UQ rejects student activist Drew Pavlou's appeal, upholds suspension until 2021
A University of Queensland student has lost his internal appeal against the university's decision to suspend him for two years, but has vowed to take his fight to the Supreme Court.
Drew Pavlou, an elected UQ Senate student representative, organised a series of protests supporting the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement and criticised UQ's Confucius Institute in the past year.
Drew Pavlou on campus.Credit:Facebook
On Monday, Mr Pavlou tweeted the university had upheld its decision to suspend him until 2021 and he also wrote: "We fight on. Total exoneration or nothing. UQ wants war, they have it."
Mr Pavlou said on Twitter his suspension meant he would be removed from the UQ Senate and be ineligible to contest student elections.
"UQ’s court ultimately dismissed 90 per cent of charges against me on appeal, yet still expelled me until 2021," Mr Pavlou claimed on social media regarding Monday's decision.
The arts and philosophy student was suspended by the UQ disciplinary panel in May over 11 allegations of misconduct, handed to him in April.
Last month, Mr Pavlou described his suspension as an attempt to silence his criticism of the Chinese government and its influence on the university.
The 21-year-old also withdrew from classes and announced he was claiming $3.5 million in damages and alleged "deceit, conspiracy, harassment, defamation (and) breach of contract" by the university.
Mr Pavlou has also been vocal around issues of Tibetan independence and the Tiananmen Square massacre.
UQ has repeatedly said the disciplinary matter had nothing to do with issues of free speech.