NTHU President Kao Wei-yuan Loses Bid for UH Manoa Presidency Just Days After Starting Second Term at Home University

National Tsing Hua University President Kao Wei-yuan has become the subject of controversy after applying for the presidency of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, a position he ultimately did not secure. This move came just three days after Kao began his second four-year term at the Taiwanese institution on May 1.

Sources indicate that Kao traveled to the United States on May 4 to participate in the final selection process for the UH Mānoa presidency. He was one of three finalists, alongside acting Provost Vassilis L. Syrmos and San Francisco State University Provost Amy Sueyoshi. The finalists were required to present their institutional visions and undergo question-and-answer sessions at the campus. Ultimately, Vassilis L. Syrmos was selected for the role.

The situation has drawn attention due to its rarity and the timing. Kao's first term concluded in April, and his reappointment for a second term, approved by internal stakeholders, commenced on May 1 and was set to run until April 2030. His decision to pursue a presidency abroad so soon after securing his reappointment has sparked debate.

Taiwan's Ministry of Education has commented on the matter, clarifying that current regulations, specifically under the "University Act," only prevent public university presidents who have expressed no desire for reappointment or whose reappointment was not approved from participating in the selection process for a new president at their original institution. The ministry confirmed that Kao's application for an overseas university presidency does not violate any existing laws.

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University law only stipulates that public university presidents who express no willingness to be reappointed during the reappointment evaluation process, or whose reappointment is not approved, cannot participate in the selection of a new president at their original school. Current laws do not prohibit Kao Wei-yuan from participating in the selection of a foreign university president, and he has not violated relevant regulations.