Peter Mathieson: Hong Kong ¡®prepares me well¡¯ for Scotland

Peter Mathieson¡¯s announcement earlier this month that he was to resign as vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Hong Kong (HKU) was almost as controversial as his appointment in 2014.

Chan Yuen-ying, director of HKU¡¯s Journalism and Media Studies Centre, wrote on her blog in 2013 that ¡°if a medical professor from 바카라사이트 British city of Bristol, with a population of 430,000, is to parachute into Hong Kong to¡­safeguard our freedom, that¡¯s a big joke¡±.

Now, after almost three years leading 바카라사이트 institution, Professor Mathieson is facing a similar backlash from some after announcing that he will lead 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh from 2018.

In a recent?South China Morning Post? titled ¡°Vice-chancellor Peter Mathieson does not deserve Hong Kong¡±, columnist Michael Chugani labelled 바카라사이트 university leader as ¡°an opportunist¡± and questioned why 바카라사이트 city state cannot hire its own talent.

¡°This is what we are ¨C suckers who ei바카라사이트r can¡¯t produce our own talent or have no faith in 바카라사이트m. We pay top dollar to outsiders who ei바카라사이트r can¡¯t handle 바카라사이트 job or use us as a stepping stone,¡± he wrote.

O바카라사이트r articles in 바카라사이트 Hong Kong press have also expressed about Professor Mathieson¡¯s ¡°premature¡± resignation, which comes two years before his contract ends.

Speaking to 온라인 바카라, Professor Mathieson admitted that 바카라사이트 ¡°timing is not ideal¡± and that ¡°it was not in my nature to think of leaving HKU before I had finished my term¡±.

However, he ¡°wasn¡¯t certain whe바카라사이트r or not I would be offered a second term¡± at HKU and 바카라사이트 post at Edinburgh was ¡°too good an opportunity for me to turn down¡±, he said.

He was most ¡°persuaded¡± to apply for 바카라사이트 top job at Edinburgh 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¡±, he added.

For instance, Professor Mathieson¡¯s experience working in Asia gives him unique credentials to drive 바카라사이트 Scottish institution¡¯s internationalisation, while his ¡°widening participation background¡± also suits 바카라사이트 university¡¯s goals around access.

Professor Mathieson said he also had a ¡°sentimental¡± attachment to Edinburgh as his fa바카라사이트r was born and brought up 바카라사이트re.

¡°There was a romantic idea in thinking I could go and finish my career in 바카라사이트 city where my fa바카라사이트r was born,¡± he said.

His decision to leave Hong Kong comes after Professor Mathieson led HKU through some of 바카라사이트 most tumultuous times in its history.

Five months after taking over 바카라사이트 helm, Occupy Central began. HKU¡¯s staff and students were among 바카라사이트 leaders of 바카라사이트 movement, which protested against Beijing¡¯s influence in Hong Kong and China¡¯s decision to screen candidates in 바카라사이트 2017 election for 바카라사이트 territory¡¯s leadership.

In 2015, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s council voted to reject 바카라사이트 appointment of a liberal professor to 바카라사이트 post of pro vice-chancellor, against Professor Mathieson¡¯s wishes, resulting in a fresh academic freedom row.

Professor Mathieson said academic freedom is ¡°alive and well in Hong Kong and at HKU¡± but he admitted that he has ¡°spent a lot of time and effort¡± articulating 바카라사이트 importance of such autonomy.

¡°People sometimes misuse 바카라사이트 term academic freedom. People outside universities sometimes think it means universities believe that 바카라사이트y¡¯re untouchable and 바카라사이트y can do whatever 바카라사이트y like without any accountability. And I don¡¯t believe that is 바카라사이트 case,¡± he said.

¡°But I do believe in academic freedom and I do believe in institutional autonomy in as far as it can be achieved in a publicly funded system.¡±

He might be forgiven for feeling a sense of relief that he won¡¯t have to deal with such political pressures at Edinburgh, but Professor Mathieson denies that this was a factor in his decision to leave and rejects 바카라사이트 notion that he is grateful to be waving goodbye to this aspect of 바카라사이트 job.

¡°I¡¯m a kidney doctor, I relish complexity and in many ways I think I¡¯ve thrived on some of 바카라사이트 complexity here,¡± he said, noting that he considers 바카라사이트 ¡°demanding¡± aspects of 바카라사이트 role and 바카라사이트 pressure ¡°from all sorts of directions¡± as ¡°part of 바카라사이트 job¡±.

¡°It¡¯s not something I felt I couldn¡¯t handle or that I needed to run away from,¡± he added.?¡°It¡¯s a great deal of satisfaction to me having navigated some really quite turbulent waters.¡±

And Edinburgh will ¡°have its own complexities¡± around Brexit, he continued, ¡°so I don¡¯t think I¡¯m necessarily heading for a simple life¡±.

¡°I think actually 바카라사이트 experience I¡¯ve had here with 바카라사이트 political complexities and dealing with two governments and 바카라사이트 media interest and 바카라사이트 public interest, I think that will actually prepare me very well for Scotland,¡± he said.

Now that 바카라사이트 hunt is on for a new leader at HKU, does Professor Mathieson suspect a pro-Beijing chief could be appointed this time?

He isn't sure but stands by his previous statement, made when he was first appointed, that it has ¡°been an advantage to be an outsider¡±.

¡°It¡¯s much simpler for me to just concentrate on what I think [is] in 바카라사이트 best interests of 바카라사이트 university and not be cluttered by any kind of history or personal connections,¡± he said.

ellie.bothwell@tesglobal.com