Academic Promotion and the Changing Academic Profession in Hong Kong

Abstract

Within the context of a changing governance structure, increasing access, provision and internationalization of higher education in Hong Kong, its academic promotion practices adapted to a changing academic profession. Characterized by a high degree of institutional autonomy within a top-down hierarchy, Hong Kong’s UGC-funded higher education institutions established and implemented their respective academic promotions systems. International benchmarking of academic promotions standards and practices, however, resulted to a convergence in academic promotion and substantiation practices across these institutions. Accountability, transparency and productivity earmarked on global standards are essentially the key characteristics of Hong Kong’s academic promotions system which include clear criteria, broader participation, diverse assessment tools, multi-tier review committees, and the presence of grievance mechanisms. Along with its higher education governance structure, Hong Kong’s academic promotion system established a highly competitive, stressful and performance driven academic environment, and facilitated having four of its UGC-funded higher education institutions in the 2014 Times Higher Education – World University Rankings top 200 institutions. Challenges to Hong Kong’s academic profession and its future development can be seen in the low (but increasing) level of women faculty, the lack of gender, disability, family status and race specific policies, deteriorating technical research support, and the recent trend of hiring faculty who acquired their doctorates in Hong Kong and promotions to senior academic posts resulting from its shift to a new academic structure.