Welcoming Remarks by Chairman, UGC at 50th Anniversary Cocktail Reception and Presentation Ceremony of 2015 UGC Teaching Award (9.9.2015)
50th Anniversary Cocktail
Reception and
Presentation Ceremony of 2015 UGC Teaching
Award
9 September 2015
Welcoming Remarks by Chairman, UGC
Chief Executive, Secretary for Education, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you
all to this cocktail reception and teaching
award ceremony. Chief Executive and Secretary
for Education, we are particularly pleased
that you have been able to find time from
your busy schedules to join us this evening.
As well as your own distinguished presence,
I am delighted that so many other significant
events have come together in perfect harmony
tonight. As you all know we gather to mark
the 50th anniversary of the establishment
of the UGC in October 1965. Also we will
celebrate the 5th UGC Teaching Award which
has always been my favourite event in the
UGC calendar. Finally these three things
come together during my final UGC meeting
week as Chairman, so all the good omens
are perfectly aligned.
Hong Kong's higher education sector has
made great strides. I know that rankings
have their limitations. But the 2014-15
QS World University Rankings provides a
source of pride for our small city, in that
three of our institutions made it to the
top 100, same as the academic hub Boston,
while London has five in the top 100. We
match up pretty well.
The success of the UGC sector over the
years has been underpinned by the support
of the government and its respect for the
UGC's role as the buffer between government
and the institutions. We are also blessed
by the leadership of our past chairmen,
all distinguished community leaders who
led with great wisdom and dedication. We
also owe much to the local and international
members, all prominent individuals in their
own right, who have selflessly committed
weeks and sometimes months a year sharing
valuable ideas with us. Some of the past
chairmen, past and present members are here
tonight. On behalf of the UGC I would like
to take this opportunity to thank them all
wholeheartedly.
We have put together a commemorative album
in which many of our past and present members
have shared their memories. You will find
that the UGC's work clearly remains with
those who participated. There is a copy
of the Album on your chair for you to bring
home tonight.
During my four years as Chairman of the
UGC, I have witnessed positive, significant
developments in the sector. Foremost must
be the launch of the four-year undergraduate
programme in 2012, the culmination of the
3+3+4 new academic structure that forms
part of the education reform dating back
to 2000.
It took years of discussions and preparation
to achieve what was a seamless transition.
We visited all campuses during last two
years to see how it all worked, and we were
very pleased with what we saw.
An education system is a huge laboratory
in itself and the transformation of our
undergraduate education has been a breath-taking
exercise; an opportunity which is the envy
of the world. Now that we have gained some
three years' experience of offering that
precious extra year we must continuously
review, refine and improve.
In teaching and learning, we have encouraged
greater collaboration amongst the institutions
in accelerating the adoption of necessary
pedagogical changes and innovations. To
further this end, institutions should make
creative and effective use of a broad range
of pedagogical opportunities made possible
by the revolutionary digital technologies,
which remains to be fully developed. Additional
funds had been allocated on a competitive
basis in the 2012-15 triennium to support
such initiatives.
As part of its drive to promote Internationalisation
and Engagement with Mainland China, the
UGC continues to support the diversification
of sources of students and campus integration.
Thanks to continued government funding support,
Chief Executive, as you announced in the
2015 Policy Address, more students will
go outside Hong Kong for exchange or other
learning opportunities. This two-way flow
of talents should be further enhanced.
It is no accident that we celebrate teaching
and learning as the centre point of our
50th birthday. We are presenting our annual
UGC Teaching Awards today. We remain steadfast
in our belief that the influence that good
teachers can bring to the students, their
peers and the community is tremendous and
long-lasting.
In research, in just over a short span
of 20 years since the major funding boost
that accompanied the establishment of the
Research Grants Council, Hong Kong has attained
much international recognition.
The results of the 2014 Research Assessment
Exercise showed that 46 per cent of the
research submissions made by the eight UGC-funded
institutions were "world leading"
or "internationally excellent".
The assessments carried out by renowned
academics from around the world revealed
the "centres of excellence", the
areas of strengths in our high quality research.
Having looked back perhaps it would do
no harm to set sight on the future. There
are three key aspects.
First, in the coming years the UGC sector
can expect to continue to build on the opportunities
afforded by the additional year granted
by the four year curriculum.
Second I turn to the research agenda. There
are a number of crucial points that I would
like to emphasise briefly.
It has been recognised that ours is comparatively
a very small system. To maximise impact,
we see the need to rise above individual
ambition and engage in greater collaboration
at all levels, pooling resources and sharing
expertise to build critical mass.
There is room for further support for several
key areas distinct from basic research -
sometimes known as translational or midstream
research, that has the potential of generating
in a shorter term societal benefits and
impact. This builds on our current strengths
in fundamental research; it should not compete
with it, especially for resources.
We can do more in midstream or translational
research in a wide range of fields from
humanities through to engineering. Let us
not disrupt our core strengths but build
upon its great foundations. However, we
must place more emphasis on the impact of
our research.
Society has a right to expect also some
improvement in their lives and livelihoods
arising from this investment. UGC will nurture
a research and knowledge exchange eco-system
that takes our fundamental research strength
enhanced by collaboration, through to the
midstream or translational phase but in
a model which connects with industry, government
agencies and society where the impact of
research will be found. Midstream research
and connectivity will be the key concepts
which strengthen our future but not at the
expense of what we do so well already.
Finally I would like to reiterate that
all of these mission critical activities
must be underpinned by effective governance.
Good governance defends our two core values
of institutional autonomy subject to public
accountability, and academic freedom within
the law.
Sound governance also needs to be matched
with effective leadership. Together these
twin assets ensure that timely and effective
decisions are taken to secure the Mission
and Vision of our institutions. Mutual trust
and respect between Council and Senior Management
are necessary conditions to achieve this.
As ever, the UGC, acting as the buffer
between the government and institutions,
is committed to working for a brighter future
of Hong Kong's higher education. I am confident
that the sector would excel further. UGC
will continue to draw on local and overseas
expertise in our work ahead. It is this
gathering of the best minds from top institutions
worldwide, after all, that makes our committee
the unique body that it has been for the
past 50 years. We very much look forward
to that future.
Thank you.
************