（編按 : 45名居英港人專業人士去信促請劍橋大學撤回向中文大學校長盧煜明頒授榮譽學位的提名，指其任內開除倡議調查大埔宏福苑大火的學生，違背大學保障學術自由的精神。聯署者認為，盧此舉有悖劍橋「Hinc lucem et pocula sacra」校訓所代表的啟蒙與公義價值，或損校譽，促請校方在正式批准前重新審視決定。)

公開信全文 :

Re: Formal Concern and Request for Reconsideration:

2026 Honorary Degree Nomination for Professor Dennis Yuk-ming Lo

Dear Lord Smith,

We, a group of Hong Kongers now residing in the United Kingdom, are writing to

you, and by extension to the University Council and the Honorary Degree

Committee, to share a matter of significant concern regarding the University’s

nomination of Professor Dennis Yuk-ming Lo for an honorary Doctorate in Medical

Science in 2026.

While we hold the University of Cambridge in the highest esteem for its historic

commitment to academic freedom, we believe this specific nomination at this

juncture presents a serious ethical and reputational dilemma.

Professor Lo currently serves as the Vice-Chancellor and President of The Chinese

University of Hong Kong (CUHK). While his scientific achievements are

remarkable, his recent administrative leadership has been marked by a deeply

controversial decision regarding a student, Mr. Miles Kwan (關靖豐).

Mr. Kwan was recently expelled by CUHK following his peaceful advocacy for an

independent commission of inquiry into the tragic Wang Fuk Court fire in Tai Po,

which claimed 168 lives in November 2025. We wish to highlight three specific

points for the Council’s consideration:

1. Public Interest and Validation: Kwan’s petition for an independent

investigation was a rightful request for transparency that was ultimately

validated when the Hong Kong government established a judge-led inquiry

into the fire. Such independent investigations are a cornerstone of public

accountability in the UK, notably exemplified by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry,

serving as a vital mechanism to uncover the underlying causes of

catastrophes.

2. Contradictory Punitive Action: Despite the legitimacy and public interest

of the request, CUHK proceeded with Mr. Kwan’s expulsion following his

arrest by national security police. This action suggests a departure from the

university’s role as a sanctuary for constructive civic engagement and the

protection of student welfare.

3. Institutional Values and the University Motto: As Vice-Chancellor,

Professor Lo’s endorsement of this expulsion is perceived by many as a

failure to safeguard the academic and personal integrity of his students.

The University of Cambridge motto, Hinc lucem et pocula sacra (“From

here, light and sacred draughts”), defines the University as a source of

intellectual light and wisdom. Bestowing this honor upon Professor Lo at

this time may be interpreted as a silent endorsement of punitive measures

against student advocacy, a move that fundamentally contradicts the spirit

of the University’s mission.

The award of an honorary degree is a powerful symbol of Cambridge’s values.

Proceeding with this conferment carries the risk of damaging the University’s

reputation among the international academic community and the significant

Hong Kong diaspora within the United Kingdom.

We humbly request that the University Council exercise its oversight to review this

nomination before the relevant Grace is submitted to the Regent House. We

believe it is in the best interest of the University to ensure its honors remain

beyond reproach and aligned with the defense of fundamental academic

freedoms.

Thank you for your time and your dedicated service to the University.

Yours sincerely,

45 undisclosed signatures

下為綠豆編輯中譯本 :

我們是一群現居英國的香港人，特此致函閣下，並請轉達劍橋大學校務委員會及榮譽學位委員會，就大學擬於 2026 年向盧煜明教授頒授醫學榮譽博士一事，表達我們的深切關注。

我們一向對劍橋大學堅守學術自由的悠久傳統深表敬仰。然而，在目前情況下推進此項提名，或會引發重大的倫理與聲譽疑慮。

盧煜明教授現為香港中文大學校長。誠然，他在科學研究方面成就卓越，但其近期的行政決定卻因涉及學生關靖豐（Miles Kwan）而備受爭議。

關靖豐早前因和平倡議就 2025 年 11 月造成 168 人喪生的大埔宏福苑大火成立獨立調查委員會，被國安處拘捕，其後遭中大開除。我們懇請校方審慎考慮以下幾點：

• 公共利益與事實印證：關同學要求成立獨立調查，旨在追求真相與問責。其訴求其後獲香港政府接納，成立由法官主持的調查委員會。在英國，獨立調查乃公共問責制度的重要一環，正如Grenfell Tower Inquiry所示，是釐清重大災難真相的關鍵機制。

• 懲處與大學角色的落差：儘管相關訴求具公共利益性質，中大仍在關被捕後將其開除。此舉令人質疑大學是否仍致力保障理性公民參與及學生福祉，是否偏離了高等學府應有的角色。

• 制度價值與校訓精神：作為校長，盧教授支持開除決定，在不少人眼中被視為未能充分維護學生的學術與人格尊嚴。劍橋校訓 “Hinc lucem et pocula sacra”（此地乃啟蒙與智慧之源）象徵大學作為思想光源與智慧之所。此時頒授榮銜，或會被外界解讀為對懲罰學生倡議行為的默許，與大學長久以來標舉的價值有所抵觸。

榮譽學位不僅是對個人成就的肯定，更是對價值立場的象徵。若繼續推進頒授程序，或將對劍橋大學在國際學術界及英國香港社群中的聲譽造成影響。

我們謹此懇請校務委員會在向評議會提交正式議決前，審慎覆核此項提名，確保大學所頒授的榮銜既無可置疑，亦與維護學術自由與基本原則的精神一致。

感謝閣下撥冗垂注。

此致

（聯署 : 45名未具名人士）