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Hong Kong Polytechnic

EDUCATION

The Hong Kong Polytechnic developed from the former Hong Kong Technical College and was formally established in 1972. The bulk of the polytechnic's finances comes from the University and Polytechnic Grants Committee.

The polytechnic has 19 teaching departments grouped under four divisions. The divisions are: the Division of Applied Science (comprising the departments of applied science, mathematical studies, nautical studies, and the school of social work); the Division of Commerce and Design (comprising the departments of accountancy, business and manage- ment studies, computing studies, design, institutional management and catering studies, and languages); the Division of Construction and Land Use (comprising the departments of building and surveying, building services engineering, civil and structural engineering, and the centre of land and engineering surveying); and the Division of Engineering (comprising the departments of electrical engineering, electronic engineering, mechanical and marine engineering, production and industrial engineering, and the industrial centre). In addition, there are two institutes and one centre - the Institute of Medical and Health Care, the Institute of Textiles and Clothing and the Centre of Environmental Studies.

The Division of Construction and Land Use, covering building services engineering, and land and engineering surveying, was established in March 1982, with the building and surveying, and civil and structural engineering departments being transferred to this new division from the Division of Applied Science and the Division of Engineering respectively. At present, the polytechnic offers full-time, sandwich, part-time day release and part-time evening programmes of one to four years' duration in a variety of technical and commercial subjects. Successful completion of these courses leads to the awards of associateship, advanced higher diploma, professional diploma, higher diploma, diploma, endorsement certificate, higher certificate, certificate, technician certificate, certificate of proficiency and other qualifications.

In October, 12 professional diploma programmes were offered for the first time in the departments of accountancy, business and management studies, building and surveying, and the Institute of Medical and Health Care. Generally, the level and course content of these professional diploma programmes is related to the academic requirements stipulated by the relevant professional institutions for corporate membership.

The polytechnic also offers short full-time and mixed-mode courses. Short full-time courses are of less than one year's duration and are offered to meet recurrent demand. Mixed-mode programmes enable students to register on a unit basis and to select a suitable combination of daytime and evening classes according to individual needs and circumstances. A number of part-time programmes are also organised to prepare students for professional examinations and a variety of extension courses are offered at different times during the year on an ad hoc and self-supporting basis.

The polytechnic submitted degree course proposals in early 1981 to the UPGC. The United Kingdom Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA), which serves as an adviser to the UPGC in the assessment of polytechnic degree proposals, visited the polytechnic in November 1981. In July 1982, the government approved four degree courses to start in October 1983: social work, electronic engineering, computing studies, and combined studies (mathematics and science). During the year, a number of degree course proposals in other academic fields were under preparation.

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Since 1972, student and staff numbers have increased greatly. At the beginning of the 1982-3 academic year there were approximately 8 150 full-time students (including those in sandwich and mixed-mode programmes); 3 720 part-time day release and 13 700 part-time