Hong Kong University Students' Union

The Hong Kong University Students' Union
Motto Unity with Independence
Institution The University of Hong Kong
Location UG1, Union Building, HKU, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
Established 1912
President WONG Davin Kenneth
(Faculty of Law)
Session 2018
Members 15,985 (as of 2016)
Website www.hkusu.org
Hong Kong University Students' Union
Traditional Chinese 香港大學學生會
Cantonese Yale heung1 gong2 daai6 hok6 hok6 saang1 wui6

The Hong Kong University Students' Union (HKUSU; Chinese: 香港大學學生會) is an officially recognised student organisation[1] in the University of Hong Kong, along with the Postgraduate Student Association.

History

The Union was established in 1912[2] when it was first named as the Hong Kong University Union (HKUU),[2] some two years after the foundation of the University of Hong Kong. The Union was then reorganised and renamed as the Hong Kong University Students' Society (HKUSS)[2] after the Second World War in 1945.[2] In 1949,[2] the Union submitted a successful application for becoming a student organisation to the Hong Kong Police.[2]

General

The Union is the only official student organisation serving the undergraduates of the University of Hong Kong. Undergraduates become a Union member automatically. Other students of the University can become a member upon the payment of membership fee.

According to the Constitution, the aims of the Union are:

  • To promote the welfare of the student body[2]
  • 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[2]
  • To identify the student body with social issues in the interests of the people of Hong Kong[2]
  • To represent the student body both tensely and internationally[2]
Hong Kong University Students' Union Council
香港大學學生會評議會
Type
Type
Seats 65 (16 vacancies)
Elections
Last election
 By-Election 2018
Next election
 Annual Election 2019
Meeting place
Union Chamber

Structure

The highest authority of the Union is the General Meeting (GM) and General Polling (GP). The quorum for both the General Meeting or General Polling is currently 10% of the full members. The General Meeting is hardly ever called, mostly because it is difficult to find a venue to accommodate many members at the same time. However, General Pollings are held almost every year.

The second highest authority and highest standing authority of the Union is the Union Council[3]. Its functions are 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.

An Executive Committee, elected in the way of General Polling, acts as the executive body for HKUSU.

There are currently 122 student societies affiliated to HKUSU. These students' societies and clubs can be 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).

Union Executives

The Union Executives are the forefront members representing HKUSU. The Committee comprising 17 members formulate Union policies and carry out resolutions of the General Meeting and General Polling. As well as this, they carry out daily administrative work of the Union.

The composition is as follows:

  • 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

HKUSU student activities and service outlets include:

Outlet Name Services offered Location
The Union Office Room, poster, banner sites booking services UG1, Union Building, HKU
The Student Co-operative Store (Co-op Store) Discounted stationery and souvenirs UG1, Union Building, HKU
Computer Hardware and Accessory Store 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
Pillar of Shame in front of the Students' Union Building before its revamp in 2011

University Affairs

The Union acts as a channel between students and the University. Some of the current projects include:

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

HKUSU, as one of the students' unions of the 11 universities in Hong Kong, has 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.

In November 2016, students' unions across all major Hong Kong universities, including HKUSU, invited Christopher Patten, former Hong Kong governor, to be the guest of honour in a lecture that held at Loke Yew Hall in Hong Kong University.[4]

The Students' Union Building before its revamp in 2011

New Union Building

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. Since the Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Law, and Faculty of Social Sciences has been relocated in the west of the HKU, the new Students' Union Building has become the heart of HKU, where majority of student activities will take place.

Choir

The Hong Kong University Students' Union Choir was founded in 1967 and has won a number of student awards since its foundation.[5][6][7][8]


See also

References

  1. ↑ "Campus Life". www.cedars.hku.hk. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "關於我們 | HKUSU". www.hkusu.org. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  3. ↑ "HKUSU Council | 香港大學學生會評議會". HKUSU Council | 香港大學學生會評議會. Retrieved 2018-03-18.
  4. ↑ "與彭定康對話──從1997到2047：香港前途與大學管治 | HKUSU". www.hkusu.org. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  5. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  6. ↑ http://www.hktreblechoir.com/wyccf/results/2011/
  7. ↑ http://www.hksmsa.org.hk/download/winlist/66MWinner.pdf
  8. ↑ http://www.hksmsa.org.hk/download/winlist/69MWinner.pdf
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