Advertisement
Advertisement
HKU council controversy
Get more with myNEWS
A personalised news feed of stories that matter to you
Learn more
HKU president Peter Mathieson (left) was evidently standing by Chan. He was also heard saying Lo Chung-mau (right), who had opposed Chan's appointment as a pro-vice-chancellor, was taking things "very personally". Photos: Dickson Lee

Fourth leak from University of Hong Kong council meetings shows president supported liberal scholar's bid for post

Recording of council meeting reveals Peter Mathieson stood by liberal scholar's application

The president of the University of Hong Kong showed support for Johannes Chan Man-mun shortly before the institution's governing body blocked him from taking up a key managerial post, a new recording of a key closed-door meeting in September leaked on Wednesday night revealed.

The latest leak posted on a site in Taiwan was described as a 'dream' - the full transcription was uploaded as well as audio. Image: supplied

The voice recording - uploaded to Taiwanese online forum PTT - had HKU president Peter Mathieson standing by Chan. He was also heard saying Lo Chung-mau, who had opposed Chan's appointment as a pro-vice-chancellor, was taking things "very personally".

Lo, who was present at the meeting, was then heard complaining that Chan showed no sympathy after Lo was pushed to the floor during a previous council meeting chaotically stormed by students and other protesters.

Professor Johannes Chan Man-mun was blocked as pro-vice-chancellor. Photo: Sam Tsang
"I'm not saying I need his sympathy," the surgeon was recorded as telling the council. "But as staff, I really feel if you are PVC [pro-vice-chancellor for] staffing and if a staff member had an injury during an event like this, should you just keep on saying it's the council's fault?"

But Mathieson rebutted him: "There's no requirement in the job description for the candidate to express sympathy otherwise on anybody who is injured. I think you are putting post-event facts into this particular context."

The British scholar also added: "Whilst none of the outcomes are attractive, to my mind, there will be less damage done for the university by the acceptance of the nomination."

Chan, a liberal scholar and former law dean of HKU, was rejected in September in a 12-8 vote by the council, which is dominated by pro-government figures, sparking fears among alumni and academics over academic freedom and university autonomy.

"The candidate would really say, look at your CV, your CV is not as good as mine. How can you turn down an application if you don't have that kind of quality?" Lo was reported as saying.

Mathieson, however, said the search committee which he chaired considered Chan academically suitable.

"Academic credentials were considered, and were considered suitable," he said. "I am not going to go back from the judgment made by the search committee," he said.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: HKU president supported Chan, recording shows
Post