[24 March 2004]
Singapore Management University Appoints Howard Hunter as University’s New President

Singapore Management University (SMU) is pleased to announce the appointment of Prof. Howard O. Hunter, former Provost & Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at the distinguished Emory University in Atlanta, as SMU’s third president. He will commence office on 1 September 2004, succeeding Prof. Ronald Frank, who will finish his service as president at the end of August 2004.

A renowned authority on law and a highly experienced academic, Prof. Hunter is a 27-year veteran at Emory University, including over two years as chief academic officer and provost, and 12 years as Dean of the Emory Law School. As Dean, Prof. Hunter presided over phenomenal growth in the law school, enlarging the faculty from 30 to 50, adding five new named professorships, greatly increasing the number of scholarships available to law students, and significantly strengthening the school’s endowment.

Commenting on the appointment, Mr. Ho Kwon Ping, SMU’s Chairman remarked, “We are very pleased to have found a passionate educationist in Howard Hunter. As the chief academic officer and provost of Emory University, Howard played an instrumental role in creating long-term policies on research and teaching as well as faculty development. He joins SMU at a pivotal point in the university's development as we are looking into enhancing the intellectual leadership of our schools and strengthening curriculums to ensure that they are not only differentiated from other institutions but also up to international standards. We warmly welcome Howard and I am confident that he will lead SMU into a new phase of growth and excellence.”

Said Prof. Howard Hunter, President-designate, SMU, “SMU has firmly established itself in the education scene under the expert leadership of Professor Ronald Frank and the Board of Trustees. I am very honoured to be part of this talented team and look forward to doing my part to groom SMU into an esteemed institution of learning and research.”

Said Prof. Ronald Frank, President, SMU, “I could not be more delighted to pass the baton to Howard Hunter. I have known him for more than a decade. He has both my trust and support to undertake this position. I also have the utmost confidence that his extensive academic and management experience at Emory, coupled with his wide international perspective, will be invaluable to SMU in its next phase of growth and development.

About Professor Howard Hunter
Prof. Howard Hunter received his undergraduate and legal education at Yale University. He was admitted to the bar in 1971 and practiced law in Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, Georgia, before joining the Emory faculty in 1976. He was a Visiting Professor of Law at the University of Virginia in 1982 – 1983, an Honourary Professor of Law at the University of Hong Kong in 1986, a Fulbright Senior Scholar at the University of Sydney Law School in 1988, and Visiting Mills E. Godwin Professor of Law at the College of William & Mary in 1989. He is also a Visiting Professor of Law at the Central European University in Budapest, Hungary.

He is the recipient of the Amicus Curiae award from the Supreme Court of Georgia for his service to the profession. He is the author of Modern Law of Contracts, a well-known treatise now in its third edition, and is the editor / author of several other books and monographs. He is also the author of more than 36 professional articles on contract law, the first amendment, and academic freedom. He has been a member of the Board of Editors of the Journal of Contract Law since 1988.