HKU Bulletin January 2011 (Vol. 12 No. 1)

Dec 2010 The University of Hong Kong Bulletin Cover Story The University may be acclaimed for breaking new ground in research and teaching but its rarely-acknowledged record in equal opportunities is also ahead of the pack. A Culture of Diversity and Inclusion Cultural diversity has been a cornerstone of the University of Hong Kong’s identity since its beginnings almost a century ago. Launched with the aim of educating students from across Asia and drawing teachers and administrators from across the globe it has always been a melting pot of ideas, cultures and opportunities. Today that diversity flourishes on our campus and is promoted and protected by the Equal Opportunity Unit and its attendant Committees. While we lead the territory in research and teaching we can also lay claim to pioneering in the area of equal opportunities. Thanks to a group of proactive individuals HKU was the first University in the territory to establish an Equal Opportunity Unit. Furthermore, in 2003, it amended the policy on equal opportunity to prohibit race discrimination which preceded the enactment of the Race Discrimination Ordinance by five years and, in 2009 launched the first Halal food outlet on a university campus in Hong Kong to increase the choice of food available to our Muslim staff and students. Professor Joseph Lee Hun-wei who recently stepped down as Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Staffing) and Chairman of the University’s Equal Opportunity Committee (EOC) in October, after serving since 2005, reflected on its success and the ongoing challenges facing a University of this size and complexity. 09 “HKU, being what it is, is well-positioned to take the initiative in equal opportunities because it’s a comprehensive university in all fields and so diversity is more focused here than it is at other institutions. We have ten faculties, so diversity is our concern and also our asset,” he says. A Diverse Campus That diversity presents its own problems. “Gender issues are always a challenge. We differ from European universities in this respect. In Germany, for example, when advertising for staff universities will explicitly state that they will recruit in areas that are underrepresented, for example women scientists. “But we are far from that, and we have a certain inertia to even move in that direction, although I have to say that some Deans are very proactive. But in some faculties the ratio of men to women can be much greater than 60-40. However, I don’t think this is wilful discrimination. In the Faculty of Medicine, for example, we have many women scientists and researchers.” In other areas, he says, HKU is ahead of the pack, providing a nursing room for new mothers and full-pay paternity leave. Complaints about an all-male Senior Management Team were fortuitously answered with the appointment of Professor Amy Tsui who took up the position of Pro- Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President for Teaching and Learning in 2007. “You can’t really enforce these things, you can just promote an attitude by example and by policies and activities designed to raise awareness,” says Professor Lee. The Challenges of a Hilly Terrain Another issue is disability which has proven a challenge on campus thanks to the exceptionally hilly terrain. There have been complaints of a dearth of lifts and poor accessibility for wheelchair users. However, according to Professor Lee there is a limit to what can be achieved. “We have made progress, we now have a very active disability committee who forward their suggestions to the EOC. If you walk around you will notice that there have been improvements – more lifts and wheelchair ramps, we are developing a point-to-point search map for wheelchair users, we have Braille guide paths and we are promoting a web accessibility campaign now at this moment. We would like every department’s web page to be accessible and have provided them with guidelines. In principle every department has an EO advisor, and this year we have rejuvenated this network.” The Hala Food Corner was launched in 2009 to increase the choice of food available to Muslim staff and students. January 2011