Panel set up to review governance at University of Hong Kong to turn spotlight on chief executive’s powers

Independent experts expected to answer critics who claim there is too much political interference in bodies that run the public institutions

PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 26 April, 2016

A governance review panel set up by the University of Hong Kong’s ruling council at a meeting on Tuesday is expected to study whether the chief executive should be default chancellor of all the city’s public universities with power to appoint council members.

The independent panel consists of three people – two former members of the University Grants Commission, Professor Malcolm Grant, who will be chairman, and Professor William Kirby, plus retired High Court judge Peter Nguyen.

Grant is chancellor of the University of York in England, while Kirby is China studies and business professor at Harvard University.

The panel will review the governance structure of Hong Kong’s universities, listening to the views of students, staff and alumni, drawing on international practices and making recommendations to the HKU council.

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Critics say the system in Hong Kong leaves universities open to political interference.

The panel will start work in June and is expected to complete a report by the end of the year.

Council member Eric Cheung Tat-ming said he was happy with the members on the panel, describing them as “recognised International and local experts with ... independence”.

“I think [the power of the chief executive] is an issue that they will look into,” said Cheung. “Because that is unavoidable. It is very clear that this issue has been raised by stakeholders before.”

Advocates of reform point to the controversial decision by HKU’s council last year to reject the promotion of liberal law professor Johannes Chan Man-mun to a key managerial post, the appointment of hard-line former education minister Professor Arthur Li Kwok-cheung as council chairman, and the appointment of three pro-establishment figures to Lingnan University’s council.

Students, staff and alumni have urged a change to the governance system, in particular the chief executive’s role. They also want more members appointed from inside universities.

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A UGC report reviewing the university governance structure released last month raised questions about universities’ lack of control when the chief executive has the power to appoint council members.

The report noted that Hong Kong’s system of recruiting council members was unusual internationally because governing bodies in other countries selected members themselves.

The panel will take the UGC report as a reference.

The meeting also marked former student union president Billy Fung Jing-en’s last council meeting as a student representative. His successor, Althea Suen Hiu-lam, will attend the meeting next month.

Before the meeting, Fung apologised to those students who elected him into the council for his “failure and inability” to ensure “fairness and justice” over the failed appointment of Chan.

Fung also apologised for not being able to stop Li’s appointment as council chairman.