NYU has a new President and his name is Andrew Hamilton. He’s a British Chemist, he’s the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford and his Ph.D thesis was entitled Models for oxygen-binding hemoproteins, but most importantly for us he will officially take up his duties as the 16th President of NYU in January 2016. So, how did Andrew Hamilton get the job? Well the Presidential Search Committee in New York announced that “What set Professor Hamilton apart for the Committee from the formidable field of candidates was the unusual combination of his outstanding scholarship in his field, his record of achievement in leadership posts at top universities, his commitment to academic excellence and support for the faculty’s role in achieving this, his commitment to teaching and undergraduates, his support for graduate and professional school education, his belief in diversity and inclusiveness, his accomplishments in fundraising at Oxford, and his global background and outlook.” They also mention his “great intelligence, personal warmth, energy and entrepreneurial spirit, and natural feel for complex institutions,” which certainly should have helped them whittle down the pool of an estimated 200 nominees during the eight-month search. His personal achievements and personality seem great, but what makes him right for NYU? The Search Committee maintained that it was clear to them that Professor Hamilton understood NYU and our unique ethos. In addition to his position at Oxford, he also served as the Provost of Yale University from 2004 to 2008, so he has spent a lot of time working within top academic institutions and should have gauged an understanding of American education system and culture. Professor Hamilton himself stated “I have been a keen observer of NYU, its accomplishments, its trajectory, and its renowned president, John Sexton, for some time.” It was also announced that Professor Hamilton is planning on visiting NYU regularly before taking up the Presidency, so hopefully a visit to Shanghai is also in store. Why does this matter to us? Well it’s fairly obvious that all the current students at NYUSH will be affected by the change, the current Sophomores will be Juniors and the current Freshmen will be Sophomores in January 2016, so a significant period of our time at NYU will be under Professor Hamilton’s leadership. Sometimes the campus at Shanghai can feel a little disengaged from the elite members of faculty in New York, even with John Sexton’s charismatic speeches sporadically filling the Auditorium and his random bear hugs littering Century Avenue, but without John Sexton there may not be a campus in Shanghai. With the number of international students soaring and all the major rankings rising, we as NYU students have reaped the rewards of his presidency. With NYU being one of the largest private universities in the US and with the institution being increasingly known for it’s global ambitions, it will be intriguing to see how Professor Hamilton intends to move forward with the Global Network. Still very much in the developmental stages, our university will surely be shaped by his presidency. Not very much has been announced as for Professor Hamilton’s specific plans, so only time will tell. This article was written by Stephanie Bailey. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch.