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New School Directors at Teesside

06 November 2001

 

The University of Teesside has appointed new Directors for two of its academic schools. They are Professor Yau Jim Yip, who is the new Director of the School of Computing and Mathematics, and Professor Brian Hobbs, who takes over at the helm of the School of Science and Technology.

Professor Yip joined Teesside from the University of North London, where he was Head of the School of Informatics and Multimedia Technology. Jim, as he prefers to be called, is originally from Hong Kong and came to the UK to study for his BSc in Mechanical Engineering at Manchester University in 1977.

His careers includes working as a research engineer with TI Research in Cambridge, where he developed an interest in artificial intelligence and a period back at Manchester with the Medical School in the late 1980s, where he was a research associate with the Wolfson Image Analysis Unit. He then joined Salford University lecturing on knowledge-based systems, computer integrated manufacturing and real-time systems. Jim became Deputy Director of the IT Institute at Salford in 1996 and moved to North London in 1998.

He said he was delighted to be joining the University of Teesside, which has one of the country's most successful and fastest-growing Computing faculties and a good reputation for introducing popular new courses in areas such as Visualisation and Computer Games Design. "My priorities include encouraging a spirit of enterprise and raising the research profile of the School,” said Jim, adding: “I think there are great opportunities to build on Teesside's strong reputation for Computing internationally."

Professor Brian Hobbs, the new Director of the University's School of Science & Technology, joined Teesside from Sheffield University in 1994 to take up the Cecil M Yuill Chair of Construction, a position he will continue to hold in his new role.

In 1998, he became Director of Research & Development and was instrumental in supporting new initiatives, such as the new Centre for Enterprise. He also secured £1/2m of external funding for his joint Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council supported research into the safety of bridge parapets.

He said: "I want to build on the School's strengths in developing successful innovative new programmes and applications-orientated research activities to support business and industry. The successful part-time pilot Foundation Degree in Chemical Technology is a good example of the School responding quickly to a new Government initiative, which is supported by local industry."


 
 
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