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Shirley Zhao

Joyce Ng

The governing body of the city’s top university decided to defer the appointment of a liberal scholar to a key position after a heated debate last night, with pro-government members supporting the deferral.
The move has left the University of Hong Kong facing a management crisis as the position of pro-vice-chancellor, in charge of recruitment and academic resources, will remain vacant in the coming months.
Members of the governing council voted 12-6 to leave the position vacant until another key role supervising the post is filled.
The appointment has been the subject of controversy since pro-Beijing media came out in opposition to the shortlisted candidate, pro-democracy scholar Johannes Chan Man-mun.
Speaking after the vote, council chairman Dr Leong Che-hung said it would be “fair” to wait until the post of provost, who will supervise the pro-vice-chancellor, was filled so he or she could have their say on the appointment.
“There has been no deliberate dragging out [of the appointment] by the council,” he said.

Chan told the Post last night he was originally notified last year that he had been recommended for the post and that, if chosen, he would start in March. He slammed the council’s decision as “ridiculous”.
“It’s not a matter of whether it’s me; it’s the damage being done to HKU’s development that breaks my heart,” he said.
The current provost, Roland Chin Tai-hong, is leaving tomorrow. Leong said a successor would be identified by August at the earliest, and someone would fill in for the interim. But a source said with many of the candidates hailing from overseas, the process would take months.
Leong did not rule out the possibility that the council might restart the selection process.
The council was due to make a decision on Chan’s appointment yesterday, but five council members were said to have requested deferring the discussion.
Sources said four pro-government members spoke in favour of deferring – Executive Council member Professor Arthur Li Kwok-cheung, Leonie Ki Man-fung, who assisted Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying with his election campaign, and lawmakers Martin Liao Cheung-kong and Abraham Razack.

Others, including vice-chancellor Peter Mathieson, were understood to have disagreed, saying the pro-vice-chancellor could report to him until the provost post was filled.
Mathieson appeared angry in the meeting and refused to go with Leong to the press briefing afterwards, the sources said.
William Cheung Sing-wai, chairman of the HKU Academic Staff Association, said with both positions unfilled, there would be staff retention problems.
The council also voted 11-6 with one abstention to accept the conclusions of an inquiry report containing criticisms of Chan and his colleague Benny Tai Yiu-ting, a co-founder of Occupy Central.
The report looked into the handling of HK$1.45 million in donations received by Tai and partly handled by Chan over the past two years.


University of Hong Kong defers appointing pro-democracy don Johannes Chan Man-mun to key managerial position

Governing council chairman Dr Leong Che-hung said the university was not dragging its feet on the appointment. Photo: David Wong

Governing council chairman Dr Leong Che-hung said the university was not dragging its feet on the appointment.Photo: David Wong

University of Hong Kong vice chancellor Professor Peter Mathieson (centre) attends the Council meeting. Photo: David Wong

Johannes Chan

News

Hong Kong

Education

Update | University of Hong Kong defers appointing pro-democracy don Johannes Chan Man-mun to key managerial position