page_title: University of Hong Kong pro-vice-chancellor selection controversy
section_title: Chan's appointment delayed
hierarchical_section_title: University of Hong Kong pro-vice-chancellor selection controversy / Events / Chan's appointment delayed
caption_attribution_description: 中文（香港）‎: 香港大學副校長任命事件
context_page_description: The University of Hong Kong pro-vice-chancellor selection controversy surrounds alleged political interference behind the University of Hong Kong governing council's rejection of Johannes Chan's recommended appointment to the post of pro-vice-chancellor in charge of staffing and resources. Chan, dean of the Faculty of Law from 2002 until 2014, had been unanimously recommended for the post by a selection committee headed by university president Peter Mathieson. The governing council's decision, the first time that a candidate selected by the committee has been rejected, is widely viewed as political retaliation for Chan's involvement with pro-democratic figures including his former subordinate Benny Tai. A majority of HKU Council members are not students or staff of the university, and many are directly appointed by incumbent HKSAR Chief executive Leung Chun-ying. The decision has received international condemnation, and is being viewed as part of a Beijing-backed curtailing of academic freedoms that will damage Hong Kong's academic reputation.
context_section_description: The university initiated a worldwide search for five pro-vice-chancellors in mid-2014. Two of them, Ian Holliday and Douglas So, were appointed in November 2014. Another two, Andy Hor and John Kao, were appointed in March 2015 to commence employment in September 2015. The sole candidate for position of pro-vice-chancellor (academic staffing and resources), recommended by unanimity, was Johannes Chan. The news of the selection committee's recommendation was broken by Wen Wei Po in a feature report "in the best interest of the public" even before the HKU council had been informed of the selection. Chan then became the target of a concerted attack by Wen Wei Po and Ta Kung Po for his academic record. Wen Wei Po, citing from a leaked University Grants Commission report, stated that Chan's academic record on research was not up to international standards while he was dean of the law school. The journal accused Chan of being so busy with politics that he neglected research.
  According to an article by Kevin Lau in Ming Pao, parties close to the government applied pressure on committee members behind the scenes to block Chan's appointment. Chief executive Leung Chun-ying was reported to have telephoned members of the committee to persuade them to vote against Chan's appointment, whilst Sophia Kao, member of the Central Policy Unit, admitted that she may have mentioned Chan's candidature to someone "casually" but said she did not recall with whom and in what context. CY Leung's lieutenant Fanny Law, who was found to have interfered with institutional autonomy in 2007 whilst serving as education secretary, categorically denied having intervened. Leung also denied allegations he intervened in the selection. However, i-Cable and South China Morning Post subsequently revealed that CY Leung had convened at least three meetings with Peter Mathieson within four months during the period the decision was being deferred. On one occasion, Leung allegedly met Mathieson with HKU council chairman Leong Chee-hung and education secretary Eddie Ng. Although Ng said he had no recollection of the meeting, the Office of the Chief executive did not deny that such a meeting had taken place.
  The council was criticised when it repeatedly deferred the decision to appoint Chan, stating that it should wait until a new provost was in place. The decision was repeatedly delayed through votes on 30 June and 28 July. Just after the council voted down a motion to stop delaying the appointment at the latter meeting, dozens of students rushed into the conference room in protest. During the incident, council member Lo Chung-mau fell down and alleged he was pushed over. He said his knee was injured; he reported this to the police and was taken to hospital. Students' union president Billy Fung expressed disbelief that Lo was injured by a student. Online videos appeared to show Lo fainting or falling on his own.
  The students' storming of the conference was denounced by vice-chancellor Peter Mathieson, as well as the ten university deans who issued a statement urging "all parties to put the interest of the university first" and expressing conviction in the guarantee of academic freedom and university autonomy by the Hong Kong Basic Law Article 137. Council member Arthur Li compared the students to the Red Guards of the Cultural Revolution who tortured intellectuals.
  On the other hand, 15 ex-presidents of the university released a joint statement supporting the students and expressing regret that Mathieson and the incumbent university deans had condemned the protest. The presidents called the demonstration a "righteous action of the students to safeguard the academic freedom and university's autonomy." They said the composition of the current council, stacked with pro-government members from outside the university, violated the principle of institutional autonomy. Billy Fung said that the storming of the conference room helped bring the issue into the public spotlight.
  Following the postponement of 30 June, the postgraduate student representative, Aloysius Arokiaraj, re
caption: Students storm the conference room on 28 July after the HKU council votes again to delay Chan's appointment
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