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SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 1993
CALL ON LOCAL TALENTS TO DEVELOP NEW TECHNOLOGY
* *
HONG
KONG IS SET TO CONTINUALLY GO UP-MARKET IN TERMS OF APPLICATION OF NEW TECHNOLOGY, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, MR MICHAEL LEUNG, SAID.
AS SUCH, HE ADDED, HONG KONG MUST OPTIMISE ITS AVAILABLE NEWLY-TRAINED TALENTS TO ENHANCE ITS ABILITY TO ADAPT AND DEVELOP TECHNOLOGY,
AND
NEW
SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE FIRST ANNUAL SCIENCE CONFERENCE OF THE HONG KONG INSTITUTION OF SCIENCE AT THE CITY POLYTECHNIC THIS (SATURDAY) MORNING, MR LEUNG SAID A MEANS OF ACHIEVING THIS AIM WAS TO INCREASE PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR RESEARCH PROJECTS IN THE UNIVERSITY AND POLYTECHNIC GRANTS COMMITTEE (UPGC)-FUNDED INSTITUTIONS.
"TO ENABLE THIS TO BE DONE MORE EFFECTIVELY, WE SET RESEARCH GRANTS COUNCIL IN 1991, UNDER THE AEGIS OF UPGC, TO AND ADMINISTER THE EARMARKED RESEARCH GRANTS, SAID MR LEUNG.
TT
"THE AMOUNT OF EARMARKED RESEARCH GRANTS ADMINISTERED COUNCIL HAS BEEN INCREASED FROM $100 MILLION IN 1991/92 MILLION IN 1992/93.
UP THE OVERSEE
BY THE ΤΟ $122
"ACCORDING TO OUR PLAN, THE PROVISION WILL BE FURTHER INCREASED TO $180 MILLION BY 1994/95."
MR LEUNG NOTED THAT MANY OF THESE RESEARCH PROJECTS WERE RELATED TO SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS.
IN ADDITION TO SUCH DIRECT FUNDING SUPPORT FOR GOVERNMENT HAS ALSO BEEN ENCOURAGING THE TERTIARY SPEND ABOUT TWO PER CENT OF THEIR BLOCK GRANTS ON RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE.
RESEARCH, THE INSTITUTIONS ΤΟ IMPROVING THEIR
THESE ENHANCEMENTS HELP CONSOLIDATE THE RESEARCH FOUNDATION AS WELL AS STIMULATE A MORE ACTIVE APPROACH TOWARDS RESEARCH STUDIES WITHIN THE INSTITUTIONS.
APART FROM FINANCIAL SUPPORT, MR LEUNG SAID, THE GOVERNMENT HAD FURTHER ENCOURAGED THE INSTITUTIONS TO TRAIN MORE POSTGRADUATES BOTH TO CATER FOR THE NEEDS OF THE LOCAL BUSINESS AND INDUSTRIAL SECTORS AND TO BUILD UP A LARGER POOL OF LOCAL ACADEMIC TALENTS 'TO WORK FOR THE INSTITUTIONS.
IN 1992/93, THE SEVEN UPGC-FUNDED INSTITUTIONS HAVE PROVIDED 3,273 FULL-TIME-EQUIVALENT TAUGHT POSTGRADUATES PLACES AND 1,713 FULL- TIME-EQUIVALENT RESEARCH POSTGRADUATE PLACES.
BY 1994/95, THE PROVISIONS WILL BE INCREASED BY 29 PER CENT AND 60 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY.
MANY OF THESE NEW PLACES ARE EXPECTED TO BE OFFERED IN THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY RELATED DISCIPLINES WHERE THERE HAS BEEN VERY STRONG DEMAND.
/MR LEUNG