ENG-2009 — Page 200

144 Education

The eight UGC-funded institutions have distinctive and complementary roles that reflect their different origins, missions and the way they have responded to Hong Kong's evolving needs. The UGC is committed to taking a more strategic approach by developing an interlocking yet individually different higher education system, with each institution fulfilling a unique role based on its strengths.

Since 2003 the administration has launched four rounds of a Matching Grant. Scheme, each costing $1 billion, to broaden the funding sources of the eight UGC- funded institutions and to strengthen their fund-raising capabilities. The fourth round ran from January 2008 to February 2009, and for the first time, two self- financed universities also participated with the eight UGC-funded institutions. Over $2.1 billion in donations was secured under the fourth round, and the $1 billion matching grant was fully allocated.

Locally awarded degrees up to

up to doctoral level are widely recognised by institutions of higher learning around the world. All UGC-funded institutions have self-accrediting status and well-established quality assurance mechanisms. In April 2007 the UGC set up a semi-autonomous Quality Assurance Council under its aegis. to provide third party assurance of quality. The Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ) validates courses and programmes offered by higher education institutions that are not self-accrediting.

The UGC has commenced another Higher Education Review to examine areas such as the vision and role of higher education in Hong Kong, its development trend, quality assurance and the research support strategy for the sector. The UGC aims to submit a report to the Government in 2010.

Qualifications Framework

The Hong Kong Qualifications Framework (QF) was formally launched in May 2008 to promote lifelong learning with a view to enhancing the overall competitiveness of Hong Kong's workforce. The QF provides a seven-level hierarchy covering qualifications in the academic, vocational and continuing education sectors. The HKCAAVQ is specified as the Accreditation Authority under the Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (AAVQ) Ordinance, and is entrusted with the responsibility of assuring the quality of academic and vocational qualifications and their associated learning programmes.

Information on qualifications and learning programmes that have been quality assured and recognised under the QF is uploaded to a Qualifications Registry (QR) and made available over the Internet free of charge to the public. The Recognition. of Prior Learning (RPL) mechanism enables workers to obtain formal recognition for the knowledge, skills and experience they acquired at the workplace, and facilitates their further learning without starting from scratch. The RPL mechanism has been implemented, on a pilot basis, for three industries for a period of two years with effect from June 2008.

To ensure relevancy to industry needs, the Government has been assisting various industries in setting up Industry Training Advisory Committees (ITAC), which comprise major stakeholders from the industries concerned. So far, 13 ITACs have