The new vice-chancellor of Chinese University has pledged to heal the institution's 'tense' relations with students and heed their views, among others, in deciding who should be awarded honorary doctorates.
In an interview with the South China Morning Post yesterday, Professor Joseph Sung Jao-yiu said he would communicate with students and staff through his new online blog after he starts a five-year term tomorrow, succeeding Professor Lawrence Lau Juen-yee.
One item at the top of his agenda is handling the political aftermath of the row that erupted after the university on June 2 rejected the student union's request to install the Goddess of Democracy statue on its Sha Tin campus, saying it had to 'reaffirm the principle of political neutrality'.
The decision was criticised by some students, staff and alumni as vetoing freedom of speech. Bowing to pressure, the university later allowed the statute to remain pending a decision on its long-term future.
Sung said relations with students had since been 'tense' and he was keen to rebuild trust. 'Chinese University always respects academic and speech freedom,' he said. 'We have to stay politically neutral to allow different voices. In the latest incident, we have communication problems. At the same time, we see how our students care about society. This is a tradition of Chinese University. I hope we can build a relationship of trust and mutual respect.'
The vice-chancellor's blog on the university's website would be a new channel of communication. 'It is our aspiration to provide quality medical services with reasonable prices, and help cut the waiting time for services, such as cataracts, at public hospitals,' Sung said. 'However, some people may think we are just trying to make profits by planning a private hospital. Good communication can avoid misunderstanding.'