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Aspirations for the Higher Education System in Hong Kong
(06-12-2010)

After over a year of hard work, the University Grants Committee (UGC) was pleased to submit to the Government its report titled "Aspirations for the Higher Education System in Hong Kong" (available at the UGC's website: http://www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/ugc/publication/report/report.htm) on 1 December 2010.

The Higher Education Review 2010 which generated this report aimed at offering recommendations on appropriate strategies for the future development of post-secondary education in Hong Kong. The report was prepared with the benefit of the helpful input from a wide range of stakeholders.

An Improved Structure with Clearer Pathways

The Hon Laura M Cha, the UGC Chairman (centre), Sir Colin Lucas, the Convenor of the Higher Education Review Group (right), and Professor Edmond Ko, Co-opted Member of the Higher Education Review Group (left) at the media briefing on the release of the report.
Upon the release of our report, I have been frequently asked, "Mrs Cha, the report has made as many as 40 recommendations, does it mean that the post-secondary sector is not doing well?" My answer to that question is, "Not at all." The post-secondary education system is in good health, but we feel strongly that the sector can function better and more holistically. The report does not stand upon an identified need for a major system reform, but it is important to strive for excellence through discerning the world trends and challenges facing the sector, and then refining our strategies.

We see a flourishing post-secondary education sector where more students than before have the opportunity to pursue further education after secondary school, brought on as a result of Government's initiative to meet changes in socio-economic needs and community aspirations. We also see real advances by UGC-funded institutions. However, the expansion over a period of time has also resulted in a complex and disjointed post-secondary education system, which is difficult for current and prospective students to navigate. The UGC is convinced that all elements of post-secondary educational provision should be treated as a single interlocking system with better transparency, coherence and mobility. At the system level, we believe that the improved structure should provide clearer progression pathways for students to articulate between different levels and across different parts of the system. This should be facilitated by a comprehensive Credit Accumulation and Transfer System.

At the individual level, we see that students coming out from the system being contributing, global citizens, who will see themselves both in international terms but without losing their specific Hong Kong identity.

Hong Kong's future prosperity requires an educated, outward looking population. Hong Kong has long been a principal site for the interface between Asia (and more especially, China) and the rest of the world. Although the nature of that interface has changed over the years and will continue to do so, we firmly believe that the higher education system should help Hong Kong retain its uniqueness as an international city that is in harmony with the Mainland system. This is what gives Hong Kong its niche to remain competitive in a highly globalised world. It is also what distinguishes Hong Kong from other Chinese cities.

Internationalising the Higher Education Sector

Universities are breeding ground for future leaders in Hong Kong, who need to be internationally minded and be able to work in a globalised context, bringing with them the local cultures and values. It is thus important to broaden local students’ horizon by creating an internationalised campus with an internationalised student body and faculty, and providing them with more high quality exchange opportunities. Of equal importance is to enable the inward movement of talent by creating an environment that is appealing, and then to keep enough of the globally mobile talent to create bonds of loyalty strong enough to build long-term capacity.

We believe the higher education sector has a key role to play in creating such dynamism. To this end, institutions are encouraged to increase their efforts to promote better integration between local and non-local students. In a wider context, the society as a whole should also contribute in creating a welcoming environment for foreign people, so that they enjoy their experiences in Hong Kong and the encounters with its people.

For a matter as essential as internationalisation to Hong Kong generally and to the higher education sector, it should be actively pursued by the Government and the institutions and – importantly – backed by the society. We hope that our report can provide useful materials that will initiate debates and promote a good understanding and consensus between the Government, universities, stakeholders and the community on the purposes of internationalisation and of the steps needed to promote it. This is a report for the Government. Should the directions and recommendations of the report be endorsed by the Government, we envisage that the operational details will be fleshed out with input from concerned parties. Meanwhile, we are glad to note that the report has already stimulated interest and debate on the future direction of post-secondary education in Hong Kong. We hope the report will foster an even more active discussion among stakeholders.

Laura M Cha
Chairman, University Grants Committee