Over a distinguished career spanning industry, academia, and public service, Ir Prof Philip Chan has made exceptional contributions to semiconductor engineering, engineering education, and the advancement of innovation and technology in Hong Kong and beyond. Across his many roles emerges a consistent and disciplined approach— one grounded in careful analysis, collaborative alignment, decisive execution, and continuous refinement.

Starting with evidence and first principles

Ir Prof Chan’s secondary school interest in science and mathematics culminated with academic training in the United States, including master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Exposure to leading figures in semiconductor engineering shaped not only his technical expertise but also his method of approaching complex problems.

“My mentor and graduate studies supervisor, Prof Chih-Tang Sah, was a pioneer in the field of semiconductor engineering,” he recalls. “Working under Prof Sah, his PhD students, conducting postdoctoral research and visiting scientists from around the world shaped my intellectual foundation, global outlook and career aspirations.”

This grounding in first principles became particularly evident during his work on semiconductor research at Intel Corporation for nearly a decade. “Each time we reduced the feature size, engineers needed to innovate and develop new technologies. My experience at Intel influenced my research. I am interested in solving real engineering and technology problems.” Ir Prof Chan states.

Leading with vision to create academic excellence

In 1991, Ir Prof Chan returned to Hong Kong to help found the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). Building a new university was beyond a technical challenge, it required the alignment of diverse stakeholders such as faculty, administrators, and external partners around a shared vision.

“The most important element to build a new research university is its faculty,” he emphasises. At that time, the HKUST did not have an established reputation. Recruiting top academic talent required not only clear standards but also trust and shared ambition. By focusing on hiring promising young faculty and providing them with strong support and clear career pathways, the institution was able to establish a culture of excellence from the outset.

“Hire people who are better than you at that stage in their career. This is the only way a university can get better,” he adds. This approach reflected a pragmatic understanding that long-term success depends on collective strength rather than individual achievement. During his nearly 20 years at the HKUST, Ir Prof Chan acted as Head of Electronic and Computer Engineering, Dean of Engineering, and Director of the Microelectronics Fabrication Facility.

In 2019, Ir Prof Chan joined The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) as Deputy President and Provost. This gave him opportunity to lead all the PolyU academic enterprises—the eight faculties and schools plus all the academic support units. He reminisces, “During my ten-year tenure, I can proudly claim that changes I initiated made PolyU a better university. The changes laid the groundwork for PolyU’s rapid advances in the world university ranking and increasing respect from its peer institutions.”

He recalls one of his biggest challenges at the PolyU was overseeing the transition from the three-year to fouryear undergraduate curriculum. The reform required comprehensive redesign of academic programmes, alongside the management of a “double cohort” year in which two groups of students entered simultaneously.

This created tremendous pressures on resources and logistics. In this context, prolonged deliberation was not an option. Decisions had to be made and implemented within tight timeframes. The successful execution of this transition required prioritisation, coordination and ability to move forward with clarity once a direction had been established.

Embracing the challenge of innovation

An inventor at heart, Ir Prof Chan pioneered the flipchip high-brightness LED. He says, “This significantly improved light output and heat dissipation, with successful commercialisation in Hong Kong and applications ranging from automobile headlights to agricultural lighting.” His journey illustrates how progress often depends on the ability to respond constructively to setbacks.

While the technology was initially successfully demonstrated in a laboratory setting at the HKUST, the transition to manufacturing proved far more challenging. “On the first attempt, the yield was practically zero,” he recalls. Rather than abandoning the effort, the team undertook a detailed examination of the underlying issues, identifying differences in equipment, materials, and operational conditions between the laboratory and factory environments. “It took us several months to re-engineer the manufacturing process to obtain acceptable yield,” he notes. “Now it is manufactured in the tens of thousands.”

This experience highlights the importance of persistence and adaptability. It also demonstrates that innovation is not a linear process, but one that requires continuous adjustment in response to real-world conditions.

Contributing to public and professional interests

With lifelong commitment to advancing engineering education, fostering innovation, and nurturing future generations of engineers, Ir Prof Chan has received numerous accolades from the engineering profession and society, including the Bronze Bauhinia Star.

He views the honours received as milestones of a successful engineering career. “The recognitions further reinforce my commitment to engineering and engineering education. I hope I serve as a role model for engineering and students who are considering an engineering career,” he says.

“It is the responsibility of engineering and academic leaders to serve the Hong Kong public Innovation and Technology (I&T) sectors, particularly in the public research and development entities,” he elaborates. In his public service roles, Ir Prof Chan has applied his same disciplined approach to new challenges.

One of his memorable contributions is strengthening systems that support the profession, particularly on the HKIE Accreditation Board and Hong Kong’s admission to the Washington Accord.

“Joining the Washington Accord recognises that Hong Kong engineering education has attained the international level,” he explains. Achieving this milestone required coordination across institutions, alignment with international standards, and careful negotiation to ensure that local curricula were appropriately recognised. The outcome has had long-term implications, enabling Hong Kong engineering graduates to access opportunities globally.

In 2025, Ir Prof Chan was appointed Chairman of the Microelectronics Research and Development Institute (MRDI). Formed in 2024 by the Hong Kong Government to promote I&T development in Hong Kong, its mission involves leading and promoting collaboration among universities, research centres and industry. The work at MRDI reflects the need to combine technical expertise with strategic foresight, ensuring that Hong Kong remains competitive in emerging areas of technology. Now enjoying semi-retirement, Ir Prof Chan spends a significant amount of his time supporting MRDI.

He further explains, “MRDI provides the technical capabilities and facilities for research and development on semiconductors, particularly on wide-band semiconductors. Many of the tasks that MRDI is planning to do have never been done in Hong Kong. Its success requires good engineers and good engineering practices. Wide-band semiconductors is an important technology to support the increasing use of renewable energy and artificial intelligence.”

An insightful visionary philosophy

Ir Prof Chan says, “My leadership philosophy can be summarised as follows: fact finding, consent building and firm decision, track progress, adjust the course if necessary.” 

This philosophy is evident in his life’s work—from semiconductor innovation and university building to largescale educational reform and public technology initiatives. Each stage reflects a disciplined progression: understanding the problem, aligning stakeholders, acting decisively, monitoring outcomes and adapting as needed.

His wisdom reflects a sustained visionary commitment to advancing engineering in both depth and breadth—from technical innovation to institutional development and public service.

Ir Prof Philip Chan (R) being conferred the HKIE Honorary Fellow 2026 by the President