The UGC shares the Government’s concern that, in view of the current state of our economy, the employment prospects of this year’s fresh graduates may be less promising than in previous years. We are keen to help improve the situation and are therefore supportive of the Government’s proposal to allow our universities to enrol more taught postgraduate students, up to 20% above their original target numbers, in 1998/99.

We are asking the universities concerned urgently to consider this proposal and how it can be implemented quickly. I will shortly meet with the heads of these universities to discuss the details further.

Meanwhile, we have stressed to the Government as well as the universities that every care must be taken to ensure the proposal is implemented without detriment to quality, nor should it result in any departure from the agreed roles and missions of the universities concerned.

3 June 1998