TNAG-0177-FCO40-213-Proposed-Polytechnic-1969 — Page 50

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(a)

"Could TETOC give advice about expansion of the commercial and management side?" The Chairman replied in the affirmative. He hoped Mr. Marsh uld be able to give special attention to management questions on his forth- Coming visit to Hong Kong, which was warmly welcomed by the Polytechnic Planning Committee representatives. Mr. Marsh said that the many important questions would include the actual functions of the managers that the Polytechnic might help to train, the links that might be formed with management education and development in Britain, and whether a degree course in business administration should be established. He gladly accepted Mr. Tang's invitation to attend a meeting of the Planning Committee in Hong Kong.

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The meeting then considered the broader question of degrees, and in particular whether any degrees that might be worked for at the Polytechnic should be external degrees of the present University or Universities. Mr. Warren said it was important to recognise that the degrees worked for at the Polytechnic should be for a different stream of students studying for different purposes and with a different entry qualification; this alternative provision was likely to be needed, and would not detract from the currency of existing university degrees. Dr. Watts agreed, and suggested that this might be an argument against the external degrees of an existing university.

Mr. Tang said that there was a Hong Kong Management Association and, on the training side, an ILO-assisted Productivity Centre. The Chairman suggested that management studies could best be kept in touch with realities if they were linked with an Institute of Management. The Polytechnic might well cover a wide range of management activities: business studies at post-school level, higher management at post-experience level and supervisory studies. If, functionally, the two constituent colleges turned out to be a technical college and a commercial college, it would have to be borne in mind, as already noted, that the management and supervisory elements should be common to both and easy inter-communication was therefore needed. Miss Ogilvie expressed the hope that the Polytechnic would not neglect the important subjects of personnel management and labour relations. The Chairman said that this discussion emphasised the need for bringing employers well into the management of the Polytechnic, and for integrating studies with actual employment situations; the example might be noted of the Kenya Polytechnic, where nearly every student was on an employer's payroll.

(e) "Can TETOC help over the advisory panel of overseas experts?" The Chairman said that TETOC could provide men or women for the panel to cover most aspects or specialisations; there would be questions of how many visits to Hong Kong should be made, whether some could be combined with journeys for other purposes, and what other representation there would be from outside Hong Kong. Mr. Tang said he hoped that U.K. representatives would include directors of major firms that might help over equipment, etc.

(f)

"Will TETOC be able to continue supplying the Polytechnic with advisory and other services, so that the authorities can be reasonably certain of long- term support?" The Chairman expressed the Council's readiness to give continuing help, particularly over the recruitment of British expatriate staff. There were other aspects of the Polytechnic's development over which the Council might perhaps be helpful, e.g. the lay-out and design of buildings (although design and

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