Arthur Li fallout: HKU students consider protest over appointment ... while Regina Ip hopes he can ‘mend the divide’
Reactions from students, staff and a well-known alum span political spectrum
The University of Hong Kong enters the new year under a cloud of uncertainty after former education minister Arthur Li was named the head of its governing council, with opponents calling it a disaster and supporters expecting him to prove them wrong.
Li, 70, who begins his three-year term today, was nowhere to be seen yesterday, following the confirmation of his appointment late on Wednesday night.
But he issued a statement saying he would “strive to defend HKU’s tradition ... so that teachers, students and alumni can be proud of their alma mater”.
But what it means for the university to have him heading the influential body that decides HKU policy, direction and administrative matters remains to be seen.
READ MORE: ‘Very poor choice’: Howls of protest as Arthur Li is appointed Hong Kong University’s governing council chairman
HKU alumni and teachers, along with academics from other institutions who oppose Li vowed to campaign for a review of how the city’s universities should be governed, reiterating their concerns about academic freedom and outside interference in tertiary education.