Experts are ¡°pessimistic¡± about the future of independent student organisations in Hong Kong after clashes between Lingnan University Hong Kong and its unaffiliated students¡¯ union.

Last month,?the university seized copies of an 80-page orientation booklet produced by the Lingnan University Students¡¯ Union (LUSU), which had been distributed outside campus during orientation day.

The booklet included a message?highlighting the ¡°gradual shrinking¡± of student autonomy amid a wider ¡°crackdown¡± at Hong Kong institutions.

This episode came weeks after Lingnan declared that it had no affiliation with LUSU, which it described as an external organisation registered under Hong Kong¡¯s Societies Ordinance.

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In July, four current and former students¡¯ union leaders were arrested, accused of embezzling funds.

University officials have argued that LUSU statements and activities have damaged the institution¡¯s reputation and could present legal risks.

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But academics have said that Lingnan¡¯s actions?show the tightening of political control on campuses and wider constraints on student autonomy across Hong Kong.

Carsten?Holz, professor in the science division of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, told 51³Ô¹Ï that universities in the territory were operating under difficult political conditions.

¡°Universities in Hong Kong are caught between a totalitarian regime that funds the universities and universal academic values which include scope for student (and faculty) self-organisation,¡± he said.

¡°Lingnan University management may have had little choice but to sever all ties with the LUSU. The fact that non-university venues for the student union¡¯s new academic year orientation camp have been repeatedly cancelled by the venue owners, on spurious grounds, suggests a coordinated, centralised effort to eliminate all scope for independent student participation in academic governance.¡±

He added that while Hong Kong universities ¡°on paper¡± enjoy academic freedom, ¡°under a totalitarian regime these words are mere paper tigers; in that respect, Hong Kong is little different from mainland China¡±.

One professor, who asked to remain anonymous, linked the case to restrictions at other institutions.

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¡°At a university-wide event organised by a working group formed from the College Student Unions [at the Chinese University of Hong Kong], the organisers were instructed not to include the group¡¯s name or any student union-related content in the event booklet.

¡°As a result, some sections were left blank and references to student organisations were replaced with generic wording,¡± the professor said.

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¡°Taken together with the developments at Lingnan, where the university has emphasised the unofficial status of the students¡¯ union, I think this reflects a broader tendency to avoid recognising student organisations as representative bodies.¡±

Although CUHK¡¯s new president has spoken of rebuilding the students¡¯ union, the professor suggested that the wider direction was ¡°pessimistic¡±.

¡°Looking ahead, I am concerned about the future of civic engagement in student life. The current environment does not seem to encourage the formation of independent student organisations.¡±

A Lingnan spokesperson told 51³Ô¹Ï that the students¡¯ union had ¡°engaged in certain acts and made certain statements that are inconsistent with the core values, mission, vision, and overall objectives of the university¡±.

¡°These statements and actions have raised grave concerns across the university community, caused damage to the university¡¯s reputation, and may also have given rise to legal risks,¡± they added.

They reiterated that ¡°LUSU has no relationship or association with the university; and the continued use of the words ¡®Lingnan University¡¯ in LUSU¡¯s name is without any support, agreement, or authorisation from the university¡±.

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tash.mosheim@timeshighereducation.com