Aim Summary: Attaining the signatures of 500 HKUST students, staff, and affiliates as concrete proof that cases of racial inequality of all extents are in fact present at HKUST. This will allow us to propose and implement solid systems that will protect ALL students and staff in need against cases of racial discrimination of any size. 

Why We Need Your Help(!): University representatives have informed us that one of the ONLY robust methods of attaining the attention of offices that are able to implement concrete systems against cases of injustice is through the voice of our students. YOU! Helping those in need is as simple as a 1,2,3: Simply sign the petition down below! We wholeheartedly appreciate your support in our ongoing fights. 

Proposal to the Univesity: We propose two simple yet effective strategies that the University can implement in the short term to allow students to report, and seek well-deserved justice in unfortunate cases of racial discrimination at HKUST. Our heart is with those who find it challenging to address their personal experience of discriminatory acts, and seek solace in knowing that they can report, follow-up, and elicit change against those practicing intolerable acts of racial discrimination. 

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A FORMAL LETTER TO THE UNIVERSITY

Dear Dean of Students Office (DSTO) at HKUST, 

Dear Office of the Provost at HKUST, 

Dear Office of the President at HKUST, 

On behalf of HKUST Students & Staff Against Racial Discrimination (HKSSRD), We present this petition to provide concrete and solid evidence that unfortunate acts of racial discrimination are in fact present, abundant, and ongoing concerns at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. We ask all students and faculty on the Clear Water Bay campus to sign their names as a testament to being a victim or witnessing racial discrimination on the Clear Water Bay Campus at any point within their affiliation with the university. 

By presenting this petition to the Dean of Students Office (DSTO), Office of the Provost, and Office of the President, we aim to bring the immediate attention of the university to ongoing racial issues in our community in hopes of implementing two simple yet effective strategies that resolve short-term issues of racial discrimination while long-term concerns are to be addressed alongside. The strategies proposed include:

• A Racial Discrimination Investigative Committee by the Spring 22’ Semester: A committee that gathers a diverse set of students and staff from a variety of cultural backgrounds; A perceptive conglomeration of HKUST members that listen, investigate, address, and follow-up on reported cases of racial discrimination at HKUST. A systematic way for students that face racial discrimination to report, seek solace, and attain justice in unfortunate circumstances. The system is to hold both students and staff or any other member affiliated with HKUST on equal grounds in accounts of racially motivated discrimination and harassment. 
• Mandated Courses on Cultural Diversity for The Entry Class of Fall 2022: Following the regiment of HLTH1010 and its aims to promote student well-being, a mandated Cultural Diversity Education Course (CDEC) is demanded to equilibrate and balance knowledge and understanding on global racial concerns. We believe that this course is a great start to acknowledge racial discrimination at HKUST and shows the active initiative of the university in addressing student concerns with honesty and providing realistic solutions to global issues.

It is expected that the university implements, continuously supports, and promotes the abovementioned program in due time. We stress that the demands of this petition are realistic and in need of immediate attention as HKUST progresses daily in becoming a diverse environment welcoming to people of all races, nationalities, and cultural backgrounds. A lack of response to the issues or solutions that are to come too late to address these needs is a testament to a lack of understanding from higher-up offices and individuals at HKUST in empathizing with and having a justice-driven mindset towards matters involving racial adversities that target races, nationalities, and religions at HKUST: what we believe to be intolerable behavior from an international organization. 

We thank all supporters of racial equality and justice for taking the time to read, understand, and support our cause, and we look forward to hearing back from the addressed HKUST offices regarding the matter. 

Best, 

HKUST Students & Staff Against Racial Discrimination

 

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To initiate and encourage conversation addressing racial discrimination at HKUST, the committee would like to present heart-breaking and underserved experiences of those around us that have faced intolerable acts of racial discrimination:

• “I was told to go “Back to where the f**ck I came from” by my Ph.D. mentor in my lab in a conversation clearly unrelated to race and nationality. Need I say more?” - Erfan SHEKARRIZ, Iranian 
• “My freshman roommate and her Middle Eastern friend, both Muslim, are constantly interrogated by University staff about their religious background, practices, and beliefs with clear discriminatory undertones. An unfortunate and clear case of racially motivated targeting of Muslim and Middle Eastern students at HKUST.”  - Zeynep NAZ, Turkey 
• “A Muslim friend of mine was told by members of a student organization that “It’s still not too late to change (your religion)” after she politely declined their offer to do a bible study session. Too many of my Muslim and ethnic minority friends get harassed on campus and it’s time for a change” - Michelle SINGHOF, Germany
• “I constantly get approached and harassed by specific religious societies, and when I mention I’m Hindu and not interested in their activities, they clearly don’t respect that and continue to harass me. So many of my friends wanted to report these cases but there’s no straightforward or guaranteed path to address our problems of religious/racial harassment” - Vrinday REDDY, India
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We encourage ALL students and staff to send us an email to hkust.ssrd@gmail.com, or share your concerns with the associated departments directly via their email contacts:

Dean of Students Office: dst@ust.hk

Office of the Provost: provost@ust.hk

Office of the President: ophkust@ust.hk

 

Best, 

HKUST Students & Staff Against Racial Discrimination