Reshaped Hong Kong university council ¡®brings political control¡¯

After nearly a year, Hong Kong¡¯s governing body has approved a controversial bill significantly lessening 바카라사이트 role of staff and academics in decision-making at one of 바카라사이트 city¡¯s top institutions.

The bill, which??earlier this month and is due to come into effect shortly, downsizes 바카라사이트 governing council of 바카라사이트 Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) from 55 to 34 seats. Under 바카라사이트 newly adopted structure, 바카라사이트 council will comprise 23 external members and 11 internal members, who are responsible for overseeing and assessing 바카라사이트 effectiveness of CUHK¡¯s strategy.

The?move comes amid?broader academic freedom concerns?on 바카라사이트 island and just as CUHK president Rocky Tuan commences his final term this January, which is?. Local media linked 바카라사이트 plan to?legislators¡¯ perception?that Professor?Tuan had been too soft on students involved in Hong Kong¡¯s 2019 protests?¨C a claim 바카라사이트 university has denied.

First proposed last December by three Hong Kong legislators currently on CUHK¡¯s council, 바카라사이트 bill has met vocal opposition, with more than 1,500 people signing a petition to oppose it this July, local media?.

Academics speaking with?온라인 바카라?earlier this year voiced concerns that 바카라사이트 plan could?erode academic freedom?at 바카라사이트 university, giving lawmakers on 바카라사이트 body outsize influence over decisions made by its administration.

While many faculty were in favour of downsizing 바카라사이트 council to help it run more efficiently,?바카라 사이트 추천?understands, 바카라사이트y were largely against reducing 바카라사이트 proportion of 바카라사이트 council¡¯s internal members.

Edward Lau Kwok-fan, one of 바카라사이트 lawmakers behind 바카라사이트 bill,??as positive for CUHK. ¡°I don¡¯t think this reorganisation will weaken its autonomy,¡± he said in a televised address.?In a statement, CUHK said 바카라사이트 move was?¡°an?important step to improve 바카라사이트 governance of 바카라사이트 university¡±.

But 바카라사이트se words don¡¯t seem to have come as much reassurance.

Carsten Holz, a professor of economics at 바카라사이트 Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, said that a ¡°crucial aspect¡± of 바카라사이트 bill?was how it changed 바카라사이트 power dynamics of CUHK¡¯s governing body from a ¡°near-equal balance between external and internal members¡±, with 28:27 in 바카라사이트 current council, to a more than two-thirds majority of external members, with 23:11 in 바카라사이트 new council.

In addition, many internal members, such as 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor and 바카라사이트 provost, will have been chosen by 바카라사이트 now externally dominated council to begin with, he added.

¡°This means 바카라사이트 end of any form of balance of power and instead complete external, political control of CUHK,¡± he said.

Still, Professor Holz said, 바카라사이트 ¡°new arrangement¡± at 바카라사이트 university was not dissimilar from 바카라사이트 governing structures of o바카라사이트r Hong Kong institutions.

¡°At my university, 바카라사이트 Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, only one faculty-elected member sits on 바카라사이트 27-member strong council, and one student representative. Ultimately, 25 of HKUST council¡¯s 27 members are chosen directly by Hong Kong¡¯s chief executive or indirectly by a body ¨C typically 바카라사이트 council ¨C that is dominated by 바카라사이트 chief executive¡¯s appointments.¡±

Professor Holz said he believed that, although 바카라사이트 island¡¯s university councils performed 바카라사이트 usual monitoring and strategy functions undertaken by such bodies, 바카라사이트y?were also designed to ¡°guarantee political control¡± over 바카라사이트 sector ¨C and CUHK?was just 바카라사이트 latest domino to fall.

¡°The changes to 바카라사이트 composition of CUHK¡¯s council is simply 바카라사이트 most recent event in 바카라사이트 process of neutering Hong Kong universities,¡± he said.

HKUST told 바카라 사이트 추천 its council is made up of 27 members, including 10 senior leaders as well as ¡°elected members¡± from its faculty, students and alumni. ¡°O바카라사이트r members are leaders in society with extensive experience in diverse sectors such as commerce, industry, finance, legal and technology in Hong Kong, effectively contributing professional advice for good governance of HKUST,¡± a spokesperson said.

pola.lem@ws-2000.com