HKU pro-vice-chancellor debates continue as Ip Kin-yuen lays out three-point agenda
Lawmaker who graduated from university in 1984 calls on council to confirm search committee recommendation in next 30 days
The fiery debates over the appointment of professor Johannes Chan Man-mun as pro-vice-chancellor of Hong Kong University continued this morning as alumni of the university discussed the upcoming Extraordinary General Meeting of the Convocation to be held on September 1.
Speaking on Commercial Radio, lawmaker Ip Kin-yuen, who graduated from the university in 1984, explained the submission by him and 23 other members in three points:
- The University Council should, in accordance with established procedures and precedents, confirm the recommendation made by the search committee for the appointment of pro-vice-chancellor (academic staffing and resources) within 30 days from today and failing that, should provide written reasons and justification for their delay and their decision to the convocation and members of the public;
- The Chief Executive shall not be the Chancellor and chief officer of the University or that his role should only be ceremonial;
- The convocation should set up a working party for the implementation of resolutions.
Lawrence Pang Wang-kee, a 1973 graduate and spokesman of the group of convocation members that supports and endorses the joint statement of 10 deans of faculties of HKU, made on July 30, agreed that the appointment of pro-vice-chancellor should be made as soon as possible, but disagreed that a 30-day deadline should be set for the University Council.
“I’m in a top-level management position so I understand there are a lot of factors of consideration [before an appointment is made], and that includes one’s political stance,” said Pang. “We are not supporting nor bringing down Chan Man-mun, we just want to safeguard academic freedom and university independence.”
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Some 20 members of the statutory body, known as the HKU Convocation, earlier called for the extraordinary meeting, which will have members of the Convocation voting between three requisitions submitted by three different groups of HKU alumni.