Advice from government bodies to Hong Kong’s universities could amount to meddling, lawmaker says

Education sector legislator Ip Kin-yuen expresses concern about comments by HKU chief that he has conversations with Beijing’s liaison office ‘all the time’

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Peter Mathieson steps down later this month from his post at the helm of HKU. Photo: Nora Tam

Published: 8:31am, 9 Jan 2018Updated: 3:50pm, 9 Jan 2018

Any direct advice given by local or mainland government bodies to Hong Kong’s universities could amount to meddling with their institutional autonomy and academic affairs, a legislator has warned.

The concerns were raised by education sector lawmaker Ip Kin-yuen after the University of Hong Kong’s outgoing vice chancellor Professor Peter Mathieson told the Post in an interview published on Monday that he had conversations with Beijing’s local liaison office “all the time” and it was “part of my job”.

Other officials Mathieson claimed to speak to regularly included Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, her predecessor Leung Chun-ying, Hong Kong’s education secretary as well as representatives from the mainland’s Ministry of Education.

Ip said Mathieson’s assertions, if true, were serious and could suggest breaches of the city’s mini- constitution.

“We are not saying the liaison office or Hong Kong government or the chief executive cannot have any contact or communication with universities at all. If it’s just normal communications to understand [issues more] then it’s no problem,” Ip said.

HKU’s outgoing vice chancellor Peter Mathieson said he had conversations with Beijing’s local liaison office ‘all the time’. Photo: Nora Tam

“But if it is the case that they ‘gave advice’ – especially of a direct nature – then it could amount to interference, intervention or even suppression. These would absolutely be in violation of the Basic Law.”

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Advice from government bodies to Hong Kong’s universities could amount to meddling, lawmaker says

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Education sector legislator Ip Kin-yuen expresses concern about comments by HKU chief that he has conversations with Beijing’s liaison office ‘all the time’

Education sector legislator Ip Kin-yuen expresses concern about comments by HKU chief that he has conversations with Beijing’s liaison office ‘all the time’