THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1982
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MEANWHILE, THE FULL UPGC, AFTER DISCUSSION WITH THE COLLEGE AND ITS PRESIDENT, HAS CONCLUDED THAT DEVELOPMENT OF A CIVIL ENGINEERING COURSE IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE ROLE OF THE COLLEGE, AND THE GOVERNMENT HAS AGREED TO THIS VIEW.
THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT THIS VIEW WAS ONLY REACHED AFTER CAREFUL STUDY OF THE CASE FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE COURSE AT THE COLLEGE, PARTICULARLY IN THE WIDER CONTEXT OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTÉM IN HONG KONG.
+GIVEN THE ROLE ENVISAGED FOR THE BAPTIST COLLEGE IN THE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM, DEVELOPMENT OF A FULLY PROFESSIONAL CIVIL ENGINEERING COURSE WILL INHIBIT THE ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS OF THE COLLEGE. DEVELOPMENT OF A PROGRAMME IN CIVIL ENGINEERING AT THE COLLEGE WOULD, THEREFORE, BE NEITHER IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE COLLEGE NOR OF HONG KONG, AND RESOURCES FOR SUCH DEVELOPMENT WILL BE MORE PRODUCTIVE IF SPENT WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG AND THE POLYTECHNICS, + HE SAID.
HE EMPHASIZED, HOWEVER, THAT BOTH THE GOVERNMENT AND THE UPGC BELIEVED THAT THE DEPARTMENT SHOULD NOT BE CLOSED BEFORE 1985 SO AS TO ENSURE THAT EXISTING STUDENTS ARE IN NO WAY AFFECTED, AND THAT THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPLETE THEIR STUDIES WITH THE SAME FACILITIES AS THEY NOW ENJOY.
+THE UPGC HAS TOLD THE GOVERNMENT THAT IT EXPECTS THAT THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG AND THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC WOULD INCLUDE ALL BRANCHES OF ENGINEERING AS PRIORITY SUBJECTS IN THEIR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES, THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.
THE COMMITTEE ALSO BELIEVED, AS A RESULT OF PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS WITH THE DIRECTOR OF THE POLYTECHNIC, THAT THE POLYTECHNIC WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE FROM 1983 A SIMILAR NUMBER OF PLACES TO THAT TO BE DISCONTINUED AT THE BAPTIST COLLEGE. FURTHER OPPORTUNITIES WOULD ALSO BE AVAILABLE WHEN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF THE SECOND POLYTECHNIC IS COMPLETED IN ABOUT 1988.
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