-6.
TV Action taken towards an
early
reopening.
18. The Provisional Powers Committee set up by the Secretary of State in London to deal with the affairs of the University of Hong Kong has made the following decisions:
19.
(a) to place orders at once for the supply, at the earliest
possible date, of essential basic equipment for elementary laboratories for Chemistry, Physics, Botany, Zoology.
(b) to arrange for a Hong Kong centre at which candidates
may sit for the General Schools Examination of the University of London in June and early July 1946.
The Overseas Department of the Matriculation Board of the University of London is already making arrangements for this.)
(c) to arrange for the return to Hong Kong at an early date,
of the Registrar and of other surviving Members of the University Senior teaching staff.
(a) to recruit in England or in Hong Kong, preferably on
short term contracts, Lecturers in Chemistry, Mathematics, Botany and Zoology, History and Geography and to recall to duty in the Department in which an early beginning of teaching is possible, such Lecturers and Junior teachers as are available in or about Hong Kong. The Committee recognises that recruitment on this basis is not likely to be satis- factory but hopes that good Chinese may be forthcoming if good candidates from this country are not to be found.
*
(It is a recommendation of the Advisory Committee that all appointments should be open to Chinese and to candidates from the United Kingdom on the criterian of merit)
(e) to proceed at the earliest possible date to arrange for
the re-equipment of the laboratories in Departments of the Faculty of Medicine and, subject to a recommendation yet to be made by the Advisory Committee, of the Faculty of Engineering.
The Advisory Committee is strongly of opinion that no attempt should be made to re-open the University and to admit students to normal courses leading to degrees of the University before the early months of 1947 by which time:
20.
(a) it should be possible to have a decision from
His Majesty's Goverment on the long term policy on the future of higher education in Họng Kong,
(b) laboratories should be equipped to make possible at
least an essential minimum of practical instruction in the Sciences.
(c) a matriculation list based on the results of the London
University General Schools Examination should be ready for issue.
The Committee is of the opinion that no formal announcement of a date for the renewal of University activities should be made until the decision of His Majesty's Government on the recommendations of the Committee are known. Meanwhile members of the staff in Hong Kong will be able to do useful work in the organising and conducting of revision and refresher courses in
/their