Norman Leung will become the Chinese University’s new governing body chairman after the post sat empty for six months
SHIRLEY.ZHAO@SCMP.COM
UPDATED : Thursday, 14 April, 2016, 10:33pm
Former TVB executive chairman Norman Leung Nai-pang attends the Chinese University of Hong Kong Council meeting at the Bank of American Tower in Central. Photo: David Wong
Pro-establishment figure and former TVB executive chairman Norman Leung Nai-pang is set to be appointed as Chinese University’s new governing body chairman. The post was vacant for half a year amid disputes surrounding university governance and accusations of political interference.
The university council halted discussions on the appointment of a new chairman in October last year after student protesters demanded wider representation in the council. None of the council’s 58 members represent students, which is unique among Hong Kong’s eight publicly-funded tertiary institutions.
The widely-tipped appointment came amid a series of controversial incidents, such as the University of Hong Kong council’s highly criticised rejection of the appointment of pro-democratic law professor Johannes Chan Man-mun to a key managerial post, the appointment of provocative former education minister Arthur Li Kwok-cheung – who likened protesting students to drug users - as HKU’s council chairman, and the appointment of several pro-establishment figures into Lingnan University’s council.
The controversies have led students, staff and alumni, who suspected political interference, to demand reform of the existing public university’s governance structure, where the chief executive becomes the chancellor by default and has the power to appoint 12 to 76 per cent of the council members.
Leung, 76, is chairman of Transport International Holdings, the owner of Kowloon Motor Bus Company. He was chairman of the Broadcasting Authority until 2002 and became a director of the Television Broadcasts Limited one year later. He succeeded Sir Run Run Shaw as TVB’s executive chairman in January 2012 and retired in January last year.
He was chairman of City University council until 2003.
Leung was appointed into CUHK’s council in June last year and is expected to take over from former HSBC executive director Vincent Cheng Hoi-chuen as the council chairman.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1936011/former-tvb-boss-nominated-take-top-job-chinese
