Hong Kong University Students' Union

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The Hong Kong University Students' Union
MottoUnity with Independence
InstitutionThe University of Hong Kong
LocationNone
Level UG1, Union Building, HKU, Pokfulam, Hong Kong (until July 2021)
Established1912
AbolishedOctober 2021[1]
PresidentVacant
Members16,979 (as of 2021)
Websitewww.hkusu.org
Hong Kong University Students' Union
Traditional Chinese香港大學學生會
Simplified Chinese香港大学学生会
Jyutpinghoeng1 gong2 daai6 hok6 hok6 saang1 wui6*2

The Hong Kong University Students' Union (HKUSU; Chinese: 香港大學學生會), founded in 1912, is a students' union in Hong Kong registered under the Societies Ordinance.[2] It was the officially recognized undergraduate students' association[3] of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) until 13 July 2021 after the Union Council passed a motion in memorial to a deceased assailant.[4]

History[]

The Union was established in 1912[5] when it was first named as the Hong Kong University Union (HKUU),[5] some two years after the foundation of the University of Hong Kong. The Union was then reorganised and renamed as the Hong Kong University Students' Society (HKUSS)[5] after the Second World War in 1945.[5] In 1949,[5] the Union submitted a successful application for becoming a student organisation to the Hong Kong Police,[5] independent from the operation of the University.

Motion of police assailant[]

On 7 July 2021, the Council of the Union passed a motion to "[express] its deep sadness at the death of Mr Leung Kin-fai; [offer] its sympathy and condolences to his family and friends; [appreciate] his sacrifice to Hong Kong".[6] The individual mentioned in the motion assaulted a police officer with a knife and then killed himself immediately in Causeway Bay on 1 July 2021, during the 24th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong.[7] The motion caused an immediate backlash. The then chairman of the Council of HKU, Arthur Li, considered the expulsion of the involved Union Council members. On 9 July, members of the Union Council publicly retracted the motion and apologised, with all Union executive committee members resigned.[8]

Despite the apology and resignation, a chain of aftermath followed. On 13 July, the university issued a statement strongly condemned the act of "blatantly whitewashing violence" and has ceased recognising the role provided by the union on campus and their representation for the member students, subsequently ceased collecting membership fees from the students on behalf of the union. The "Democracy Wall", a public bulletin on campus managed by the union, had all propaganda materials swiftly taken down.[9] On 15 July, the university demanded the union office to be vacated from the Composite Building on campus within 7 days.[10] As Arthur Li had previously expressed his willingness to have the union committee members be investigated for their possible violation of the national security law, the union office was raided by the national security police on 17 July. All Union Council members were on the watch list and told they be intercepted should they attempt to leave Hong Kong.[11] Four members of the Union Council were arrested and charged of advocating terrorism under the national security law in August, only to have bail granted later.[12]

This incident also had a knock-on effect on the students' unions of other local universities. Lingnan University, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Polytechnic University, and City University all followed suit and stopped collecting membership fees on behalf of their respective students' unions.[13]

List of Union Presidents[]

  • 2021: Kwok Wing Ho Charles (郭永皓), resigned
  • 2020: Edy Jeh Tsz-lam (葉芷琳)
  • 2019: Wong Davin Kenneth (黃程鋒), acting, resigned;[14] 陳希朗, acting
  • 2018: Wong Davin Kenneth (黃程鋒)
  • 2017: Wong Ching-tak (黃政鍀)
  • 2016: Althea Suen Hiu-nam (孫曉嵐)
  • 2015: Billy Fung Jing-en (馮敬恩)
  • 2014: Yvonne Leung (梁麗幗)
  • 2013: Laurence Tang Yat-long (鄧日朗)
  • 2012: Dan Chan (陳冠康)
  • 2011: Li Tsz-shu (李子樹)
  • 2010: Vacant
  • 2009: Chan Yi-ngok (陳一諤), resigned
  • 2008: Steven Kwok Wing-kin (郭永健)
  • 2007: Wan Hon-san (尹翰紳)
  • 2006: (劉方)
  • 2005: (陳啟業)
  • 2004: (陳子堅)
  • 2003: 麥嘉晉
  • 2002: Vacant
  • 2001: 魏詠賢
  • 2000: Gloria Chang Wan-ki (張韻琪)

General[]

The Union serves both undergraduate and postgraduate students and is the only official student organisation serving the undergraduates of the University of Hong Kong. Undergraduates become a Union member automatically. Other students of the University can become a member upon the payment of membership fee.

According to the Constitution, the aims of the Union are:[5]

  • To promote the welfare of the student body
  • To act as a bridge between the student body and the University authority in furthering the interests of the students and the University as a whole
  • To identify the student body with social issues in the interests of the people of Hong Kong
  • To represent the student body both tensely and internationally

Structure[]

The highest authority of the Union is the General Meeting (GM) and General Polling (GP). The quorum for both the General Meeting or General Polling is currently 10% of the full members. The General Meeting is hardly ever called, mostly because it is difficult to find a venue to accommodate many members at the same time. However, General Pollings are held almost every year.

There are currently 122 student societies affiliated to HKUSU. These students' societies and clubs can be categorised into six main groups: Campus media, Faculty and academic societies, Hall students' association, Sports clubs (forming the Sports Association, HKUSU), Cultural clubs (forming the Cultural Association, HKUSU) and Independent clubs (forming the Independent Clubs Association, HKUSU).

Union Council[]

The Hong Kong University Students' Union Council

香港大學學生會評議會
Session 2021
Type
Type
Unicameral
Leadership

Council Chairperson
Cheung King Sang Kinson,
LAR'20
since 28 February 2021

Honorary Secretary
Chui Chun Shing Terrence,
SSSR'20
since 28 February 2021
Structure
HKUSU Council 2021.svg
Length of term
One year
Members of council
  Union Executives (7)
  Cultural, Sports and Independent Clubs Association (6)
  Hall Students’ Association (14)
  Faculty Society (9)
  Popularly Elected Union Councillor (3)
  Campus Media (2)
  Vacant (19)
Union Executives (10)
Hall Students’ Association (1)
Faculty Society (1)
Popularly Elected Union Councillor (7)
Official Observers
(All vacant)
  Past President (1)
Partially affiliated Hall Students’ Association (1)
Partially affiliated Faculty Society (2)
Elections
Last election
By-Election 2021
Next election
Annual Election 2022
Meeting place
Union Council Chamber
2/F, Union Building
The University Of Hong Kong
90 Bonham Road, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
Constitution
The Constitution of The Hong Kong University Students' Union

The second highest authority and highest standing authority of the Union is the .[15] Its functions are to represent the students of the University in such matters as affect their interests and to afford a recognized means of communication between the general body of the students and the University authorities.

Chairperson[]

Elected at the first meeting in every session, the Council Chairperson is the presiding member of the Union Council. The Chairperson has to be a Union Councillor of the past session to be elected Chairperson of the current session; if he is also a Union Councillor of the current session, he has to resign from the original representation and the seat will be substituted if necessary.

When any member is in the Chair, he cannot move, second or vote on motions.

Honorary Secretary[]

Also elected at the first meeting in every session, the Honorary Secretary heads the Union Council Secretariat. There is no specific requirement for seeking to be elected Honorary Secretary, but if he, same as the Chairperson, is a Union Councillor of the current session, he has to resign from the original representation and the seat will be substituted if necessary.

The Honorary Secretary has full right to speak, but he cannot move, second or vote on motions.

Union Executives[]

An Executive Committee, elected in the way of General Polling, acts as the executive body for HKUSU.

The Union Executives are the forefront members representing HKUSU. The Committee comprising 17 members formulate Union policies and carry out resolutions of the General Meeting and General Polling. As well as this, they carry out daily administrative work of the Union.

The composition is as follows:

  • President
  • Vice-President (Internal)
  • Vice-President (External)
  • general secretary
  • Financial Secretary
  • University Affairs Secretary (two seats)
  • External Affairs Secretary (two seats)
  • Student Welfare Secretary
  • Publications and Publicity Secretary
  • Social Secretary
  • Current Affairs Secretary
  • Administrative Secretary
  • President of the Sports Association (ex officio)
  • President of the Cultural Association (ex officio)
  • President of the Independent Clubs Association (ex officio)

Welfare and Internal Affairs[]

HKUSU student activities and service outlets include:

Outlet Name Services offered Location
The Union Office Room, poster, banner sites booking services UG1, Union Building, HKU
The Student Co-operative Store (Co-op Store) Discounted stationery and souvenirs UG1, Union Building, HKU
Computer Hardware and Accessory Store Computer Hardware, Accessories, Software, banner and poster printing G/F, Union Building, HKU
Self-serviced Photocopying Centre Octopus Card-operated Photocopying Machines, mobile phone charging UG1, Union Building, HKU
HKUSU Photocopying Store Discounted photocopying UG1, Union Building, HKU
Pillar of Shame in front of the Students' Union Building before its revamp in 2011

University Affairs[]

The Union acts as a channel between students and the University. Some of the current projects include:

Project Theme
3-3-4 University Curriculum Reform Curriculum, General Education, Study Load of Professional Subjects (e.g. Engineering, Accounting, Law, etc.), Grading / GPA / Honours Classification System
Centennial Campus Relocation of Faculties and the Students' Union, Usage of the Main Building, etc.

External Affairs[]

HKUSU, as one of the students' unions of the 11 universities in Hong Kong, has been very active in current affairs and student movements.

In 1998, the General Polling of the Union adopted that the Pillar of Shame (國殤之柱) should stay in the University campus permanently. This marked the beginning of a permanent stance that the Chinese Communist Party should be held responsible for the in Tiananmen Square in Beijing in 1989. Later in 2009, another General Polling passed stated that the Central People's Government of China should rehabilitate the June Fourth Massacre, and be held responsible for the deaths and casualties during the incident.

In November 2016, students' unions across all major Hong Kong universities, including HKUSU, invited Christopher Patten, former Hong Kong governor, to be the guest of honour in a lecture that held at Loke Yew Hall in the University of Hong Kong.[16]

The Students' Union Building before its revamp in 2011

New Union Building[]

As part of the construction of the Centennial Campus, the Hsü Long Sing Amenities Centre, where the HKUSU had resided for a number of years, was demolished in 2011. Development of a new Students' Union Building was completed in September 2011. Since the Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Law, and Faculty of Social Sciences has been relocated in the west of the HKU, the new Students' Union Building has become the heart of HKU, where majority of student activities will take place.

Choir[]

The Hong Kong University Students' Union Choir was founded in 1967 and has won a number of student awards since its foundation.[17][18][19][20]

Notes[]

References[]

  1. ^ "运作半世纪的香港中大学生会宣布解散 国安法大棒下公民社会继续被摧残". VOA (in Chinese). Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  2. ^ "List of Societies" (PDF). Hong Kong Police Force. December 2018. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  3. ^ "Campus Life". www.cedars.hku.hk. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  4. ^ "Statement by the University of Hong Kong concerning the HKUSU Council incident - All News - Media - HKU". www.hku.hk. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "關於我們 | HKUSU". www.hkusu.org. Archived from the original on 14 March 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  6. ^ "就梁健輝先生逝世 評議會通過「表示深切哀悼」之動議", Undergrad (in Chinese), 7 July 2021, archived from the original on 8 July 2021
  7. ^ "'Lone wolf terrorist' attack on busy Hong Kong street leaves assailant dead, police officer in serious condition", South China Morning Post, 1 July 2021, retrieved 18 July 2021
  8. ^ "Hong Kong university student leaders quit following motion "appreciating the sacrifice" of the July 1 attacker", South China Morning Post, 9 July 2021, retrieved 18 July 2021
  9. ^ "University of Hong Kong cuts ties with student union, hours after Carrie Lam expresses anger at motion backing man who stabbed police officer", South China Morning Post, 13 July 2021, retrieved 18 July 2021
  10. ^ "港大學生會須7日內遷出綜合大樓 學生透露：幹事早前已收拾物品", HK01 (in Chinese), 15 July 2021, retrieved 18 July 2021
  11. ^ "National security law: University of Hong Kong student leaders probed over police attack motion to be 'placed on watch list, intercepted if they try to leave city'", South China Morning Post, 17 July 2021, retrieved 18 July 2021
  12. ^ "被控宣揚恐怖主義 3 港大生還押逾 1 個月 高院申保釋獲批". Stand News. 24 September 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  13. ^ "Fifth Hong Kong university student union facing uncertain future, as school says it will no longer collect membership fees", South China Morning Post, 15 July 2021, retrieved 18 July 2021
  14. ^ "港大學生會署理會長黃程鋒辭職 辭職信稱上月底遇襲 考慮家人自身安全已離港". Stand News. 12 September 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  15. ^ "About". HKUSU Council | 香港大學學生會評議會. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  16. ^ "與彭定康對話──從1997到2047：香港前途與大學管治 | HKUSU". www.hkusu.org. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  17. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  18. ^ http://www.hktreblechoir.com/wyccf/results/2011/
  19. ^ http://www.hksmsa.org.hk/download/winlist/66MWinner.pdf
  20. ^ http://www.hksmsa.org.hk/download/winlist/69MWinner.pdf

See also[]

External links[]

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