Bad time to hand over this hot potato

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology president Shyy Wei asserted it is the right time to pass on the torch when he surprised many at the university with the news he had tendered his resignation and would leave the city's third most prestigious higher education institute prematurely.

It is arguable that this is not the right time to make such a move.

Shyy's term now will last until next October, instead of September 2023. Inevitably, any premature exit without a given reason is bound to fuel speculation - and Shyy's imminent departure is no exception.

Some claim it was forced, relating it to Shyy's sympathy for students during the 2019 anti-extradition bill protests, which included mourning the death of HKUST student Chow Tsz-lok.

But others, including heavyweights in the establishment - like HKUST council chairman Andrew Liao Cheung-sing, University Grants Committee chief Carlson Tong Ka-shing and even the Education Bureau under Kevin Yeung Yun-hung - continued to praise the Taiwan-born American aerospace academic, thanking him for his contributions to the university and the SAR's higher education sector.

Why is he leaving early?

This could be personal, such as for family reasons - but only Shyy is in a position to say.

But this is a bad moment to pass on the torch - or should I say "hot potato" - to someone else.

I am in no way suggesting that the university's affairs under his leadership have been poor - indeed, quite the contrary.

While the SAR's other prestigious universities - namely the University of Hong Kong and Chinese University of Hong Kong - have suffered in some international rankings for the past few years, HKUST has managed to maintain its standing globally.

That is an achievement impossible to miss.

As the university's council chairman Liao said, Shyy's contributions were invaluable. And it is exactly because of this reason that Shyy should stay on.

It is common knowledge that the SAR is going through extremely difficult times and the challenges facing local universities can be gigantic.

Unless Shyy has overriding personal or family considerations, he should not leave the job to someone who would probably be new to the university - or even Hong Kong.

It is not the right time to pass on the torch, but now that a decision has been made that Shyy will leave early, the immediate task is for the university to locate a successor.

Needless to say, the next president has to be someone of high international standing, not only in his or her academic field but also with a mindset receptive to all kinds of ideas since universities are supposed to be places to let thoughts grow and thrive.

HKUST could face a horrendous task since, in view of recent developments here and tensions between China and the West, the international recruitment exercise could be more difficult than imagined.