ENG-1979 — Page 106

EDUCATION

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with proposals contained in the government's White Paper on the Development of Senior Secondary and Tertiary Education. At present, the polytechnic offers full-time, sandwich, part-time day-release and part-time evening programmes of one to four years' duration, leading to the awards of associateship, advanced higher diploma, higher diploma, diploma, higher certificate, certificate and other qualifications. These cover a wide range of both technical and commercial subjects. Short courses preparing students for professional examinations are also organised. Details of the programmes offered, together with the entrance requirements and their professional recognition, are given in the polytechnic pro- spectus published annually.

Since 1972, student and staff numbers have increased tremendously. At the beginning of the 1979-80 academic year, there were approximately 7,100 full-time (including sandwich programme), 3,300 part-time day-release and 15,000 part-time evening students registered. In July, 1979, the staff strength stood at 1,691 comprising 656 teaching, 170 senior adminis- trative and 865 technical, clerical and ancillary staff.

To meet the demand for additional accommodation, there is a three-phased campus development programme. The first and second phase buildings were completed in early 1977 and 1978, respectively. In 1979, construction work on the third phase commenced and it is scheduled for completion in October, 1980. A dental technology building on campus and a radar and seamanship centre at Kowloon Bay have also been completed to provide additional teaching and specialist facilities. To maximise space utilisation, extensive rehabil- itation and conversion work have been carried out in existing buildings.

The polytechnic is the Hong Kong centre for the holding of annual examinations for the United Kingdom Council of Engineering Institutions, the Institute of Statisticians, the City and Guilds of London Institute, and the joint examination scheme for the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Royal Society of Arts Examinations Board. In 1979, more than 4,200 candidates sat for these examinations. In addition, the polytechnic also offers accommodation and facilities for the examinations of 20 other professional institutions.

Close liaison with the community is maintained through various channels. Polytechnic staff members assist and advise the Hong Kong Examinations Authority and the Hong Kong Training Council. Advisory committees have been set up for every department, centre and institute, and prominent people from commerce and industry, the civil service and the universities, with wide knowledge and experience in their fields, are appointed as members. Liaison and joint consultative committees have been formed with the Education Depart- ment, aimed at achieving co-ordination between developments at the polytechnic and the technical institutes. Regular contact with the two local universities continued during the year. Apart from being members of the polytechnic advisory committees, professors and senior academic staff of the two universities serve as external examiners for the polytechnic in the same way as polytechnic staff members serve on the examination subject committees of the two universities.

Members of the polytechnic staff also are engaged in consultancy and investigational work for commerce and industry. A handbook entitled Polytechnic Services to the Community, giving details of the expertise and facilities available, is published regularly by the Poly- technic Consultancy and Investigational Work Committee.

In addition, staff members are actively engaged in research work of direct relevance to Hong Kong or of an applied nature. The Pro-tem research sub-committee was reorganised into the Research Committee in May, 1979, and it is responsible for overall research policies and the utilisation of research funds.