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ASKED IF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SHOULD MAKE DECISION FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION, SIR DAVID SAID:

"THE DECISIONS WHICH WE ARE TAKING ARE WITHIN OUR OWN AUTONOMY NOW AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING THOSE DECISIONS ARE THE PEOPLE WHO WILL FORM THE BACKBONE OF THE ADMINISTRATION AFTER 1997, MY CHINESE COLLEAGUES; AND THEY ARE PART OF THE GOVERNMENT NOW AND WILL BE PART OF THE GOVERNMENT IN THE FUTURE, SO I DON'T SEE A PROBLEM IN THAT REGARD.

ASKED WHETHER HE WAS HAPPY WITH POSTAL WORKERS WHO SCALED DOWN THEIR INDUSTRIAL ACTION, SIR DAVID SAID HE DID NOT BELIEVE THAT IT HELPED THEIR CAUSE TO TAKE INDUSTRIAL ACTION TO PURSUE THEIR CAUSE.

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"THE DECISION WILL BE MADE IN DUE COURSE AND WILL NOT BE INFLUENCED BY WHAT THEY ARE DOING.

"WE SHALL CONTINUE WITH OUR CURRENT PROCESS AND THE OUTCOME WOULD BE KNOWN BY THE END OF THE YEAR, SIR DAVID SAID.

"

HKUST TO PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN FUTURE TERTIARY EDUCATION

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE HONG KONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IS AT THE HEART OF GOVERNMENT POLICY то INCREASE SUBSTANTIALLY THE NUMBER OF GRADUATES IN HONG KONG AND TO CONTINUE то IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF OUR TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS, THE DEPUTY ΤΟ THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID FORD, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).

THE NEW UNIVERSITY, WHICH HAD A PLANNED STUDENT CAPACITY OF 7,000 STUDENTS BY 1993/94, WOULD ALSO PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN ASSISTING IN THE ECONOMIC AS WELL AS THE SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG, SAID SIR DAVID WHEN ADDRESSING THE TOPPING-OUT CEREMONY OF THE PHASE I BUILDING OF THE UNIVERSITY.

SIR DAVID NOTED THAT THE PROJECT, UNDER THE EXPERIENCED AND DYNAMIC LEADERSHIP OF SIR S.Y. CHUNG, MOVED FROM THE PLANNING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION STAGE IN A MATTER OF MONTHS AND IT TOOK A MERE 18 MONTHS FROM THE INCORPORATION OF THE UNIVERSITY IN APRIL 1989, TO THE TOPPING OUT OF THE IMPRESSIVE COMPLEX OF BUILDINGS.

INTAKE OF

THE UNIVERSITY WHICH HAS THE FULL SUPPORT AND BACKING OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, WILL HAVE THE FIRST

BOTH UNDERGRADUATE AND POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS IN OCTOBER 1991, THREE YEARS AHEAD OF THE ORIGINAL 1994 PLANNING DEADLINE.

AS OF TODAY, THE CLOSING DATE FOR UNDERGRADUATE

APPLICATIONS

FOR 1991, SOME 10,000 APPLICATIONS HAD BEEN RECEIVED.

"THIS UNIVERSITY WILL NOT BE SHORT OF QUALITY STUDENTS IN IT'S UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMMES, SIR DAVID SAID.

/HE SAID