XN000022-1986-11-06 — Page 13

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1986

+UNIQUENESS OF A TERTIARY EDUCATION MUST BE CLAIMED ON THE SPECIAL CONTRIBUTION IT CAN MAKE TO MEET AN IDENTIFIED NEED,+ HE SAID.

FOLLOWING THIS VIEW, HE FELT THAT THE GREATEST NEED IN HONG KONG'S TERTIARY EDUCATION IN THE YEARS TO COME WOULD BE A STRONG, RESEARCH-BASED POSTGRADUATE PROGRAMME.

DR TSE SAID THAT AT PRESENT LITTLE EFFORT HAD BEEN MADE HERE BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT. +BUT AS HONG KONG MOVES UP-MARKET IN ITS PRODUCTS AND SERVICES, IT WILL SOON LOSE ITS COMPETITIVENESS IF IT CANNOT COME UP WITH ORIGINAL AND INNOVATIVE IDEAS OF ITS OWN THROUGH APPLIED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT,+ HE SAID.

HE FELT THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD TAKE THE INITIATIVE BY PROVIDING HIGH-LEVEL INFRASTRUCTURE AND FUNDING FOR SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS.

+TO THIS END, THE GOVERNMENT'S COMMITMENT TO BUILD THE THIRD UNIVERSITY INTO A PREDOMINANTLY POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH INSTITUTION WOULD GO A LONG WAY TOWARDS HELPING HONG KONG'S DEVELOPMENT AS A WORLD CLASS INDUSTRIAL AND FINANCIAL CENTRE,+ MR TSE SAID.

HE DESCRIBED AS OUTDATED THE CONCEPT OF SOME PEOPLE THAT THE FIRST DEGREE WAS THE ALL-IMPORTANT ONE, SAYING THE KNOWLEDGE BASE IN VIRTUALLY EVERY FIELD HAD EXPANDED SO RAPIDLY IN THE LAST FEW DECADES THAT WHAT COULD BE LEARNT IN A DEGREE COURSE SIMPLY WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO EQUIP A PERSON FOR ORIGINAL AND INDEPENDENT RESEARCH WORK.

+THEREFORE IF WE ARE TO PROMOTE ORIGINAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT WHICH ARE THE ULTIMATE SOLUTIONS TO HONG KONG'S CONTINUED PROSPERITY, NOW IS THE TIME TO EXPAND AND STRENGTHEN POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION IN HONG KONG,+ HE SAID.

TO THIS END, DR TSE PROPOSED THAT HALF OF THE PLANNED PROVISION OF PLACES IN THE THIRD UNIVERSITY BE DEVOTED TO POSTGRADUATE PROGRAMMES, WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON RESEARCH-BASED HIGHER DEGREES.

HE ALSO PROPOSED THAT THE UNIVERSITY SHOULD HAVE A POSTGRADUATE PROGRAMME FROM THE VERY BEGINNING AND, IF NECESSARY, START A POSTGRADUATE PROGRAMME FIRST AND WORK ITS WAY DOWN TO THE UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL.

THIS SEUENCE