CONFIDENTIAL
the United States or Japan and the scheme could not be confined to
the UK.
Funding
12.
For the reasons set out above we consider that we should seek
additional funding for the British Council in the forthcoming PES
round for the endowment of a Research Centre at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and for the establishment of an immersion English language training course for Hong Kong teachers.
The proposals involving assistance to the professions and the new
technologies fund are a much lower priority and should not be pursued at this stage.
(a) English Language Training
13.
Funds would not be required on any significant scale until the
Summer of 1991 when the first batch of trainee teachers would come
to the UK for immersion language courses. We could therefore bid in
the 1990 PES for £0.9 m p.a extra for the British Council to enable
the project to proceed. The Council would not, however, be able to
announce the scheme as they would prefer in June 1990 (in order to have an immediate impact on raising enrolment). An announcement
would have to be delayed until the outcome of the PES round was
known, probably in October 1990.
(b) Hong Kong University of Science & Technology
14. The funds required for a research centre in a high technology field are relatively large. For this reason we have proposed expenditure of £3 million a year over 3 years. This would cover set-up costs totalling £7.5 million, plus recurrent costs of £0.5 million p.a. If necessary, we could bid for further funds in
subsequent PES rounds. If this bid were successful, the project
could be announced in Autumn 1990.
15. The PUS's submission of 12 March on the 1990 Diplomatic Wing
PES bid noted the British Council's opening bid of a £13 million p.a
increase in its programme expenditure, including a provisional
SAIAAC(6)
CONFIDENTIAL
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.