DANNY MOK DANNY.MOK@SCMP.COM
PUBLISHED : Thursday, 05 November, 2015, 9:28am
UPDATED : Thursday, 05 November, 2015, 9:30am
Rosie Young served as HKU pro-vice-chancellor and senior pro-vice-chancellor between 1984 and 1993. Photo: Nora Tam
Former University of Hong Kong pro-vice-chancellor Professor Rosie Young Tse-tse was today appointed interim chairwoman of the university’s governing council.
The appointment by Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying was announced in the government’s gazette published early this morning.
Young, 84, a world-renowned physician, joined the HKU council in September. She was dean of HKU’s medical faculty from 1983 to 1984 – the first woman to hold the position. She then served as HKU pro-vice-chancellor and senior pro-vice-chancellor between 1984 and 1993.
Another council member, Professor Arthur Li Kwok-cheung, an executive councillor and former education minister, was appointed to the HKU council in March and it was rumoured he would take over as chairman when Dr Leong Che-hung’s term expires today.
But speculation that Young might take the post instead arose last week. She fended off enquiries about the rumours on Sunday when she was approached by media.
Young’s appointment was regarded by some as a transitional arrangement or foot dragging tactic of the government, which might need more time to come up with a decision for the post.
Young, who retired from HKU in 1999, was seen as a conservative and government-friendly academic.
In October last year at the peak of the Occupy movement, the recipient of a Gold Bauhinia Star in 2002 co-signed an anti-Occupy petition published in the press with hundreds of other medical workers.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1875828/pro-government-academic-rosie-young-appointed
