9
ON
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1979
CALL FOR SETTING UP OF RESEARCH COUNCIL
*****
THE HON. JAMES WU, PROPOSED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY THE SETTING UP OF A HONG KONG RESEARCH COUNCIL TO RESEARCH INTO THE MANY IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX PROBLEMS CONCERNING THE COMMUNITY.
MR. WU SAID HONG KONG NEEDS SUCH A COUNCIL BECAUSE +AS HONG KONG'S POPULATION GROWS AND THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS BECOME MORE COMPLEX, PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS BECOME LESS APPARENT, AND USUALLY BEYOND THE APPREHENSION AND INTUITION OF EVEN THE MOST CAPABLE AND EXPERIENCED+.
HE SUGGESTED THAT THE RESEARCH COUNCIL BE CONSTITUTED WITH MEMBERS APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR, AND WITH GOVERNMENT FUNDING THE ACTIVITIES, INITIALLY AT LEAST, AND SERVICED BY OFFICERS FROM THE SECRETARIAT.
+UNDER THE COUNCIL WOULD BE THREE COMMITTEES, VIZ SOCIAL STUDIES COMMITTEE, ECONOMIC STUDIES COMMITTEE AND TECHNOLOGICAL STUDIES COMMITTEE, WHICH IN TURN WOULD HAVE SUB-COMMITTEES OR SPECIALIST PANELS.+
MR. WU ADDED THAT THE COUNCIL COULD POSSIBLY START WITH A FUND OF $5-10 MILLION ANNUALLY TO BE DIVIDED EQUALLY INTO THE THREE AVENUES OF APPLIED RESEARCH, AND WOULD INVITE PROSPECTIVE RESEARCHERS TO SUBMIT APPLICATIONS WHICH WOULD BE VETTED, AND IF APPROVED, MONITORED AND THE RESULTS EVALUATED BY THE SPECIAL IST PANEL AND LATER THE COMMITTEE AND COUNCIL.
+DEPENDING UPON THE NATURE AND COMPLEXITY OF THE PROBLEM, EACH PROJECT WOULD PROBABLY COST FROM $20,000–100,000 OR MORE, LASTING FROM THREE MONTHS TO A YEAR OR TWO,+ MR. WU SAID.
HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT HONG KONG'S UNIVERSITIES HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO CONDUCT MUCH ACTIVITIES DUE TO A LACK OF FUNDS.
+AS A RESULT, ACADEMICS RETREAT FURTHER TO THE IR IVORY TOWER, AND STUDENTS ARE DEPRIVED OF OPPORTUNITIES TO ASSIST IN PRACTICAL RESEARCH THROUGH WHICH THEY COULD LEARN THE PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF THE IR DISCIPLINE, AND DEVELOP THE ATTITUDE AND TECHNIQUES IN INVESTIGATORY WORK, + MR. WU SAID.
+SINCE RESEARCH HAS BECOME SUCH A PART OF THE LEARNING PROCESS IN MODERN DAYS, IT FOLLOWS THAT TO BE DEPRIVED OF THIS IMPORTANT TRAINING IS TO HAVE MISSED A FULLER EDUCATION SO IMPORTANT IN THE GRADUATE'S SUBSEQUENT PROFESSIONAL LIFE AND CAREER, NOT TO SAY HIS CONTRIBUTION TO THE SOCIETY, HE ADDED.
+PERHAPS THIS IS ONE REASON WHY A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF OUR GRADUATES ENDS UP IN GOVERNMENT AND TEACHING WORK WITH SO FEM PROPERLY TRAINED OR EQUIPPED TO ENTER COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY WHERE LONG-TERM PROSPECTS ARE ATTRACTIVE.+
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