ExclusiveMost University of Hong Kong council members worried over president’s alleged mismanagement
- Misgivings persist despite governing council clearing Xiang Zhang of misconduct allegations, while some feel he’s been unfairly treated
Most of the University of Hong Kong’s (HKU) governing council members continue to harbour misgivings over president Xiang Zhang’s alleged mismanagement even after he was cleared of misconduct accusations, according to internal documents.
But some members also said Zhang’s reputation and integrity were unfairly tarnished, adding the university should learn from mistakes and strengthen governance processes.
The group, set to begin its work soon, will be headed by Permanent Secretary for Education Michelle Li Mei-sheung and Tim Lui Tim-leung, chairman of the University Grants Committee.
According to the internal documents seen by the Post, members highlighted issues related to splurging of public funds and disregard of protocols in project tendering as key concerns.
“The panel’s report only cleared him of misconduct but not of mismanagement, which is a view shared by most of the council members,” a source told the Post.
The documents were written submissions by nearly 20 council members commenting on a report compiled by a panel, which looked into misconduct allegations emanating from anonymous emails.