Leadership role will give controversial former education minister influence over council appointments, meeting agendas and sensitive information
SHIRLEY.ZHAO@SCMP.COM
PUBLISHED : Thursday, 31 December, 2015, 6:06pm
UPDATED : Thursday, 31 December, 2015, 6:06pm
In March, students met Li and urged him to resign and apologise for criticising HKU academics. Photo: Franke Tsang
The controversial appointment of ‘King’ Arthur Li Kwok-cheung as the University of Hong Kong’s council chairman has raised many concerns and questions over the power he will wield.
What, many ask, could he be authorised to do as the governing council chairman?
HKU’s 23-member council – excluding its chairman – has six members appointed by the chief executive and six members appointed by the council from outside the university. These 12 members constitute an important voice within the council, given that there are only eight university student, staff and management representatives on the body.
The chairman heads a nominations committee in charge of recommending outside council members for appointment by the council. The committee consists of other outside members on the council, the vice-chancellor and one academic member of the council.
READ MORE: Five things to know about Arthur Li’s appointment as HKU council chairman
The chairman is also responsible for setting council meeting agenda and has the power to decide whether a member who has a conflict of interest on a matter for council discussion can speak or vote on the matter.
Regarding confidential documents and other information circulated within the council, the chairman has the discretion to disclose the materials to people not on the council on a “need-to-know’ basis.
The chairman can also decide not to circulate restricted information before council meetings and request that council members return the materials after the meetings.
In addition, the chairman typically serves as the council’s spokesman when announcing council decisions to the public. Without the chairman’s permission, other council members cannot disclose council information.
Li’s appointment has drawn concern from HKU students and staff. Photo: SCMP Pictures
The chairman also has the power to call a special meeting when an urgent matter arises, or even tackle a matter directly on his or her own, although the council’s guide and code of practice advises the chairman to be careful not to make decisions in this manner.
According to the guide, a chairman’s action on “matters of strategic importance” should only be taken when “delaying a decision would disadvantage the university”.
The council secretary, responsible for council business such as preparing agendas, papers, minutes and follow-up actions, must report directly to the council chairman as well.
The guide continues: “The chairman is also ultimately responsible for ensuring that the council operates effectively, discusses those issues which it needs to discuss, and dispatches its responsibilities in a businesslike manner.”
HKU Academic Staff Association chairman Dr Cheung Sing-wai said that with all the power conferred on the chairman, he or she could heavily interfere in many important decisions such as whether to require some matters previously not needed to be discussed to appear on the council agenda, and to decide which items on the agenda to be kept confidential.
“The chairman is the ultimate centre of power at the council,” Cheung said.
The last HKU council chairman Dr Leong Che-hung was preceded by Victor Fung Kwok-king, chairman of global supply chain operator Fung Group. Fung succeeded former chief justice Yang Ti-liang.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1896821/what-power-will-king-arthur-wield-university-hong
