Communication／Interface with Stakeholders

When it comes to higher education, there is a wide range of stakeholders - the institutional management, staff and students, parents and employers, the Government, the media and the community at large. The UGC works in partnership with stakeholders on sector-wide issues, including resource allocation and strategic development. Effective communication with stakeholders and transparency are very important. Communication brings transparency. It is important that our stakeholders understand accurately the functions and operation of the UGC, and for the UGC to understand our stakeholders' views on the UGC decisions and policies.

In 2009, the UGC set up a dedicated Communications Group to look into all matters concerning public relations and publicity in respect of the activities of the Committee and the UGC-funded sector, with the objective of fostering better understanding and communication between the UGC and the community in general, and the relevant professions/sectors in particular.

Effective communication with the various stakeholder groups often takes different forms. We have been exploring new ways of engaging the stakeholders, they include:

The UGC works in close partnership with institutions to ensure that they provide excellent teaching and quality research commensurate with their roles. We have meetings - regular and ad hoc, formal and informal - with the Heads and Council Chairmen of the eight funded institutions to exchange our thinking and suggestions on various subjects of mutual concern. Indeed, we attach great importance to the views of the institutions. Last year, we invited the Heads of Institutions each to suggest two key areas where they thought the UGC could improve. The full UGC considered these carefully and we are taking forward as many of them as we can.　

Our dialogue with the institutions does not confine itself to interacting with their management. For example, in 2009, the Chairman briefed members of the Senates/Academic Boards of all eight institutions on the latest work of the UGC and to listen to their views on various higher education issues.　

In particular, on 2 September 2009, we organised a consultation forum for the staff at the Hong Kong Space Museum on the Higher Education Review 2010 (HER 2010) (and scheduled two more sessions for April 2010). Their views have been very helpful to our understanding of stakeholders' concerns on a wide range of issues relating to the post-secondary education sector.

UGC visit to CUHK in 2010	The Chairman of UGC's Senate briefing at PolyU on  29 September 2009
UGC meeting with student representatives in August 2009	UGC meeting with student representatives during a  HKIEd visit in 2010

The UGC strives to cultivate effective communication with the young generation. Their views are very important to our work and much treasured. We have a regular roster of visiting the eight institutions, of which an important part is to meet with the students. From 2004 onwards, the full UGC have been meeting the student representatives of all UGC-funded institutions every year to exchange views on topics of mutual concern. On 3 September 2009, we organised a "Consultation Forum on HER 2010" at the Hong Kong Space Museum and conducted in-depth discussions with students on the Higher Education Review 2010. We are exploring new ways to make our future meetings with students more relaxed and in friendly environment with a view to enhancing interactive exchange between Members and students.　

The UGC stands ready to explain various issues to the Legislative Council, such as capital projects and institutional grievance procedures. The UGC had two rounds of lunches with members of the Legislative Council Panel on Education in 2009 to enhance communication with the Panel and listen to their views on various topics in relation to higher education. To enhance communication with the Panel further, the Chairman of the UGC took the initiative to attend before the Panel in January 2010 to brief its members on different areas of work and current activities of the UGC.

With the escalating public expectation on the responsiveness of public agencies, the cyber network allows us to gather and disseminate information in a more timely and instantaneous fashion. Given that the younger generation in particular are more inclined to expressing their ideas online, the UGC sees the Internet as a powerful means of communication, on top of conventional channels. The UGC website describes our roles, membership, activities, and the latest news. There are also a "Frequently Asked Questions" section and a Higher Education Forum, through which we welcome all parties including students and staff to leave messages and share their opinions. We are looking to make the website "fresher".　

At the same time, the UGC also takes the initiative to hold briefings with the media. After every UGC meeting, the Chairman briefs the media to keep them informed of the latest decisions and deliberations of the Committee.　

The UGC is committed to openness, transparency and accountability in promoting excellence in Hong Kong's higher education sector. To reach this goal, we will continue to explore more effective and innovative ways to communicate with our various stakeholders, and continuously seek ways to foster better understanding and participation in the community.

UGC website	Research Grants Council Public Lecture on "Cancer Research" on 18 April 2009