Education lawmaker Ip Kin-yuen to run for HKU council seat

Education sector legislator Ip Kin-yuen will run for the University of Hong Kong’s governing council, in an effort to pursue managerial reform and ensure the institution is free from political interference, he announced yesterday.

Six HKU alumni also announced their intention to run for the university’s convocation standing committee, aiming at the same goal.

The seven said their decision to put their names forward came after the university council’s heavily criticised rejection of liberal law professor Johannes Chan Man-mun’s promotion to a key managerial post. The decision was seen as a rare objection against the selection committee’s recommendation and a possible punishment for Chan’s close ties with fellow law professor Benny Tai Yiu-ting, one of the organisers of pro-democratic movement Occupy Central.

The rejection was followed by the appointment of conservative former education minister, Arthur Li Kwok-cheung - who is highly unpopular among students and alumni - as the council chairman, which further exposed the council’s weakness to political appointment and interference, they said.

“All the problems come from the council,” said Ip. “If I become a council member, I can check when unreasonable or abnormal things happen.”

Ip, who faces two other competitors for the vacancy, said one of his main focuses would be a review of the current governance system, where the chief executive becomes chancellor of the university by default and has the power to appoint seven out of the 24 members, including the chair. The council itself can appoint another six members.