Of all the meaningless surveys, the one that takes the biscuit is the recent opinion survey on the public ranking of local universities and their leadership commissioned by Education 18.com and conducted by the University of Hong Kong's Public Opinion Programme. Those surveyed know little about the subject, but their preferences perpetuate existing biases in favour of bigger and better-financed universities.
A meaningful survey would target students, staff, alumni, educators and employers. This survey makes no mention of progress. The big universities are always in the news but that is no reflection of what is happening within them. The man in the street does not distinguish between news and academic quality.
The hare-brained ranking of university leadership is even more iniquitous.
According to Education 18, Professor Tsui Lap-chee, vice-chancellor of HKU, is winner in the popularity stakes. Under his watch, HKU is fast losing its gloss as an English-speaking university. There is also the issue of the billion-dollar donation fiasco, not much of a public relations success.
In contrast, Professor Edward Chen Kwan-yiu of Lingnan University and Professor Paul Morris of the Hong Kong Institute of Education are hampered by under-funding and the under-recognition of their institutions. Whatever good achieved has gone largely unnoticed by the public.
Professor Chen has successfully promoted liberal arts education while Professor Morris is credited with upgrading the institute and democratising the campus culture. Both enjoy deep student and staff support yet Professor Morris is ranked eighth out of the eight university heads and Professor Chen fifth.