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MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1981

DR JOHN WRIGHT NAMED SCIENCE ADVISER

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THE GOVERNMENT TODAY ANNOUNCED THE APPOINTMENT OF DR JOHN C. WRIGHT AS GOVERNMENT SCIENCE ADVISER IN SUCCESSION TO THE LATE MR G.J. BELL.

A METALLURGIST BY TRAINING AND WITH EXPERIENCE IN BRITAIN IN INDUSTRY, INDUSTRIAL FESEARCH AND TERTIARY EDUCATION, DR WRIGHT HAS FOR THE PAST FIVE-AND-A-HALF YEARS BEEN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HONG KONG PRODUCTIVITY CENTRE.

HE WILL JOIN THE GOVERNMENT ON DECEMBER 1 AND BEFORE THEN WILL UNDERTAKE DUTY VISITS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, USTRALIA AND TO THE INTERNATIONAL LABORATORY ACCREDITATION CONFERENCE IN MEXICO.

THE CONCEPT OF A GOVERNMENT SCIENCE ADVISER IS A RECENT INNOVATION AND HAS ARISEN FROM THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON DIVERSIFICATION THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD AIM TO IMPROVE ITS UNDERSTANDING OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF INDUSTRY AND THE MEANS OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN ITSELF, INDUSTRIAL ORGANISATIONS AND MANUFACTURERS ON ISSUES INVOLVING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.

THE ADVISER WILL ALSO GENERALLY ASSIST THE GOVERNMENT ON ANY ISSUES CONNECTED WITH SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY REFERRED TO HIM AND ALSO REINFORCE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE TERTIARY EDUCATION SECTOR.

DR WRIGHT HAS COMBINED CONSIDERABLE EXPERIENCE IN TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT WITH A SUCCESSFUL CAREER AS AN ADMINISTRATOR.

BEFORE JOINING THE HKPC AS ITS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IN 1976, HE WAS THE DIRECTOR OF THE STEEL CASTINGS RESEARCH AND TRADE ASSOCIATION (SCRATA) IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, ONE OF THE 40 PROGRESSIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATIONS WITH CONSIDERABLE INTERESTS IN ECONOMIC AND TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT ASPECTS OF U.K. INDUSTRY.

PREVIOUS TO THAT, HE WAS PROFESSOR OF INDUSTRIAL METALLURGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ASTON IN BIRMINGHAM FOR TWELVE YEARS. DR WRIGHT ALSO ACTIVELY PARTICIPATED IN THE WORK OF MANY TECHNICAL INSTITUTES.

THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER, HE HAS MAINTAINED A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INDUSTRY AND RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES. HIS WIDE COMMITTEE AND CONSULTANCY EXPERIENCE HAVE GIVEN HIM A GOOD INSIGHT INTO THE CHANGING NEEDS OF INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT.

DR WRIGHT HOLDS A FIRST CLASS HONOURS B.SC. DEGREE IN METALLURGY AND A PH.D. OF THE UNIVERSITY OF LONDON. DR WRIGHT, AGED 51, IS MARRIED WITH ONE SON.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID: WE ARE DELIGHTED THAT DR WRIGHT IS JOINING US. MR BELL HAD MADE AN EXCELLENT START AND HIS SUDDEN DEATH WAS A GREAT LOSS, WE HOPE THAT MOMENTUM CAN NOW BE REGAINED SINCE THE SCIENCE ADVISER'S TASK IS AN IMPORTANT ONE WITH POTENTIAL FOR ENORMOUS BENEFITS FOR HONG KONG'S MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY.

COMMENTING ON HIS APPOINTMENT, DR WRIGHT SAID: +1 AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CHALLENGE OF MAKING A FURTHER CONTRIBUTION FROM A NEW ANGLE TO HONG KONG'S PROGRESS IN THE SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL FIELDS.+

DR WRIGHT WILL BE SUCCEEDED AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE PRODUCTIVITY CENTRE BY MR S.K. CHAN, AT PRESENT DEPUTY DIRECTOR.

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