CUHK Followed Rules Over Aborted Emblem Change: Govt

Education Secretary Christine Choi on Wednesday said Chinese University clearly followed regulations when it recently attempted to change its emblem.

CUHK last month reverted back to the old emblem after a public backlash, with some lawmakers arguing that the saga was a case of poor governance.

Responding to a question in the Legislative Council, Choi said the university formed a committee on the emblem in accordance with the law, adding that the government doesn't interfere in CUHK's internal decisions because of institutional autonomy.

"So it's not the case that the committee made its own decisions. It had to report to the governing council via the vice-chancellor," she told lawmakers, adding that people can take such matters to court if they suspect a breach of regulations.

Business and Professionals Alliance lawmaker Priscilla Leung accused Choi of dancing around the issue, alleging that the governing council had failed in its supervisory role regarding the emblem change.

Leung claimed that a low percentage of outsiders on CUHK's council has caused poor governance, citing government figures as saying that outsiders make up more than half of the members of several university councils in Hong Kong, but just 17 percent at CUHK.

Choi, however, stressed that the composition of the university councils is related to the different history and development of the institutions.

The minister said it's normal for stakeholders to have different views about university governance, but they should have frank exchanges with the university for the overall interests of all sides.

Leung, who said she was not happy with Choi's answers, also complained that three lawmakers who are CUHK council members do not have the power to ensure an item is discussed by the governing body.

"The existing [CUHK] ordinance has given too much discretion for a publicly funded university, and I believe it has provided a lot of loopholes for the CUHK management to disregard the opinion of the council," she told reporters.

The lawmaker said she plans to invite CUHK management to a Legco panel meeting next week to discuss the institution's governance.