TNAG-0841-FCO40-1050-Visit-of-Sir-Murray-MacLehose--Governor-of-Hong-Kong--to-Chi-1979 — Page 181

CONFIDENTIAL

At his meeting with the Vice-Chancellors and Dr. Legg, the CS agreed that while the provision of facilities for training academics from China would be a matter for

each of the institutions concerned, all would adopt the

principle of being very restrictive initially and of starting with those who were in senior positions and from

the "safer" scientific disciplines.

(c) Enrolment of students

6.

3.

Although as autonomous institutions, the universities

and the Polytechnic are free to admit overseas students,

those from outside Hong Kong and Macau number only a little

over 1% of the total. At the CS's meeting with the two Vice-Chancellors and Dr. Legg, it was agreed that at present exchanges at the undergraduate level between Hong Kong and China should be ruled out in principle. It is unlikely that many such students would be found who had the educational

qualifications and language proficiency necessary for pursuing the undergraduate programme satisfactorily. More-

over, in view of the keen competition for tertiary places from among local students, any substantial increase in the number of students from abroad could be resented locally.

7.

D of E advises that these considerations would

apply also to the admission of students from China to the technical institutes. He is concerned about the pressure

being put on the whole education system by the number of immigrants to be provided for and he would be apprehensive about any move that would increase the load further.

8.

*

It should be remembered that some students from

Hong Kong proceed to tertiary institutions in China, though we do not know the actual numbers involved. The Left-wing

press last year described special arrangements for Hong

CONFIDENTIAL

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