How should we reflect upon the pandemic's spread?
by Ip Iam-chong
• French Scholar Jon Solomon petitioned for the University of Hong Kong to investigate Yuen Kwok-yung and David Lung for their article’s claim that “the Wuhan New Coronavirus is a product of the inferior culture of the Chinese". The author believes an investigation by the University would be harmful
• The author compared this discourse with that of a debate between Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben and fellow scholars Jean-Luc Nancy and Anastasia Berg over the pandemic lockdown
https://telegra.ph/How-should-we-reflect-upon-the-pandemics-spread-05-22
#IpIamChong #Academia #JonSoloman #Nationalism #YuenKwokYung #DavidLung
by Ip Iam-chong
• French Scholar Jon Solomon petitioned for the University of Hong Kong to investigate Yuen Kwok-yung and David Lung for their article’s claim that “the Wuhan New Coronavirus is a product of the inferior culture of the Chinese". The author believes an investigation by the University would be harmful
• The author compared this discourse with that of a debate between Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben and fellow scholars Jean-Luc Nancy and Anastasia Berg over the pandemic lockdown
https://telegra.ph/How-should-we-reflect-upon-the-pandemics-spread-05-22
#IpIamChong #Academia #JonSoloman #Nationalism #YuenKwokYung #DavidLung
Telegraph
How should we reflect upon the pandemic's spread?
by Ip Iam-chong Dr. Yuen Kwok-yung and Dr. David Lung recently co-wrote an article entitled "This pandemic originated in Wuhan, the lessons of seventeen years ago have been completely forgotten" published by Ming Pao. Facing immediate backlash, the pair announced…
#AcademicFreedom #1C1S #Censorship #WhiteTerror
"The universities are being "cleaned up": reflection from an assistant professsor who was rejected for "substantiation"
Dr. Ip Iam-chong is an assistant professsor in Cultural Studies at Hong Kong Lingnan University and a founder of InMediaHK, an online news agency in Hong Kong. The university recently reduced his employment to a one-year contract. He wrote the following reflection on the supplementary section of the newspaper MingPao:
//This kind of "extraordinary" means is used particularly explicitly to Joannes Chan Man-mun and Benny Tai Yiu-ting, but it is not an isolated case.
In the past few years, I have constantly heard news from the academic circle that somebody was not renewed, especially those who are politically active, have more social participation, and have sharper speeches.
I also received a notice from the university this year that my application for "substantiation" was rejected, and only got a one-year contract. I will have to say goodbye next year. Of course, these cases are not as outrageous as what Benny Tai encountered, and scholars involved do not need to be imprisoned. They are not so "extraordinary", but there are many "unusual" reasons.
It’s a bit sad that in addition to those politically popular cases, most of the stories of being kicked out by universities may not receive sympathy or support from peers. I have heard of colleagues, who have similar political views, think that those cases had nothing to do with politics, but the academic level of the parties is not enough. I hope that Benny Tai's case can make them more sensitive to college politics. Of course, no one can find evidence to prove that there is a big conspiracy behind cases, but there is reason to believe that the senior officials of the university, as well as the SAR and Beijing government, really want to "clean up" the university.
There may be people from the administrative level of the university receiving political orders. Some people want to please the Liaison Office or the Beijing government, but more of them may just want to eliminate college teachers who are not doing their jobs properly, so that universities can have less politics and free up job vacancies for "non-political" international scholars who are committed to university and their own rankings. Some people may just want to have more "international" level research and publications in universities in Hong Kong, and don't want the staff to be busy taking the streets to engage in joint signing, or like me, writing this kind of newspaper comment. //
Source: Ming Pao #Aug2
#IpIamChong #InMedia #LingnanUniversity
"The universities are being "cleaned up": reflection from an assistant professsor who was rejected for "substantiation"
Dr. Ip Iam-chong is an assistant professsor in Cultural Studies at Hong Kong Lingnan University and a founder of InMediaHK, an online news agency in Hong Kong. The university recently reduced his employment to a one-year contract. He wrote the following reflection on the supplementary section of the newspaper MingPao:
//This kind of "extraordinary" means is used particularly explicitly to Joannes Chan Man-mun and Benny Tai Yiu-ting, but it is not an isolated case.
In the past few years, I have constantly heard news from the academic circle that somebody was not renewed, especially those who are politically active, have more social participation, and have sharper speeches.
I also received a notice from the university this year that my application for "substantiation" was rejected, and only got a one-year contract. I will have to say goodbye next year. Of course, these cases are not as outrageous as what Benny Tai encountered, and scholars involved do not need to be imprisoned. They are not so "extraordinary", but there are many "unusual" reasons.
It’s a bit sad that in addition to those politically popular cases, most of the stories of being kicked out by universities may not receive sympathy or support from peers. I have heard of colleagues, who have similar political views, think that those cases had nothing to do with politics, but the academic level of the parties is not enough. I hope that Benny Tai's case can make them more sensitive to college politics. Of course, no one can find evidence to prove that there is a big conspiracy behind cases, but there is reason to believe that the senior officials of the university, as well as the SAR and Beijing government, really want to "clean up" the university.
There may be people from the administrative level of the university receiving political orders. Some people want to please the Liaison Office or the Beijing government, but more of them may just want to eliminate college teachers who are not doing their jobs properly, so that universities can have less politics and free up job vacancies for "non-political" international scholars who are committed to university and their own rankings. Some people may just want to have more "international" level research and publications in universities in Hong Kong, and don't want the staff to be busy taking the streets to engage in joint signing, or like me, writing this kind of newspaper comment. //
Source: Ming Pao #Aug2
#IpIamChong #InMedia #LingnanUniversity
⬆️⬆️⬆️ continue reading
#AcademicFreedom #1C1S #Censorship #WhiteTerror
Lingnan University's Rejects Professorship Substantiation, Shocks Department Head
Professor Tejaswini Niranjana, Head of Department of Cultural Studies at the Hong Kong Lingnan University was shocked by the University's refusal to substantiate Dr. Ip Iam-Chong's professorship, as Ip has been performing well in all aspects.
Professor Niranjana responded to Stand News as follows:
"1. The Department is shocked and disappointed by the decisions made so far on Dr. Ip’s case. The relevant Department Committee and the Head of Department have all along supported Dr Ip‘s substantiation, on the basis of his consistently high standard performance at the University in all the three areas of personnel appraisal, namely, teaching, research and service.
2. The Department believes that the rationale offered for the decision is not conducive to good staff morale under the current environment."
Editor's Note: Pro-democracy activist in exile, Nathan Law, who was allegedly 'wanted' by the Hong Kong police for security law violation, was an alumni of the Department.
Source: Stand News #Aug3
#Academia #IpIamChong #CulturalStudies #LingnanUniversity #LingU #TejaswiniNiranjana
#AcademicFreedom #1C1S #Censorship #WhiteTerror
Lingnan University's Rejects Professorship Substantiation, Shocks Department Head
Professor Tejaswini Niranjana, Head of Department of Cultural Studies at the Hong Kong Lingnan University was shocked by the University's refusal to substantiate Dr. Ip Iam-Chong's professorship, as Ip has been performing well in all aspects.
Professor Niranjana responded to Stand News as follows:
"1. The Department is shocked and disappointed by the decisions made so far on Dr. Ip’s case. The relevant Department Committee and the Head of Department have all along supported Dr Ip‘s substantiation, on the basis of his consistently high standard performance at the University in all the three areas of personnel appraisal, namely, teaching, research and service.
2. The Department believes that the rationale offered for the decision is not conducive to good staff morale under the current environment."
Editor's Note: Pro-democracy activist in exile, Nathan Law, who was allegedly 'wanted' by the Hong Kong police for security law violation, was an alumni of the Department.
Source: Stand News #Aug3
#Academia #IpIamChong #CulturalStudies #LingnanUniversity #LingU #TejaswiniNiranjana