University of Hong Kong Faces Admissions Scandal and Senior Management Infighting
The Chief Executive of Hong Kong has responded to the situation.
In the latest 2025 QS World University Rankings, a total of seven universities from Hong Kong made the list, and their collective rankings have significantly increased, with five universities entering the global top 100!
The highest-ranked university in Hong Kong is the University of Hong Kong, which is ranked 17th, having risen 9 places this year.
While various universities are busy celebrating, the University of Hong Kong, which holds the top position among all Hong Kong universities, faced an issue with guaranteed admission programs.
On June 5th, the President of the University of Hong Kong, Zhang Xiang, sent an email to all faculty and staff, directly stating that the university is "constantly in internal disputes." This exposed conflicts among the university's senior management, attracting significant attention across Hong Kong and even alarming the Chief Executive.
Moreover, the escalation of the incident exceeded everyone's expectations. On June 6th, eight alumni of the University of Hong Kong, including former Secretary for Education and Manpower Fanny Law, jointly wrote a letter to Chief Executive John Lee. The content of the letter was very clear, expressing their deep concern about the development and operation of the university amid this turmoil. They hoped that Chief Executive John Lee would take decisive action to help the University of Hong Kong resolve the crisis as soon as possible.
In fact, this turmoil originated from the sudden proposal to appoint an acting vice president during the University Council's monthly meeting on May 28th. The council reviewed several candidates for the vice president position, directly bypassing President Zhang Xiang and the university's management, without informing them in advance.
Upon learning of this during the meeting, President Zhang Xiang immediately expressed his opposition. However, the council proceeded with the vote and ultimately passed the resolution by a large majority. President Zhang Xiang and the university management were utterly shocked, as personnel arrangements have always been within the president's authority according to the University of Hong Kong Ordinance and Regulations.
On June 10th, the University of Hong Kong Council responded, denying that it bypassed President Zhang in proposing the resolution to appoint an acting vice president, stating that the appointment was legal and compliant. The council also pointed out issues such as the president not attending meetings and the expansion of the president's office to 60 people. They mentioned that Chief Executive John Lee had instructed the Education Bureau to look into the matter, and the council promised to be open and fully cooperative.
On the evening of June 10th, President Zhang Xiang issued a ten-point rebuttal to the University Council's open letter. Regarding the issue of the vice president, Zhang Xiang pointed out that Wang Peishi never consulted him about the proposed candidates, and that the council bypassed him in directly appointing an acting vice president.
On June 11th, Chief Executive John Lee, as the Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong, quickly responded, stating that he had separately met with the president and the chairman of the university council. Regarding the "University of Hong Kong turmoil," he had instructed the Education Bureau to investigate and report back, after which they would discuss how to properly handle the situation. He emphasized that the University of Hong Kong belongs to Hong Kong and not to any individual, including the president or the council chairman, and that any decisions should prioritize the interests of the university.
Despite the continuous turmoil at the University of Hong Kong over the past year, its strength remains remarkably strong, and competition for study abroad applications is exceptionally fierce. In the 2025 QS World University Rankings, the University of Hong Kong made a powerful comeback, jumping 9 places to rank 17th globally!
Even the Senior Vice President of QS stated that the University of Hong Kong has always been leading the way for other universities in Hong Kong, achieving significant accomplishments in employer reputation and research. It is evident to all that the University of Hong Kong has consistently received high recognition from international authoritative educational institutions.
While we watch from the sidelines, we hope that the University of Hong Kong can properly resolve this "turmoil" soon and continue to thrive.
