University council chairman vows to let members 'revisit' decision to defer hiring of liberal scholar
TONY CHEUNG AND SHIRLEY ZHAO
PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 28 July, 2015, 3:39am
UPDATED : Tuesday, 28 July, 2015, 8:38am
The HKU alumni concern group announce the collection of 2,500 signatures in support of discussions on the delayed pro-vice-chancellor appointment. Photo: David Wong
In a new twist to the long-running controversy over the hiring of an embattled liberal scholar by the University of Hong Kong, its governing body said it was prepared to review the decision to defer the appointment even as students threatened to storm its meeting.
The vow by the university council's chairman, Dr Leong Che-hung, also came hours after a concern group announced it had collected 2,500 alumni signatures, urging the council to stop delaying the issue, while the university's convocation - the most representative alumni body - plans to hold a rare emergency meeting today to discuss the matter.
The university's student union warned it would "lay siege" or even storm the council's meeting to make sure its demands were addressed.
At the centre of the controversy is the university's former law dean, Professor Johannes Chan Man-mun, who was told he would be appointed as a pro-vice-chancellor in charge of academic staffing and resources with effect from March this year.
But ever since Chan's candidacy was revealed last year, pro-Beijing newspapers have criticised him for his working relationship with HKU legal scholar and Occupy co-founder Benny Tai Yiu-ting.
On June 30, the council unexpectedly voted 12-6 to further delay Chan's appointment until a supervisory provost was hired.
Members who supported the deferral saw the need to respect the future provost's views, adding that the pro-vice-chancellor's post had been vacant for five years anyway.
But staff and students' representatives who objected to the decision raised concerns about academic freedom being compromised, as those in favour of postponing the appointment were mainly the government- appointed members.
Five council members last week wrote to Leong to urge him to place the deferred appointment on their agenda for a meeting today.
In the first open letter Leong issued on the controversy yesterday, he said: "I am prepared to give permission for members to revisit the decision. I will bring the proposal for discussion by the council at its meeting to be held tomorrow [Tuesday]." He added that the supervisory provost could be appointed next month at the earliest.
He also said that he "clearly understood" the concerns of staff, students, alumni and society about the appointment.
However, staff representative Professor Cheung Kie-chung, one of the five who wrote to Leong, said the new offer might not amount to much.
"It is possible that the issue will be put to vote … and delayed again," he said.
HKU councillor and students' union president Billy Fung Jing-en said: "It is too early to say if this is progress as there are still many unknowns."
He confirmed that around 60 students would hand a petition to council members today, demanding they discuss the appointment immediately and add more student and staff representatives to the council.
If the council would not meet their demands, the students might storm into the meeting room, Fung warned.
Education sector lawmaker Ip Kin-yuen, convenor of an HKU alumni concern group, also said his group had collected almost 2,500 signatures from alumni and other people in support of their demand for discussion of the appointment. They also want a review of whether the chief executive should appoint council members.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1844087/hku-governing-body-vows-review-delay-pro-vice
