The University Grants Committee (UGC) firmly believes that Hong Kong must have its own strong higher education system as its future depends upon harnessing knowledge and understanding to define the cultural vision, and create and respond to economic opportunity. The system should be one that Hong Kong populace can participate in to make Hong Kong a vibrant, economically powerful, cultured, civilized and socially active and responsible society. Realization of making Hong Kong Asia's world city is only possible if it is based upon the platform of a very strong education and higher education sector. The UGC therefore takes a proactive role in strategic planning and policy development to advise and steer the higher education sector in satisfying the diverse needs of stakeholders. To fulfill this role, the UGC ensures that at system level, appropriate tools, mechanisms and incentives are in places to assist institutions to perform at an internationally competitive level in their respective roles. The UGC:

1. sees the Hong Kong higher education sector serving as "the education hub of the region" driving forward the economic and social development of Hong Kong, in the context of our unique relationship with Mainland China and the region;

2. takes a strategic approach to Hong Kong's higher education system, by developing an interlocking system where the whole higher education sector is viewed as one force, with each institution fulfilling a unique role, based on its strengths;

3. works with institutions to ensure that each provides excellent teaching in all areas relevant to its role;

4. aims to promote "international competitiveness" where it occurs in institutions, understanding that all will contribute to this endeavour and that some institutions will have more internationally competitive centres than others; and

5. values a role-drive yet deeply collaborative system of higher education where each institution has its own role and purpose, while at the same time being committed to extensive collaboration with other institutions in order that the system can sustain a greater variety of offerings at a high level of quality and with improving efficiency.