FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 1984
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SPEAKING AT THE GRADUATION CEREMONY OF SHUE YAN COLLEGE THIS EVENING, SIR JOHN NOTED THAT THE COLLEGE WAS CONFERRING MBA DEGREES, AND EMPHASISED THE IMPORTANCE OF MANAGEMENT EDUCATION TO HONG KONG.
+HONG KONG CONSISTS OF A BARREN ROCK AND 5.3 MILLION PEOPLE. OUR GNP IS ENTIRELY DEPENDENT ON OUR TRADE. PER CAPITA GDP THIS YEAR SHOULD BE ABOUT US$ 5 700, WITH AN ESTIMATED GDP OF ABOUT
$240 BILLION.
+TRADE REPRESENTS NO LESS THAN 163 PER CENT OF GDP. WE. CANNOT TRADE SUCCESSFULLY WITHOUT EDUCATED MANAGERS, THE SUPPLY OF WHOM IS ESSENTIAL TO OUR FUTURE, HE SAID.
THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF SIR JOHN'S SPEECH:
+1 AM HONOURED TO BE ASKED TO SPEAK THIS EVENING, AS DR HU KNOWS, TERTIARY EDUCATION HAS LONG BEEN AN AREA OF GREAT INTEREST TO ME. I WAS FORTUNATE TO BE CHAIRMAN OF THE UNIVERSITY AND POLYTECHNIC GRANTS COMMITTEE SOME YEARS AGO, AND I BELIEVE THAT I CAN CLAIM TO KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT THE PROBLEMS AND ISSUES. NOTHING IS MORE DIFFICULT THAN AN ASSESSMENT OF PRIORITIES. THERE IS NO ABSOLUTE PRIORITY IN LIFE EXCEPT LIVELIHOOD ITSELF. BUT AMONGST THE DAY TO DAY ISSUES FACING THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG AT PRESENT FEW ARE MORE IMPORTANT FOR OUR FUTURE THAN THE CONTROLLED EXPANSION OF TERTIARY EDUCATION. THE DECISION TO GO AHEAD WITH THE CITY POLYTECHNIC AT A TIME WHEN REVENUE WAS UNDER PRESSURE WAS A MAJOR INDICATION OF LONG-TERM POLICY, YOU MAY BE SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT WE NOW HAVE OVER 27 300 STUDENTS IN POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION, AT A COST TO THE TAXPAYER OF NO LESS THAN $1 570 MILLION PER YEAR. THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS AND THUS THE COST TO THE COMMUNITY ARE BOTH RISING. I HAVE THUS ALWAYS BEEN IMPRESSED WITH THE WAY SHUE YAN COLLEGE ALMOST UNIQUELY HAS MANAGED TO GROW VIGOROUSLY WITHOUT DIRECT RECOURSE TO GOVERNMENT MONEY. LONG MAY IT CONTINUE. I KNOW THAT IT IS NOT EASY. EQUALLY I KNOW THAT IT IS THE BEST WAY IN WHICH TO REMAIN AUTONOMOUS AND INDEPENDENT.
+TONIGHT WE WITNESS AND CELEBRATE THE CONFERRING OF MBA DEGREES. MANAGEMENT EDUCATION IS OF CONSIDERABLE IMPORTANCE TO HONG KONG AND I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE NORTHEAST LOUISIANA UNIVERSITY, HONG KONG CONSISTS OF A BARREN ROCK AND 5.3 MILLION PEOPLE. OUR GNP IS ENTIRELY DEPENDENT ON OUR TRADE. PER CAPITA GDP THIS YEAR SHOULD BE ABOUT US$5 700, WITH AN ESTIMATED GDP OF ABOUT $240 BILLION, TRADE REPRESENTS NO LESS THAN 163% OF GDP. WE CANNOT TRADE SUCCESSFULLY WITHOUT EDUCATED MANAGERS, THE SUPPLY OF WHOM IS ESSENTIAL TO OUR FUTURE. TONIGHT + SEE BEFORE ME THE MANAGERS OF TOMORROW, WHO WILL BE GRATEFUL TO THOSE WHO HAVE GIVEN THEM THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT LIE AHEAD. SO IS HONG KONG.+
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