Say no to politics, insists University of Hong Kong council member
Lo Chung-mau says row over key management job is hurting university and its governing body
The University of Hong Kong should say no to politics as the political conflicts surrounding the appointment of a key manager have become irrational and damaged the way its governing body works, a council member said yesterday.
The comments by Professor Lo Chung-mau came two days after the resignation of another council member, Dr Yuen Kwok-yung, who said “a lot of outside political forces” had tried to influence the body’s decisions.
At the centre of the row is the university’s former law dean, Professor Johannes Chan Man-mun, who had been told he would become a pro-vice-chancellor in charge of academic staffing and resources from March this year.
But this was put on hold after pro-Beijing newspapers criticised him over his working relationship with HKU legal scholar and Occupy Central co-founder Benny Tai Yiu-ting. On June 30, the council voted 12-6 to delay Chan’s appointment until a provost was hired. When the council met again on July 28, students forced their way in to the venue to protest against the delay.
Professor Lo, who supported the deferral, said he hoped politics could leave the university.
“The two forces have been pressuring the university, damaging the functioning of the council,” said the medical professor. “HKU should say no to politics.”