Report: Hong Kong drops to D in Academic Freedom Index, ranks behind Cambodia
The Global Public Policy Institute (GPPI) released its Academic Freedom Index (AFi) and ratings last week, and Hong Kong’s rating dropped to D. Hong Kong was even ranked behind Cambodia. Hong Kong ranked behind Cambodia. The authors of the report believe that the implementation of the National Security Law in Hong Kong last year has increased the pressure on institutions of higher learning. (By Derek Fong)
AFi scores range from 0 to 1, with 0 being the worst and 1 being the best; ratings are calculated based on a set of five indicators, including “freedom of research and teaching,” “freedom of academic communication and publicity,” “institutional autonomy,” and “campus integrity. The ratings are based on a set of five indicators, including “freedom of research and teaching,” “freedom of scholarly communication and advocacy,” “institutional autonomy,” “campus integrity,” and “freedom of academic and cultural expression. The report also includes countries in five ratings according to their ratings, with A being the best and E being the worst (see table). The report points out that Hong Kong’s AFi score last year was 0.348, worse than countries such as Cambodia (0.381) and Russia (0.374). The report notes that Hong Kong’s Academic Freedom Index has decreased by about 0.15 points in the past five years.
University World News, which focuses on global higher Education news, also quoted the author of the Global Academic Freedom Index on Saturday (13), saying that Hong Kong is one of the regions that will experience a significant decline in academic freedom in 2019-2020, and the media believes that the higher education sector in Hong Kong has been under pressure for years, and the Chinese Communist Party forced the “Hong Kong State Security Law” last year. “Many academics are very concerned that the national security law will undermine academic research, exchanges and international cooperation, and in response to the pressure of the national security law, the higher education sector canceled a number of campus activities, and named the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the student union “cut seat” incident.
In response to media inquiries, the Hong Kong Education Bureau reiterated that academic freedom in Hong Kong is protected by the Basic Law.
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