Anti-China activist left hanging by university of Queensland

An anti-China student activist threatened with expulsion from the University of Queensland says his future is in limbo.

‘I am the most significant protester against Chinese government influence at the university — that would be my rejoinder to them’: student activist Drew Pavlou. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

An anti-China student activist threatened with expulsion from the University of Queensland says his future is in limbo because of delays into misconduct allegations the university has levelled against him.

Drew Pavlou has made international headlines and attracted thousands of supporters online over his protests against the university’s academic ties with Chinese government institutions and the ruling Chinese Communist Party’s record on human rights.

Despite his claims to have ­received death threats due to his political activities, the university has compiled a document alleging he has committed various breaches of student integrity and misconduct rules. Such breaches may result in expulsion from the university.

The university insists its action has nothing to do with Mr ­Pavlou’s political stance. However, the 20-year-old philosophy student says his criticism of the university’s links with China and his organisation of on-campus protests against the treatment of Hong Kong democracy campaigners last year are why he is being targeted.

“I am the most significant protester against Chinese government influence at the university — that would be my rejoinder to them,” he said.

He said a hearing into the allegations against him was due this week but the university had withdrawn after refusing to give him more time to defend the action and had since been silent on when it would be rescheduled.

“This is simply to make sure it will be difficult for me to be properly represented at the hearing because I won’t be able to let my legal counsel know in time,” he said. “I think they made up their minds to expel Drew and then drew up a 186-page legal dossier that they must have spent tens of thousands of dollars on. I am at the business end of my degree and have already spent $35,000 in fees yet it could be that I will lose that and have wasted 3½ years of my life all because I chose to criticise the university’s links with China.”

A university spokesman said it would be inappropriate to comment about the hearing details but rejected any suggestion “that the process is an attempt to penalise him for airing his political ­beliefs”.

“The university also rejects any suggestion that timely and appropriate communication has not occurred in relation to the hearing details,” she said. “The university was prepared for a disciplinary hearing to take place on the originally scheduled date.”

UQ has been consistently tight-lipped about its move against Mr Pavlou, saying disciplinary processes were confidential to protect all involved, “including those who have made complaints and those who are the subject of complaints”.

However, Mr Pavlou has used social media to air some of the claims against him. He said the claims related to alleged breaches of the university’s student integrity and misconduct policy.

An online petition against Mr Pavlou’s possible expulsion has attracted 24,000 signatures.

Yet he has not had any vocal support from the university student union, a development he puts down to the union not wanting to upset Chinese students who will be crucial to the outcome of union elections next year.