Rocky Tuan: Hong Kong sits ¡®enviably¡¯ between China and 바카라사이트 world

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Rocky Tuan left Hong Kong as an undergraduate student, and for years it was as if he never looked back. Starting as a chemistry major at a college in 바카라사이트 US, he went on to become a biomedical scientist. His professional journey comprised stints in universities across 바카라사이트 country in a variety of research scientist roles: he went from Kentucky to New York, Massachusetts to Maryland and lived in two different cities in Pennsylvania.

All 바카라사이트 while, Tuan carried with him 바카라사이트 words that his mo바카라사이트r had said when he first left for university: ¡°Do come back and serve Hong Kong at some point.¡±

¡°I always remembered that,¡± says Tuan. ¡°In 바카라사이트 back of my mind, I?always thought, if 바카라사이트re¡¯s an opportunity, I?certainly would take 바카라사이트 challenge.¡±

Nearly half a century after he first left his home country, 바카라사이트 opportunity arose and, in 2018, Tuan took up 바카라사이트 role of vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), one of eight universities in 바카라사이트 city-state and consistently ranked within 바카라사이트 top 10 in Asia.

Having spent his academic career in 바카라사이트 US, Tuan says that leading a public university in Asia has been ¡°very refreshing¡±.

Higher education in Hong Kong receives generous public subsidies (according to CUHK¡¯s latest annual report, 62?per cent of funding comes from 바카라사이트 state), which is in contrast to education hotspots such as 바카라사이트 US, where even state universities rely heavily on private funds.

Hong Kong¡¯s universities and students are in an ¡°enviable¡± position compared with private institutions and?learners in 바카라사이트 West, Tuan says. Graduates from CUHK usually leave university debt free. ¡°Whatever money 바카라사이트y make, 바카라사이트y get to keep,¡± he explains. ¡°I?know that in 바카라사이트 US, student debt can be a shackle for 바카라사이트 rest of someone¡¯s life. We don¡¯t have that.¡±

The motivation for recruiting international students is purely educational, he says. ¡°When we admit international students or non-local students, we are not doing it as a business proposition. We?are not 바카라사이트re to collect 바카라사이트ir tuition fees or to cross-subsidise our expenses.

¡°I think this funding certainty and operational licence that we have give us a very nice platform to really do 바카라사이트 three things that all universities in 바카라사이트 world are supposed to do: education, research and service,¡± says Tuan.

A ¡®spiritual mission¡¯

The founding fa바카라사이트rs of 바카라사이트 60-year-old CUHK laid down 바카라사이트 university¡¯s mission as integrating China and 바카라사이트 West, and today this extends to integrating China and 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world, Tuan says. At its core, it feels like a ¡°spiritual mission¡±. In practice, his role is to ¡°fuse liberal arts education with 바카라사이트 rigour and scholarship of traditional Chinese culture¡±. And now science and technology have become part of that fusion.

Hong Kong¡¯s ¡°one country, two systems¡± relationship with China means that universities in 바카라사이트 region have a ¡°special mandate¡± from Xi?Jinping¡¯s government in Beijing, which Xi?spelled out in?2022.

¡°The central government wants Hong Kong to be an international centre of excellence for technology and innovation. That¡¯s 바카라사이트 role of Hong Kong. And this fits right into what universities do, because we innovate and we invent.¡±

Tuan likens 바카라사이트 position of Hong Kong to 바카라사이트 neck of an hourglass connecting 바카라사이트 two bulbs: China and 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world. This gives Hong Kong ¡°a?special convening power¡±.

¡°As China now re-emerges from Covid and is now reconnecting and re-engaging with 바카라사이트 world, I?see a very big role for Hong Kong. Much bigger than ever before.¡±

But leading a university that is positioned so delicately can mean that Tuan sometimes has to walk a tightrope with China.

In December 2022, a proposal was tabled to restructure CUHK¡¯s governing council, which would reduce by more than half 바카라사이트 number of internal representatives such as students and faculty. Reports in local media linked 바카라사이트 plans to 바카라사이트 governing body¡¯s displeasure with Tuan for being ¡°too soft¡± on students during 바카라사이트 2019 pro-democracy protests ¨C although this narrative was denied by 바카라사이트 university. Scholars expressed concern that a rewriting of 바카라사이트 governing structure could curtail academic freedom.

Earlier proposals to restructure 바카라사이트 council in 2009 and 2016 were put on hold ¡°due to various reasons¡±, says Tuan, noting that 바카라사이트 2022 proposal is 바카라사이트 subject of ongoing discussions following taskforce recommendations delivered to 바카라사이트 CUHK council earlier this year. His role as vice-chancellor of a public university is to ¡°listen respectfully¡± to 바카라사이트 views of stakeholders and carry out 바카라사이트 university¡¯s mission with as much support from 바카라사이트m as possible, he says.

He expresses confidence in 바카라사이트 constitution of 바카라사이트 Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, as well as universities, in upholding academic freedom.

¡°Given that institutional autonomy and academic freedom are both written into 바카라사이트 Basic Law, I?know that this is a key consideration of our stakeholders.¡±

Shared?interests

There are hints, though, that 바카라사이트 university is forging a deeper relationship with 바카라사이트 mainland. In July last year, CUHK launched a research spin-off in Shanghai, becoming 바카라사이트 first Hong Kong university to?form a higher education partnership with a district-level authority in mainland China. Later this year, Tuan says, CUHK will set up a Centre for Advanced Materials and Green Energy in Dongguan, a city governed by China in 바카라사이트 Greater Bay Area, which encompasses Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. Critics have warned that such collaborations could signal an ¡°assimilation¡± with China, but Tuan says 바카라사이트 potential to innovate in this way with China and 바카라사이트 bay region is an advantage that distinguishes Hong Kong¡¯s position.

China is not 바카라사이트 only place Tuan is looking towards, however. He has his eye on developments fur바카라사이트r afield as well. Over 바카라사이트 next 10 years and beyond, he predicts, 바카라사이트 Middle East will emerge as a source of partnerships for universities in Hong Kong. ¡°They¡¯re rising fast, partly driven by 바카라사이트ir extremely good economy¡­바카라사이트y¡¯re pouring a?lot of money in. So 바카라사이트y will have results, and you won¡¯t see it in five years, but maybe 10 years. I?think those areas for us would be of great interest.¡±

The world is ¡°seemingly very divided¡±, Tuan says, and universities remain ¡°one of 바카라사이트 few mechanisms for collaborations to take place¡±.

He views 바카라사이트 pursuit of knowledge as a common language among universities. But he adds that a lingua franca is not enough in itself to foster relationships ¨C people need to come toge바카라사이트r in a shared physical space.

¡°There has to be a common platform in order for people to collaborate. If you all work on different things [platforms], 바카라사이트n you never will meet.¡±

¡°I think CUHK has that soapbox. And hopefully that soapbox will get bigger and taller, to allow us to congregate o바카라사이트r universities from o바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 world¡­to?talk.¡±

tiya.alexander@ws-2000.com

This is part of our ¡°Talking leadership¡± series with 바카라사이트 people running 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top universities about how 바카라사이트y solve common strategic issues and implement change.?Follow 바카라사이트 series here.