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Requested move 14 March 2025

[edit]
The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review after discussing it on the closer's talk page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

The result of the move request was: not moved. Per consensus. As note or consolation to the OP, the article still can be found in either order due to the redirect. – robertsky (talk) 17:06, 3 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Woo Chia-wei → Chia-Wei Woo – The correct name order should be Chia-Wei Woo as per naming conventions and official references. 175.159.121.148 (talk) 08:48, 14 March 2025 (UTC) — Relisting. charlotte 👸♥ 19:16, 21 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I would like to request a page move for Woo Chia-Wei to Chia-Wei Woo, as the current title incorrectly displays his name in an unnatural order for English usage.

Dr. Chia-Wei Woo, founding president of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), is consistently referred to as “Chia-Wei Woo” in official documents, media reports, and university records. The current title Woo Chia-Wei follows a name order that is uncommon in English sources and does not align with how he was professionally known.

Official sources confirming the correct name order: • https://hkust.edu.hk/news/announcements/hkust-mourns-passing-founding-president-prof-chia-wei-woo • https://memorial.hkust.edu.hk/memorial-service

I appreciate your assistance in ensuring the accuracy of this Wikipedia entry. Please let me know if any further clarification is needed. My name is Edith and I work at the Global Engagement and Communications Office at HKUST. I can be reached at edithtsang 'at' ust.hk 49.130.239.172 (talk) 06:48, 14 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

  • Comment Note that the article was created at Woo Chia-wei and subsequently moved to Chia-Wei Woo in 2005, then back to Woo Chia-wei in 2009. 162 etc. (talk) 15:11, 14 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
  • Strong oppose: Woo Chia-wei is undoubtedly the WP:COMMONNAME and is consistently used in nearly every news article available online. (See South China Morning Post[1], The Standard[2], RTHK[3], Bastille Post[4]) Even the press release from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, which the nom claims as evidence for the requested name change, follows the surname-name order of Woo Chia-wei. (See [5], [6]) The nom appears to have cherry-picked perhaps the only two primary sources on the internet that support the proposed naming order. —👑PRINCE of EREBOR📜 13:02, 18 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
    This opposing comment is too narrow in its Hong Kong focus, inappropriately overlooking the whole first 50 years of Chia-Wei Woo's famed career which was what propelled him to the international prominence that caused Hong Kong to recruit him for HKUST in the first place. See for example the history of San Francisco State University, where he made history as the first Chinese-American to head any major US university. Or his reams of scientific publications and honors, all of which were under the name Chia-Wei Woo. Or his appointment at Northwestern University as Chair of Physics and Astronomy at a spectacularly young age. Or his appointment at UC San Diego as Provost of Revelle College. Especially since this is the English-language Wikipedia, Chia-Wei Woo's American nationality and historical convention should be respected. 50.175.184.98 (talk) 17:10, 21 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
    No, we are discussing COMMONNAME here. All but the first source you provided are primary sources published by organizations closely tied to the subject, which will not be considered when determining the most commonly used name. The Christian Science Monitor source is reasonable; however, it is so far the only non-primary source in this discussion that adheres to the suggested name-surname order. Given the overwhelming presence of secondary news sources and the fact that both WP:ZHNAME and COMMONNAME suggest the surname-name order, this single source is obviously inadequate in supporting a title change. —👑PRINCE of EREBOR📜 15:10, 23 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
    I believe the argument for WP:COMMONNAME in this case does not fully consider Prof. Woo’s international presence and the authoritative sources that reflect his preferred name order.
    First, the claim that HKUST’s own press release follows the “Woo Chia-wei” order is incorrect. The reference you provided is actually a blog post by an HKUST librarian, not an official press release. In contrast, HKUST’s official announcements—including the university’s obituary and memorial page—consistently use “Chia-Wei Woo.”
    Second, while Hong Kong media predominantly use “Woo Chia-wei,” this does not fully reflect Prof. Woo’s global academic and professional identity. Throughout his decades-long career in the United States—where he served as the first Chinese-American president of a major U.S. university (San Francisco State University)—he was known internationally as “Chia-Wei Woo.” His scientific publications, professional appointments, and recognitions all use this order.
    Lastly, relying solely on Hong Kong-based news sources skews the perspective, especially since English Wikipedia serves a global audience. Many internationally renowned Chinese figures, such as Chien-Shiung Wu and Yo-Yo Ma, have their names written in the Westernized order, and the same standard should apply here.
    Given these points, I believe “Chia-Wei Woo” remains the most appropriate choice for an English-language Wikipedia page. 143.89.112.218 (talk) 02:02, 25 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
    Our policies are based on an objective assessment of sources, not on one's subjective assumptions about which aspects of a subject's career they would prefer to be remembered for. The HKUST source I provided was clearly labeled as a press release from the HKUST Library. But anyway, as I have repeatedly mentioned, press releases from organizations closely tied to the subject are neither secondary nor independent, so they will not be factored into the assessment of sources for COMMONNAME. The two examples you raised, Chien-Shiung Wu and Yo-Yo Ma, are excellent. They illustrate how our policy operates by taking the most commonly referenced names in news articles as the article title. In their cases, most news sources use the name-surname order, while in this instance, most use the surname-name order, and so be it. With all due respect, I find this to be a clear-cut case and see no ambiguity or room for an opposing argument to hold. —👑PRINCE of EREBOR📜 17:09, 25 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
  • Weak oppose – Name order in English seems to be split between reliable sources written by US outlets and Hong Kong outlets. Google returns higher usage of Woo Chia-wei, but that may be because of greater coverage in Hong Kong near the end of his career and life. Because he was a Hongkonger and had a greater legacy there, I'm a little more swayed to keep the name as is. Yue🌙 00:18, 22 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
    Google search results naturally reflect the sources that covered Prof. Woo most recently, which in this case are predominantly Hong Kong-based outlets reporting on his passing. However, this overlooks the fact that throughout his long and distinguished academic career in the U.S., he was widely recognized as “Chia-Wei Woo.” His scientific publications, leadership roles at San Francisco State University, Northwestern University, and UC San Diego, as well as references in U.S. academic and media sources, all consistently used this order.
    While Prof. Woo made a significant impact in Hong Kong, his international career and legacy extend beyond it. Given that this is the English-language Wikipedia, we should align with the naming conventions used in global academic and professional contexts rather than defaulting to Hong Kong media’s preference. 143.89.112.218 (talk) 02:04, 25 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
  • Oppose Hong Kong person, so would have surname first, unless he has an English given name in which case that would be first, and the Chinese given name is last -- 65.92.246.77 (talk) 05:08, 22 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
    Prof. Woo’s name should not automatically follow the Hong Kong convention simply because he was raised and worked there.
    Prof. Woo spent the majority of his academic career in the United States, where he was widely known as “Chia-Wei Woo.” His official appointments, research publications, and professional recognitions all follow this name order. Unlike many Hong Kong-born figures who primarily use the surname-first format in Chinese contexts, Prof. Woo’s career and public recognition were largely shaped in the Western academic system, where the given name follows the surname.
    English Wikipedia typically follows Western naming conventions for individuals who have an established presence in English-speaking academic and professional fields. Notable examples include Chien-Shiung Wu, I. M. Pei, and Yo-Yo Ma, all of whom use Westernized name order despite having Chinese names. Prof. Woo’s case aligns with these precedents.
    Therefore, applying a Hong Kong-centric approach does not fully reflect his global identity, and “Chia-Wei Woo” remains the more appropriate choice for this Wikipedia entry. 143.89.112.218 (talk) 02:06, 25 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
    English Wikipedia typically follows Western naming conventions for individuals who have an established presence in English-speaking academic and professional fields. That is neither true nor based on any of our policies. —👑PRINCE of EREBOR📜 17:11, 25 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.
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