Professor Timothy W. Tong was born and raised in Hong Kong. After completing his secondary education, he pursued further studies in the United States, where he received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Oregon State University in 1976, and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in the same discipline from the University of California at Berkeley in 1978 and 1980 respectively.

Professor Tong takes office as President of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University with effect from 1 January 2009. Prior to his current appointment, Professor Tong was Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science at The George Washington University in the United States.

Being an expert in the field of heat transfer, Professor Tong has been actively involved in addressing issues connected to energy use and sustainable development. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences (HKAES) and the International Thermal Conductivity Conference.

Professor Tong is also actively engaged in public service in Hong Kong. He is Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Pilot Green Transport Fund of the Environmental Protection Department and Chairman of the Citizens Advisory Committee on Community Relations of the Independent Commission Against Corruption, to name a few. He was appointed a Non-official Justice of the Peace in 2010 and a member of the 12th Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference in 2013.