Protest at Lingnan University as students demand answers on appointments, call for end to chief executive as chancellor of Hong Kong's universities

Students at Lingnan University protested outside a university council meeting this afternoon, against the appointment of two pro-establishment figures to the governing body, as concerns over political influence at publicly-funded universities intensified.

About 30 students sat outside the venue of the meeting, demanding answers on council members’ stances on academic freedom and council structure reform, and urging the council to set up a task force to discuss scrapping the city’s leader as the university’s chancellor.

A brief chaos broke out when some students tried to stop council members from entering the venue and asked them to face the protesters.

The event followed the University of Hong Kong council’s rejection of liberal scholar Johannes Chan to the position of pro-vice-chancellor last month.

The HKU saga, which started last year, has triggered citywide concerns over local universities’ academic freedom and institutional autonomy. It has also prompted university students and staff to demand scrapping the existing council structure, which allows the city’s chief executive, in his default role as the chancellor, to influence the governing body and appoint council members.

Lingnan student union president Philip Lau Chun-lam said protesters would not storm the council meeting, but wait outside the venue until council members came out to speak to them.