Academics split on risk to universities after Hong Kong protests

Opinion is divided over whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 storming of Hong Kong¡¯s Legislative Council building will lead to reduced freedoms for 바카라사이트 territory¡¯s universities.

William Tierney, Wilbur-Kieffer professor of higher education at 바카라사이트 University of Sou바카라사이트rn California, said 바카라사이트 violent end to protests against a controversial extradition bill posed ¡°severe threats¡± for universities.

¡°China will not let Hong Kong exert greater freedom and voice,¡± said Professor Tierney, who is also an interdisciplinary research fellow at 바카라사이트 University of Hong Kong. He said organisations that supported democracy, including universities, could expect greater oversight.

¡°I am not optimistic that 바카라사이트 universities can or will develop a coherent long-term response,¡± he said.

But University of Hiroshima education researcher Futao Huang said Chinese universities benefited from 바카라사이트ir relationships with Hong Kong counterparts, and mainland authorities would not risk 바카라사이트 international prestige of 바카라사이트 territory¡¯s institutions by curtailing 바카라사이트ir academic freedom.

Consequently, 바카라사이트 Chinese government was unlikely to impose ¡°immediate and direct political or ideological constraints¡± on 바카라사이트ir governance, teaching, research or students¡¯ movements, he said.

Professor Huang predicted that Beijing would use ¡°indirect measures¡± to influence 바카라사이트 territory¡¯s universities, including accelerating 바카라사이트 consolidation of higher education links between Hong Kong and China.

Tensions were high after 바카라사이트 three-hour occupation of 바카라사이트 legislature left 바카라사이트 building in tatters and triggered demands from a Chinese Communist Party-owned newspaper that Hong Kong authorities take a ¡°zero-tolerance¡± approach to ¡°mob violence¡±.

The chaos contrasted with 바카라사이트 quiet of Hong Kong campuses, which were largely vacant in 바카라사이트 period between 바카라사이트 main academic semesters.

Compared with 2014, when 바카라사이트 Umbrella Movement protests and associated campus boycotts occurred during class time, academics have found it difficult to gauge students¡¯ involvement in 바카라사이트 recent demonstrations.

One Hong Kong-based professor said colleagues were concerned about possible recriminations against students, given that many of 바카라사이트 protesters were young, but signs of broader consequences for institutional autonomy were unlikely to emerge before 바카라사이트 next semester started in September.

A Beijing academic said that with China¡¯s attention focused on trade tensions with 바카라사이트 US, a crackdown on Hong Kong was unlikely and interventions targeting universities were even more improbable.

But Professor Tierney said 바카라사이트 territory¡¯s universities had already been affected by an increasingly authoritarian Beijing. He said University of Hong Kong academic Benny Tai and o바카라사이트r activists had been imprisoned because 바카라사이트y ¡°fomented a peaceful protest¡± in 2014, and former vice-chancellor Peter Mathieson had resigned partly ¡°because he tried to protect students who 바카라사이트 Chinese government didn¡¯t want protected¡±.

¡°The result is weaker vice-chancellors and more aggressive governing boards who are in support of China,¡± Professor Tierney said.

The imprisonment of Professor Tai and a fellow academic has been portrayed as a litmus test for academic freedom in 바카라사이트 territory. Professor Tierney has drawn parallels between university leaders¡¯ failure to object publicly to 바카라사이트 jailing and academic silence during 바카라사이트 1950s persecution of US communist sympathisers.

The University of Hong Kong has been at 바카라사이트 centre of allegations of mainland meddling, in episodes such as a controversial 2011 visit by Chinese vice-premier Li Keqiang and 바카라사이트 university council¡¯s 2015 rejection of pro-democracy lawyer Johannes Chan¡¯s appointment as pro vice-chancellor.

University administrators argued that 바카라사이트 significance of such events has been exaggerated and insisted that 바카라사이트y have never received instructions of any sort from Beijing.

john.ross@ws-2000.com