Bernard Luk famously locked horns with former education chief Arthur Li over proposed merger between universities
EMILY.TSANG@SCMP.COM
UPDATED : Friday, 25 March, 2016, 7:14pm
The Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union praised Professor Bernard Luk for resisting political interference. Photo: Oliver Tsang
History scholar Professor Bernard Luk Hung-kay, a founder of the pro-democracy Civic Party in Hong Kong, has died from a stroke in Canada aged 70.
While serving as vice-president of the Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIEd) in 2004, Luk was involved in a dispute with then-education minister Professor Arthur Li Kwok-cheung over a proposed merger with Chinese University, during which he said Li had warned him: “OK! I’ll remember this. You’ll pay!”
“Without Luk going against the pressure from government, there would be no IEd today,” the Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union said in a statement.
“Luk fought against political interference and defended the rights and interests of teachers and staff at HKIEd. Now that HKIEd can become a university, with its academic results being recognised by the international world, Luk’s contribution has to be recognised.”
It thanked Luk for his contribution in defending the professionalism of education.
Civic Party leader Alan Leong Ka-kit said: “Professor Luk was a modest and generous person who cared about society and defended academic freedom.
“Hong Kong was his hometown, and we will miss him.”
Luk was a history professor at York University New College in Toronto.
The university said in a statement that he died in Sunnybrook Hospital on March 23 after suffering from a stroke. He is survived by his wife Fatima Lee and two sons.
“Despite the magnitude of his professional achievements, friends, family and colleagues will perhaps miss him most for his thoughtfulness and unwavering sense of social service,” the statement said.
“Never one to miss a meeting, a birthday, a memorial or other event, Bernard saved and sent articles that he thought others would like to read, visited colleagues in hospitals, and brought snacks into the office.”
It said one of his last activities was serving as coordinator of the East Asian Studies Programme at York University.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1930912/hong-kong-scholar-and-civic-party-co-founder-dies-stroke
