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COLONIAL UNIVERSITY GRANTS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
da Item No.13.
C.U.G.C./10/50
1112
UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG: ASS IS TANCE FROM THE COLONIAL DEVELOPMENT AND WELFARE HIGHER EDUCATION
ALLOCATION.
(Note by Colonial Office)
The Colonial University Grants Advisory Committee will be aware from a letter (copy attached) addressed to the Secretary of the Inter-University Council for Higher Education in the Colonies on the 23rd December last, of the then Secretary of State's urgent concern, which Mr. Griffiths endorses, that continued support should be given to the University of Hong Kong and particularly to its rehabilitation.
A Committee from the Inter-University Council have recent ly visited Hong Kong and have submitted a report, a copy of which is attached to this note, That report contains three major recommendations:-
(a) that the £250,000 promised by His Majesty's Government in 1948 should be fully used to meet capital needs and should be paid over as early as possible;
(b) that a further grant from the Colonial Development and
Welfare Higher Education allocation of £250,000 should be made; and
(c) that if possible a new endowment fund should be initiated by His Majesty's Government by a further grant (not from funds under the Colonial Development and Welfare Act) on a pound for pound basis up to £250,000 against funds raised from other sources, on condition that His Majesty's Government's contribution should be vested in securities outside Hong Kong.
As regards the grants mentioned under (a) above, the Treasury are being approached with a view to securing the release of a substantial portion of the provisions already made on the Colonial Office vote for this year to meet certain oapital projects referred to in paragraph 8 of the Visiting Mission's report, and thereafter of the balance at such rate as the progress of work demands.
With regard to (c) the recommendation will be the subject of correspondence with the Treasury with a view to securing its implementation, if possible.
Turning to recommendation (b), the Colonial Office have no hesitation in submitting this recommendation for most favourable considerabion by the Colonial University Grants Advisory Committee. The Colonial Office is fully satisfied that there is ample justification for this grant from the Colonial Development and Welfare Higher Education allocation to enable the University of Hong Kong to provide the necessary university facilities for students in Hong Kong desiring a university education in the Colony, and for others, e.g. from Malaya, who may prefer to secure their higher education in a Chinese atmosphere. as is pointed out in the letter addressed to the Secretary of the Inter-University Council to which reference is made at the commencement of this note, the recent developments in China may well lead to Chinese parents no longer wishing to have their sons educated in Chinese universities.
Moreover,
The/
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