University of Queensland activist suspended for two years

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A student activist highly critical of the University of Queensland's ties to Beijing has been handed a two-year suspension from the institution.

Drew Pavlou faced a disciplinary hearing on May 20 at the university over 11 allegations of misconduct, detailed in a confidential 186-page document, reportedly linked to his on-campus activism supporting Hong Kong and criticising the Chinese Communist Party.

University of Queensland student Drew Pavlou says he walked out of a disciplinary hearing because UQ denied him access to documents he needed for his defence.Attila Csaszar

The university ordered his suspension on Friday after the 20-year-old philosophy student and his lawyer, Tony Morris, QC, walked out of a closed virtual hearing before the panel last Wednesday, describing the process as a "kangaroo court".

Mr Pavlou vowed to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court of Queensland.

"I was six months away from graduation,” he said, appearing upset in a video shared on Twitter and Facebook.

“Now that’s been pulled away from me because I criticised my university’s ties to the Chinese government.

“This is now an indication of how deep Chinese government influence goes … I never thought it would get to this point.”

Mr Pavlou said he believed the decision was an attempt by the university to remove him from the UQ Senate.