Rocky Tuan cites ‘external interference’ as one reason for departure, says universities’ symbols of free thought and pursuit of truth must be maintained
段崇智指「外來干預」為離任原因之一 大學為自由思想及追求真理象徵需維持
CUHK President Rocky Tuan will step down on 7 January 2025 and will be succeeded by Lo Yuk-ming, Associate Dean of the CUHK Faculty of Medicine. The Times Higher Education, a British publication, published an interview with Tuan yesterday in which he said that “external interference” was one of the reasons he decided to leave early. Tuan said universities are symbols of free thought and the pursuit of truth, and believed this needed to be maintained and preserved. During the 2019 anti-extradition bill movement, CUHK President Tuan went to the scene during the clashes at Bridge No. 2, drawing criticism from the pro-establishment camp. In 2022, Tuan was reappointed for three years to 2027 and again faced sustained criticism. Subsequently, three CUHK Council members who were also Legislative Council members introduced a private bill to amend the Chinese University of Hong Kong Ordinance and restructure the Council. After the ordinance was passed last year, Vice-President Eric Shu Pui Ng was dismissed by the Council with immediate effect. Less than a month later, Tuan resigned and stepped down early in January 2025.
中大校長段崇智將於下月7日（2025年1月）卸任，由中大醫學院副院長盧煜明接任。英國《泰晤士高等教育》昨日刊出段的訪問，指「外來干預」是他決定提早離任的原因之一。段崇智指大學是自由思想及追求真理的象徵，認為需予維持及保留。 2019年反修例運動期間，中大校長段崇智曾於二號橋衝突時到場，引來建制派批評。2022年，段獲續任三年至2027年，再遭持續批評。及後三名身兼立法會議員的中大校董提出私人草案，修訂《香港中文大學條例》，改組校董會。去年條例通過後，12月副校長吳樹培被校董會即時解僱，不足一個月後段崇智請辭，2025年1月提早卸任。