Senior Editor for the South China Morning Post and honorary lecturer at the University of Hong Kong Cliff Buddle was attacked during class this week, in a rare instance of campus violence.
The assailant, a 26-year-old mainlander surnamed Liu, claimed to be a student from Beijing's Tsinghua University. Suddenly and wordlessly marching to the front of the hall ten minutes before the end of Monday's lecture on media law and ethics, Liu kicked Buddle in the chest and began beating him with his folder.
Students stopped Liu as he tried to escape and alerted campus security. Confronted by the students, Liu said to them in Mandarin, "you're all Chinese, you should be patriotic, study less English!"
"It's been 17 years since the handover," Liu concluded to the unreceptive audience, "why is English still being used for teaching?"
University authorities have confirmed that Liu was not actually a student and have said that they will look into strengthening campus security. Buddle was treated for injuries to his hand and chest before being discharged from hospital, and Liu was arrested and charged with common assault.
Consistently ranked as Asia's top university, English has been the language of instruction throughout HKU since it was founded over a century ago.
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