Letters | Reaching out to university students can help rebuild Legco’s credibility
- University students and researchers are an untapped resource that could inform Legco policymaking and provide insight on issues affecting the community
With the commencement of the Seventh Legislative Council on January 1 – the first since the Hong Kong electoral revamp – we are writing to express our best wishes for the newly minted lawmakers. We hope they can work proactively with university students and scholars regarding public policies during their tenure in the next four years.
The Legco Research Office undertakes research studies primarily on request from the council, committees and members. Staff closely monitor current affairs and prepare research publications for lawmakers’ reference.
Therefore, the office is well-positioned to collaborate with university scholars and students to investigate a range of policy issues and leverage the research capabilities and talent at local tertiary institutions. It should work with the Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office to set up mini-grants for university students to conduct research projects on policy matters that could inform policymaking in Legco.
In 2019-20, the office received and processed 3,813 cases involving a range of policy bureaus and departments. While lawmakers formed groups and took turns performing “ward duty” in meeting with members of the public, on average, only about 61.4 such meetings were held each year over the past five years. Legco members could offer more opportunities for university scholars and students to meet them, not necessarily to handle complaints but to discuss policy issues affecting the community.
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Pro-establishment bloc dominates Hong Kong Legislative Council after record-low turnout for election
With its legitimacy being doubted by many city residents, the new legislature must work hard to demonstrate its commitment to serving the community and its ability to solve practical problems for Hong Kong. Reaching out to young people, especially the university community, would go a long way towards achieving these goals.
Ziyi Ren and Siqi Li, students, Baptist University
