HKU Conference: Hong Kong Political Reform Series: What is Happening to Our Political System? April 2012

HKU Conference: Hong Kong Political Reform Series: What is Happening to Our Political System? April 2012

In 2004 the National Democratic Institute (NDI) collaborated with the Centre for Comparative and Public Law (CCPL) to sponsor the first of a series of events in the NDI’s Developing Political Parties program.

Hong Kong Political Reform Series

This was expanded in 2009, when the NDI partnered with the CCPL to launch the Hong Kong Political Reform Series, a conference series that promotes dialogue on political reform among different sectors of the Hong Kong community, including citizens, politicians, academics, and think-tanks.  Source: http://designdemocracy.hk/about-us/?lang=en

The following conferences/seminars were held in this series:

• Breaking the Deadlock. October 2009,
• Will it Break the Deadlock? January 2010,
• Deadlock Broken – What Next? November 2010,
• New Voices on Hong Kong Political Reform. February 2011,
• What is Happening to Our Political System? April 2012. 

In terms of this partnership, the NDI got access to the name, brand and reputation of HKU to legitimize and expand their programs, whilst Professor Johannes CHAN continued in his role of powerbroker in Hong Kong politics. 

Some of the ‘guests’ at these events were also prominent journalists and political commentators, which allowed the NDI to control the narrative by subverting the press in Hong Kong.

Conference poster

Conference poster

Conference program

Conference details

Date: 21 April 2012.

Venue: Meng Wah Complex, HKU.

Organisers: CCPL, NDI, Centre for Civil Society and Governance and Government of Canada.

Moderators:

·         Simon N. M. Young, Director, Centre for Comparative and Public Law;

·         Eliza Lee, Director, Centre for Civil Society and Governance.

Speakers:

·         Allen Lee, Former Member, National People’s Congress;

·         Joseph Lian, Columnist, Hong Kong Economic Journal, Former Member, CPU;

·         Ray Yep, Research Director, SynergyNet;

·         Professor Anthony Cheung, Non-Official Member, Executive Council;

·         Horace Cheung, Vice Chairman, DAB;

·         Professor Joseph Cheng, Former Secretary-General, Civic Party;

·         Professor Michael DeGolyer, Director, Hong Kong Transition Project.

Join us this Saturday as we welcome local politicians, commentators and academics to discuss "What is Happening to Our Political System?" The conference will begin with an assessment of the recent CE Election, followed by a panel discussion on the implications of recent events on the upcoming Legislative Council Election. Please email Flora Leung at fkleung @ hku.hk to reserve a place.

Conference photographs

The following are some of the photographs taken at this conference:

Eliza LEE

Professor Michael DeGolyer

Journalist Joseph LIAN of the Hong Kong Economic Journal (HKEJ)

The contribution of the NDI to this conference was also the subject of a post on the Hong Kong Political Reform Series Facebook page on 20 April 2012:

“Nods are also due to our talented and generous co-hosts in this series, NDI”

See post below:

Photo credits

Hong Kong Political Reform Series on Facebook. Posted on 20 April 2012.

https://www.facebook.com/HongKongPoliticalReformSeries/?fref=nf