Scandals of Edinburgh’s incoming principal Mathieson (compilation)
Peter Mathieson assumed office in April 2014 as the Vice-Chancellor and President of University of Hong Kong (HKU), which is one of the most prestigious universities in the world. According to QS World University Ranking, HKU ranks 26th in the world and 2nd in Asia. In February 2017, just in the middle of his term, Mathieson announced that he was resigning from HKU due to “personal” concerns and will become instead the Principal of University of Edinburgh in early 2018.[1]
During Mathieson’s term in HKU, he was embroiled in multiple scandals. As a former editor in HKU’s student media (Undergrad) who was in office (2016–17) when multiple scandals of Mathieson took place and as a HKU graduate, I would say Mathieson’s legacy in HKU is damaging to the university’s prestige and autonomy. It is therefore questionable if he will uphold the Edinburgh’s autonomy and protect the university’s academic freedom when Edinburgh is under pressure.
Here, I have compiled a list of Mathieson’s scandals in HKU and I hope any stakeholder from Edinburgh, Scotland or Britain, whether it be students, academic staff, members of the school’s Court, MPs or reporters, to reconsider if the appointment of Peter Mathieson is appropriate.
1. Condemning calls for independence as “abuses” of freedom of speech (Sept 2017)
Since Britain’s handover of Hong Kong to China, Hong Kong is facing increasing Chinese control and interference and freedom here has constantly been deteriorating. Consequently, the call for Hong Kong’s independence is rising in these few years, especially among Hong Kongese students. The student autonomy has recently been subjected under huge threat as a result of the suppression of discussion on Hong Kong independence in universities. In this incident, instead of supporting the students’ freedom of expression, Mathieson sided with the Chinese establishment.
The row started with the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) removing pro-independence banners and posters in student-managed space, as the school referred to them as “illegal”.[2] As a result of this outright suppression, pro-independence posters by the students mushroomed on student-managed notice boards in universities across Hong Kong, including HKU, to show solidarity for freedom of expression in universities. In response, 10 universities heads in Hong Kong, including Mathieson, issued a joint statement which condemned the advocacy of independence as “abuse” of freedom of speech on 15 September.[3]
A week after issuing the statement, the Scotsman, a Scottish newspaper, did a follow-up report on the incident. Mathieson responded to the reporter’s inquiry with an outright lie by claiming that the word “abuses” used in the statement was not referring to calls for Hong Kong independence. This response of him again received wide coverage in the Hong Kongese media and triggered a new wave of criticism to him of his dishonesty.[4] However, this incident to date has received far too little attention in Edinburgh than it deserves.
2. Suppressing student movement and allowing police’s entry on campus (Jan-Feb 2016)
In January 2016, HKU students demanded a review on university governance, namely the system of having Hong Kong’s Chief Executive (who is appointed by Beijing) as the de jure Chancellor of the university (the Chancellor has the right to appoint the Chairman of the Council, which is the governing body of the University). HKU students protested at the venue during the meeting of the Council in the university. However, the Council did not respond to the students’ call for review and refused to have a conversation with the student protesters. What was worse was that during the protest, police was allowed to enter the campus area. On the following day, Mathieson issued a statement referring to the protest as “mob rule”. He even supported the prosecution of student protesters by taking the initiative to provide the school’s footage of video surveillance to the police.[5] Two Executive Committee members of HKU’s Student Union were later arrested and charged due to this incident.[6] Mathieson likened the protest to the Hillsborough disaster in 1989[7], a claim which is equally inflammatory to both students here and the British people.
3. Vote bribery got away (Oct 2016)
A Chinese candidate who was shown to have bought votes in the election for Postgraduate Representative in the Council was not investigated because the sum involved in the bribe was considered by the university as “immaterial”.[8]
4. Research misconduct unpunished (Dec 2014-today)
A HKU chemistry professor Dan Yang forged her data in her article published in the high-impact journal JACS. However, Yang remains unpunished till now, while the whistle-blowers of the professor’s data falsification were retaliated against and fired.[9]
5. Tolerating pro-China bullies of the university’s autonomy (Sept 2017)
Pro-China lawmaker Junius Ho organised a petition and rallied to pressure HKU to fire Benny Tai, the HKU scholar who initiated the HK political movement of Occupy Central in 2013 for Hong Kong’s democracy.[10] In the same protest, Ho also called for “death to those who supports Hong Kong independence” (which would include a lot of university students). Facing this outright bullying of the university’s autonomy, surprisingly, as the President of HKU, Mathieson remained silent.
Concluding remarks
Freedom of expression, academic honesty and university autonomy are constantly vulnerable and under threat. For us who believe in democracy and freedom, it is our duty to stand up to protect these values. This duty is especially the case for the head of a university like University of Edinburgh, which like HKU, is among the top universities in the world. It is unavoidable that during Mathieson’s term in Edinburgh, there will be discussion on campus on Scottish independence. If London is behaving to Scotland like Madrid did to Catalonia, what would Mathieson do? After knowing his scandals in HKU, would you really believe that Mathieson will be the person to protect those values of university for Edinburgh?
Indeed, one does not have to be in Hong Kong to experience authoritarian influence. These threats are closer to Edinburgh than one would imagine. It was just reported two months ago that Cambridge’s prestigious journal China Quarterly kowtowed to China’s pressure and censored articles related to “sensitive” topics like Hong Kong, Taiwan and Tibet. In the same year, just within EU, Hungary passed a legislation attempting to close down the Central European University, a move which is widely criticized as silencing dissent and opposition. If Mathieson is placed in these situations as the Principal of Edinburgh, will he uphold Edinburgh’s autonomy when the university is under pressure? Given all those misdeeds of Mathieson in HKU, the answer is very likely no.
(Update Nov 12, 2017: The Tab approached the University of Edinburgh on the above issues related to Mathieson’s appointment but the University responded only by saying: “The University reiterates what it said at the time of Professor Mathieson’s appointment: that he has a wealth of experience at a senior level in Higher Education and that we have every confidence that he is the person to lead the University of Edinburgh into an exciting new era.”
In early November, leaked document showed that Mathieson joined the other university heads in signing the anti-independence joint statement because he wanted to avoid “isolation”, according to his explanation to the Senate. The Guardian also covered on this.)
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Notes
[1] “University of Hong Kong chief Peter Mathieson resigns; will leave city to head University of Edinburgh”, HKFP, 2 February 2017, https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/02/02/breaking-university-hong-kong-vice-chancellor-peter-mathieson-resigns/; For the full footage of Mathieson’s press conference, refer to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2t9W7b7BsY0
[2] “Student union asks Chinese University to explain how Hong Kong independence banners are ‘illegal’”, HKFP, 6 September 2017. https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/09/06/student-asks-urges-chinese-university-explain-hong-kong-independence-banners-illegal/
[3] “Heads of top universities call Hong Kong independence unconstitutional, condemn free speech ‘abuses’”, HKFP, 16 September 2017. https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/09/16/heads-top-universities-call-hong-kong-independence-unconstitutional-condemn-free-speech-abuses/
[4] “HKU chief says campus politicisation ‘deeply regrettable’ days after signing statement opposing independence” , HKFP, 26 September 2017, https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/09/26/hku-chief-says-campus-politicisation-deeply-regrettable-days-signing-statement-opposing-independence/; see also South China Morning Post’s report; for Hong Kongese reports in Chinese, refer to Stand News, Apple Daily, Mingpao, Oriental Daily.
[5] “‘Mob rule’: HKU vice-chancellor condemns students for surrounding governing Council meeting venue”, HKFP, 27 January 2016, https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/01/27/mob-rule-hku-vice-chancellor-condemns-students-for-besieging-governing-council-meeting/
[6] “Ex-HKU Student Union Pres. Billy Fung arrested following chaotic council meeting in Jan”, HKFP, 21 July 2016, https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/07/21/ex-hku-student-union-pres-billy-fung-arrested-following-chaotic-council-meeting-in-jan/
[7] “HKU chief compares student protests to Hillsborough disaster as conditions for talks rejected”, HKFP, 1 February 2016, https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/02/01/hku-chief-compares-student-protests-to-hillsborough-disaster-as-conditions-for-talks-rejected/ ; see also http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/hong-kong-university-boss-apologises-10818083
[8] “Student who allegedly bought votes will not face investigation because amount ‘immaterial’ — report”, HKFP, 27 October 2016, https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/10/27/student-allegedly-bought-votes-will-not-face-investigation-amount-immaterial-report/
[9] “‘White terror for whistleblowers’: HKU staff slam new research integrity rules” https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/04/07/white-terror-whistleblowers-hku-staff-slam-new-research-integrity-rules/; “HKU embroiled in research misconduct scandal”, HKFP, 7 May 2016, https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/05/07/hku-embroiled-in-research-misconduct-scandal/; “Ex-HKU teacher who revealed research scandal slams school for poor whistleblowing policies”, HKFP, 11 May 2016, https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/05/11/ex-hku-teacher-who-revealed-research-scandal-slams-school-for-poor-whistleblowing-policies/
[10] “Lawmaker threatens protests and legal action unless HKU investigates pro-democracy professor Benny Tai”, HKFP, 7 September 2017, https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/09/07/lawmaker-threatens-protests-legal-action-unless-hku-investigates-pro-democracy-professor-benny-tai/
“Hundreds attend protest against Hong Kong independence, urge sacking of pro-democracy HKU scholar Benny Tai”, HKFP, 18 September 2017, https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/09/18/hundreds-attend-protest-hong-kong-independence-urge-sacking-pro-democracy-hku-scholar-benny-tai/