P R E S S   R E L E A S E

        The Council of The Chinese University of Hong Kong met today and accepted the resignation of Professor Arthur K.C. Li from the Vice-Chancellorship of the University with effect from 1 August 2002.  Council members wished Professor Li the best in his new position as Secretary for Education and Manpower of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and thanked him sincerely for his very remarkable and distinguished contributions over the past twenty years to the phenomenal development of the Faculty of Medicine and the whole University.  Under the leadership of Professor Li, The Chinese University of Hong Kong has become an academic institution of the highest standing in the region.

        Professor Ambrose Y.C. King, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, has been named Acting Vice-Chancellor from 1 August 2002.  The Council has also nominated three Council members, namely, Mr Roger K H Luk, Mr Paul M F Cheng, and Ms Yan Hau Yee, Lina to serve on a committee together with Dr. Lee Hon-chiu, Chairman of the Council, and three Senate members to be nominated by the Senate of the University in due course.  The Committee will advise the Council on the appointment of the next Vice-Chancellor.

        The appointment of the new Vice-Chancellor will have far-reaching effects on the University's development.  The search for a new Vice-Chancellor requires the support of all students, staff, alumni as well as Council members.  The University Council and the search committee will consult the various constituencies of the University extensively to ensure that the entire process is conducted in the best interest of the University.

        The composition of the search committee is prescribed by Statute 6 of The  Chinese University of Hong Kong Ordinance (Cap. 1109 of the Laws of Hong Kong), and includes the Chairman of the Council, 3 members nominated by the Council from among its number and 3 members nominated by the Senate from among its number.  The appointment of the new Vice-Chancellor will be made by the University Council after receiving the advice of this committee.
 
        The Council of The Chinese University of Hong Kong consists of University staff members, representatives of the Convocation with alumni as their members, and members of the local community.  Senate members include teachers of the University and student representatives.  All members of the University Council and Senate enjoy the right to elect and be elected, on the nomination of members to serve on the search committee.  Members of the search committee, elected from both the University Council and the Senate according to the relevant University Statute, should represent staff members, students and alumni of the University.  They are expected to consult these various constituencies of the University extensively.

        The Students Union of the University has requested that their representative(s) be included as ex officio members of the search committee.  Having considered that such a request would involve amendment of the relevant University Statute and that other constituencies such as staff and alumni would also wish to express their views on such an important matter, the Council has requested Professor Ambrose Y.C. King, in association with the Administrative and Planning Committee, to consider the request of the Students Union carefully, as well as the means to consult the various constituencies within the University, and to submit recommendations for the Council's deliberation in due course.  However, the present search exercise will proceed in accordance with the statutory provisions currently-in-force.