HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 15 February 1989
香港立法局
———————一九八九年二月十五日
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As Members of this Council are aware, the Honourable Allen LEE stood down from the chairmanship of the Hong Kong Polytechnic Council at the end of last year. I would like to take this opportunity to express the gratitude of the Hong Kong Polytechnic Council to Mr. LEE for his leadership of the polytechnic for the past two years, which has been decisive and incisive and characterized by openness. Among the major achievements of the polytechnic under Mr. LEE's chairmanship were the implementation of a number of new first degree programmes, the introduction of a Degree of Master of Philosophy as a research degree, increased activities in research, consultancy and staff development, and the establishment of a number of specialist centres, including the Jockey Club Rehabilitation Engineering Centre, the Hong Kong Polytechnic CAD/CAM Research and Education Centre and the Plastics Technology Centre. The latter is an independent company located on the polytechnic campus and represents an important collaboration between industry, Government and tertiary education.
The year 1987-88 was the last year of the 1985-1988 triennium. As Members of this Council will note from the Annual Accounts of the polytechnic, there was a surplus for the whole of the triennium of $1.3 million, and this amount is to be returned to the University and Polytechnic Grants Committee.
During the year under review, the Hong Kong Polytechnic Ordinance was amended to make it clear that the academic awards and honorary awards that may be conferred in the name of the Hong Kong Polytechnic include degrees and honorary degrees. An Honorary Awards Committee has been appointed by the Polytechnic Council. The committee has met and made its recommendations, and it is anticipated that June 1989 will see the first conferment of an honorary degree by the polytechnic.
In April last year, the Polytechnic Council approved the establishment of the title of Professor in the polytechnic and the criteria and the procedures that should be used for conferring such a title. A Professorial Selection Committee was subsequently set up and on the recommendation of this committee, the Polytechnic Council in December last year conferred the title of Professor upon four serving members of the staff of the polytechnic including that of the present director, Dr. John CLARK. They all have held professorial status in their previous employment in other renowned institutions elsewhere.
Sir, in contributing towards Government's objective of increasing tertiary opportunities to our community, the polytechnic has continued to implement its degree programmes. The year 1987-88 saw the introduction of three degree courses. These included a three-year BA degree in Language and Communication, a three-year BSc degree in Building Technology and