Universities need autonomy and freedom of speech, says Oxford’s vice-chancellor
Critics have called for the city’s chief executive to no longer be automatically appointed as the chancellor of all public institutions
All universities need autonomy and freedom, the chief of a prestigious British institution has said, as debate continues over the governance of Hong Kong’s universities.
Speaking to the Post during a recent trip to Hong Kong, Professor Louise Richardson, vice-chancellor of the University of Oxford, said the world’s best universities were those with the most autonomy.
Citing her university as an example, Richardson said although Oxford is heavily regulated by the British government – which sets fees and measures the quality of the institution’s operations – it does not face infringement from political figures.
For example, Oxford’s chancellor, Chris Patten – a senior figure in the UK’s Conservative Party, a former Hong Kong governor and now a member of the House of Lords – only serves as a ceremonial head, she said. That means he does not get to appoint council members.
While Oxford is a public university, only 15 per cent of its income comes from the government, compared with the University of Hong Kong (HKU), which receives almost 60 per cent.
