Published June 2023

By Tsui, Fung 徐風 and Yu, Shui 余水

This study sets out to examine what role, if any, universities in Hong Kong have in providing support to social and political activism in Hong Kong in the context of shrinking civic space due to oppression from China. The findings reveal shrinking academic freedom and increasing government control in Hong Kong’s higher education system. In addition, dissident voices are being silenced through a campaign of intimidation, imprisonment and threats to physical security – particularly following the implementation of National Security Law of 2021. With more Hongkongers migrating to the UK, such as through the new British National Overseas (BNO) scheme and visiting the UK temporarily for study, our findings suggest UK universities might play a stronger role in the protection of activists in the face of repression at home.