XN000022-1989-11-08 — Page 72

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1989

HONG

FAMED

HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS CONTINUED: "AS AN EXPERIENCED PRACTITIONER IN THE ART OF STATING THE OBVIOUS. I NEED HARDLY INFORM YOU THAT KONG IS AN INDUSTRIAL. COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL CENTRE. THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. WHAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED OVER MANY DECADES HAS BEEN BASED UPON THREE INVALUABLE RESOURCES

YOUR GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION, A FINE NATURAL HARBOUR BUT ABOVE ALL. THE INGENUITY AND DETERMINATION OF THE INHABITANTS. THERE CAN BE NO MORE IMPORTANT INVESTMENT THAN DEVELOPING

AND IMPROVING THE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO ALL. TO ENSURE THAT HONG KONG CAN MEET THE CHALLENGES OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY. AS IT HAS THOSE OF THE TWENTIETH. AND I RECOGNISE THE NATURE OF THOSE CHALLENGES THAT YOU FACE.

"TODAY'S CEREMONY MARKS JUST SUCH AN INVESTMENT. TO DISCOVER THAT HONG KONG'S THIRD UNIVERSITY IS TO BE BUILT WITH THE HELP OF A GENEROUS DONATION FROM THE ROYAL HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB HAS COME AS A REVELATION TO AN HONORARY MEMBER OF THE BRITISH JOCKEY CLUB! CLEARLY. IT WOULD SEEM THAT I AM RUNNING MY ONE HORSE IN THE WRONG COUNTRY! BUT THIS NEW UNIVERSITY WILL PROVIDE SOMETHING OF A COPING-STONE ΤΟ THE BROAD EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM THAT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED HERE. NINE YEARS OF FREE AND COMPULSORY EDUCATION NOW PREPARE HONG KONG'S CHILDREN EITHER FOR HIGHER STUDIES OR TO ENTER THE WORKFORCE THAT POWERS HONG KONG'S REMARKABLE ECONOMY."

THE PRINCE OF WALES ADDED: "FOR THOSE THAT GO ON TO HIGHER STUDY. THE GOAL REMAINS A PLACE IN HONG KONG'S UNIVERSITIES. COLLEGES AND POLYTECHNICS. DRIVEN BY THE DETERMINATION OF PARENTS TO OBTAIN BETTER EDUCATION FOR THEIR CHILDREN. AND FUELLED BY THE NEEDS OF AN EVER MORE SOPHISTICATED ECONOMY. THE DEMAND FOR HIGHER EDUCATION IN HONG KONG HAS. I AM TOLD. RISEN DRAMATICALLY.

—

"THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS THEREFORE MADE THE IMPROVEMENT AND EXPANSION OF TERTIARY EDUCATION ONE OF ITS MAIN PRIORITIES FOR THE COMING DECADE: THIS MUST SURELY BE A WISE DECISION FIRST OF ALL TO PROVIDE THE TECHNICALLY-SKILLED WORKERS AND MANAGERS THAT HONG KONG NEEDS TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE INTERNATIONALLY AND, SECONDLY. TO GIVE THE RIGHT SORT OF OPPORTUNITIES HERE. IN HONG KONG, FOR THE KIND OF ACADEMIC AND INTELLECTUAL FULFILMENT WHICH PEOPLE WILL OTHERWISE DE COMPELLED TO SEEK OVERSEAS.

"THE GOVERNMENT HAS SET ITSELF AND THE COMMUNITY AN AMBITIOUS TARGET: TO PROVIDE FIRST DEGREE PLACES FOR ABOUT A FIFTH OF THE RELEVANT AGE GROUP BY 1995. WHEN HIGHER DIPLOMA COURSES ARE INCLUDED, THIS MEANS THAT ROUGLY A QUARTER OF ALL STUDENTS WILL GO ON TO SOME FORM OF LOCAL HIGHER EDUCATION. SUCH A GOAL IS NOT ONLY ENCOURAGING IT IS ALSO HIGHLY IMPRESSIVE BY AN STANDARDS.

IF ALSO

WE ARE YOUNG PEOPLE TO

"IN LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS FOR A NEW UNIVERSITY TODAY. EVEN THEY MOVE MY STONE SOMEWHERE ELSE AFTER Ι HAVE GONE. LAYING A FURTHER FOUNDATION TO ENABLE HONG KONG'S DEVELOP THEIR TALENTS AND POTENTIAL TO THE FULL. IN ORDER THE LEADERS OF COMMERCE. INDUSTRY. THE PROFESSIONS SERVICE THAT HONG KONG WILL NEED IN THE YEARS TO COME.

VOPRAVA

ΤΟ

AND THE

"IN THIS SENSE. WE ARE BUILDING FOR HONG KONG'S FUTURE.

-

PRODUCE PUBLIC

"THIS UNIVERSITY IS A VITAL PART OF THE COMMUNITY'S COMMITMENT TO HONG KONG'S FUTURE. I WISH THE UNIVERSITY. AND ALL ASSOCIATED WITH IT. EVERY SUCCESS - AND I HOPE THE RACING INDUSTRY WILL CONTINUE TO THRIVE TOO:"

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