Hong Kong lawmakers pass bill reforming Chinese University’s governing council

Some of the biggest changes included cutting the size of the council from 55 members to 34, lowering its proportion of academic councillors and increasing the voting threshold for approving the appointment of the president who also serves as vice-chancellor.

The council called the revamp an “important step” to improve governance.

“The council thanks all members for their support, advice and contributions to the council and the university community more broadly,” it said.

“Following the bill’s gazettal and the commencement of the reorganised council with new composition, we will work diligently to finalise methods to admit other categories of members as soon as practicable.”

The bill will be gazetted either this Friday or the next, according to Cheung, with Lau adding the university would put the changes into effect immediately.

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The proposal divided university alumni, prompting some council members to launch an online petition calling for it to be scrapped, collecting about 1,600 signatories in nine days.

Its backers noted the council had already endorsed amendments to the university’s ordinance and argued the private members’ bill ignored the opinion of stakeholders.

But lawmaker Cheung, of the catering functional constituency, on Wednesday said the reorganisation was “belated” and could rein in university management.

“Chinese University’s governance was completely out of touch with its remarkable academic achievements in recent years,” he said.

“Governance issues, in turn, became a stumbling block for the university to move forward, resulting in numerous problems.”

The university, one of the oldest in the city and which consistently places among its best in highly regarded annual rankings, is led by Rocky Tuan Sung-chi, whose reappointment last year drew criticism from the pro-establishment camp.

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The current council’s term ended on Tuesday and an ad hoc transitional one with 13 members would be formed, with most appointed by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, Cheung and Lau said.

The three lawmakers were on the previous council, as representatives of the legislature, and would serve on the one about to be created.

Lau said the reorganisation was only step one in improving the university’s governance and he, Cheung and Tang would follow up on other governance concerns.

Three lawmakers who abstained from the voting were Tik Chi-yuen of the social welfare sector, Gary Zhang Xinyu of New Prospect for Hong Kong and Kenneth Lau Ip-keung of the Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong.

Tik said he abstained because the bill failed to gain consensus from council members, alumni, teachers and students.

He said he was concerned the revamp would create uncertainties in the direction of the university’s development because of distrust the bill might create between its backers and opponents.

Zhang said he disagreed with how differences were handled during the readings of the bill, although he did not have a strong opinion on the reorganisation plan itself.

Lau declined to say why he abstained from the vote.

Former council member Enders Lam Wai-hung, who was among those initiating the online petition, said he could only accept and respect the legislature’s decision, albeit reluctantly.

“The resolution went against the expectations of the people who support the university’s management and development,” he said.

“I hope during the transition period, no one will do things inimical to the university, including on the handling of personnel matters.”

The 55-strong council held its final meeting on Tuesday before the bill was passed. Social media images showed participating members, including Tuan, wearing neckties and scarves with the university’s emblem in a group picture.

Another ex-council member, Heung Shu-fai, who also helped to set up the online petition, said the private bill was imposed on the university and there was no formal discussion and consensus on it at the meeting.

He said he felt regretful about the bill’s passage.