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EDUCATION

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Kong Council for Academic Accreditation validates courses and programmes offered by the Hong Kong Institute of Education and some other non-UGC-funded institutions that are not self-accrediting.

Apart from publicly funded higher education places, tertiary institutions have also offered self-financing programmes at the sub-degree level. In 2001, about 7 000 places are provided for Form 5 and Form 7 graduates. The planning target is that about 60 per cent of the 17–20 age group will have access to higher education by 2010-11.

Higher Education Institutions

Hong Kong has 11 degree-awarding higher education institutions, eight of which are funded through the UGC. Seven of the eight are universities and the remaining one is a teacher education institution. Three other degree-awarding tertiary institutions are not funded by the UGC. They are the publicly funded Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) and the self-financing Open University of Hong Kong (OUHK) and Hong Kong Shue Yan College (HKSYC).

The eight higher educational institutions funded through the UGC are: (a) City University of Hong Kong (CityU);

(b) Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU);

(c) Lingnan University (LU);

(d) The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK);

(e) The Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIED);

(f)The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU);

(g) The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST); and (h) The University of Hong Kong (HKU).

Each institution is an autonomous statutory body with its own ordinance and governing body. They are free to manage their own affairs within the parameters of the law. As they are largely supported by government funds, and because of the social, cultural and economic importance of higher education, the Government and the public at large have a legitimate interest in the operation of the institutions to ensure that they are providing higher education in a cost-effective manner and are serving the needs of the community. The UGC advises the Government on the development of these institutions and on their financial needs. The eight institutions have distinctive and complementary roles that reflect their varying origins, missions and the way they have responded to Hong Kong's complex and evolving needs. The UGC's aim is to develop a system of higher education that has an appropriate balance between programmes at different levels and in different areas through teaching, research and other means. (A more detailed description of the role and functions of the UGC is given later in this chapter).

CityU, established in 1984 first as the City Polytechnic of Hong Kong, was granted university status in 1994. CityU offers over 100 programmes at postgraduate, undergraduate and associate degree levels. These programmes are run by the three faculties (Business, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Science and Engineering), the School of Law, the School of Creative Media, the College of Higher Vocational Studies and the School of Continuing and Professional Education.

HKBU was founded by the Baptist Convention of Hong Kong in 1956 as the Hong Kong Baptist College. In 1983, it was incorporated through legislation as a tertiary

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