56. (1) The Minister, at any time before the day appointed by order under section 36, may designate a person to be appointed to be the first president of the technological university.

(2) If, immediately before the day appointed by order under section 36 a person stands designated by the Minister under subsection (1), the technological university shall appoint that person to be the first president with effect from the day appointed by order under section 36.

(3) A person standing designated under subsection (1) who stood appointed immediately before his or her appointment as president of the technological university under subsection (2), as Director or, as the case may be, president of a dissolved body (in this section referred to as the “first appointment”) shall hold office as the first president of the technological university for such term as the Minister may direct when designating that person under subsection (1) being—

(a) the unexpired term of the first appointment, or

(b) a period longer than the unexpired term which does not exceed 10 years.

(4) A person, other than a person referred to in subsection (3), standing designated under subsection (1) shall hold office as the first president of the technological university for such term not exceeding 10 years as the Minister shall direct when designating that person under subsection (1).

(5) This section shall apply notwithstanding section 13 or paragraph 8of Schedule 2.