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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 five rounds of AoE exercises had hitherto
been undertaken.
The UGC has announced the funding results
of the fifth round of the AoE Scheme and
decided to support five proposals for a
total amount of HK$378m over a period of
eight years.
For the past four rounds,
a total of HK$427m was allocated to ten
AoEs. A total of HK$101m sustained funding
was also granted to five projects from
the first three rounds for a period of
three years. A summary position of the
funded projects is listed below:
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