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Gary Cheung

The head of the embattled University of Hong Kong yesterday confirmed he met Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying earlier, but the pair say they "never discussed" a controversial appointment involving liberal scholar Johannes Chan Man-mun.
The pair's remarks left questions unanswered over allegations of government interference in the university's operations, a staff representative and an alumni leader who support Chan said.
Leung's office declined to respond to inquiries by the Post about the timing and details of meetings with HKU vice-chancellor Professor Peter Mathieson and heads of other universities.

Leung's comments came a day after the Post reported that the two met at least once before the HKU governing council rejected former law dean Chan's candidacy for the post of pro-vice-chancellor.
"Professor Mathieson has never discussed with me the appointment of the pro-vice-chancellor," Leung said, adding that he never interfered in the selection process.
There were "legitimate purposes", Leung added, for university management to meet him, the chancellor, on a variety of subjects such as collaboration with overseas institutions.
READ MORE: CY Leung tight-lipped on moves to tighten anti-bribery laws amid prosecution of predecessor Donald Tsang
Meanwhile, an HKU statement said both Mathieson and council chairman Leong Che-hung wished to avoid misunderstandings and make it clear that the appointment issue was "never discussed in meetings with Leung".
The council's move late last month to reject Chan, a prodemocracy scholar close to colleague and Occupy Central co-founder Benny Tai Yiu-ting, is seen by critics as politically motivated.

While the Post reported that Leung sought meetings with Mathieson between August and September, Leung picked on the report's headline and introduction that said they met "in weeks" leading up to the council's rejection of Chan.
"The report is not specific at all … It used the plural "weeks". Is it two weeks, 20 weeks or 50 weeks?" Leung asked.
HKU Academic Staff Association chairman Dr William Cheung Sing-wai said Leung's remarks left many questions unanswered.

"We want to know what they talked about, but Leung is playing sophistry," Cheung said.
Ip Kin-yuen, who leads an alumni concern group, noted Mathieson's statement confirmed there were meetings, and Leung should fill in the blanks if he said the Post report was not specific.
But Christopher Chung Shu-kun, a pro-establishment lawmaker on the HKU court, said: "There is no evidence of interference. The accusations are unnecessary."



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University of Hong Kong students and staff united in desire to remove city’s leader as chancellor

HKU council controversy

Johannes Chan's appointment never discussed with HKU chief, says Hong Kong chief executive CY Leung

Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said he 'did not interfere' in the process. The rejection of Professor Johannes Chan, a pro-democracy scholar, is widely seen as having been politically motivated. Photo: Dickson Lee

President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong Peter Mathieson is pictured (second from right) with protesting alumni on August 25. Photo: Reuters

Professor Johannes Chan Man-mun attends a radio programme for Commercial Radio in Hong Kong's Kowloon Tong on September 30. Photo: Sam Tsang

HKU has come under heavy pressure from Chinese government supporters to block the appointment of the liberal scholar as Beijing tries to rein in freedoms a year after student-led protests rocked the city. Photo: Bloomberg

Professor Benny Tai Yiu-ting attends the silent protest march by HKU staff in defence of the university's autonomy in the Campus last week. Photo: Sam Tsang

Hong Kong leader CY Leung urged to reveal details of ‘sensitive’ talks with HKU chief

Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying (left) met Peter Mathieson (right) in the weeks leading up to the controversial rejection of a liberal academic's promotion to a senior manager's job. Photos: Simon Song, David Wong

The former law dean of the University of Hong Kong Professor Johannes Chan Man-mun. Photo: Sam Tsang

Legislator Ip Kin-yuen at the Alliance For Academic Freedom inauguration press conference at Jockey Club Tower at the University of Hong Kong on Thursday. Photo: Felix Wong

Hong Kong student leaders: 'political rewards' spurred appointment of anti-Occupy lawyers and Beijing adviser to university's top body

Junius Ho Kwan-yiu (left), a former president of the Law Society, solicitor Maggie Chan Man-ki (centre), and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference representative Michael Ngai Ming-tak (right) were among the five people appointed yesterday to Lingnan University's governing council. Photos: SCMP

Nathan Law Kwun-chung doubted Chan was suitable for the post. Photo: Jonathan Wong

News

Hong Kong

Education

HKU head confirmed meeting with Leung Chun-ying, but both insist they never touched on the controversial pro-vice-chancellor post


The head of the embattled University of Hong Kong yesterday confirmed he met Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying earlier, but the pair say they "never discussed" a controversial appointment involving liberal scholar Johannes Chan Man-mun.


Johannes Chan's appointment never discussed with HKU chief, says Hong Kong chief executive CY Leung

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}HKU head confirmed meeting with Leung Chun-ying, but both insist they never touched on the controversial pro-vice-chancellor post

HKU head confirmed meeting with Leung Chun-ying, but both insist they never touched on the controversial pro-vice-chancellor post