Universities see an edge in openness as they seek international advantage

Universities must hold firmly to the principals of academic freedom and to their international character in order to stay competitive in the challenging years ahead, leaders of local institutions have advised.

"Hong Kong is a free, pluralistic and open society and academic freedom is the soul of a university," said Polytechnic University president Timothy Tong Wai-cheung.

The spirit of freedom of speech, he added, "must be rational in dialogue, [and] respect multiculturalism and different opinions".

Tong was one of the ten principals of top local tertiary institutions speaking at a forum yesterday about how Hong Kong's higher education could "maintain its international advantage". Most speakers did not mention the student-led pro-democracy protests in their speech, but their influence was evident.

"Finally we can talk about education among us after many rounds of discussion of Occupy Central and concern for our students," said Professor Stephen Cheung Yan-leung, president of the Institute of Education.

Aside from training the educators of the future, he said: "We want our graduates to become good persons with integrity, good workers with strong professional ethics and knowledge as well as good citizens ready to shoulder social responsibilities."