TNAG-2078-FCO40-2958-Hong-Kong-culture-1990 — Page 108

of

up self-financing "one-stop" subsidiaries, capable of packaging responses to private sector demands, especially research/design contracts and consultancies in production design and training. The lack of a defence or space industry for example, and the lack of a

need until recently for product design and marketing, has meant that the institutions are not yet fully capable responding to this need, nor is industry well able to formulate it. The British Council can help in this area. It is worth recording that an Industry Development Council may be established, which would, among other things, encourage business and industry to make use of the tertiary institutions to answer their problems. Priority would be given to activities that would lead to an increase in productivity, the upgrading of consistent quality, and value added to the product.

1.

ACTION

We think there is need for immediate action to demonstrate commitment to Hong Kong and in particular to the tertiary institutions and various educational and industrial agencies that we visited. Accordingly we recommend that British Council Hong Kong obtain proposals for the Collaborative Research Projects Scheme from institutions where there already are good contacts with Britain, and where activity is restricted for lack of funds. The current academic links scheme will

provide several proposals. We also recommend that a systematic trawl be made of all institutions to seek further proposals. We would like to see visits under this scheme taking place before the end of 1990.

We think a formal launch of the programme might take place in April 1991, after the necessary preparatory work has been done, but it is essential that a major impact is made long before that.

8. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We would like to acknowledge the assistance of the British Council Hong Kong in arranging the visit and the programme, and the support of the Director, Tom Buchanan.

We thank all those in the institutions and organisations we visited who gave their valuable time to talk to us,

and we greatly appreciated their frank and direct opinions.

We thank also those who extended generous and delightful hospitality, notably the introductory lunch and final dinner hosted by Tom and Ann Buchanan, which made our trip so memorable.

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