What does academic freedom mean for local humanities and social sciences scholars in Hong Kong?

Abstract

Whereas academic freedom is considered the core value of higher education worldwide, its understanding and practice are varied in different higher education systems in aspects of their various political, economic, social, and cultural situations. In the case of Hong Kong, where has been handover to China since 1997, despite the well-developed higher education system with the deep-rooted tradition of academic freedom inherited from the British colonial model, the practice of academic freedom has been challenged by political force, neo-liberalism, and the social sentiment over the decades. The recent political turmoil due to the massive Anti- Extradition Bill Protest and the National Security Law (NSL) enactment has shaken the public and scholars’ confidence in maintaining academic freedom and institutional autonomy in Hong Kong. This research explored the perception of academic freedom among the local scholars of humanities and social sciences in Hong Kong. A mixed approach was adopted, in which in-depth interviews and online self-administered surveys were conducted. Among the feedback from nine in-depth interviewees and twenty-four survey respondents, the differential perceptions and viewpoints of the following issues regarding academic freedom were illustrated, including (1) the scopes of academic freedom, (2) the relationship between academic freedom and other civil rights, (3) the attitudes towards institutional autonomy and the comment on political neutrality in academia; (4) factors of influencing academic freedom; and (5) the practice of academic freedom under the NSL. These findings provided a profound reflection on the mission of the scholars and university in the society and the value of academic freedom and institutional autonomy despite the politicized and polarized society.