Singapore’s limits show a possible future for Hong Kong academic freedom

Singapore has been an open academic society with considerable academic freedom and independence, but there are also restrictions – many of them unwritten

The Lion City highlights how carefully crafted limitations on such freedoms can coexist with a successful academic system

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Benny Tai Yiu-ting attends a press conference at the Shanghai Centre in Mong Kok on July 13. Tai’s dismissal from his tenured position at the University of Hong Kong has heightened fears that Hong Kong’s academic environment under the new national security law will become more restrictive with ill-defined “red lines”, much as it is in Singapore. Photo: Edmond So

Philip G. AltbachandGerard A. Postiglione

Published: 9:15am, 17 Sep 2020Updated: 9:22am, 17 Sep 2020

Hong Kong faces an inflection point in its higher education future following the social unrest and imposition of the national security law. As such, it is worth looking at Singapore’s experience as a semi-democracy with limited university autonomy and its own restrictions on academic freedom to reflect on what this might mean for Hong Kong.

Both places have had success building effective higher education systems during the past half a century. Hong Kong’s academic future now faces many questions in light of the new law and the prospect of restrictions on academia. Singapore, with restrictions in place, seems to be sailing along at the same time.

With closely matched populations, gross domestic products and highly developed service- and finance-based economies, the two places have some essential similarities. Both were British colonies. They have among the most effective higher education systems in the world.

Hong Kong has three universities in the top 100 of the Times Higher Education global academic rankings, while Singapore has two. Mainland China itself has six. Both are among the most internationalised higher education environments in the world.