ENG-1985 — Page 153

EDUCATION

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(including Professor Christopher Ricks, who gave the Edmund Blunden Lecture at the University of Hong Kong) and a total of 17 visitors went to the United Kingdom from Hong Kong under the council's auspices.

The council's library continued to be popular, with 17 000 visitors using its facilities each month. In addition, the council was again closely associated with activities in arts and culture, sponsoring visits by musicians and entertainers and holding workshops and seminars. These visitors from Britain included Ed Berman (community arts organiser), Roger McGouth (poet) and John Manduel (judge of the Young String Player of the Year competition organised by Radio Television Hong Kong).

Hong Kong Students in Britain

The Students Division of the Hong Kong Government Office in London is responsible for the welfare of Hong Kong students and nurses in training in the United Kingdom. The division continued to work closely with the Education Department and the University and Polytechnic Grants Committee Secretariat, and assisted the latter in administering the United Kingdom - Hong Kong Joint Funding Scheme in the United Kingdom. It moni- tored developments in education in the United Kingdom and, in order to promote the interest of Hong Kong students, established close relations with universities and colleges, departments of the British Government, local education authorities, the British Council, welfare organisations, and, in the case of trainee nurses, medical authorities. It also maintained close contacts with Hong Kong students through college-based student societies. The Hong Kong Students Centre in London provides accommodation for up to 90 students, but during the year it was announced that the centre would close in summer 1986 because of diminishing use of its facilities.

Hong Kong Students Overseas

The Overseas Students and Scholarships Section of the Education Department gives advice to students wishing to further their education overseas and supplies information on educational establishments in Britain and other countries. Altogether, 4 733 students went to Britain for studies during the year; 2 850 to Canada; 1 820 to the United States and 473 to Australia.