ERIC Number: EJ1392026
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0962-0214
EISSN: EISSN-1747-5066
Vulnerable Autonomy: University Governance in the Context of Student Activism in Hong Kong
International Studies in Sociology of Education, v32 n2 p293-312 2023
A managerial model of shared governance is adopted in Hong Kong's public universities to uphold university autonomy. However, with the political confrontation characterised by the rise of student activism, the sustainability of the managerial form of university autonomy requires review and re-exploration. This paper aims to examine the influence of political unrest on university governance in Hong Kong. Drawing on data from interviews with university council members and student leaders, this paper reveals how university autonomy is upheld in the current governance structure, how different stakeholders variously understand the nature and roles of university, and how these disparate understandings interact with the wider political environment and bring pressure on universities. The paper argues that though university management intended to be politically neutral for upholding institutional autonomy, the space for avoiding politics had been narrowed. This narrowing process illustrates the vulnerability of university autonomy in Hong Kong.
Descriptors: Universities, Institutional Autonomy, Governance, College Students, Activism, Foreign Countries, Politics of Education, Student Unions, Student Leadership, College Administration, Student College Relationship
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Hong Kong
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A