered into multiple partnerships and memorandums of understanding to promote collaboration across fields, including with institutions in mainland China, Vietnam, Britain, Turkey, Belgium, Australia, Kazakhstan and Qatar.
Tim Lui Tim-leung, chairman of the University Grants Committee, said he respected Boey’s personal decision and thanked him for his contributions to higher education in Hong Kong.
“I look forward to the university community upholding the spirit of innovation and continuing to contribute to the development of Hong Kong and the nation,” he said.
Before joining CityU, Boey served as deputy president for innovation and enterprise at the National University of Singapore and is known for his work applying functional biomaterials in medical devices.
He had also established several companies to commercialize his inventions, particularly in cardiovascular, ocular and other implant technologies.
