Former Cornell President Jeffrey S. Lehman ’77 was named vice chancellor of NYU Shanghai on Thursday. In his new role, Lehman will be the chief executive officer of the campus and responsible for all academic and administrative operations.
The Shanghai campus, which was announced by New York University in March 2011, will be a full, degree-awarding institution. The school will enroll its first class in 2013, according to a NYU press release.
Lehman was Cornell’s 11th president from 2003 until 2005, when he abruptly announced his resignation during his State of the University address. The only University president to also be an alumnus, he cited issues with the Board of Trustees as the reason for his departure, The Sun reported at the time. His tenure was the shortest of any Cornell president.
Since 2007, Lehman has served as chancellor and founding dean of the Peking University School of Transnational Law, the first school in China to teach an American-style J.D. curriculum.
In a press release, NYU President John Sexton praised Lehman’s leadership abilities and experience with transnational education.
“An esteemed legal scholar and a leader in higher education in both the U.S. and China, [Lehman] is exceptionally qualified to take on this assignment,” Sexton said. “His willingness to serve as NYU Shanghai’s leader is a tremendous validation of what we are trying to accomplish in Shanghai and throughout NYU’s global network.”
Last year, Lehman received the “Friendship Award,” China’s highest award for foreign-born individuals who have made outstanding contributions to China’s economic and social development.
Original Author: David Marten