An ex-official tipped to be a vice-president at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) was first hand-picked to take a similar post at the city’s oldest university, but the appointment fell through after the embattled school head failed to secure an approval for the proposed annual package of over HK$5 million (US$641,245), the Post has learned.
Xiang Zhang, vice-chancellor of the University of Hong Kong who has been embroiled in a governance row, had in March recommended Kenneth Chen Wei-on to take up the post of Executive Vice-President overseeing administration and finance, according to two sources.
Zhang was said to have eventually shelved the recommendation after the governing council slammed him for keeping them in the dark about his failure to obtain approval from a subgroup regarding the proposed package for Chen.
On Wednesday, it emerged that Chen, the former secretary general of the Legislative Council who previously served as the city’s deputy education minister, was tipped to serve as a vice-president at CUHK, filling the post vacated by Eric Ng Shu-pui who was sacked by the institution’s governing council last December.
In accordance with HKU’s procedure, all cases of salaries beyond the designated maximum points of the university’s salary ranges, including those below the vice-president level, must be approved by the Sub-Group of the Human Resource Policy Committee.
It was understood that the proposed annual salary to Chen was over HK$5 million and the subgroup did not grant permission on the recommended salary range.
According to a letter sent by the council secretary to Zhang on March 20 seen by the Post, the HKU president was asked to provide a written explanation in three days on why he failed to take the required step.
“Even more concerning is that it has now been confirmed by the Director of Human Resources that permission ought to have been first obtained from the HRPC Sub-Group on the recommended candidate’s salary, as it exceeded the designated maximum point of the relevant salary range. The Sub-Group did not grant permission. This fact was not disclosed in your paper, and yet the paper was still submitted to Council,” the letter wrote.
“This incident represents a breach of governance and is unacceptable.”
Sources said Zhang eventually withdrew the paper on Chen’s recommendation to the council.
According to the Legislative Council’s reply to its finance committee in 2020, Chen’s annual salary and cash allowance stood at HK$3.6 million when he served as the secretary general.
Zhang has been locked in an intensifying row with Priscilla Wong Pui-sze, the head of HKU’s governing council, which forced the government to set up a study group to look into and mitigate the conflicts.
In May, Zhang was said to be seeking legal advice after being kept in the dark about a surprise reshuffle of his senior management team by Wong. Council members had earlier voiced concerns that the extended vacancies in HKU senior management roles had affected the school’s operation.
In the latest accusation slapped on Zhang, the HKU head in January recommended Professor Chang Yung-ho, 67, to be appointed as dean of the Faculty of Architecture to the council, but did not mention his selection was opposed by a committee, sources said.
The council only found out later that the search committee, which had conducted a global search for the next faculty’s dean, did not agree with Zhang, sources added.
“The background for the recommendations was explained by the Provost [Richard Wong Yue-chim], who was the chairman of the search committee, to the council chairman. According to him, the recommendation was contrary to the views of the search committee and the feedback collected,” a letter to Zhang from the council secretary, in April, said.
Zhang was accused of creating a “very misleading impression” to the council, according to the letter. The recommendation was eventually not discussed in the council.
The current dean of the Faculty of Architecture is Christopher Webster, who has been in the position for 11 years.
The Post also learnt that Zhang wanted to recommend a candidate from another university to take up the role of the vice-president overseeing institutional advancement, while the predecessors of this post were all distinguished professors working for HKU for a long period of time.
Zhang later withdrew such a recommendation after the council found out the candidate the president proposed only arrived in Hong Kong a few years ago and had little personal history or connection with HKU.
According to the resolution passed by the council in May, Richard Wong Yue-chim was appointed as Interim Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor taking care of institutional Advancement, until the end of next year.
A spokesman for HKU said the university management submitted the relevant recommendations to the council months ago but they had not been deliberated upon.
He added the university management was not in a position to comment on specific cases raised due to strict confidentiality concerns.
Tensions between Zhang and the council date back to early last year when anonymous complaints were lodged against him, accusing him of misconduct and mismanagement.
Council chairwoman Wong promised to investigate the accusations and set up a panel to look into the claims.
Zhang was cleared of misconduct in April but division within the university’s leadership has persisted.
