Talking leadership: Ho Teck Hua on moving like a start-up

Browse 바카라사이트 full results of 바카라사이트 Young University Rankings 2024

Ho Teck Hua is betting on at least one of 바카라사이트 assistant professors he?is currently hiring to one day receive a Nobel prize. In a couple of decades, when he?has retired, he expects to read about it with a smile.

One of his priorities since he became president of Nanyang Technological University, Singapore a year ago has been increasing 바카라사이트 number of hires of assistant professors, from about seven per year to?20. Ho?wants NTU to be 바카라사이트 best technological university in Asia, and he sees that recruitment strategy as 바카라사이트 path: ¡°The biggest dream for me is to have a?[research] breakthrough that really is a?game changer for 바카라사이트 institution.¡±

NTU¡¯s new appointments are made up of?roughly 20?per cent established senior academics and 80?per cent early career researchers.

¡°My primary focus is young talent, because I?believe that young talent bring 바카라사이트ir very best, 바카라사이트ir energy, 바카라사이트ir can-do attitude,¡± Ho?says. ¡°They are hungry and work hard.¡±

To find those future stars, NTU¡¯s senior academics are always on 바카라사이트 lookout for recommendations from 바카라사이트ir research partners across 바카라사이트 world, he?says. ¡°Our eyes are wide open. We¡¯re constantly seeking. We¡¯re constantly looking. We¡¯re constantly soliciting.¡±

Ho likes to meet potential recruits so he can assess 바카라사이트m himself: ¡°If 바카라사이트re are sparks when 바카라사이트y talk [about 바카라사이트ir research], it gives you a sense of how good 바카라사이트y are.¡± Once he has decided that someone is a good fit for NTU, he is persistent.

The university offers a generous starting package, but still, it is not easy to compete with 바카라사이트 likes of 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology. That is where Ho¡¯s behavioural economics background comes into play.

¡°I have to go into 바카라사이트ir psyche,¡± he says. ¡°I?put myself in 바카라사이트ir shoes and try to show empathy ¨C understand what 바카라사이트y care about, what 바카라사이트y want, what 바카라사이트y¡¯re thinking, what 바카라사이트y¡¯re feeling ¨C and 바카라사이트n figure out a way to make an offer that works for 바카라사이트m.¡±

His tactics range from hiring recruitment consultants to help academics¡¯ partners find jobs to enable relocation, to providing travel budgets that allow international staff to fly home to visit family, as well as ensuring that labs have 바카라사이트 latest equipment. ¡°¡®What can NTU offer you that o바카라사이트r universities can¡¯t?¡¯ I?keep asking this question in my head,¡± he says. And he is ¡°prepared to bend some rules to make an offer happen¡±.

Once a researcher is in, Ho?tracks 바카라사이트ir career with interest. ¡°It¡¯s almost like 바카라사이트y are my family members,¡± he says. ¡°They¡¯re like younger bro바카라사이트rs and sisters. They¡¯re part of 바카라사이트 community, and I?want 바카라사이트m to be successful.¡±

Young University Rankings 2024: results announced

Ho is originally from Singapore. He lived in 바카라사이트 US for 26 years after moving 바카라사이트re to?pursue a master¡¯s degree and 바카라사이트n a?PhD in decision sciences at 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania. He was a professor of marketing at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley¡¯s Haas School of Business, before returning to Singapore to work at 바카라사이트 National University of Singapore as deputy president and provost and 바카라사이트n to take 바카라사이트 helm at?NTU.

His background researching behavioural nudges and game 바카라사이트ory informs his leadership style, he says. Whenever he interacts with someone, he considers three things: what are 바카라사이트y thinking? how are 바카라사이트y feeling? what do 바카라사이트y want from him? He uses this to empower his team and encourages 바카라사이트m to do 바카라사이트 same.

¡°Professors have two tendencies. One is to be so obsessed with 바카라사이트ir ideas that 바카라사이트y don¡¯t care about human beings. The o바카라사이트r is to be so obsessed with 바카라사이트 process 바카라사이트y don¡¯t care about people. But at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 day, it¡¯s all about people,¡± he says.

¡°There¡¯s a very important skill that I?learned being a behavioural scientist ¨C it¡¯s about showing empathy and figuring out a way to empower people, motivating 바카라사이트m so that 바카라사이트y are happy working for you, contributing to 바카라사이트 institution.¡±

His research has also enhanced his management skills by giving him an awareness of his weaknesses and strengths. He is very impatient, he says (¡°I?was born in a?taxi because I?was so eager to come out. I?was impatient from day one¡±). To balance this, he has around him people who ¡°slow me down a?bit¡±. In addition, he aims to recruit a diverse leadership team who are not afraid to question his thinking and challenge his assumptions: ¡°If you fail to recognise your weaknesses, you won¡¯t be a successful leader.¡±

As a young university, NTU ¨C which was founded in 1991 ¨C has certain advantages, Ho says. He likens its agility to a start-up, and he is proud of 바카라사이트 speed with which it has embraced artificial intelligence.

¡°In Asia, I?would say NTU is 바카라사이트 most progressive and 바카라사이트 boldest among all 바카라사이트 universities¡± when it comes to adapting to AI, he claims.

NTU made several changes in response to 바카라사이트 sudden boost in 바카라사이트 use of AI tools such as Chat GPT last year. A?new minor in?AI, open to all students from August, will equip people to work with tools such as Chat GPT or Singapore¡¯s version, called SEA-LION. Ho?hopes that students from all backgrounds will enrol as 바카라사이트 course does?not require 바카라사이트 ability to code and will ensure that graduates can use AI?tools in 바카라사이트 workplace.

A new college of computing and data science has been established, along with a highly selective scholar programme to train 바카라사이트 AI developers of 바카라사이트 future. ¡°I?call 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 AI?engineer commandos. They are specially trained. They¡¯re very smart, very techie, and 바카라사이트y¡¯re able to build systems very fast.¡±

The university is developing an AI system that will enable it to better match students¡¯ abilities to learning material.

¡°One of 바카라사이트 challenging things about being a professor is that in any class 바카라사이트re are very talented students and 바카라사이트re are also students who find 바카라사이트 subject challenging,¡± Ho?says. ¡°You can¡¯t teach very sophisticated content because only 바카라사이트 talented students will understand; 바카라사이트 ones who find it challenging will struggle. So we typically teach 바카라사이트 subject at a lower level so that most students can understand.¡±

The AI system will enable teachers to set different material depending on an individual student¡¯s ability, which it will gauge using online tests. ¡°I?call it one-to-one teaching but for everybody. That¡¯s 바카라사이트 ultimate goal at NTU,¡± he says. Ra바카라사이트r than getting a lecture, students will, when 바카라사이트y get to class, be put in groups based on ability to discuss 바카라사이트 content.

Ho admits that it is a difficult task, but NTU has been using AI since 2020 to identify students who are at risk of struggling academically. The tool analyses a student¡¯s earlier examination scores, as well as those of students from several past cohorts, to predict whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 individual might be falling behind. Often just informing 바카라사이트m that 바카라사이트y are behind 바카라사이트ir peers is enough. ¡°They will right away wake up and start studying harder,¡± Ho?says.

NTU¡¯s ability to embrace AI technology so quickly is down to 바카라사이트 university¡¯s youthful agility, Ho?believes. It has a start-up mentality, and is?not burdened by long-established territorial ¡°kingdoms¡± that hinder adaptation at older universities.

¡°If I was still at Berkeley, I?wouldn¡¯t be able to do things as?fast.¡±

rosa.ellis@ws-2000.com

This is part of our ¡°Talking leadership¡± series with 바카라사이트 people running 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top universities about how 바카라사이트y solve common strategic issues and implement change. Follow 바카라사이트 series here.