The Union was established on 16 October 1912,[4] when it was first named as the Hong Kong University Union,[5] one month after the commencement of the first academic session and some two years after the foundation of the University of Hong Kong.
After the Second World War in 1945,[5] the Hong Kong University Students' Society[5] was formed on 13 November 1946 to "pave the way for the eventual resuscitation of the Union".[6] The Union was then revived in 1947.[6] Two years later in 1949,[5] the Union submitted a successful application for becoming a student organisation to the Hong Kong Police,[5] independent from the operation of the University.
On 7 July 2021, the Council of the Union passed a motion to "[express] its deep sadness at the death of Mr Leung Kin-fai; [offer] its sympathy and condolences to his family and friends; [appreciate] his sacrifice to Hong Kong".[7] The individual mentioned in the motion assaulted a police officer with a knife and then killed himself immediately in Causeway Bay on 1 July 2021, during the 24th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong.[8] The motion was condemned by the university administrators. The then-chairman of the HKU council, Arthur Li, considered the expulsion of the involved student union council members. On 9 July, members of the student union council publicly retracted the motion and apologised, with all union executive committee members resigned.[9]
Despite the apology and resignation, a chain of aftermath followed. On 13 July, the university issued a statement strongly condemned the act of "blatantly whitewashing violence" and has ceased recognising the role provided by the union on campus and their representation for the member students, subsequently ceased collecting membership fees from the students on behalf of the union. The "Democracy Wall", a public bulletin on campus managed by the union, had all propaganda materials swiftly taken down.[10] On 15 July, the university demanded the union office to be vacated from the Composite Building on campus within 7 days.[11] As Arthur Li had previously expressed his willingness to have the union committee members be investigated for their possible violation of the national security law, the union office was raided by the national security police on 17 July. All Union Council members were on the watch list and told they be intercepted should they attempt to leave Hong Kong.[12] Four members of the Union Council were also arrested and charged of advocating terrorism under the national security law in August, they were later granted bail.[13]
The Union served both undergraduate and postgraduate students and was the only official student organisation serving the undergraduates of The University of Hong Kong. Undergraduates became Union members automatically. Other students of the University had the opportunity of becoming a Union member upon the payment of membership fee.
According to its Constitution, the aims of the Union were:[5]
To promote the welfare of the student body
To act as a bridge between the student body and the University authority in furthering the interests of the students and the University as a whole
To identify the student body with social issues in the interests of the people of Hong Kong
To represent the student body both tensely and internationally
Structure
The highest authority of the Union were the General Meeting (GM) and General Polling (GP). The quorum for both the General Meeting or General Polling was 10% of the full members prior to the union's dissolution. The General Meeting was hardly ever called, mostly due to the difficulty in finding venues to accommodate the large amount of members at the meeting. General Pollings were held almost every year.[5]
There were 122 student societies affiliated to HKUSU prior to the dissolution These students' societies and clubs were categorised into six main groups: Campus media, Faculty and academic societies, Hall students' association, Sports clubs (forming the Sports Association, HKUSU), Cultural clubs (forming the Cultural Association, HKUSU) and Independent clubs (forming the Independent Clubs Association, HKUSU). These societies are now associated with the university's Co-Curricular Support Office instead following the union's dissolution.[15]
Union Council
The second highest authority and highest standing authority of the Union was the Union Council.[16] Its functions were to represent the students of the University in such matters as affect their interests and to afford a recognized means of communication between the general body of the students and the University authorities.
Elected at the first meeting in every session, the Council Chairperson was the presiding member of the Union Council. The Chairperson had to be a Union Councillor of the past session to be elected Chairperson of the current session; if the Chairperson was also a Union Councillor of the current session, the Chairperson had to resign from the original representation and the seat would be substituted if necessary. When any member was in the Chair, the member could not move, second or vote on motions.
Also elected at the first meeting in every session, the Honorary Secretary headed the Union Council Secretariat. There were no specific requirements for seeking to be elected Honorary Secretary, but if the person, same as the Chairperson, was a Union Councillor of the current session, the person would have had to resign from the original representation and the seat would be substituted if seen necessary. The Honorary Secretary had the full right to speak, but could not move, second or vote on motions.
Union Executives
An Executive Committee, elected in the way of General Polling, acted as the executive body for HKUSU.
The Union Executives were the forefront members representing HKUSU. The Committee comprised 17 members formulating Union policies and carrying out resolutions of the General Meeting and General Polling. The Committee also carried out the daily administrative work of the Union.
The composition was as follow prior to the union's dissolution:
President
Vice-President (Internal)
Vice-President (External)
General secretary
Financial Secretary
University Affairs Secretary (two seats)
External Affairs Secretary (two seats)
Student Welfare Secretary
Publications and Publicity Secretary
Social Secretary
Current Affairs Secretary
Administrative Secretary
President of the Sports Association (ex officio)
President of the Cultural Association (ex officio)
President of the Independent Clubs Association (ex officio)
Welfare and internal affairs
The Students' Union Building before its revamp in 2011
HKUSU student activities and service outlets prior to its dissolution included:
Computer Hardware, Accessories, Software, banner and poster printing
G/F, Union Building, HKU
Self-serviced Photocopying Centre
Octopus Card-operated Photocopying Machines, mobile phone charging
UG1, Union Building, HKU
HKUSU Photocopying Store
Discounted photocopying
UG1, Union Building, HKU
University affairs
The Union acted as a channel between students and the University. Some of its projects prior to its dissolution included:
Project
Theme
3-3-4 University Curriculum Reform
Curriculum, General Education, Study Load of Professional Subjects (e.g. Engineering, Accounting, Law, etc.), Grading / GPA / Honours Classification System
Centennial Campus
Relocation of Faculties and the Students' Union, Usage of the Main Building, etc.
External affairs
Pillar of Shame in front of the Students' Union Building prior to its demolition in 2011
HKUSU, as one of the students' unions of the universities in Hong Kong, had been very active in current affairs and student movements.
In 1998, the General Polling of the Union adopted that the Pillar of Shame (國殤之柱) should stay in the University campus permanently. This marked the beginning of a permanent stance that the Chinese Communist Party should be held responsible for the June Fourth massacre in Tiananmen Square in Beijing in 1989. Later in 2009, another General Polling passed stated that the Central People's Government of China should rehabilitate the June Fourth Massacre, and be held responsible for the deaths and casualties during the incident.
As part of the construction of the Centennial Campus, the Hsü Long Sing Amenities Centre, where the HKUSU had resided for a number of years, was demolished in 2011. Development of a new Students' Union Building was completed in September 2011. With the Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Law, and Faculty of Social Sciences being relocated to the west of the University campus, the new Students' Union Building became the heart of the University, where a majority of student activities took place.
Union choir
The Hong Kong University Students' Union Choir was founded in 1967 and has won a number of student awards since its foundation.[18][19][20][21]
Union song
The Hong Kong University Students' Union had a union song titled The Hong Kong University Students' Union Song. It was sung in both English and Chinese. The two lyrics are however not translations of each other. [22]
Lo Hin-shing, 1915 Chairman, later served as magistrate
In the early days of the Union, the student leaders were elected to the chairmanship of the Union Council, while the Chancellor of the university, also the Governor of Hong Kong, was the ex-officio President of the Union. Vice Presidents were "well-known gentlemen" in the city, such as donors of the Union.[23] In 1926, the Union adopted amendments to the constitution which made the Chancellor as ex-officio Patron of the Union, while the union leader became known as President instead of Chairman, in line with English universities' practices.[24]
^"University Union". South China Morning Post. 29 October 1941. p. 4.
^"University Union: Farewell Presentation To Prof. Middleton-Smith, Long Association". South China Morning Post. 3 March 1939. p. 10.
^"University Union: Office Bearers Elected For Next Session". South China Morning Post. 16 April 1937. p. 6.
^"Vice-Chancellor of University: Students Want Him To Stay Longer, Meeting of Union". South China Morning Post. 17 April 1937. p. 10.
^"University Union: Cordial Welcome Extended to H. E. Sir A. Caldecott, "The Hub of Student Life"". South China Morning Post. 16 January 1936. p. 8.
^"The University: Union Officers For Coming Year". South China Morning Post. 19 April 1935. p. 11.
^ ab"University Union: Bright Year Passed In Athletics, Sound Finances". South China Morning Post. 27 March 1934. p. 8.
^"University Union: Lady Elected As An Office Bearer". South China Morning Post. 6 April 1933. p. 9.
^ ab"University Union Activities: Satisfactory Year Reported at Annual Meeting, New Officers Elected". South China Morning Post. 11 March 1931. p. 13.
^"H. E. The Governs at the University: Welcome Given to Union's New Patron Yesterday, Students' Tea Party". South China Morning Post. 22 October 1930. p. 13.
^ ab"The University Union: Record Attendance at Annual Meeting, in Need of Funds". South China Morning Post. 24 February 1927. p. 9.
^ ab"Hongkong University Union: The Annual Meeting A Satisfactory Year". South China Morning Post. 22 February 1926. p. 8.
^ ab"Hongkong University Union: The Annual Meeting, Imperial Conference of Students". South China Morning Post. 19 February 1925. p. 9.
^"Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Visit: Address to University Students How He Became a Revolutionary, Admiration of British Institutions". South China Morning Post. 21 February 1923.
^"Hongkong University Union: Graduate Dinner". South China Morning Post. 12 January 1922. p. 6.
^ ab"UNIVERSITY NOTES: THE UNION [By Invigilator.]". South China Morning Post. 25 October 1920. p. 6.
^ ab"Hongkong University: New Union Buildings Opened". South China Morning Post. 4 November 1919. p. 3.
^ ab"University of Hongkong: Annual Meeting of University Union". South China Morning Post. 17 May 1913. p. 3.
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