CONFIDENTIAL
51,
062602 MDHIAN 7375
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 04140OZ DECEMBER 89
TELNO 3994
OF 041215Z DECEMBER 89
нко 28611
(AMENDED)
PERSONAL FOR PAUL HKD FROM GOVERNOR
YOUR TELNO 2419: EDUCATION ASSISTANCE TO HONG KONG
1. I WELCOME THESE IMAGINATIVE BRITISH COUNCIL IDEAS. THE LOCAL BRITISH COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE HAS NOT/NOT DISCUSSED THEM WITH US ALTHOUGH SIR DAVID ORR MENTIONED (I) A RESEARCH CENTRE AT HKUST, AND (II) THE EDUCATIONAL TRUST FUND, WHEN HE CALLED ON ME LAST WEEK.
2. IT IS NOT CLEAR FROM TUR WHETHER THE THREE SPECIFIC PROPOSALS ARE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE. THE COST OF EACH IS MARKEDLY DIFFERENT. ASSUMING THERE IS FLEXIBILITY OVER THE CHOICE OF PROJECTS WITHIN THE TOTAL FUNDS AVAILABLE, OUR INITIAL THOUGHTS ON THE THREE
PROPOSALS ARE AS FOLLOWS.
3. ENDOWMENT OF A RESEARCH CENTRE IN HONG KONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (HKUST). THE JOCKEY CLUB HAS DONATED DOLLARS 1.6 BILLION TOWARDS THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS OF HKUST. THE HKG WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO COME UP WITH A SIMILAR AMOUNT TO MEET INCREASED CONSTRUCTION COSTS, PLUS ANOTHER DOLLARS 1 BILLION FOR FURNITURE AND EQUIPMENT. WE WOULD THEREFORE HAVE NO PROBLEM IN IDENTIFYING AN
AREA OF RESEARCH WITH WHICH THE BRITISH COUNCIL DONATION COULD BE ASSOCIATED. THE PROPOSAL WOULD BE SEEN AS A POSITIVE SIGN OF BRITISH COMMITMENT TOWARDS UPGRADING HIGHER EDUCATION IN HONG KONG. BUT HKUST WOULD OF COURSE HAVE TO BE CONSULTED BEFORE ANY FIRM DECISION IS MADE ON THIS SCHEME: I WOULD EXPECT THEM TO WELCOME IT.
4. EDUCATION TRUST TO PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR POST-GRADUATE RESEARCH AND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING IN THE UK. THIS HAS ATTRACTIONS PARTICULARLY IF ASSOCIATED WITH THE PRICE OF WALES AND IF SET UP WITH SUFFICIENT FUNDING TO MAKE IT SELF-PERPETUATING BEYOND 1997. BUT, AS YOU POINT OUT, IT WOULD TO SOME EXTENT DUPLICATE THE UK/HK SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME AND JOINT FUNDING SCHEME.
5. SUPPORT OF PROFESSIONAL TRAINING IN HONG KONG. WE CAN SUGGEST TWO VARIANTS IF THE CONCEPT OF SUPPORTING PROFESSIONAL TRAINING IS
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