Establishment of the Quality Assurance Council
The Secretary for Education and Manpower today (March 23) announced changes in the membership of the University Grants Committee (UGC), as well as the establishment of the Quality Assurance Council of the University Grants Committee (QAC).
Dr Alice LAM, who will step down from the chairmanship of the UGC in the end of March, will chair the QAC for one year; and she will be succeeded by Mr Philip CHEN Nan-lok. Including Dr LAM, eight members are appointed to serve on the inaugural term of the Quality Assurance Council, starting from 1 April 2007.
"It is my privilege to have been given the opportunity to serve on and chair the University Grants Committee for the past nine years. I am much indebted to the support and advice rendered by my fellow Members, without which I would not have been able to carry through my responsibilities", Dr Alice LAM said.
"Many of the initiatives of the University Grants Committee are now showing a positive impact. There is now more role differentiation, and I am particularly pleased to see institutions having many more non-local students as well as student exchanges and that the philanthropic culture is now well embedded.
"The local higher education sector has undergone many changes and challenges over the last nine years but I believe that it is emerging stronger and better able to meet Kong Kong's needs as a result.
Talking about her new appointment as Chairman, QAC, Dr Lam said that the establishment of the Council was an important move of the UGC in assuring quality. "A lot of preparatory work is being carried out, and I am happy to accept the invitation of the Secretary for Education and Manpower to see through the satisfactory completion of the initial setting up of this new body, which will take about another year.
"Mr Philip Chen has served on the UGC for three years, and he is a very valuable member. He has also contributed extensively to our preparatory committee for the QAC. I fully endorse the decision to appoint him as the next Chairman of QAC", Dr Lam said.
Dr LAM is currently the Chairman of the University Grants Committee, and has served on the Committee since 1998. She was the Managing Director and Deputy Chief Executive of Hang Seng Bank before she retired in 1996. Dr LAM had served as the Governor of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology for nine years until 1995. She was the Honorary Treasurer of the Chinese University of Hong Kong for 16 years until June 1998, and she also served the Council of the University as the Vice-Chairman for two years until December 1998.
The list of members appointed to the QAC is set out at Annex.
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UGC Secretariat
23 March 2007
Annex
Appointments to the Quality Assurance Council
Chairman ( for one year with effect from 1 April 2007)
Dr Alice LAM LEE Kiu-yue
Member for one year with effect from 1 April 2007, and Chairman for two years with effect from 1 April 2008
Mr Philip CHEN Nan-lok
Member ( for three years with effect from 1 April 2007)
Prof Richard HO Man-wui
Prof LEUNG Tin-pui
Sir Colin LUCAS
Sir Howard NEWBY
Prof dr Frans A van Vught
SG, UGC (ex-officio)