The University of Hong Kong pro-vice-chancellor selection controversy surrounds alleged political interference behind the University of Hong Kong governing council's rejection of Johannes Chan's recommended appointment to the post of pro-vice-chancellor in charge of staffing and resources. Chan, dean of the Faculty of Law from 2002 until 2014, had been unanimously recommended for the post by a selection committee headed by university president Peter Mathieson. The governing council's decision, the first time that a candidate selected by the committee has been rejected, is widely viewed as political retaliation for Chan's involvement with pro-democratic figures including his former subordinate Benny Tai. A majority of HKU Council members are not students or staff of the university, and many