An ex-official tipped to be a vice-president at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) was first hand-picked to take a similar post at the city’s oldest university, but the appointment fell through after the embattled school head failed to secure an approval for the proposed annual package of over HK$5 million (US$641,245), the Post has learned.
Xiang Zhang, vice-chancellor of the University of Hong Kong who had been embroiled in a governance row, had in March recommended Kenneth Chen Wei-on to take up the post of Executive Vice-President overseeing administration and finance, according to two sources.
Zhang was said to have eventually shelved the recommendation after the governing council slammed him for keeping them in the dark about his failure to obtain approval from a subgroup regarding the proposed package for Chen.
On Wednesday, it emerged that Chen, the former secretary general of the Legislative Council who previously served as the city’s deputy education minister, was tipped to serve as a vice-president at CUHK, filling the post vacated by Eric Ng Shu-pui who was sacked by the institution’s governing council last December.
In accordance with HKU’s procedure, all cases of salaries beyond the designated maximum points of the university’s salary ranges, including those below the vice-president level, must be approved by the Sub-Group of the Human Resource Policy Committee.
It was understood that the proposed annual salary to Chen was over HK$5 million and the subgroup did not grant permission on the recommended salary range.
According to a letter sent by the council secretary to Zhang on March 20 seen by the Post, the HKU president was asked to provide a written explanation in three days on why he failed to take the required step.
