UNCLASSIFIED
FM BTC HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 158
OF 03033OZ JUN 92
UNCLASSIFIED
On the basis of this
lue
ought.
Vorist any
YOUR TELNO 110: CBI OVERSEAS SCHOLARSHIPS
HWB 2B5/1
nedication in the
37
063215
'MOLIAN 0028
oper po
scholarship's Hu.
nunter
1 THIS OFFICE HAS NO DIRECT INVOLVEMENT IN THE CBI SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME. WE DO NOT RECEIVE PAPERS FROM THE CBI. THE SCHEME IN HONG KONG IS MANAGED BY THE BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE QUA CBI REPRESENTATIVE. WE HAVE NOW ARRANGED FOR SMITH-LAITTAN TO SIT ON THE SELECTION BOARD WHICH WILL MEET LATER THIS MONTH TO CONSIDER
CANDIDATES FOR THE NEXT TRANCHE OF AWARDS.
2.
THE BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ADVERTISE THE SCHEME IN THE
PRESS AND THROUGH THE HONG KONG INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS. THEY
ALSO SEEK APPLICANTS FROM APPROPRIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT
DEPARTMENTS. THE RESPONSE TO THESE TRAWLS HAS NOT BEEN GOOD OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS AND APPLICATIONS FROM ONLY THREE GRADUATE
ENGINEERS WILL BE CONSIDERED BY THE SELECTION BOARD THIS MONTH. WE HAVE OFFERED TO HELP THE BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PROMOTE THE SCHEME, WHICH DESERVES OUR ACTIVE SUPPORT, AND WOULD HOPE THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO ATTRACT A KEENER INTEREST FROM GRADUATE
ENGINEERS NEXT YEAR (OBVIOUS AREAS TO BE TAPPED ARE THE
UNIVERSITIES AND POLYTECHNICS).
3. THE BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HAVE COMMENTED THAT THIS IS
NOT A PARTICULARLY ATTRACTIVE SCHEME FOR HONG KONG STUDENTS (WE
HAVE NO VIEW SINCE WE HOLD NO INFORMATION OURSELVES ON CBI SCHOLARSHIPS: INCIDENTALLY IF INFORMATION ON THE SCOPE OF THE SCHEME IS READILY AVAILABLE WE WOULD WELCOME SIGHT OF IT). THE MAINTENANCE GRANTS ARE THOUGHT TO BE TOO LOW AND IT WOULD SEEM THERE ARE DIFFICULTIES SOMETIMES IN PLACING APPLICANTS IN APPROPRIATE TRAINING SCHEMES IN THE UK, POSSIBLY BECAUSE THE SCHEME AS IT OPERATES NOW IS NOT FLEXIBLE ENOUGH. THAT SAID WE AND THE BRITISH COUNCIL WILL DO ALL POSSIBLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PRESENT ALLOCATION OF CBI SCHOLARSHIPS IS FULLY TAKEN UP NEXT TIME ROUND. THE BRITISH COUNCIL IS ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER SCHEMES AND TRAINING AND THEIR AIM AND OURS IS TO SEEK TO INCREASE NOT REDUCE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF UK SCHOLARSHIPS ON OFFER TO HONG KONG STUDENTS AS WE APPROACH TO 1997. IT WOULD THEREFORE BE A GREAT PITY IF THE CBI SCHOLARSHIP
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