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ABSTRACT
This paper examines the relevance of hybridization to the development of higher education (HE) governance in Hong Kong. It begins by briefly reviewing conceptual issues about HE governance. Based on these conceptual elements, an analytical framework is then proposed to understand the institutional balance of power in university systems and the cultural equilibrium in the academia. Afterwards, an overview of the key features of HE governance in Hong Kong is presented. Three controversial incidents involving the individual academic freedom and institutional autonomy of universities that occurred in Hong Kong after 1997 are also studied. Given that these incidents are linked with the social and political changes in postcolonial Hong Kong, the controversial incidents and associated confrontations in the university sector are regarded as signals of an ongoing hybridization process in the city. Such a process indicates a continued East–West cultural divide in the arenas of HE governance and academic culture.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Notes
1. I thank the anonymous reviewer for raising this point about the impacts of neo-liberalism on the culture of university governance.
2. The report adopts this definition from the First Global Colloquium of University Presidents.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
William Yat Wai Lo
William Yat Wai Lo is Assistant Professor in the Department of International Education and Lifelong Learning, the Education University of Hong Kong. His research areas include higher education policy and comparative and international higher education with a focus on East Asia. His work appears in international peer reviewed journals.