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Research postgraduate residential halls at HKUST
Following is a question by the Hon Cheung Man-kwong and a written reply by the Secretary for Education and Manpower, Mr Joseph W P Wong, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Question:
It is learned that the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) solicited bank loans to build residential halls for renting to postgraduates. It has also made new arrangements that postgraduates receiving the grants of studentship are required to reside in such halls and the University will later deduct monthly hall fees from the grants of studentship. For those postgraduates who refuse to reside in the residential halls will receive less amount of grants of studentship. In this connection, does the Government know:
Reply:
(a)
(b)
Mr President,
whether the University Grants Committee (UGC) has monitored the loans raised by tertiary institution from outside organisations for construction of campus facilities and residential halls, as well as the manner in which the debts concerned will be repaid; and
given that the deduction of hall fees from the grants of studentship might be regarded as a disguised move to subsidise the institution to repay its debts incurred from bank loans for building residential halls at the public expense, whether the authority concerned will regulate such practice so as to avoid the abuse of resources for higher education.
The University Grants Committee (UGC) has well-established practices and procedures for monitoring the financing and construction of campus facilities and residential halls, including such projects totally financed through private sources such as bank loans. In the case of the research postgraduate residential halls at HKUST, the University sought prior approval from the UGC by providing detailed information on the projected supply and demand of residential units, the design of the residential halls and the source of finance. Having carefully considered the proposal, the UGC endorsed the proposal in principle subject to the following conditions: