ENG-1990 — Page 175

EDUCATION

Administration and Information Systems, and postgraduate diplomas in Information Technology, Management Studies, Mental Health and Precision Engineering.

The polytechnic continued to register candidates for the degree of Master of Philosophy by research. Commencing 1989-90, the polytechnic also registered candidates for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Holders of an appropriate Master's degree may apply for direct registration for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The period of registration for research degree candidates is normally two years on a full-time or three years on a part-time basis.

The polytechnic recognises the importance of providing a service to support business, industry and the community through its existing resources. Under the umbrella of the Business and Technology Centre formed by donations from private companies, several other new centres in precision engineering, quality and reliability, industrial automa- tion, and China-Hong Kong business and technology development are currently being developed.

Collaborative research activities have also been stimulated by the introduction of the territory's first Teaching-Company Scheme which provides high quality graduates working in companies under both polytechnic and company supervision.

Exchange with institutions outside Hong Kong continued to thrive, especially in China after an official polytechnic delegation visit to Beijing and Nanjing in May.

In response to the training and retraining demands of business, industry and the professions, the polytechnic offers a range of self-financing programmes of professional and continuing education courses, some of which lead to academic awards. "Tailor-made' courses were commissioned by over 40 private and public sector organisations for their employees in 1989-90. A total of 11 854 students enrolled in 302 continuing education

courses.

Through the Student Affairs Unit, the polytechnic offered to its full-time students a good range of extra-curricular education programmes which can be taken on a voluntary basis. These included structured programmes on physical education, inter-personal and communication skills, understanding of man-society and man-environment relationships, arts and culture, and introduction to the basic sciences. Campus life was significantly enriched with the availability of more amenities provided under the Phases IIIA and B developments.

The polytechnic took further steps to strengthen the development and co-ordination of research activities through the appointment of several readers within the institution. The total research grant in 1989–90 was $16.08 million, which was used to support 87 new research projects and 77 on-going projects.

The polytechnic also gave high priority to staff development. The funding of staff development programmes in 1989-90 increased by 19.23 per cent over the previous year.

Each year, the polytechnic receives donations in the form of grants, equipment, schol- arships and bursaries for students from organisations, firms, professional associations and individuals. In 1989–90, donations of $2.98 million were received from the private sector in the form of scholarships and bursaries.

The polytechnic library has a seating capacity for over 2000 and special facilities for disabled persons. Its collection has grown to over 600 000 items with over 8 500 serial titles. A comprehensive, modern collection of audio-visual materials is held including interactive videos, laser discs, computer software and compact discs. A range of Compact Disc-Read

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