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Shirley Zhao

Gary Cheung

Dubbed “King Arthur” by those who see him as high-handed and arrogant, Professor Arthur Li Kwok-cheung is no stranger to controversy.
Many have likened his leadership style to that of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, who is also seen as combative.
Perhaps this was why no one was deeply surprised that Leung appointed the 70-year-old to serve as chairman of the University of Hong Kong’s governing council.
Born in Hong Kong in 1945, Li studied medicine at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
He returned to the city in 1982 and became the founding chairman of the department of surgery at Chinese University.
He was promoted to the post of dean of the university’s medical faculty in 1992, and four years later, Li secured an appointment as the university’s fourth vice-chancellor. 
But during his 14 years with the medical faculty, Li was investigated by the Medical Council twice – and cleared twice – for alleged professional misconduct.
Under Li, Chinese University’s medical faculty saw increasing funding and grew to gain international recognition.
While on the medical faculty, he was said to have once stormed out of a university meeting, bashing out a resignation letter to the vice-chancellor at the time, Charles Kao Kuen, and subsequently announcing he would respect Kao’s decision not to accept his resignation.
Eventually Li was named vice-chancellor of the university, and his leadership style led some to refer to him as “King Arthur” and even “the Tsar”.
But in an interview in 2003 with Chinese University’s Bulletin – a biannual magazine – Li said he had to be tough for the faculty to survive.
Li insisted he was by nature a “very gentle” person who enjoyed company and conversation.
READ MORE: Arthur Li fallout: HKU students consider protest over appointment ... while Regina Ip hopes he can ‘mend the divide’
During his term as vice-chancellor, the university established the school of tourism and hotel management, the school of Chinese medicine, the school of public health, the school of pharmacy, and the Nethersole school of nursing.
However, Professor Lau Siu-kai, Li’s former colleague at Chinese University, described Li as a “combative man” with a “fighting spirit” and “tough style”.
“Once he sets a goal, he won’t make any concessions – even if he comes under pressure,” Lau said. “He never hesitated to defend his subordinates who implemented the decisions he made.”
Lau, head of the department of sociology at Chinese University during Arthur Li’s tenure as the vice-chancellor, said one of his most controversial moves was forcing academics whose performance in research was poor to focus more on teaching. “It sparked opposition from some academics but he stuck to his guns,” Lau said.
Li also proposed a merger between Chinese University and the University of Science and Technology, to create a world- class institution.
But the plan was quickly rejected after concerns from staff in both universities.
Li left Chinese University in 2002, and at the invitation of then- chief executive Tung Chee-hwa, he joined the administration as education minister. He was alleged to have exerted pressure on the Institute of Education to merge with Chinese University, and was accused of saying the institute would be “raped” if it refused to agree.
Observers believed Li was keen on merging the university with other institutions because he wanted its status to surpass that of the University of Hong Kong.
The institute’s vice-president at the time, Professor Bernard Luk Hung-kay, recalled Li threatening to cut the number of students if a merger was not agreed to, during a phone conversation with then- institute president Professor Paul Morris, in 2004.
Luk also remembered Arthur Li’s “Dirty Harry” moment, when he refused to issue a statement to condemn a group of teachers for protesting, also in 2004. Reminiscent of Clint Eastwood’s “make my day” line, Li reportedly told him: “OK! I’ll remember this. You’ll pay!”
Li retreated from the political limelight in 2007, after serving five years in government.
He made a comeback in 2012 after he backed Leung for the city’s top job and Leung appointed him as a non-official member of the Executive Council. ? He returned to the headlines last year, ahead of the Occupy Central movement. When students staged a class boycott in September 2014, Li declared: “Well, who cares?”
READ MORE: Arthur Li appointment as HKU council chairman discovered hours earlier than intended thanks to technical glitch
He said if students were serious they should have quit school. He also compared the boycotting students to the Red Guards of the Cultural Revolution. In March 2014, Leung appointed Li to serve as a member of the HKU council.
Just days later, Li criticised some professors for allegedly not attending to their duties in performing research and teaching students, thus precipitating the university’s fall in international rankings.
Dr William Cheung Sing-wai, the university’s Academic Staff Association chairman, said Li had targeted professors who were vocal on social and political matters. Cheung added: “Staff members are very upset about his style of doing things.”
On July 28, angry students stormed a council meeting after it again voted to delay a discussion on promoting liberal scholar Professor Johannes Chan Man-mun to a key managerial post. Chan’s candidacy was ultimately defeated. Li described the students’ actions as “Hong Kong’s Cultural Revolution”.
After the university’s student union president, Billy Fung Jing-en, disclosed certain council members’ negative comments pertaining to Chan at a September council meeting – including Li’s own concerns – he called Fung “a liar”.
But an audio recording subsequently leaked to the media showed that Fung had not misquoted Li, who later explained he was referring to Fung’s breach of council confidentiality.
The students, however, did not appear convinced by Li’s explanation.
Arita Ho Ka-yin, the student union’s vice-president, said: “It seems … the definition of something can be changed to suit his purposes. He seems to always consider his interests ahead of the interests of the entire university.”
Li has won many honours, such as the Gold Bauhinia Star, and the President’s Gold Medal of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in Britain. He also holds honorary fellowships of various medical bodies such as the American College of Surgeons, the Royal Society of Medicine in the UK, and the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland.


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New head of HKU council,‘King Arthur’ known for his high-handed combative style and controversial remarks

scmp

Arthur Li Kwok-cheung appears at Univesity of Hong Kong. HKU student union representatives give a letter to newly appointed council member Arthur Li, urging him to resign and apologise for his "absurd criticism" of HKU academic staff. 31MAR15

‘Once he sets a goal, he won’t make any concession – even if he comes under pressure’: Arthur Li has developed a reputation for his combative style. Photo: SCMP Pictures

What power will ‘King Arthur’ wield as University of Hong Kong council chairman?

In March, students met Li and urged him to resign and apologise for criticising HKU academics. Photo: Franke Tsang

Arthur Li fallout: HKU students consider protest over appointment ... while Regina Ip hopes he can ‘mend the divide’ 

Li’s appointment as chairman of the university’s governing council has drawn contrasting opinions. Photo: David Wong

Executive council member Professor Arthur Li Kwok-cheung on RTHK "Talkabout" regarding student strike and political reform. RTHK, Broadcast Drive, Kowloon Tong. 15SEP14

HKU Student Union and Alumni concern group hand over petition letter to the Councillor Arthur Li Kwok-cheung before the HKU Council meeting at HKU in Pok Fu Lam.

Li’s appointment as chairman of the university’s governing council has drawn contrasting opinions. Photo: Sam Tsang

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Returning to politics in 2012 to support Leung Chun-ying’s push for chief executive, Arthur Li has recently courted controversy by comparing protesting HKU students to the Red Guards of the Cultural Revolution


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