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How will the National Security Laws affect Education?

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  1. #1

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    How will the National Security Laws affect Education?

    The focus thus far has been how the National Security laws can potentially infringe upon and limit the fundmental freedoms of this city. But the laws does not just affect freedom of speech or assembly, it can also impact other areas, such as education.

    Some are fearing the laws will be an indirect means for the authorities to introduce patriotic education on HK (I think the better and more accurate term should be "'propaganda education") in the secondary and primary schools of this city.

    But there is another impact potentially even more damaging on education, those in teritary education. The local universities, especially the top three in HKU, CUHK and HKUST, are actually reasonably well-respected internationally. They might not be at the very top rank like Harvard or Oxford, but nevertheless they do score decently in different academic rankings and have accomplished faculty members in their respective fields among it's staff. But can this continue under this new national security law?

    I say this because now we have the heads of local universities saying they support the "national security law" while also claiming to continue to champion "academic freedom":

    https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/...ity-supporting

    But is it really that simple? Can academic freedom truly exist under the new national security law regime? Would some research topics suddenly became "banned"? Would campus activism face an imminent crackdown? Would faculty members be evaluated on political considerations rather than on academic merit? Would talented researchers be driven away or deterred from coming because they happened to be "politically wrong"?


  2. #2

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    https://amp.scmp.com/week-asia/opini...-will-backfire

    Educational focus is on “One Country”. What do you think?
    Coolboy likes this.

  3. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by AsianXpat0:
    https://amp.scmp.com/week-asia/opini...-will-backfire

    Educational focus is on “One Country”. What do you think?
    I'm asking you. What does one country one system mean for HK education? No academic freedom? Is that the extent of the problem or only...the start?
    East_coast likes this.

  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by Coolboy:
    I'm asking you. What does one country one system mean for HK education? No academic freedom? Is that the extent of the problem or only...the start?
    If C Y Leung is anything to go by - Red washing of history, forced patriotism and rancid vilification if you don't align. Purging of teachers who promote independent thought etc. The next 10 years will not be very pleasant for teachers.

  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by Coolboy:
    I'm asking you. What does one country one system mean for HK education? No academic freedom? Is that the extent of the problem or only...the start?
    My own view is that we can only speculate as to the speed and extent the problem develops, which may or may not vary according to circumstances, so not a game I feel comfortable playing.

    What doesn’t seem to be in doubt is the direction. We are on more solid ground here, so it doesn’t seem either necessary or rewarding to try to guess or count the number of termites and guess at the reproductive value.

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by Coolboy:
    But is it really that simple? Can academic freedom truly exist under the new national security law regime? Would some research topics suddenly became "banned"? Would campus activism face an imminent crackdown? Would faculty members be evaluated on political considerations rather than on academic merit? Would talented researchers be driven away or deterred from coming because they happened to be "politically wrong"?
    No, no, yes, yes, yes, yes.

    The only real questions are how far and how fast it'll go.

  7. #7

    In terms of education, given there is a spectrum of curricula from International/ESF/DSS (Private Local)/ Government. Which ones are likely or possible to be affected by CCP encroachment?


  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by AsianXpat0:
    My own view is that we can only speculate as to the speed and extent the problem develops, which may or may not vary according to circumstances, so not a game I feel comfortable playing.

    .
    Fair point. Although unfortunately, people will be thinking and asking those questions, if not openly, then at least they are thinking about it. Especially those potential foreign students that local universities want to attract. They will start wondering whether they can get a top quality education in an environment of censorship and suffocating control. Now I suppose since local universities classified mainland students as "foreign", they may think it would not impact their "international credibility" if genuine foreign students stop coming. But people aren't stupid. They know what is happening. Its going to be increasingly hard to attract talented researchers around the globe in that event.

  9. #9

  10. #10

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    But the window is closing. Acquiescence and opportunism are the great temptations now, the stilling of voices voluntarily in anticipation of their silencing.
    Academics – especially their professional associations – administrators, and students in Hong Kong are advised, as a matter of urgency, to work together in the coming months to craft a Hong Kong Charter of Academic Freedom.
    If nothing else, the breach of academic freedom by the CCP, together with a host of other liberties, will then be fully visible not just to Hong Kong people but to all of those among the international community who still care about the life of the mind.

    https://hongkongfp.com/2020/06/02/ho...demic-freedom/

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