Tai Keen-man, a Deputy Director of Broadcasting at local station RTHK, is expected to be named a Council member of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) on Wednesday, replacing Rosanna Wong Yik-ming, whose term will end next month.
Tai is a member of the Standing Committee of the HKU Convocation, and he was elected as a member of the HKU Court through the seats assigned to the Convocation.
Two members of the HKU Council are elected by the Court, including Council member Rosanna Wong whose term will end on December 10. Tai is currently the only candidate running for the expected vacancy, reported Apple Daily.
If elected, he will be appointed on December 11 for a three-year term.
On Sunday, a recording of a speech made by Rosanna Wong was leaked on a popular Taiwanese internet forum. During the meeting, liberal law scholar Johannes Chan Man-mun’s appointment to the pro-vice-chancellorship of the university was rejected. Wong said that appointing Chan would further divide HKU.
Tai graduated from the Faculty of Science of HKU. He was a teaching assistant in the Department of Botany, and later a secondary school teacher. He has worked at RTHK for more than 30 years, as an editor, producer, and host of public affairs programmes.
He applied to be Director of Broadcasting at RTHK in 2011 but the bid was rejected. Local media reported then that he was an acceptable choice for RTHK staff, but not for the government.
He was nominated to the Council vacancy by Dr Patrick Poon Sun-cheong, an actuary and deputy chairman of the HKU Convocation, who was also appointed to the HKU Council in October.
