SHIRLEY ZHAOshirley.zhao@scmp.com
PUBLISHED : Sunday, 13 December, 2015, 11:02pm
UPDATED : Sunday, 13 December, 2015, 11:02pm
HKU row was "very unfortunate", says Paul Chu. Photo: K. Y. Cheng
The chief executive's role as leader of the city's public universities should be discussed to prevent a repeat of the appointment saga that split the University of Hong Kong's ruling council, says a former president of the University of Science and Technology.
"I feel this event is very unfortunate," said Paul Chu Ching-wu, a Chinese-born American scientist. "But the problem is, by law, the council is the highest [decision-maker], so the laws need to be changed."
But he added that it may be the people, not the system, that led to a face-off between a university president and council. So it was necessary to find the source of the problem in the HKU row.
The city's leader is chancellor of public universities by default and has the power to appoint council members.
Chu, who left UST in 2009, was referring to the HKU council's decision to reject pro-democratic law professor Johannes Chan Man-mun for a key managerial position. The rejection was backed by the council's pro-government members, most of whom were appointed by Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying.
In a leaked audio recording of one council meeting, HKU president Peter Mathieson defended Chan in the face of opposition.
"If the president and the council are in a stand-off, the university will be at a disadvantage," said Chu.
Although no political reasons were cited for rejecting Chan, many suspect it was to punish him for his ties to Occupy Central co-organiser Benny Tai Yiu-ting.
Chu said politics should not enter universities, and university leaders should not be partisan when handling university affairs.
Asked if the system opened the possibility of the chief executive as chancellor bringing politics into universities, Chu said it was possible, although the original purpose was for the council to be an intermediary between the government and public.
"Many things have good purposes but, in practice, there may be misdirections. So we should find a way to improve it."
He believed that the chief executive should listen more to students, while protesting students should compromise and "find common ground".
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1890878/hong-kong-urged-review-chief-executives-role
