University of Hong Kong head fights back after being kept in dark about surprise reshuffle
- In email seen by Post, president Xiang Zhang says council’s move ‘disregarded the fundamentals of good governance’
The head of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) has openly fought back for the first time after being kept in the dark about an earlier surprise reshuffle of his senior management team by the chairwoman of the institution’s governing council.
In a Wednesday email seen by the Post addressing colleagues, students and alumni, president Xiang Zhang said the council’s move “disregarded the fundamentals of good governance”.
“These actions have severely undermined the century-old academic autonomy upon which the University of Hong Kong is built,” he said. “The stability and development of our university, as well as the reputation of Hong Kong, are now at risk, not to mention the negative impact on our efforts to attract global talents.”
Zhang, who is understood to be seeking legal advice on the proper procedures for selecting candidates for his management team, added it was his duty to “uphold the century-old traditions, mechanisms and procedures that are fundamental to the smooth functioning of the university”.
The Post earlier reported the council, chaired by Priscilla Wong Pui-sze, voted in a meeting in May to endorse the appointment of several interim vice-president positions, without consulting Zhang beforehand.
“The University of Hong Kong Ordinance and statutes grant the authority to the president to appoint temporary senior management officers,” Zhang said. “Neither were the nominations for these interim vice-presidents recommended by me, nor was I consulted about them.”
