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WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 1987
MR CHEONG ALSO SAID THAT THE
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE THIRD UNIVERSITY WAS TIMELY. ECONOMICALLY SPEAKING, HONG KONG HAD DEVELOPED AND EVOLVED TO A LEVEL WHERE, IF IT WAS TO MOVE FURTHER FORWARD WITH CONFIDENCE, A CONTINUOUS SUPPLY OF WELL TRAINED SPECIALIST GRADUATES WOULD BE ESSENTIAL, HE SAID.
THE
ANOTHER COUNCILLOR, THE HON CHENG HON-KWAN, WHO IS THE DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF THE UNIVERSITY'S PLANNING COMMITTEE, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THAT THE BILL ACCURATELY REFLECTED THE DESIRE OF COMMITTEE TO CREATE A MODERN TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY WHICH ON THE ONE HAND HAD THE NECESSARY AUTONOMY AND FREEDOM TO PERMIT THE DEVELOPMENT OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE, AND ON THE OTHER WOULD BE EFFICIENTLY OPERATED TO GIVE THE BEST VALUE FOR MONEY INVESTED.
ON THE NEED FOR COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE UNIVERSITY AND HONG KONG'S INDUSTRY, MR CHENG SAID THIS REQUIRED THE DETERMINATION AND INITIATIVES FROM BOTH THE INDUSTRIALISTS AND THE UNIVERSITY AUTHORITIES AND ACADEMIC STAFF.
HE SAID IT WAS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE THAT HIGHER EDUCATION SHOULD SERVE THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY AS EFFECTIVELY AS POSSIBLE. ALTHOUGH IT WAS DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY WITH PRECISION THE NEEDS OF THE MARKETPLACE FOR TRAINED DEGREE LEVEL PERSONNEL, IT WAS THE PLANNING COMMITTEE'S CONSTANT CONCERN TO DEVELOP AND REFINE AN ACADEMIC PROFILE FOR THE UNIVERSITY, WHICH WOULD MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE ECONOMY AS WELL AS THE ASPIRATIONS OF THE STUDENTS.
MR CHENG SAID THOUGH THE MAIN THRUST OF THE UNIVERSITY'S WORK WOULD BE AT THE UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL, IT WAS THE PLANNING COMMITTEE'S FIRM WISH TO SEE A HIGH PROPORTION OF THE UNIVERSITY'S RESOURCES EVENTUALLY DEVOTED TO POSTGRADUATE WORK.
HOWEVER, HE THOUGHT IT WAS ALSO IMPORTANT THAT IN THE INTEREST OF THE UNIVERSITY AND THE COMMUNITY, GREATER EMPHASIS SHOULD BE PLACED ON RESEARCH.
"ALTHOUGH I BELIEVE THAT AT THIS STAGE OF OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THE RESEARCH SHOULD BE DIRECTED IN THE MAIN TOWARDS COMMERCIAL EXPLOITATION IN THE INTERESTS OF OUR ECONOMY; IN OTHER WORDS WE SHOULD BE ADVOCATING APPLIED RATHER THAN PURE RESEARCH, HE ADDED.
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