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TUESDAY, MAY 31, 1988
SIR GEOFFREY VISITS HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC
THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, SIR GEOFFREY HOWE, TODAY (TUESDAY) VISITED THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC TO LEARN ABOUT THE INSTITUTION'S LATEST PROGRAMMES AND TO INSPECT ITS FACILITIES.
SIR GEOFFREY AND LADY HOWE WERE ACCOMPANIED ON THE VISIT BY THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, MR RON BRIDGE.
ON ARRIVAL AT THE POLYTECHNIC CAMPUS IN HUNG HOM, THEY WERE ET BY THE DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF THE POLYTECHNIC COUNCIL, MR STEPHEN CHEONG; THE POLYTECHNIC DIRECTOR, DR JOHN CLARK; THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR, MR LO KING-MAN; AND THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR (ACADEMIC SERVICES AND CONTINUING EDUCATION), MRS RITA FAN.
DR CLARK EXPLAINED TO SIR GEOFFREY THAT SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 1972 THE POLYTECHNIC HAS UNDERGONE A PHASED PROGRAMME OF EXTENSIVE DEVELOPMENT AND RAPID EXPANSION.
TODAY, THE POLYTECHNIC IS BY FAR THE LARGEST TERTIARY INSTITUTION IN HONG KONG WITH MORE THAN 26,000 STUDENTS ATTENDING FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME COURSES, DR CLARK SAID.
THE SPECTRUM OF COURSES OFFERED BY THE POLYTECHNIC RANGES FROM FULL-TIME DEGREE, HIGHER DIPLOMA OR DIPLOMA TO PART-TIME CERTIFICATE LEVELS AND EVEN SHORT COURSES CATERING SPECIALLY TO THE CURRENT NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
FIVE NEW DEGREE PROGRAMMES ARE EXPECTED TO BE INTRODUCED IN THE 1988-89 ACADEMIC YEAR IN ADDITION TO THE 15 NOW OFFERED.
PLANNING FOR FURTHER DEGREE COURSES, INCLUDING
POSTGRADUATE
PROGRAMMES, IS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY, DR CLARK ADDED.
IN TOURING THE CAMPUS, SIR GEOFFREY STOPPED FIRST AT THE SWIRE SCHOOL OF DESIGN. THERE, HE INSPECTED SEVERAL INDUSTRIAL DESIGN AND GRAPHIC DESIGN STUDIOS WHERE STUDENTS WERE AT WORK.
HE THEN SAW THE POLYTECHNIC'S OUTDOOR SPORTS FACILITIES BEFORE LOOKING THROUGH THE INDUSTRIAL CENTRE WHICH PROVIDES PRACTICAL SKILLS
TRAINING TO STUDENTS.
AT THE INDUSTRIAL CENTRE, HE WAS SHOWN OVER THE POLYTECHNIC'S COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING (CAD/CAM) RESEARCH AND EDUCATION CENTRE WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED UNDER A PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMME WITH THE IBM CORPORATION.
/THE CENTRE