Principal offered with honorary degree from Hong Kong University of Science & Technological know-how
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The Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Strathclyde, Professor Sir Jim McDonald, has been awarded an honorary degree by Hong Kong College of Science & Technologies (HKUST).
Sir Jim was designed an Honorary Health care provider of Engineering honoris causa in recognition of his considerable contributions to society at a distinctive on the net ceremony.
A a few-time graduate of Strathclyde, having taken his BSc, MSc and PhD levels in the region of electrical engineering, power devices and power economics, Sir Jim labored in the electrical utility sector for seven decades ahead of returning to Strathclyde in 1984 as a University Grants Fee New Blood Lecturer in Electrical Engineering.
He was appointed to the Rolls-Royce Chair in Electrical Power Devices in 1993 and became Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Strathclyde in March 2009.
In the quotation go through during the ceremony, HKUST President, Professor Nancy Ip, mentioned: “An completed engineer and visionary instructional chief, Sir Jim’s great contributions in the direction of developing a much better and sustainable potential have gained him various distinguished recognitions and awards.
“As tutorial-industry collaboration was nevertheless quite exceptional in the 1990s, Sir Jim was uniquely positioned to establish and direct Strathclyde’s study and commercialisation portfolio by demonstrating how curiosity-based mostly and person-centered investigate could present a catalyst for constructive adjust. Sir Jim was also pivotal in commercialising college investigation throughout several fields these kinds of as power, renewable power and AI.
“Sir Jim’s professional experience in synergising academia and marketplace also manufactured him an best collaborator for HKUST.”
Honest thanks
Sir Jim explained: “I would like to provide my honest many thanks to HKUST for bestowing this honorary diploma on me. This is both a excellent private and expert privilege for me and a single that I hope will bolster the marriage concerning HKUST and the College of Strathclyde.
“I have monumental admiration for HKUST, its ambitious leadership, its tutorial excellence and the good quality and effects of the institution on society and the overall economy at substantial, both domestically and internationally.
In just around 30 several years given that its institution HKUST has developed to become one particular of the world’s finest universities of science and technological know-how. This is a excellent accomplishment without a doubt, and our two institutions share similar strategic DNA, since Strathclyde is an worldwide technological college that is also socially progressive.
Strathclyde has experienced a sturdy association with HKUST for the previous 30 a long time given that previous Deputy Principal David Tedford grew to become one of its founding University Council Customers in 1991.
The relationship has developed and strengthened over the several years beneath the leadership of Sir Jim with a recently-signed Collaborative Exploration Settlement and Memorandum of Understanding, in addition to a range of joint initiatives like joint Master’s Degree programmes and PhD studentships.
Honour record
In Oct 2019, Sir Jim was elected President of RAEng, turning into the to start with Scottish holder of the office environment. In The Queen’s Jubilee Birthday Honours List in 2012, he was awarded a Knighthood for companies to instruction, engineering and the overall economy.
Sir Jim is a member of the Primary Minister’s Council for Science and Technology he co-chairs, with the Very first Minister, the Scottish Government’s Electrical power Advisory Board and he is chair of the Impartial Glasgow Financial Management Board.
He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Royal Modern society of Edinburgh, the Establishment of Engineering and Engineering, the Institute of Physics, the Power Institute, an Honorary Fellow of the Irish Academy of Engineering and a Foreign Fellow of the Chinese Society for Electrical Engineering. Most recently, he was inducted as an International Member of the US Countrywide Academy of Engineering.
Sir Jim presently holds quite a few senior non-executive business enterprise appointments on the Boards of ScottishPower, the Weir Team and the British isles Countrywide Physical Laboratory. He also chairs two of the pan-Scotland college investigation swimming pools in Vitality and Engineering.