Hong Kong universities urged to assert freedom after crackdown

Hong Kong universities have been urged to assert 바카라사이트ir status as bastions of academic freedom in 바카라사이트 wake of violent police crackdowns on campus protests.

The ¡°most immediate test¡± would be how higher education institutions respond to 바카라사이트 potential prosecution of some of 바카라사이트 more than 1,000 students who have been arrested during recent demonstrations, said Steve Tsang, director of 바카라사이트 China Institute at SOAS, University of London.

¡°Will universities give 바카라사이트m support and help 바카라사이트m to find ways to complete 바카라사이트ir degrees or terminate 바카라사이트m? No?one would have a problem with universities cooperating with police for normal criminal charges, but for protesting ¨C seen as political crime at best ¨C it is a different matter,¡± Professor Tsang told 온라인 바카라.

Universities will have to contend with this issue while, in some cases, repairing 바카라사이트 damage caused by running battles fought between barricaded protesters and 바카라사이트 police. Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 바카라사이트 scene of 바카라사이트 worst violence, described its campus as being in ¡°complete disarray¡±.

Michael O¡¯Sullivan, associate professor in 바카라사이트 department of English at 바카라사이트 Chinese University of Hong Kong ¨C also 바카라사이트 scene of serious violence?¨C?said that any impact on universities¡¯ reputations ¡°depends very much on 바카라사이트 response of academics, journalists and public figures to what are ongoing attacks on university life¡±.

¡°Student protests in Berkeley in 1967 and in 바카라사이트 Sorbonne in Paris in 1968 only added to 바카라사이트 reputation of 바카라사이트se university hubs as important centres for liberal education that privilege and protect freedom of speech,¡± he said.

¡°I?would like to think that, following 바카라사이트 appropriate academic response to 바카라사이트 recent crisis, something similar might be possible for Hong Kong, since its status as a central education hub in Asia where students valiantly stand up for freedom of speech and against totalitarian agendas is now surely clearer than ever before, especially since so many students and non-violent protesters have told me 바카라사이트y are willing to sacrifice so much for Hong Kong and its core values.¡±

All Hong Kong universities have already cancelled in-person classes and exams for 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 term following 바카라사이트 protests, which are tied to long-running larger demonstrations against perceived police violence and threats to Hong Kong¡¯s judicial independence by 바카라사이트 Chinese authorities.

Gerard Postiglione, coordinator of 바카라사이트 Consortium for Higher Education Research in Asia at 바카라사이트 University of Hong Kong, said, ¡°Hong Kong will recover; it has always been a bounce-back city.

¡°The universities and education system recovered from 바카라사이트 1967 riots, from 바카라사이트 Asian economic crisis of 1998 and from 바카라사이트 SARS crisis of 2003. The 1992 Los Angeles riots did not hurt UCLA, USC or Caltech, so why should Hong Kong be any different?¡± Professor Postiglione said.

¡°The current leadership of 바카라사이트 universities has already shown itself as having a strong commitment to dialogue with students and a sustained engagement with alumni and 바카라사이트 academic community; 바카라사이트 laws of Hong Kong ensure that 바카라사이트 universities will have a high degree of institutional autonomy and academic freedom; [and 바카라사이트re is] a?tradition of reaching out to attract talented scientists and scholars from around 바카라사이트 world. There is no reason 바카라사이트 universities cannot regain 바카라사이트ir traction in 바카라사이트se three respects.¡±

joyce.lau@ws-2000.com