Grace Tsoi | 14 December 2023 | BBC

"There is no 'red line'," in Hong Kong any more, says a 30-something humanities professor in the city.

"If they want to come after you, everything can be used as an excuse." He did not wish to reveal his name because of the repercussions that could follow.

He says his nightmare is being named and attacked by Beijing-backed media, which could cost him his job, or worse, his freedom. That fear has swept through Hong Kong's universities and academic circles, which once attracted top talent. The city was close to the mainland, yet far enough to host progressive classrooms, world-class libraries and archives that allowed academic freedom, even in Chinese studies.

But that is no longer the case, academics and students tell the BBC, many choosing to stay anonymous out of fear. In the academic year 2021/22, more than 360 scholars left Hong Kong's eight public universities. The turnover rate - 7.4% - is the highest since 1997, when Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule, according to official data. Foreign student enrolments have dropped by 13% since 2019.

"The free atmosphere that existed is gone and people are worried," says Stephan Ortmann, a political scientist at the Hong Kong Metropolitan University. He says many of his colleagues have left and those that remain are wary - he has heard of teachers who have removed all Hong Kong and China-related material from their courses….

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