TNAG-2765-FCO40-3982-UK-Hong-Kong-Scholarship-Scheme-donation-to-the-UK-Governme-1993 — Page 170

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Pa

FM ODA LONDON

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Schidastups

TO ROUTINE PEKING

TELNO 5948

OF 06115OZ MAY 93

034522

It might be worth

base with MDLIAN 1282

Mad CRS.

INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG, FCO LONDON

Me Moore,

Any Koughts? (bet's see of HK + klany have any before

firming off).

Jals

FROM MC CLEAN

PEKING FOR COX (PLEASE PASS COPY TO JOHNSON, CULTURAL AND EDUCATION SECTION.

HONG KONG FOR DINHAM

SINO BRITISH FRIENDSHIP SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME (SBFSS)

1. UNDER THE SBFSS SOME PND STG 3.5 MILLION IS MADE AVAILABLE EACH YEAR FOR TEN YEARS TO ENABLE SOME 250 CHINESE SCHOLARS ANNUALLY TO UNDERTAKE PHD STUDIES AND POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH IN BRITAIN. THE SCHEME IS COPUNDED BY ODA, THE STATE EDUCATION COMMISSION (SEDC) AND THE SIR Y K PAO FOUNDATION. ODA CONTRIBUTES SLIGHTLY MORE THAN SEDC, THE FOUNDATION SLIGHTLY LESS.

2. SBFSS IS DUE TO END IN 1997. THIS IMPLIES WE WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO START NEW PHD AWARDS DURING FINAL YEARS OF SCHEME. CO- FUNDERS HAVE NOT DISCUSSED WHETHER SCHEME SHOULD BE EXTENDED. HOWEVER, ISSUE COULD ARISE IN CONTEXT OF DISCUSSING FUTURE PHD AWARDS. THEREFORE IT WOULD BE A GOOD THING TO DETERMINE LINE TO TAKE BEFORE COMMISSIONERS MEETING ON 1 JULY. WE HAVE CONSIDERED THIS CAREFULLY AND FEEL WE SHOULD ALLOW SBFSS TO END IN 1997 AS PLANNED.

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3. MAIN ARGUMENT IN FAVOUR OF EXTENSION IS THAT OUR CONTRIBUTION STIMULATES SIR Y K PAO FOUNDATION AND SEDC COFUNDING. HOWEVER, SCHEME DOES NOT SIT WELL WITH CURRENT ODA THINKING FOLLOWING GLOBAL REVIEW OF UK TRAINING. WE ARE KEEN TO PROCEED ON THE BASIS OF TECHNICAL COOPERATION PROJECTS WITH SPECIFIED TIME-BOUND OBJECTIVES WHICH, WE FEEL, ARE LIKELY TO HAVE GREATER IMPACT AND ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO MONITORING AND EVALUATION. NOR IS THE SBFSS FOCUSSED ON OUR PRIORITY SECTORS IN CHINA-ENVIRONMENT AND BETTER GOVERNMENT. (IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO REFORM THE SCHEME TO BRING IT MORE INTO LINE WITH ODA'S PHILOSOPHY ON TRAINING AND PRIORITIES, BUT WE JUDGE THE EXTENT TO WHICH WE COULD ACHIEVE THIS AS LIKELY TO

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