Explain this: the rise of student unions in Hong Kong – how did they come to hold such sway?
The groups have played a key role in the city’s political development, but some youngsters are questioning whether their leaders really speak for them
The leaders of student unions have often been seen as the voice of Hong Kong’s youth. Many have come from humble beginnings but have grown to become major players in the political scene. But some youngsters are now asking if their leaders are truly representative of the student population.
How did student unions come to be such a major force?
There are more than a dozen student unions at universities and other tertiary institutions in Hong Kong. The union at the University of Hong Kong has the longest history among the city’s eight publicly funded institutions.
Established in 1912, a year after HKU was founded, the union was initially named the Hong Kong University Union, and the city’s colonial governor held the post of president. In 1945, after the second world war ended, it was reorganised and renamed the Hong Kong University Students’ Society. In 1949 it was registered as an independent student organisation.