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Following a comprehensive review of higher education of Hong Kong, the University Grants Committee (UGC) advised the Government in a report published in October 1996 that Hong Kong would need world-class institutions with distinct areas of excellence in order to retain its leading economic position in the development of China and the Pacific Rim. The UGC recommended, and the Government agreed, that the UGC-funded institutions should build upon their existing strengths and develop them into Areas of Excellence (AoE).
Such Areas would be recognised internationally as of equal status to their peers in the same subject areas, and justify the additional investment in state-of-the-art facilities and activities which would maintain them among the world leaders. The UGC's report "Higher Education on Hong Kong" (October 1996) and more information about the concept of Areas of Excellence can be found in the publication "Higher Education in Hong Kong - Report by the University Grants Committee"
An Areas
of Excellence Group (AoEG)
was established under the UGC to develop
the AoE Scheme and four rounds of AoE exercises
had hitherto been undertaken.
The UGC has embarked on the fifth round
of the AoE Scheme. For more information
about the Fifth Round exercise, please click
here
For the past four rounds, a total of HK$427m
was allocated to ten AoEs. A total of HK$77m
sustained funding was also granted to four
first and second round projects for a period
of three years. A summary position of the
funded projects is listed below:
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