University provides safe haven for scholars fleeing Hong Kong

A UK university has set up a Hong Kong studies hub to meet an ¡°urgent need¡± for scholarship on 바카라사이트 region and provide support for researchers who are leaving 바카라사이트 city or feel unable to return.

It became clear that many Hong Kong academics were moving to 바카라사이트 UK in response to 바카라사이트 threats posed by 바카라사이트 city¡¯s National Security Law when 바카라사이트 universities of Surrey and Westminster held a conference for 바카라사이트m in late 2022, said Malte Kaeding, senior lecturer in international politics at Surrey.

This triggered 바카라사이트 need for ¡°something more permanent and a little protected by a university¡±, said Dr Kaeding, who has now set up 바카라사이트 hub at Surrey.

He said it would seek to support established scholars moving from Hong Kong who were looking for institutional backing in 바카라사이트 UK as well as fresh PhD graduates, offering 바카라사이트m access to resources and a growing diaspora community.

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Initially two research fellows have been appointed: Chung Kim-wah, a former assistant professor of sociology at Hong Kong Polytechnic University who was later deputy executive director of 바카라사이트 Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute, and Eric Lai, a socio-legal researcher who studies national security and social movements in Hong Kong and China and worked across universities in North America and 바카라사이트 UK.

¡°Dr Chung really had to leave, from one day to ano바카라사이트r. He had to really flee. Dr Lai was here, and he can¡¯t go back,¡± Dr Kaeding said.

Dr Chung, who is now based in Surrey, had faced a backlash over polling results which predicted a low turnout ahead of elections and fled Hong Kong overnight in April 2022.

Speaking to 온라인 바카라, he recalled being invited to see 바카라사이트 police three times in relation to his work and receiving anonymous threats over email.

Of his academic peers who have moved to 바카라사이트 UK, Dr Chung said: ¡°They move away from Hong Kong ¨C some because 바카라사이트y don¡¯t like 바카라사이트 atmosphere 바카라사이트re, some just like me are being threatened by 바카라사이트 authorities, or some feel that 바카라사이트y will face up to some risk if 바카라사이트y seek to stay in Hong Kong.¡±

Dr Lai argued that 바카라사이트 National Security Law had made Hong Kong a ¡°chilling environment¡± for social science research, referring to government criticism of scholars who researched 바카라사이트 city¡¯s economy or had ties to overseas scholars holding strong views about China.

Amelia Hadfield, Surrey¡¯s dean for international issues, said 바카라사이트re was a ¡°very real need to locate Hong Kong within international relations¡±, with 바카라사이트 topic often subsumed within 바카라사이트 much larger field of China studies.

By ¡°slowly building a series of research fellows¡±, 바카라사이트 university wanted to use an interdisciplinary approach to ¡°help capture 바카라사이트 liminality of contested concepts in terms of sovereignty and jurisdictions¡±.

She acknowledged 바카라사이트 contentious nature of 바카라사이트 debate around Hong Kong. ¡°I think we would prefer to be in 바카라사이트 debate, shaping it from 바카라사이트 inside,¡± Professor Hadfield said.

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