Chinese University of Hong Kong warns students not to disrupt graduation ceremony, reminds them to adhere to codes of conduct
- Two students taken away by security guards after asking others to write expectations on paper and stick it onto cardboard placards
- President Rocky Tuan absent on first day of three-day event, Provost Alan Chan gives speech instead
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has warned students not to disrupt a three-day graduation ceremony, which began on Thursday without its head present, reminding them to adhere to new codes of conduct.
Security guards took away two students at the university, which has been hit by controversy in recent years, after they asked others to write down what they expected from CUHK and to stick the notes onto placards outside the ceremony venue.
The university said vice-chancellor and president Rocky Tuan Sung-chi was absent because of sickness. Provost Alan Chan Kam-leung gave a speech at the event instead.
“The vice-chancellor woke up with a high fever, lost his voice, and has since been admitted to hospital for observation,” a university spokeswoman said.
In his speech, Chan urged students to seize the opportunities offered by the country’s development and make positive contributions to society.
Tuan attended a concert by cellist Yo-Yo Ma and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra at the Cultural Centre on Wednesday night, an event marking the university’s 60th anniversary.
Tuan and Chan sent a joint email to students reminding them of the university’s new codes of conduct, issued in August, to ensure a “safe, enjoyable and respectful” graduation ceremony.