Professor Rosie Young wins place on University of Hong Kong committee as beaten rival bemoans lack of student voice in search for new chairman
Rosie Young only elected member of body tasked with advising Chief Executive Carrie Lam on candidates for senior position at university
Renowned medical professor Rosie Young Tse-tse has become the only elected member of an advisory committee set up to find the next top governor of the University of Hong Kong, beating the university’s student leader.
Young, 87, a member of HKU’s governing council, won 14 votes from 17 council members on Thursday, comfortably beating her only rival, president of the university’s students union, Davin Kenneth Wong.
Other than Young, the advisory committee has three ex officio members, including pro-chancellor David Li Kwok-po, vice chancellor Zhang Xiang, and treasurer Margaret Leung Ko May-yee.
The committee is tasked with advising the city’s leader, Chief Executive Carrie Cheng Yuet-ngor, on potential candidates for council chairman. Arthur Li Kwok-cheung, 73, the present chairman, will end his three-year term on December 31.
Formed last year, the committee was one of the measures aimed at improving the university’s governance, while easing public concern over the erosion of academic freedom at the university. Concern that grew out of a series of clashes between Li and student leaders.