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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 announced the funding results
of the fourth round of the AoE Scheme and
decided to support two proposals for a total
amount of HK$106m over a period of eight
years.
For the past three rounds, a total of HK$320m
was allocated to eight AoEs for a period
of five years. 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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