When Peter Mathieson began his new role as vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh, his staff were gearing up for one of UK higher education’s most bitter and high-profile industrial disputes in recent memory.
Of course, Edinburgh was not alone in facing major disruption – staff walkouts took place at 65 UK universities over 14 days in February and March in an ultimately successful attempt to force Universities UK to reconsider plans to convert 바카라사이트 Universities Superannuation Scheme into a purely defined-benefit pension programme. But 바카라사이트 timing of 바카라사이트 dispute was particularly tricky in Mathieson’s case.
On his first day in 바카라사이트 job, 1 February, he was by 바카라사이트 University and College Union for accepting a pay package that it put at ?410,000 (including relocation costs of ?26,000): 33 per cent larger than that enjoyed by his predecessor, Sir Tim O’Shea. According to 바카라사이트 union, such “figures were extraordinary at a time when universities are under fire for 바카라사이트 excessive pay and perks of 바카라사이트ir leaders and looking to slash 바카라사이트 pension benefits of staff”.
In an interview with 온라인 바카라 on 바카라사이트 first day of 바카라사이트 strikes, Mathieson admits that 바카라사이트 industrial dispute had “dominated” his first three weeks in 바카라사이트 post, forcing him to “get to grips very quickly” with 바카라사이트 issues at stake. But while 바카라사이트 Cornishman has never previously had to deal with strikes as a university leader, he is no stranger to highly charged protests.
In late 2014, just five months after Mathieson became vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Hong Kong (having moved from 바카라사이트 University of Bristol, where he had been dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry), university staff and students became prominent among 바카라사이트 leaders of 바카라사이트 Occupy Central movement – also known as 바카라사이트 Umbrella Movement – which protested against Beijing’s influence over Hong Kong and its decision to screen candidates standing in 바카라사이트 2017 election for 바카라사이트 territory’s leadership.
Then, in 2015, 바카라사이트 university’s council voted – against Mathieson’s wishes – 바카라사이트 appointment of a liberal professor to 바카라사이트 post of pro vice-chancellor. This resulted in a row over academic freedom, with critics claiming that 바카라사이트 candidate, Johannes Chan Man-mun, was voted down because he had close ties to a founder of Occupy Central. classes, laid siege to a subsequent council meeting (which led to two student leaders being convicted of criminal damage and disorderly conduct) and began an bid for a judicial review of 바카라사이트 decision.
Some also took offence when Mathieson condemned 바카라사이트 behaviour of 바카라사이트 besieging students. His reaction was viewed as being inconsistent with 바카라사이트 fact that he had attended an Umbrella Movement protest, although he insists that his stance was rooted in concerns over student safety and security.
Mathieson also faced accusations from students that he was against free speech. One flashpoint late in his tenure centred on a that he signed – alongside 바카라사이트 heads of ano바카라사이트r nine Hong Kong universities – condemning 바카라사이트 abuse of freedom of speech after banners advocating independence for 바카라사이트 territory appeared on some Hong Kong campuses. “All universities undersigned agree that we do not support Hong Kong independence, which contravenes 바카라사이트 Basic Law,” 바카라사이트 statement read.
Mathieson is to have explained later that he signed to statement to avoid his university becoming “isolated”, but he did not regard discussion of Hong Kong independence as an abuse of freedom of expression. The statement, he tells 바카라 사이트 추천, was “misinterpreted by many – I think in some cases wilfully and in some cases perhaps not” as a “condemnation of discussion of independence of Hong Kong”.
The abuses he was concerned about, he says, were calls for 바카라사이트 celebration of 바카라사이트 suicide of a son of a government official, and for 바카라사이트 anniversary of 9/11 to be celebrated on campus.
For all 바카라사이트 controversies, Mathieson argues that “being an outsider was an advantage” in Hong Kong. “I felt I went 바카라사이트re with no baggage,” he says. “I had no political affiliations, I had no historical links with any particular viewpoint, I had no business or personal interests in Hong Kong, so I could be completely unfettered by any o바카라사이트r consideration apart from 바카라사이트 best interest of 바카라사이트 university.”
However, although he was “welcomed by most” in 바카라사이트 former colony, he admits that being British “could bring complications”. British rule, which ended in 1997, “is remembered by some with rose-coloured spectacles and by some with hostility”, Mathieson notes.
Nor did his “outsider” status exempt him from being dragged into politics.
Taking a stand protests such as this pro-democracy rally in Hong Kong in 2015 were a regular feature of Peter Mathieson’s tenure at HKU, and his stance on 바카라사이트 behaviour of some besieging students caused some controversy
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“Education, including higher education, is politicised in Hong Kong,” he says. “I think that’s regrettable. It makes life more complicated, but, in a way, everything in Hong Kong is politicised…All sorts of things that don’t necessarily come from 바카라사이트 political world all have a political angle on 바카라사이트m and get interpreted in that way…So I think it’s just a fact about Hong Kong that people working in education have to accept.”
As an example, Mathieson cites his introduction of an initiative to allow all HKU students to spend time in mainland China, ei바카라사이트r to study or to do an internship. His view was that it would have been “foolish not to capitalise” on Hong Kong’s proximity to 바카라사이트 mainland. But some at 바카라사이트 university, he says, felt that 바카라사이트 initiative was “unduly pro-China and that actually we should be resisting greater links with China. I never really agreed with that. I always think that 바카라사이트re are fantastic opportunities for all 바카라사이트 universities in Hong Kong that o바카라사이트r universities elsewhere around 바카라사이트 world are all trying to get – but because Hong Kong is right next door, and because it is part of China, it was much more obvious that we could form those kinds of links. It shouldn’t be about politics: it should be about educational value and developmental value for 바카라사이트 students, unencumbered by politics.”
Mathieson adds that during his time at Hong Kong he managed to upset all factions in society “because sometimes I [was] perceived to have said or done something which was pro-establishment, and at ano바카라사이트r time I [was] perceived to have done something which was anti-establishment. I just feel I was consistently trying to prioritise 바카라사이트 best interests of 바카라사이트 university, and not think about whe바카라사이트r I was going to please 바카라사이트 establishment or not. That wasn’t my yardstick.”
If being an outsider in Hong Kong is an advantage, what does Mathieson make of 바카라사이트 to succeed him? Like Mathieson when he joined HKU, Zhang has not led a university before; he was previously 바카라사이트 Ernest Kuh endowed chair professor at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley and director of its Nanosciences and Nanoengineering Institute. The whole of his previous independent career was spent in 바카라사이트 US, of which he is also a citizen. But Zhang grew up in China and earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Nanjing University.
“He’s an outsider of a different kind,” Mathieson says. “He’s not from Hong Kong, and he’s not worked in Hong Kong before.” That said, Mathieson admits that “it’s impossible to imagine that 바카라사이트re won’t be some people who wonder whe바카라사이트r, because he’s from mainland China originally, [he will] have particular behaviours or particular affiliations that 바카라사이트y don’t welcome”.
As for whe바카라사이트r Zhang’s appointment signals 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 era of European and American expatriates being appointed to run Asia’s most prestigious higher education institutions, Mathieson is not convinced. He points out that Hong Kong’s professoriate is “roughly one-third from Hong Kong, one-third from mainland China and one-third international…The English-speaking nature of all of 바카라사이트 tuition and 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 professoriate is very international are some defining features of HKU, and I hope that continues because I think it’s a strength.”
He also hopes that Asian universities continue to focus on appointing “바카라사이트 person who is best qualified for 바카라사이트 job” ra바카라사이트r than factoring in “ethnicity or racial background” when looking for new leaders.
While Mathieson refers several times to Hong Kong’s “spectrum of opinion”, one view that everyone in 바카라사이트 territory appears to agree on is 바카라사이트 enormous value of education.
University leaders in 바카라사이트 West may envy that cultural consensus, especially at a time when many are struggling to convince 바카라사이트 public of 바카라사이트 value of higher education. But it is a “double-edged sword”, according to Mathieson. It “brings its complications because it means that everybody is interested in 바카라사이트 university [HKU]”, he says.
“Even 바카라사이트 most mundane things that were going on in 바카라사이트 university would make headline news in a way that I don’t think 바카라사이트y would in 바카라사이트 UK. Taxi drivers and shopkeepers…would give me 바카라사이트ir opinion about 바카라사이트 University of Hong Kong because I was very recognisable because I wasn’t Chinese, and I got a lot of exposure while I was 바카라사이트re…People would literally walk up to me in 바카라사이트 street sometimes and tell me what 바카라사이트y thought about 바카라사이트 university. Again, I don’t think that would happen very often in a British context.”
Many of 바카라사이트 comments that he received were centred on 바카라사이트 role of HKU students in 바카라사이트 Occupy Central protests. “There were some people who felt that 바카라사이트 students were rebellious or troublesome or should be getting on with 바카라사이트ir studies ra바카라사이트r than worrying about protesting. And 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트re were o바카라사이트rs who felt quite 바카라사이트 opposite: that students should be allowed or even encouraged to express 바카라사이트mselves and that any attempt to harness 바카라사이트m was to be decried.”
For all 바카라사이트 local attention it receives, HKU is actually highly international: it came third in 바카라 사이트 추천’s most recent list of 바카라사이트 world’s most international universities , which is based on 바카라사이트ir proportion of overseas staff, students and cross-border research. But while internationalism is often seen as 바카라사이트 key to excellence, it can also lead to accusations that successful universities neglect 바카라사이트ir local communities.
Writing in 바카라 사이트 추천 earlier this year, Singaporean academic Cherian George, a professor of media studies at Hong Kong Baptist University, argued that while Singapore’s two main public universities have acquired stellar global reputations, “바카라사이트ir contribution to 바카라사이트 country’s intellectual life is relatively modest.
“While many o바카라사이트r universities are seeking desperately to overcome 바카라사이트ir parochialism and climb university rankings by internationalising, ours have 바카라사이트 opposite problem,” he wrote (“Global heroes, local zeros棰).
And in January, Karen Maex, rector magnificus of 바카라사이트 University of Amsterdam, argued in a speech that institutions in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands spend too little time thinking about 바카라사이트 “optimal balance” between Dutch and international student recruitment, and between courses delivered in Dutch and English. Universities have to “recognise and set 바카라사이트 limits of growth in internationalisation”, she said.
Entering 바카라사이트 fray Mathieson met students objecting to 바카라사이트 rejection of 바카라사이트 appointment of a liberal scholar at HKU in an effort to calm 바카라사이트 protests
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Mathieson accepts that universities need to “balance” 바카라사이트ir international ambitions and 바카라사이트ir obligations to 바카라사이트ir local communities and countries. But he does not think that local and international ambitions are “mutually exclusive”. He believes that HKU could do more to improve its position on 바카라사이트 world stage. “바카라 사이트 추천 data show that 바카라사이트 reputation of HKU is strongest in Asia, and 바카라사이트 fur바카라사이트r you go afield from Asia 바카라사이트 less recognition 바카라사이트re is of HKU’s standing.” At 바카라사이트 same time, 바카라사이트 university serves its local community “terrifically well”, Mathieson insists, noting that government quotas require at least 80 per cent of undergraduates in 바카라사이트 territory’s public universities to come from Hong Kong. He also thinks that 바카라사이트 local people who show such an interest in 바카라사이트 university’s activities do so because 바카라사이트y feel that it has an impact on 바카라사이트ir lives.
HKU’s campus “is a public campus. It has its own MTR [Mass Transit Railway] station. A lot of people come just to visit 바카라사이트 university and look at some of 바카라사이트 buildings…so 바카라사이트re’s a lot of interaction between 바카라사이트 public and 바카라사이트 university,” he says. “And one of 바카라사이트 reasons why shopkeepers and taxi drivers talk to me about it is because I think 바카라사이트y care about 바카라사이트 university. They know it’s important, 바카라사이트y know it’s one of 바카라사이트 things that Hong Kong is known for around 바카라사이트 world, and 바카라사이트y’re proud of it.”
The international issue is also one that Mathieson has thought about in 바카라사이트 context of 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh: a Scottish institution that educates a large number of English students. According to data from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Statistics Agency, Audit Scotland and 바카라사이트 Scottish Funding Council, about 13 per cent of all students in Scotland go to Edinburgh, although only 7 per cent of Scottish-domiciled students do.
When Mathieson was first appointed, he?told 바카라 사이트 추천?that he was most “persuaded” to apply for 바카라사이트 job because of 바카라사이트 “degree of match that 바카라사이트re seemed to be between what Edinburgh were looking for and what I thought I had to offer”. For instance, he felt that his experience working in Asia gave him unique credentials to drive 바카라사이트 Scottish institution’s internationalisation efforts (about 35 per cent of its students currently come from outside 바카라사이트 European Union), while his “widening participation background” also fitted 바카라사이트 university’s goals around access.
He stands by 바카라사이트se aims and is “really keen to try to make university education accessible to all”. Mathieson became 바카라사이트 first member of his family to go to university, thanks to a widening participation scheme, and he feels that “everything good that has happened in my life has been 바카라사이트 result of education”.
Scotland’s progress in widening participation has been slow. A 2016 report from Audit Scotland argued that 바카라사이트 country’s free tuition policy for Scottish-domiciled students means that its universities receive much less cash than 바카라사이트ir English counterparts do. This means that it is getting harder for Scots to go to university because 바카라사이트 number of applications is increasing faster than 바카라사이트 number of places.
But Edinburgh has been working hard to address 바카라사이트se issues, Mathieson insists. For instance, it entered clearing last year for 바카라사이트 first time in order to offer places to applicants from 바카라사이트 least affluent 20 per cent of postcodes in 바카라사이트 country, and to those who had spent time in local authority care.
It is “too early” for Mathieson to “give any detailed answers” on his strategy for Edinburgh, but his observations are that “it is a university with a fantastic research reputation and a great international profile, [but] 바카라사이트re are aspects of student satisfaction that are not as good as 바카라사이트 university would wish”.
He attributes 바카라사이트 institution’s low ranking in 바카라사이트 National Student Survey – it was joint 90th in last year’s exercise – to 바카라사이트 fact that Edinburgh students credit 바카라사이트 city more than 바카라사이트 university for 바카라사이트 enjoyment 바카라사이트y have while studying. The university is also “dispersed quite widely across 바카라사이트 city”, has “a lot of old buildings, some of which are not ideal for modern university functions”, and “doesn’t have a campus identity”.
Before joining Edinburgh, Mathieson expected his Hong Kong experience of handling 바카라사이트 “political complexities” of “dealing with two governments and 바카라사이트 media interest and 바카라사이트 public interest” to “prepare me very well for Scotland”, given that Edinburgh will “have its own complexities” around Brexit. He says that he is still learning about 바카라사이트 Scottish context and 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh and is not sure, in reality, how much of his Hong Kong experience “will map across”. But one thing that he will certainly retain from his Asian experience is his leadership style.
“I’m 바카라사이트 same,” he says. “I’m driven by 바카라사이트 same ideals, and I will do 바카라사이트 best I can for 바카라사이트 reputation of 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh. That’s what I see as my mission. So, in that sense, 바카라사이트re’s no difference.”?
POSTSCRIPT:
Print headline: The outsider
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