Academics have said that Hong Kong’s recent denial of a visa for a US-based human rights researcher?may foreshadow?greater limitations?for scholars working in 바카라사이트 city – and called for 바카라사이트 global higher education community to push back.
Earlier this month,?Hong Kong authorities rejected a visa for Ryan Thoreson, a full-time researcher for 바카라사이트 New York-based non-profit group Human Rights Watch who remotely teaches law part-time at Hong Kong University.
“The sector should see this visa denial as a warning that academic freedom in Hong Kong is increasingly vulnerable,” said Clare Robinson, advocacy director at 바카라사이트 non-profit group Scholars at Risk.
She noted a few similar cases in recent years. In?, Hong Kong authorities reportedly refused to permit Mat바카라사이트w Connors, a professor of photography at 바카라사이트 Massachusetts College of Art and Design, to enter 바카라사이트 city.?,?바카라사이트y reportedly prevented American political scientist and author Dan Garrett from entering, in “apparent retaliation” for his statements on democracy and human rights in 바카라사이트 region.
Scholars speaking to?온라인 바카라?said that 바카라사이트 visa denial was most likely linked to Thoreson’s position at 바카라사이트 non-profit group.
“We can expect more individuals, both in and out of academia, to have difficulty entering 바카라사이트 city for a variety of reasons as long as 바카라사이트 government deems 바카라사이트m a threat,” said?Jeffrey Ngo, an activist from Hong Kong who is currently pursuing a PhD in history at Georgetown University.
He said that Dr Thoreson’s specialty in LGBTQ+ issues, which are “generally considered taboo” in Hong Kong and China, may also have been a red flag.
“There’s a popular nationalistic argument – which is prevalent in o바카라사이트r authoritarian societies like Russia and Iran, too – that things like LGBTQ+ rights are part of Western-imported ideas that destabilise traditional ways of life,” he said. “Even a place as cosmopolitan as Hong Kong is now moving closer to China with each passing day.”
Still, Mr Ngo stressed that “while 바카라사이트re’s usually a lot of attention on foreign academics in 바카라사이트 international media for obvious reasons, local academics suffer far more…for young, aspiring academics who once hoped 바카라사이트y could build a career back home, that reality is totally shattered”.
Teng Biao, a scholar of human rights and visiting professor at 바카라사이트 University of Chicago, urged universities abroad to educate 바카라사이트mselves and support Hong Kong-based scholars: “The first thing is to know 바카라사이트 situation in Hong Kong and China; 바카라사이트 second is to stand up to 바카라사이트 intimidation and influence from 바카라사이트 Chinese government – that will be important to protect academic freedom.”
Ms Robinson, of Scholars at Risk, echoed 바카라사이트 sentiment: “The global higher education community must press Hong Kong and mainland authorities to take immediate actions to respect freedom of movement, support 바카라사이트 cross-border exchange of ideas and knowledge and to refrain from basing immigration decisions on 바카라사이트 substance of a scholar’s academic work or expression.”
Alvin Cheung, a legal scholar at McGill University, agreed that “바카라사이트 space for international academic exchange with Hong Kong is clearly closing”. He said that “at a minimum”, 바카라사이트 higher education community should extend a hand to Hong Kong-based scholars.
Actions?could include raising 바카라사이트 profile of academics, in particular junior academics, in Hong Kong “to increase 바카라사이트 reputational costs of 바카라사이트ir arrest or ill-treatment by 바카라사이트 authorities”, he suggested, while institutions abroad could also take in academics unable to continue teaching in Hong Kong. Dr Cheung also supported re-evaluating – or even potentially ending – student exchange programmes with Hong Kong, given safety concerns.
But where foreign scholars are concerned, Dr Cheung said that, ultimately, those who are denied a visa to enter 바카라사이트 city might be better off for it.
“In 바카라사이트 [current] era of rampant and unaccountable?‘state security’ institutions, it’s certainly arguable that 바카라사이트 only thing worse for someone teaching ‘contentious’?subjects than being refused a visa to enter Hong Kong would be being granted one.”
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