IARU Presidents

Australian National University Vice-Chancellor and President – Professor Ian Young

Professor Ian Young was appointed Vice-Chancellor of The Australian National University in March 2011, having previously been Vice-Chancellor of Swinburne University of Technology for seven years (2003 to 2011). He was Executive Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences at the University of Adelaide from 1999 to 2003. For part of this time he simultaneously held the position of Pro Vice-Chancellor (International).

Professor Young has held the positions of Chair of Education Australia Ltd and Director of IDP Education Pty Ltd. From 2009 to 2011, he was a Member of the Australian Qualifications Framework Council.

Following a PhD at James Cook University of North Queensland, Professor Young began his academic career at the Max Planck Institut fur Meteorologie, Hamburg Germany, ultimately becoming Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of New South Wales. Professor Young's research interests are in Coastal and Ocean Engineering and Physical Oceanography. He has a distinguished academic career, having published three books and more than 100 refereed papers. He has had sustained research support from the Australian Research Council and has been a consultant to the US Navy and the offshore oil and gas industry in Australia, Asia and North America.

He has won numerous awards including: The C.N Barton Medal and Lorenz G. Straub Medal. In 2003 he was awarded the Centenary Medal for services to Australian Society. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers, Australia and a Fellow of the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

ETH Zurich President – Professor Dr Ralph Eichler

Professor Dr Ralph Eichler is President of ETH Zurich since 2007. Before, he was the Director of the Paul Scherrer Institute, the largest multi-disciplinary research center for natural sciences and technology belonging to the ETH domain. Previous appointments included various research positions in prominent institutions in the United States and Germany such as Stanford University and the German Electron Synchrotron in Hamburg where he chaired an international collaboration of 400 researchers. Professor Eichler is a well respected specialist and peer in the field s of Experimental Physics.

National University of Singapore President and Incumbent IARU Chairman – Professor Tan Chorh Chuan

Professor Tan Chorh Chuan is the President of NUS. He is concurrently the Deputy Chairman of Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and the incumbent IARU Chairman. His previous appointments included various high impact positions in academia and public service such as Dean of the NUS Faculty of Medicine and Director of Medical Services at the Singapore Ministry of Health. Professor Tan's active leadership in the fields of science, technology and health has been recognized through numerous awards such as the Public Service Star in 2003, the Public Administration Gold Medal in 2004 and the National Science and Technology Medal in 2008. He is a distinguished scholar and a respected authority among his peers.

Peking University President – Professor Zhou Qifeng

Professor Zhou Qifeng is the President of Beida. He is concurrently a Deputy of the 11th National People's Congress of China. Professor Zhou's prior appointments included numerous strategic positions such as Executive Dean of the Graduate of Peking University, Director-General of the Office of Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council and Director-General of the Department of Postgraduate Education of the PRC Ministry of Education. Other than being an excellent administrator, Professor Zhou is also a committed scientist specializing in polymer science and engineering. In the year 1999, he became a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. As testimony to his commitment, Professor Zhou has received awards for both teaching and research.

The University of Tokyo President – Professor Junichi Hamada

Professor Junichi Hamada became the 29th President of The University of Tokyo on April 1, 2009. He is concurrently the President of the Japan Association of National Universities. Professor Hamada's previous appointments in Todai included the positions of Managing Director and Executive Vice President, Dean of the Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies, Dean of the Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies and Director of the Institute of Journalism and Communication Studies. Beyond his experience as an administrator, Professor Hamada is also reputable in the field of information law with a focus on the freedom of expression.

University of California, Berkeley Chancellor – Professor Robert J. Birgeneau

Professor Robert J. Birgeneau is the Chancellor of UC Berkeley. He is concurrently the Chair of the Council of Presidents, Universities Research Association, Inc. His previous positions included President of the University of Toronto and Dean of the School of Science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. For his commitment to intellectual inquiry and academic excellence, Professor Birgeneau was awarded the special Founders Award from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2006, the Carnegie Corporation Academic Leadership Award in 2008 and the Pathfinders to Peace Prize in 2009. He is also an internationally distinguished physicist and an established leader in the academic community.

Cambridge University, Vice Chancellor – Sir Leszek Borysiewicz

Sir Leszek Borysiewicz is the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. His previous appointments include Chief Executive of the Medical Research Council - the main funding body for medical academics in the UK - Deputy Rector of Imperial College, Governor of the Wellcome Trust and founding Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. For his services to medical research in the UK, and in particular for his development of a vaccine to reduce the risk of cervical cancer, Sir Leszek was knighted in the 2001 New Year's Honours List. He is an outstanding scholar and a highly respected leader with an impressive record of excellence.

University of Copenhagen Rector – Professor Dr Ralf Hemmingsen

Professor Dr Ralf Hemmingsen is the Rector of KU. He served three years as Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences before his current appointment and was awarded the University of Copenhagen Gold Medal. Professor Hemmingsen's prior appointments included key positions in the medical sector such as the Medical Director of the Psychiatric Department at Bispebjerg Hospital in Copenhagen and the Deputy Chairman of the Association of Junior Doctors. He is well-respected as an educator and a researcher in the fields of neurobiology and psychiatry.

University of Oxford Vice-Chancellor – Professor Andrew Hamilton

Professor Andrew Hamilton is the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford. He is a distinguished organic chemist and continues to run an active research laboratory alongside his administrative duties. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a recipient of the Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award from the American Chemical Society. He arrived in Oxford in 2009 from an academic career in the US, at Princeton, Pittsburgh, and Yale. Most recently he was Provost at Yale.

Yale President – Professor Richard Levin

Professor Richard C. Levin, Frederick William Beinecke Professor of Economics, has been Yale's President since 1993. He received his B.A. from Stanford University in 1968 and studied politics and philosophy at Oxford University, where he earned a B.Litt. degree. In 1974 he received his Ph.D. from Yale and joined the Yale faculty. Before becoming President, he chaired the economics department and served as Dean of Yale's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Professor Levin currently serves on President Obama's Council of Advisors for Science and Technology. He is a trustee of the Hewlett Foundation, a director of Climate Works and American Express, and a member of the National Committee on United States-China Relations. He served on a bipartisan commission to recommend improvements in the nation's intelligence capabilities and chaired a major review of the nation's patent system for the National Academy of Sciences. President Levin holds honorary degrees from Harvard, Princeton, Oxford, Peking, Tokyo and Waseda universities, and he is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.