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SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 1993

MR LEUNG ALSO ATTRIBUTED HONG KONG'S ECONOMIC SUCCESS

IN THE PAST THREE DECADES TO THE DEDICATION AND HARDWORK OF ALL PARTIES INVOLVED, INCLUDING THE SCIENCE COMMUNITY WHICH HAD RENDERED CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE LOCAL ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT.

MAJOR

AT PRESENT, THERE ARE NO LESS THAN 120,000 TRAINED SCIENCE WORKERS, BOTH AT THE PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL LEVELS. WORKING IN JOBS RELATED TO SCIENTIFIC WORK.

AN EARLIER MANPOWER PROJECTION SHOWS THAT LOCAL DEMAND FOR PROFESSIONAL, MANAGERIAL AND TECHNICAL WORKERS WILL INCREASE BY 23 PER CENT BETWEEN 1990 AND 1996.

THERE WILL BE A FURTHER INCREASE OF 12 PER CENT BETWEEN 1996

AND 2001.

"GIVEN THE VIGOUR OF OUR ECONOMY AND THE GROWTH RATE OF CHINA'S, THESE FIGURES ARE LIKELY TO BE CONSERVATIVE," SAID MR LEUNG.

"NOT ALL OF THESE ADDITIONAL DEMANDS WILL BE FOR SCIENCE WORKERS, BUT A SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTION OF THEM ARE EXPECTED TO BE IN APPLIED SCIENCE AND RELATED FIELDS GIVEN THE STRONG MARKET DEMAND FOR SUCH GRADUATES,"

IN FACT, FORESEEING THIS TREND BACK IN THE 1980S, THE GOVERNMENT HAS TAKEN TWO MAJOR INITIATIVES TO MEET THE SURGE IN DEMAND - TO BUILD A THIRD UNIVERSITY DEDICATED TO THE STUDY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, AND TO ACCELERATE THE EXPANSION OF TERTIARY EDUCATION.

MR LEUNG SAID THE HONG KONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY BEGAN ITS FIRST INTAKE IN 1991, THREE YEARS

THREE YEARS EARLIER THAN ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED; WHILE THE TARGET OF PROVIDING 14,500 FIRST-YEAR FIRST-DEGREE PLACES BY 1994/95, FOR 18 PER CENT OF THE POPULATION THE RELEVANT AGE GROUP WAS VERY MUCH ON TRACK.

IN

LOOKING AHEAD, MR LEUNG BELIEVED THAT WITH THE ENVISAGED RAPID ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN CHINA AND THE ASIA PACIFIC REGION, HONG KONG SCIENCE WORKERS WOULD SURELY FIND NEW OPPORTUNITIES AND NEW SCOPE ΤΟ DEVELOP THEIR TALENTS AND APPLY THEIR EXPERTISE,

"SUCH A VISION IS AS EXCITING AS IT IS CHALLENGING," HE SAID.

"IT IS NOT ROUND THE CORNER NOR IN THE DISTANT HORIZON,

I BELIEVE, ALREADY HERE.

IT IS.

"THAT IS WHY THE FORMATION OF THE HONG KONG INSTITUTION OF SCIENCE IS BOTH TIMELY AND WELCOME," HE ADDED,

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