Silent march to 'defend autonomy' planned as University of Hong Kong professors protest Johannes Chan appointment defeat
A rallying call has gone out to academics at the University of Hong Kong to join a silent march on campus on Tuesday to protest against an as-yet unexplained decision to reject a liberal colleague's candidacy for a key management post.
The campus in Pok Fu Lam is to see an outpouring to "defend HKU's autonomy", a week after the university's governing council voted 12-8 against appointing former law dean Professor Johannes Chan Man-mun to a pro-vice-chancellor position.
Many believed pro-government members on the council were averse to Chan's ties with colleague Benny Tai Yiu-ting, a co-founder of the Occupy Central movement.
Come support HKU staff and students and defend academic freedom in Hong Kong this Tuesday! Wear black! Bring a black umbrella in case it rains!「衛我港大自主，師生黑衣遊行」本星期二(十月六日)中午12:45 港大師生穿黑衣抗議！請廣傳！如果下雨請帶黑傘。
Posted by 6octhkuinblack on Friday, 2 October 2015
"The institutional autonomy of the University of Hong Kong is under attack," read a poster for the march organised by four academic heads at the university: Professor Timothy O'Leary of the humanities school; Professor Lusina Ho of the law faculty; Professor Joseph Chan Cho-wai of the politics and public administration department; and Dr Petula Ho Sik-ying of the social work and social administration department.
The notice said the vote result "shows the university is now set on a path that will, if unchecked, lead to the inevitable erosion of the most precious of our core values: academic freedom".
Petula Ho conceded that junior colleagues might fear the repercussions of attending the event. Yet she thought the leadership of three full professors and student enthusiasm would help turnout. The march will begin at the new centennial campus and end at the main campus.
Following Tuesday's vote, university president Professor Peter Mathieson emailed staff and students on Friday, encouraging their continued pursuit of "whatever subjects their interests dictate, irrespective of how controversial they may be".
But Ho thought his message did not go far enough. "The core question is not about researching controversial subjects," she said. "It's about what one can and cannot study to get a promotion."
A backlash against the council's decision was exacerbated after one member, students' union president Billy Fung Jing-en, defied confidentiality rules and disclosed what pro-government members and non-university staff had said at the meeting.
Fung quoted former Lingnan University president Edward Chen Kwan-yiu as saying Chan lacked a PhD. Chen later denied having said so.
In an open letter, the Lingnan students' union yesterday blasted Chen's role with "communist puppets" destroying university autonomy, and asked if he had forgotten the value of integrity.
Writing in response on Facebook, Chen said his decision came under no outside or political influence and was based on "my conscience". Chen did not state how he voted.
