XN000022-1985-11-28 — Page 12

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1985

PROF POON NOTED THAT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY WERE ADVANCING VERY RAPIDLY, AND TO KEEP ABREAST WITH LATEST DEVELOPMENTS, IT WAS NECESSARY TO HAVE FLUENCY IN ENGLISH WHICH WAS THE LANGUAGE IN WHICH A MAJORITY OF PUBLICATIONS WAS AVAILABLE.

IN FACT, ALL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES IN SCIENCE-RELATED FIELDS WERE CONDUCTED THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF ENGLISH WHETHER THEY WERE HELD IN NORTH AMERICA, EASTERN EUROPE OR CHINA, HE ADDED.

+ANOTHER ASPECT WHICH REQUIRES SPECIAL ATTENTION IS THE STUDENT INTAKE IN UNIVERSITIES AND POLYTECHNICS,+ HE SAID.

WHILE RECOGNISING THE TARGET FIGURE OF 7 500 FIRST-YEAR FIRST DEGREE PLACES IN 1994 HAD BEEN ARRIVED AT AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION, PROF POON SAID HE CONSIDERED IT CONSERVATIVE AND ASKED FOR A RÉCONSIDERATION.

ON THE GOVERNMENT'S INTENTION TO PROCEED WITH THE PLANNING OF A THIRD UNIVERSITY, HE SAID ITS INAUGURATION WOULD BE VERY TIMELY INDEED AS THE TWO UNIVERSITIES COULD NOT GROW BEYOND A CERTAIN SIZE AND BY THE TIME THEY HAD REACHED THE IR OPTIMUM SIZE.

HE OBSERVED THAT SOME SCEPTICISM CONCERNING THE EXPANSION OF TERTIARY EDUCATION MIGHT RELATE TO A POSSIBLE SHORTAGE OF EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE GRADUATING.

+ I HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT WHEN WE REACH THAT STAGE, WE SHOULD BE IN A POSITION TO RE-DEPLOY OUR MANPOWER RESOURCES IN A MANNER THAT WOULD BE CONDUCIVE TO MUCH HIGHER PRODUCTIVITY THAN AT PRESENT,+ HE SAID.

TURNING TO THE SECOND FACTOR OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, PROF POON SAID RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT WOULD BE A PRE-CONDITION FOR ECONOMIC SELF-RELIANCE AND THE CONTINUED PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG.

+ IF HONG KONG HAS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF ITS PRODUCTS DIVERSIFY ITS ECONOMY AND VENTURE INTO NEW FIELDS SUCH AS HIGH- TECHNOLOGY, AND CONTINUE TO BE COMPETITIVE, IT WILL HAVE TO ACT NOW TO STRENGTHEN ITS RESEARCH BASE, HE SAID.

HE REFERRED TO A REPORT BY LORD FLOWERS WHICH SAID THAT WITH A STRENGTHENING OF THE RESEARCH BASE, HONG KONG SHOULD BE ABLE TO DEVELOP ITS OWN CAPABILITY TO TACKLE MANY OF THE CONSULTANCY PROJECTS FOR WHICH IT NOW TURNED OVERSEAS TO FIND THE NECESSARY EXPERTISE.

PROF POON ALSO OBSERVED THAT THERE WAS A GLARING AND SERIOUS DEFICIENCY IN THE FUNDS EARMARKED FOR RESEARCH IN HONG KONG AS COMPARED WITH WESTERN COUNTRIES AND HOPED THAT IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO IMPLEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE FLOWERS' REPORT ON AN EXTENDED SCALE IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

/+RESEARCH AND