Concerns about the leadership of the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s head, Rocky Tuan Sung-chi, have been raised by lawmakers after he missed three sessions of a Legislative Council (Legco) meeting. These meetings were organized to deliberate plans for increasing external representation on the institution’s governing body. As the vice-chancellor, Tuan’s absence during the recent Legco bills committee examination of a private members’ bill sparked speculations about his capability to effectively manage the university.
This particular private members’ bill aims to ensure a dominance of external appointees in the university council. For the third time, Tuan was absent from the bills committee sessions due to reported illness, leading to conjectures by some lawmakers about his capacity to lead. Lawmaker Reverend Peter Koon Ho-ming expressed concern saying, “The Legco is not some kind of a savage beast. I hope that Tuan can come here to clarify our doubts about his governance.”
University council’s chairman, Professor John Chai Yat-chiu, has pledged to examine Tuan’s continued absence during the upcoming council meeting. He expressed hopes that Tuan’s absence would not turn out to be a systemic issue but remain an individual case.
The bill in question was proposed by Tommy Cheung Yu-yan, Bill Tang Ka-piu, and Edward Lau Kwok-fan, who are all external appointees to the council. It seeks to reduce the council members from 55 to 34 and increase the proportion of external appointees over internal ones to 2:1. Furthermore, the bill proposes to increase the voting threshold for the position of vice-chancellor from a simple majority to three-quarters. This would mean that, in extreme cases, only seven members would be allowed to vote “yes.”
However, this proposal has faced opposition. Critics argue that it will hamper academic freedom by limiting the influence of university staff. Over 1,600 individuals signed a petition by Sunday, urging Legco to dismiss the proposed changes.
Among the opposers were high-profile figures like Louis Ng Chi-wa, the director of the Hong Kong Palace Museum, and government pandemic adviser, Professor David Hui Shu-cheong. Others voicing against the proposal were Leung Wing-mo, the former assistant director of the Hong Kong Observatory, and former undersecretary for commerce and economic development, Godfrey Leung King-kwok.
Despite the opposition, Cheung maintains that the proposal aims to enhance the administration of the university, describing it as moderate. He pointed out, “Under the bill, there will only be nine external council members appointed by the chief executive, accounting for about 26 per cent. This percentage is really low when compared with 76 per cent at Lingnan University. We are not harsh at all.”
Priscilla Leung Mei-fun, a Beijing loyalist heavyweight, concurred with Cheung’s view. She stated that the university was the sole government-funded academic institution that had not yet undergone changes to its governing body. According to her, this was the reason behind numerous governance issues that have emerged in the past.
Interestingly, Tuan had been targeted by Beijing loyalist lawmakers following the social unrest in 2019. He faced accusations of empathizing with student protesters, despite which he was reappointed as vice-chancellor for another three years in April. On a separate note, the university confirmed on Friday that veteran council member Roger Luk Koon-ho, 71, resigned after over two decades on the board.
The controversial bill is set to resume its second reading in Legco on November 1.
The Chinese University of Hong Kong, which sits in a crucial position as an institution of higher learning and research, is navigating a potentially significant change in its governance. The current debate surrounds a bill proposing increased external representation on its university council, which, according to its proponents, will improve administrative efficiency. However, these discussions have been clouded by concerns over Vice-Chancellor Rocky Tuan Sung-chi’s leadership following his absence from three key Legislative Council (Legco) meetings due to reported illness.
Lawmakers like Reverend Peter Koon Ho-ming have expressed their concerns openly, calling on Tuan to provide clarity on his governance. Meanwhile, University council chairman Professor John Chai Yat-chiu has taken on the responsibility to examine Tuan’s absences, hopeful that they are isolated instances rather than indicative of a systemic problem.
The bill, introduced by legislators Tommy Cheung Yu-yan, Bill Tang Ka-piu, and Edward Lau Kwok-fan, aims to streamline the university council by reducing its membership from 55 to 34, while boosting the ratio of external to internal appointees to 2:1. The lawmakers have also proposed raising the voting threshold for the vice-chancellor position to three-quarters from the current simple majority, thereby potentially limiting the ability of only seven members to vote “yes” in extreme scenarios.
Despite these seemingly moderate suggestions, the bill has met with staunch opposition from various quarters. Critics argue that the proposed changes could diminish academic freedom by suppressing the influence of university staff. A petition against the bill has gathered over 1,600 signatures.
Prominent figures such as Louis Ng Chi-wa, the director of the Hong Kong Palace Museum, government pandemic adviser Professor David Hui Shu-cheong, Leung Wing-mo, former assistant director of the Hong Kong Observatory, and Godfrey Leung King-kwok, the ex-undersecretary for commerce and economic development, have added their voices to the dissent.
Yet, the bill’s proponents, including legislator Priscilla Leung Mei-fun, a noted Beijing loyalist, argue that the proposed changes are a necessity. According to them, the university, being the only government-funded academic institution yet to see changes to its governing body, has suffered from governance issues in the past.
Moreover, they insist that the proposed number of external council members—nine, appointed by the chief executive and comprising about 26 per cent of the council—is quite modest, especially when compared with the 76 per cent at Lingnan University.
This controversy unfolds against a backdrop where Tuan was previously targeted by Beijing loyalist lawmakers following the 2019 social unrest. Some accused him of sympathising with student protesters, but he was reappointed as vice-chancellor for another three years in April last year.
In a separate development, Roger Luk Koon-ho, a veteran council member who served more than two decades, has resigned from the council. These unfolding events have only added to the complexity of the situation at the university. The controversial bill is set to be further discussed in its second reading in Legco on November 1, ensuring more debates and discussions on the future governance of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
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