ENG-2000 — Page 212

EDUCATION

With a view to promoting life-long learning, seven of the UGC-funded institutions have also set up continuing and professional education units. They offer award- bearing and professional programmes, as well as short courses, on a self-financing basis.

The student enrolment, in full-time equivalent (fte) terms of the eight institutions in the 1999-2000 academic year was:

Student enrolment (fte) of UGC-funded programmes, 1999-2000

Institution Sub-degree

undergraduate

Taught Postgraduate

Research Postgraduate

Total

CityU

HKBU

4 747

7 282

1 022

359

13 410

3 942

287

117

4 346

LU

2 130

18

2 148

CUHK

9 173

1 363

1 106

11 642

HKIEd

4 874

461

144

5 479

PolyU

4 754

7 633

876

348

13 611

HKUST

5 615

563

710

6 888

HKU

9 253

2 065

1 107

12 425

Total

14 375

45 489

6 320

3 765

69 949

168

The Open University of Hong Kong (OUHK), established in 1989 as the Open Learning Institute of Hong Kong, makes higher education available to all through a system of open access and distance education. It was granted self-accrediting status in 1996 and then university status in 1997. Since 1993–94, OUHK has become self- financing. In 2000-01, more than 25 000 students enrolled in the 58 degree and postgraduate programmes and 33 sub-degree programmes in four schools: Arts and Social Sciences, Business and Administration, Education and Languages, and Science and Technology, and its Li Ka Shing Institute of Professional and Continuing Education. The latter also offered 107 short courses for more than 10 000 students for vocational training and knowledge enhancement.

Post-Secondary College

Hong Kong Shue Yan College, registered in 1976 under the Post-Secondary Colleges Ordinance, operates a four-year diploma programme. Its faculties of Arts, Social Sciences and Commerce offer day and evening courses. Its present student enrolment is about 2 500. The college is a privately funded institution but government financial assistance is available to its students in the form of grants and loans.