THE ASSOCIATION OF COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITIES
JOH
STER HOUSE 36 GORDON SQUARE LONDON WCTH OPE
CABLES. ACUMEN LONDON WCI
TEL: 071-387 8572
In reply please quote --
Patron: Her Majesty the Queen, Head of the Commonwealth
Fax: 071-387 2655
+44 71 387 2655 (International)
31 October 1991
Registered charity No Hals
Dear Mr. de Deney,
University Institutions in Hong Kong
Our Association, which is privileged to have a Royal Charter (copy at- tached), exists solely for universities wishing to join it which are both "legally constituted" and "situate in a Commonwealth country".
At present, six Hong Kong universities or higher education institutions. are members; and the question has been raised, informally at this stage, as to whether they might be permitted to remain in membership after 1997 when the U.K's responsibilities for that territory will cease to exist.
The short answer is that under the existing provisions for membership as laid down by the Articles and Statutes of the Royal Charter, the membership of Hong Kong institutions will have to be terminated. Many, if not all our members are, however, sympathetic to the idea of finding some legitimate way of keeping these institutions as members if they themselves wish and if, of course, the Chinese authorities allow them!
While not wishing to seek any amendment to the Royal Charter which would open up membership generally to universities in non-Commonwealth countries, the membership is keen to find some formula whereby these institutions can remain as members. My purpose in writing is to sound you out informally as to whether in your view the Privy Council might be sympathetic to so amending the Charter to permit this, e.g. by the insertion of an additional clause to the sections governing membership on the following lines:
"Institutions which are already in membership of the Association before and at the time that the country in which they are situate ceases to be in the Commonwealth may if they wish continue in membership with the approval of the Council."
G.I. de Deney, Esq., CVO Clerk of the Privy Council The Privy Council
Whitehall, London, SW1
Secretary General: A. Christodoulou CBE, MA Ilon.DUniv
Deputy Secretary General; Head of Commonwealth Awards & Appointments: P.B. Hetherington MA Director of Publications & Information: Miss E.A. Archer MA Medical Awards Administrator: P.A.J. Ball MD, FRCP
12
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.