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Cambridge University, King’s College London, University of Toronto, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Sciences Po, University of Warsaw, University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown, Columbia, Yale…
These are just a few of the dozens of foreign universities that have partnerships with universities in Hong Kong, where academic freedom – like other freedoms – has been on steep decline in recent years. Academic institutions around the world now have to be extremely careful to avoid becoming a cog in China’s machinery of repression.
Hong Kong has been going downhill fast since the Chinese government imposed the draconian National Security Law on the city in 2020.
That law dismantled Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement by detaining and prosecuting elected representatives and thousands of peaceful protesters. It dismantled civil society, eliminating independent groups and labor unions, and shuttering the most popular pro-democracy newspaper.
An additional “Safeguarding National Security Ordinance” approved this year expanded police powers and weakened due process rights. It punishes peaceful speech and civil society activism with long jail sentences. In Hong Kong, even possessing a book critical of the Chinese government can mean years in prison.
Such draconian laws and repression are having an impact on academic freedom, as well. A new report documents the assault on basic rights at Hong Kong’s eight publicly funded universities.
Hong Kong university administrations have penalized students for holding peaceful protests and gatherings; repeatedly harassed the once-influential student unions; censored student publications, communications, and events; and used university security guards to monitor students in public spaces.
As these universities have become increasingly repressive, students and faculty have been censoring themselves, fearful of being targeted for harassment, retribution, and even prosecution for what they say and do both in the classroom and on campus.
Foreign universities that have partnerships with these Hong Kong universities face an increasingly difficult situation. China’s repression is pervasive. How can they avoid becoming complicit in human rights violations at their partner institutions? And how can they protect their students?
The new report offers a number of suggestions. These include monitoring instances of government harassment, surveillance, censorship, or threats on Hong Kong university campuses. They should make public these cases, perhaps in an annual report. Obviously, they should provide safe, confidential ways for students and faculty to submit complaints, too.
Foreign universities should also be careful not to lend legitimacy to government harassment, surveillance, or threats. One key way to do this is by vetting potential speakers at events to exclude state authorities implicated in repression.
Perhaps most importantly, foreign universities should regularly review their partnerships in Hong Kong and consider taking appropriate actions if necessary.
If they need to suspend or cease certain partnerships or activities to avoid being complicit in human rights violations, then so be it.
