NOTES ON VISIT TO HONG KONG
27
29 NOVEMBER 1989
Thoughts of Tiananmen Square, the Boat People, "right of abode" and 1997 invade all serious discussion but they do not prevent the Hong Kong Chinese from getting on with the important business of doing business. But there has been a perceptible effect on Hong Kong life a downturn in the economy, a depressed tourist industry, unusually high inflation (circa 9%) and the steady drain of high quality individuals with internationally marketable skills.
the
new
Still the bustle prevails and some cautious optimism encouraged by continuing improvements to the infrastructure airport, better information technology and telecommunications, the planning of a significant new
new scientific and technical university and a good level of industrial investment and
construction.
Amongst this bustle the Council is suitably active. English is now taught in our classrooms to over 10,000 pupils per annum. New money has been put into the scholarship and exchange programme and the Education Counselling Service
is in great demand and apparently effective.
The number of Hong Kong students going to Britain increased by 20% in 1988.
A British Education Trade Fair was held last month. 58,000 students and parents attended. 60 university institutions, 25 polytechnics, 25 colleges of higher education and 33 further education colleges were represented and almost all said they were satisfied with the level of interest shown and with results so
far.
In December the Board will be asked to approve the allocation of a further £750,000 to Hong Kong. It is proposed that the major part of
of this
this will go into an Educational Trust Fund, perhaps with matching contributions from business and the Hong Kong Government. The purpose of the Fund would be to provide additional opportunities to Hong Kong citizens to benefit from higher education in Britain.
.
There are obvious uncertainties about the longer term future of the Council's operation in Hong Kong. The eventual attitude of the Chinese Government and the status of Hong Kong will be
crucial.
1.
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