Media

HKU Council deliberates the Report of the Working Party on the Recommendations of the Review Panel on University Governance

27 Jun 2017

The Council of the University received at its meeting today (June 27) recommendations from a Working Party it established in February 2017 to look into the recommendations in the Report (including an “addendum”) submitted to the Council by a Review Panel on University Governance (Review Panel). 

Professor Sir Malcolm Grant (University of York), Professor William Kirby (Harvard University) and Mr Peter Nguyen (former High Court Judge) are members of the Review Panel.  The Council’s Working Party is chaired by Dr Brian Stevenson and its members include Professor Henry Chan, Professor Joseph Chan, Mrs Ayesha Lau, Dr Patrick Poon and Professor Rosie Young.

The Council agreed in general with the recommendations of the Working Party, and noted that quite a few recommendations of the Review Panel had already been successfully implemented (such as recommendations relating to strategic planning and risk management).  

With regard to the position and role of the Chancellor, the Council agreed with the Working Party that it is not advisable at this point in time to introduce either an uncertain, long and protracted process of making legislative changes, or an ad hoc and informal practice of seeking agreement for delegation of power. 

Dr Stevenson, Chairman of the Working Party, explained that “the Working Party was of the view – given the passage of time since the Review Panel first began its review exercise and recognising that some of its recommendations might imply legislative changes – that establishing a process of formal procedures was a more pragmatic way forward to “institutionalise” the recommended changes, as compared with the uncertain, long and protracted process of amending legislation, or the ad hoc and informal practice of seeking agreement from the Chancellor to delegate power.  Such formal procedures, established by the Council, could be reviewed and fine-tuned in the future as necessary.”

In this regard, the Council resolved to introduce a set of procedures for the appointment of members and Chairman of the Council by the Chancellor, by changing the terms of reference of its Nominations Committee and setting up a new Advisory Committee on Council Chairmanship.  The Council also agreed to a set of guidelines for the award of Honorary Degrees.  These procedures will enable the University to have a two-way communication with the Chancellor during the appointments of Council members and Council Chairman, and the consideration of candidates for award of Honorary Degrees.

The Council would like to start the two-way communication which it wishes to see by seeking suggestions and comments from the incoming Chancellor on the proposed procedures and guidelines.

On the issue of confidentiality, the Working Party strongly agreed with the Review Panel that it is “inappropriate for any member of Council to breach confidentiality” and that the “Council needs to get back to being a long-term strategic governing body and away from a focus on current media excitement.”  The Working Party proposes that the Council should agree on a single standardised agreement to be signed and respected by current and future Council members, in which each member agrees to be bound by confidentiality and agrees to sanctions if he/she breaches confidentiality.

The Council Chairman Professor Arthur Li said he is glad that the Council has endorsed the recommendations of the Working Party which he believed would allow the Council of the University to “set aside the turbulent politics of Hong Kong and get on with its job of strategic governance”, as pointed out by the Review Panel in its report.

The Council has at the same time agreed to release the full report of both the Review Panel and the Working Party. There will be sessions with staff, students and alumni to share views on University governance issues.

The reports can be found at the following web-pages:

Report (including an “addendum”) by the Review Panel on University Governance
http://www.gs.hku.hk/Grant_Report_and_Addendum.pdf

Report of the Working Party on the Recommendations of the Review Panel on University Governance
http://www.gs.hku.hk/Report_of_Working_Party.pdf

For media enquiries, please contact the Communications and Public Affairs Office, HKU: Ms Trinni Choy, Assistant Director (Media), Tel: 2859 2606/ Email: pychoy@hku.hk; Ms Melanie Wan, Senior Manager (Media), Tel: 2859 2600/ Email: melwkwan@hku.hk; or Ms Rhea Leung, Manager (Media), Tel: 2857 8555/ Email: rhea.leung@hku.hk.