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Professor Lin Jianhua was scheduled to give a guest lecture on "Globalisation in Higher Education" to some 300 students today, but the event was cancelled on Sunday, because of "an emergency business engagement" that kept the scholar on the mainland. Photo: Reuters

'Not a good time': Peking University president cancels lecture at HKU citing 'urgent business'

President of top mainland university calls off scheduled lecture, citing 'urgent business'

Peking University's president has announced a last-minute cancellation of a public lecture at the University of Hong Kong, with a source saying it is not a good time for him to visit the institution.

HKU saw two protests last week where thousands of its staff, students and alumni joined hands to condemn its governing council's decision to reject Professor Johannes Chan Man-mun's candidacy for the post of pro-vice-chancellor.

Professor Lin Jianhua was scheduled to give a guest lecture on "Globalisation in Higher Education" to some 300 students today, but the event - which opened for registration on September 26 - was cancelled on Sunday, because of "an emergency business engagement" that kept the scholar on the mainland.

A source familiar with the situation said: "It was not good timing for the Peking University president to come after the recent incidents."

It is understood Lin was not only snubbing HKU as he had also planned to meet alumni of Peking University and visit other institutions in the city.

HKU social work academic Dr Petula Ho Sik-ying, who co-led the silent march last week to defend institutional autonomy, admitted it was unusual for an invited scholar to call off a guest lecture, though similar cases had happened before.

"People usually cancel because of sickness, not a meeting … especially when publicity [about the lectures] has already gone up," she said, adding she would not link this cancellation with the recent protests at HKU.

A HKU spokesman said Lin's visit to the school had been postponed as the professor had to handle urgent university matters. The spokesman said Lin had apologised and deeply appreciated the effort of HKU in hosting the event.

"The partnership between HKU and Peking University is strong and growing. We are in close contact with the Peking University to plan for his next visit to HKU," the spokesman said.

Another scholar from Peking University, Professor Yuan Ming, will still visit HKU to share her thoughts on international relations in the SC Fan Memorial Lecture at the end of this month.

Separately, responding to the student activists' call to amend the university ordinances to remove him as the default chancellor, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said yesterday the law not only gave him the right but responsibility as well.

"The chief executive - being the head of the SAR and the government - has certain responsibilities to the universities which are publicly funded," Leung said. "The chief executive … cannot duck the responsibility."

The government was open to other ideas but had to act in accordance with the law, as long as the law existed, he added.

Student unions of the city's eight universities announced plans to hold referendums to call for an amendment to the ordinances that they said had allowed the chief executive to exert political influence by appointing his allies to the universities' governing bodies.

Peking University had not responded to media inquiries at press time.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: 'Not a good time':PekingU head cancels on HKU
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