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Letters | Hong Kong universities must take principled stand on freedoms and their abuse
- Chinese University’s stated aims include producing students who are tolerant and responsible. Administrators should draw a clear line between acceptable behaviour and abuse, between freedom and responsibility
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Dear Professors Rocky S. Tuan and Dennis K.P. Ng,
As an alumnus of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, I have always felt its motto, “博文約禮” or “Through learning and temperance to virtue”, to be compelling and universal.
Indeed, developing in students the capacity to reason, a moral compass to guide their action, the compassion to empathise with others’ suffering, and a commitment to the betterment of society are the common goals of truly great universities. It is thus immensely disturbing that my alma mater is now widely referred to as “Rioters University”.
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While the university has set up a task force with five subgroups to address this issue, let’s get back to the basics of what has to be done in relation to producing students with Chinese University’s “Graduate Attributes”.
These attributes set out that “Our students are … expected to have a deep understanding of Chinese culture and with it a sense of national identity and pride … a high degree of … tolerance … an attitude of compassion, honesty and integrity in relation to self, family and society, and the ability to contribute as citizens and leaders. They should have a sense of … responsibility …”
When a crowd of students are shouting anti-China hate speech, bullying and insulting others – including you, Professor Tuan, vandalising public property, and depriving others of their freedoms, rights and dignity, their failure to develop the graduate attributes is undeniable.
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