Last year, the number of professors and other staff members leaving Hong Kong’s eight public universities reached the highest level since Hong Kong’s return in 1997. Analysis suggests that this is because Hong Kong society as a whole, including the education sector, is increasingly becoming ‘Sinicized’.
According to the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 5th, a total of 380 faculty members resigned from eight famous public universities in Hong Kong, including the University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong University of Education, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, in the last academic year (2022-2023), and the resignation rate was It was found to be 7.6%. This is an increase of 19 from the previous 361 people who resigned, and is the highest number since 1997, when Hong Kong was returned from Britain to China. Until now, the number of faculty and staff members resigning from public universities in Hong Kong was around 300, and the resignation rate was maintained at 6%. Among the eight universities, the Hong Kong University of Education had the highest turnover rate at 13%. Last year, 36 faculty and staff members resigned, double the previous number of 18.
An official from the University Grants Commission, which allocates budget to public universities in Hong Kong, said, “Retirees include those whose contracts have ended, those who have completed their contracts, those who have retired, etc.” He added, “The number of retirees appears to have increased somewhat last year, but after 380 people left, there has been a large number of new hires. “As a result, 660 people were newly hired, which is more than the number of retirees,” he explained.
Although new recruitment has been carried out on a large scale, there are great concerns in the Hong Kong education field. This is because if experienced researchers leave and new personnel rapidly increase, there is a high possibility that expected research results will not be produced. In Hong Kong, there is also an interpretation that the departure of faculty from universities may be due to changes in the political environment, such as the implementation of the National Security Law in Hong Kong. SCMP quoted an official from the Hong Kong University of Education as saying, “The specific cause of the increase in the number of retirees can only be analyzed if there are accurate statistics,” but added, “Basically, the turnover rate of faculty and staff is too high.” He also added, “There are young scholars who are voluntarily trying to leave Hong Kong due to changes in the political environment, but there are no statistics on this.”
However, some say that this is because Hong Kong is becoming increasingly ‘Sinicized’, with the free speech of university faculty and staff being restricted due to the influence of the Hong Kong National Security Law. In Hong Kong, after the National Security Law was enacted in 2020, the anti-China newspaper Pingguo Daily was shut down in June 2021, and democratic figures leading anti-China rallies were arrested one after another. In addition, the Chineseization of Hong Kong is accelerating, with anti-Chinese figures being blocked from running for office through a reform of the election system.
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Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.