XN000022-1988-04-12 — Page 2

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 1988

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APPEAL FOR DONATIONS TO NEW UNIVERSITY

THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL OF THE HONG KONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, SIR S.Y. CHUNG, THIS (TUESDAY) EVENING APPEALED FOR DONATIONS TO BE MADE TO THE NEW UNIVERSITY.

HE WAS SPEAKING AT THE INAUGURAL DINNER OF THE COUNCIL.

SIR S.Y. SAID THE COUNCIL HOPED THAT IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO ATTRACT ADDITIONAL FUNDS BY WAY OF DONATIONS TOWARDS EQUIPMENT', RESEARCH AND ENDOWMENTS BESIDES THE RESOURCES ALLOCATED BY THE GOVERNMENT AND THE GENEROUS CAPITAL DONATION FROM THE ROYAL HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB.

"UNIVERSITY EDUCATION IS EXPENSIVE AND MORE SO IS RESEARCH," SAID SIR S.Y.

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"I DO NOT THINK THAT I AM TOO GREEDY IN THIS APPEAL FOR THERE IS NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT AND WORTHWHILE THAN INVESTMENT IN PEOPLE,' HE SAID.

SIR S.Y. SAID THE PLANNING COMMITTEE OF THE UNIVERSITY, WHEN DEVELOPING ITS PLANS, HAD TAKEN THE VIEW THAT THE MAIN THRUST OF THE WORK OF THE UNIVERSITY MUST BE TOWARDS PRODUCING FIRST-DEGREE GRADUATES IN THOSE AREAS OF TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT WHERE THEY WERE MOST NEEDED IN THE COMMUNITY.

BUT IT WAS ALSO OF THE VIEW THAT THE UNIVERSITY SHOULD SEEK TO DEVOTE A SUBSTANTIAL PART OF ITS RESOURCES TO POST-GRADUATE WORK FOR HONG KONG'S ADVANCED DEVELOPMENT IN THE 21ST CENTURY.

"IT IS ALSO THE PLANNING COMMITTEE'S VIEW THAT THE NEW UNIVERSITY SHOULD SEEK ΤΟ DEVELOP CLOSE LINKS WITH COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY AND THAT THE PROFESSIONAL STAFF WOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO DO WORK OUTSIDE THE CONFINES OF THEIR NORMAL TEACHING DUTIES.

"WE HAVE, THEREFORE, INCLUDED IN THE CAMPUS MASTER PLAN A RESEARCH CENTRE AND A TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER CENTRE. WHICH WILL BE OPERATED BY THE UNIVERSITY AS A NON-PROFIT-MAKING BUT BUSINESS CORPORATION, SIR S.Y. SAID.

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THE COUNCIL AIMS TO COMPLETE THE FIRST PHASE OF THE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS IN TIME POR AROUND 600 STUDENTS TO BE ADMITTED IN OCTOBER 1991 + AND TO BUILD UP THE STUDENT NUMBERS OVER THE NFYT FIVE YEARS TO MEET THE TARGET OF 7,000 IN 1996.

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IN OTHER WORDS, THE WHOLE PROGRAMME HAS BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD BY THREE YEARS. I AM CONFIDENT THAT WITH THE CO-OPERATION AND SUPPORT OF ALL CONCERNED, THESE AMBITIOUS TARGETS L'AN AND KILL. BE MET,

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SIR S.Y. SAID.

/ALSO SPEAKING