Open letter: New chair of HKU council must seize the moment for governance reform
Douglas Kerr says, in this open letter to the next HKU council chair, that a lot of support is available if he or she is willing to talk seriously about improving university governance
Dear Sir or Madam,
Succeeding the hapless Leong Che-hung as chair of the University of Hong Kong's governing council may not be an occasion for congratulation. Let me at least wish you good luck. The challenge is a formidable one.
The crisis facing the council is largely of its own making, though we can see it in the broader context of the way quite a few of Hong Kong's institutions are struggling to function in the current political climate, under "one country, two systems".
You will be taking the helm of a governing body which has lost the confidence of a significant proportion of its constituency - the staff, students and alumni of the university. How did this happen?
Trust in the HKU council stands at an all-time low. As the incoming chair, it will be up to you, more than anyone else, to restore it
After a bizarre delay in even considering the matter, the council rejected the appointment of Johannes Chan Man-mun as pro-vice-chancellor in charge of academic staffing and resources.
Professor Chan is a senior scholar and a proven academic manager who has done much for the university, and for the legal profession in Hong Kong and on the mainland, and was the choice of the search committee. But he is also associated in people's minds with the pro-democracy movement. It seemed obvious to many people that the council voted against him on the grounds of his politics. If a senior officer of the university is to be chosen (or rejected) on political grounds, this is a very serious matter for the autonomy of HKU, and the universities of Hong Kong. It is especially ominous since this pro-vice-chancellor's job is to oversee all matters of appointment, tenure and promotion.