Li Guozhang

Arthur Li Kwok-cheung GBM GBS JP (born June 27, 1945) is a Hong Kong politician, medical doctor, and educator. He is currently Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bank of East Asia, a member of the Executive Council of Hong Kong, and a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. He previously served as Secretary for Education and Manpower, Vice-Chancellor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Chairman of the University of Hong Kong Council. He is the younger brother of David Li, Chairman of Bank of East Asia. Known for his hardline style during his tenure in education policy, he has been nicknamed the "Education Tsar" and "King Arthur".

Biography

Personal Background

Arthur Li was born in Hong Kong and is originally from Heshan, Guangdong. He is a member of the Li Pei Chai family, son of Li Fook Shu and brother of David Li. He graduated from St. Paul’s Co-educational College and later studied at Uppingham School in the UK. Despite underperforming in his Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination, he later pursued pre-university studies in the UK and obtained a Bachelor of Medicine from the University of Cambridge. He furthered his studies at Middlesex Hospital and Harvard Medical School. He is currently Vice-Chairman of Bank of East Asia and a shareholder in Digital Broadcasting Corporation Hong Kong.

His first wife Diana passed away in 2013. He remarried Monique Ho, founder of the fashion magazine ZTYLEZ.COM, in 2022.

Joining CUHK Medical School

Li joined CUHK in 1982 as the founding Chair Professor of Surgery, later becoming the Head of Department and twice elected Dean of the Faculty of Medicine.

Vice-Chancellor of CUHK

In 1996, he was appointed Vice-Chancellor of CUHK amidst controversy over the selection process. During his tenure, he initiated policies like phasing out part-time undergraduate programmes. He later proposed merging CUHK with HKUST and incorporating the Hong Kong Institute of Education, controversially using the term "rape" to describe forced mergers. The merger proposals were eventually shelved.

Secretary for Education and Manpower

Appointed in 2002, his main task was helping reduce the government deficit. He proposed the "3+3+4" new academic structure (3 years of junior secondary, 3 years of senior secondary, 4 years of university) and cut public funding to tertiary institutions, sparking backlash from the education sector.

"3+3+4" Reform

The new academic structure was welcomed, but budget cuts were seen as premature, putting universities in a difficult position of handling increased future enrolments with fewer immediate resources.

Education Reforms

With Permanent Secretary Fanny Law, Li launched various reforms including the School-based Management Policy. Critics said his aggressive pursuit of "performance metrics" encouraged schools to focus on superficial outcomes rather than long-term student development.

Return to Government

He joined the Executive Council in 2012 under CY Leung’s administration and was appointed Chairman of the Council for Sustainable Development in 2015. He was reappointed to ExCo in 2022 under John Lee’s government.

Chair of HKU Council

In 2015, amid the controversy surrounding the appointment of Professor Johannes Chan as HKU Vice-President, Li was accused of political interference. Despite protests, he was appointed Chair of HKU Council starting 2016. He oversaw the appointment of Professor Zhang Xiang as Vice-Chancellor in 2018.

Controversies

CUHK-HKUST Merger Proposal

Li’s 2002 merger proposal between CUHK and HKUST met strong resistance from both institutions and was dropped.

HKIEd Incident

In 2007, HKIEd declined to renew President Paul Morris's contract. It was alleged that Li had threatened repercussions for not agreeing to a merger with CUHK. HKIEd staff later testified that government officials, including Li, interfered with academic freedom. Chief Executive Donald Tsang established a commission of inquiry led by Judge Andrew Li to investigate.

HKU Vice-Chancellor Appointment Controversy

In 2016, Li’s appointment as Chairman of HKU Council triggered student protests. A leaked audio showed him dismissing pro-Beijing newspapers, which was criticized by the press.

Trivia

In 2003, Li was caught playing a handheld game during a Legislative Council meeting. He initially denied it but later indirectly admitted it. In 2006, he defended multitasking during meetings.

A survey by Middle Class Power found Li was the most unpopular official, with 35.8% wanting him to resign.

In 2015, he was revealed to be dating Monique Ho, around 30 years his junior. The media dubbed it a “father-daughter romance”.

He was also criticized for calling students who advocated for independence "wannabe Japanese" despite his own relatives collaborating with the Japanese during WWII.

See Also

• Li Pei Chai family
• David Li
• Fanny Law
• Philip Chook
• Education Bureau
• School-based Management