The University of Queensland’s persecution of one of its own students reached a nadir this week, with student politician Drew Pavlou suspended for two years.
With just six months of his degree to finish, Pavlou seems justified in describing the suspension as “an expulsion for all intents and purposes”.
Drew Pavlou faced a disciplinary hearing on May 20 at the university over 11 allegations of misconduct, detailed in a confidential 186-page document, reportedly linked to his on-campus activism supporting Hong Kong and criticising the Chinese Communist Party.
The university ordered his suspension on Friday after the 20-year-old philosophy student left the previous hearing after about one hour, citing procedural unfairness[…]
“I think they’re using the term suspension to talk down just how harsh this punishment actually is,” Mr Pavlou said on Friday.
In true star chamber fashion, the university has tried – unsuccessfully – to keep the whole thing as their dirty little secret.
Mr Pavlou says he found out about the suspension via email at 4pm on Friday. The email allegedly asked him to keep the outcome confidential.
“I absolutely piss on their rule book when it comes to confidentiality,” the Brisbane man said.
“They’re trying to do me over in the shadows. Fuck that. No way.”
The university seems to have belatedly woken up to the fact that ruthlessly persecuting its own students at the behest of a brutal communist dictatorship is, to say the least, not a good look.
UQ Chancellor Peter Varghese said on Friday he was concerned with the outcome of the disciplinary action against Mr Pavlou.
“There are aspects of the findings and the severity of the penalty which personally concern me,” Mr Varghese said in a statement.
“In consultation with the vice chancellor, who has played no role in this disciplinary process, I have decided to convene an out-of-session meeting of UQ’s Senate next week to discuss the matter.”
This is face-saving bullshit, of course. Do they really expect us to believe that the chancellor and vice-chancellor had no role in this? That they were apparently unaware?
If they didn’t – if their oversight of the university’s bureaucracy is so lax – then how can they justify their million-dollar salaries?
The University of Queensland has faced media scrutiny for its relations with the Chinese government, which has co-funded four courses offered by the university.
The institution is also home to one of Australia’s many Confucius Institutes – Beijing-funded education centres some critics warn promote propaganda.
Mr Pavlou said he will now appeal the decision with the assistance of his lawyer, Tony Morris QC.
“We’re going to immediately appeal this decision in an independent court of law outside UQ.”
UQ might want to check with their colleagues at the Queensland University of Technology about what happened when free speech warrior Tony Morris QC defended a group of their students against persecution by their institution.
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