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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 its decisions
and policies. There is a wide range of stakeholders in higher education – the institutional management, staff
and students, parents and employers, the Government and Legislature, the media and the community at large.
The UGC works in close partnership with stakeholders on sector-wide issues, including resource allocation and
strategic development. Effective communication with stakeholders brings transparency and accountability.
The UGC’s Communications Group looks 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. Effective communication with the various
stakeholder groups often takes different forms. The Group continues to devise plans and undertake a range of
activities to enhance our stakeholder relations, including with:
Institutional Management
The UGC works closely 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 Council Chairmen, Heads and Vice Presidents of the eight funded
institutions to exchange our thinking and suggestions on various subjects of mutual concern. We attach great
importance to the views of the institutions.
Institutional Staff
We hold close to our heart that dialogue with the institutions should not be confined to interacting only
with their management. In 2010, the Chairman, UGC met with the Faculty Deans and Department Heads in each of
the eight institutions to brief them on the recent work of the UGC and listened to their views on issues related to
higher education sector.
To collect views from our stakeholders on the Higher
Education Review 2010 (HER 2010), we organised two consultation fora on 24 April 2010 following the first round
in September 2009 and drew a turnout of over 100 staff members and students from both the UGC and non-UGC
sectors. Their views and ideas helped shape the content and recommendations of the review report (see
“Release of Higher Education Review Report” for more details
of the report).
Chairman, UGC met the Deans and Heads of Departments in CUHK in October 2010
Students
Students are essentially the ultimate beneficiaries of
our work and the public investment. Their views are very important to the UGC. We have a regular roster of
visiting the eight institutions, of which an important part is to meet with the students. In 2010 and 2011, UGC
Members as a group visited CUHK and HKIEd, and LU and HKU respectively. Also from 2004 onwards, the full
UGC has been meeting the student representatives of all UGC-funded institutions every year to exchange views on
various topics of mutual concern. There is no set agenda for these meetings and we endeavour to conduct the
meetings in a more relaxed and friendly environment to encourage freer and more interactive exchange between
UGC Members and students. We are also pleased that many students participated actively in our public
consultation activities, including the consultation fora for HER 2010 held on 24 April 2010.
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UGC meeting with student representatives in September 2010
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Legislators
The UGC welcomes the opportunity to work with and to
explain aspects of our work to the Legislative Council. Informally, in 2010 we had three rounds of lunch meetings
(in June, November and December) with members of the Legislative Council Panel on Education to enhance
communication with the Panel and listen to their views on various topics in relation to higher education. We also
attend meetings of the Panel from time to time to explain our work. In January 2011, the Chairman, UGC and
Convenor of the Higher Education Review Group attended before the Panel to introduce the “Aspirations for the
Higher Education System in Hong Kong” Report.
The Community
With escalating public expectations 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 good means of communication, on top of conventional channels. The
UGC website describes our roles, membership, activities, and the latest news. It includes 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. In addition, to provide more timely information and address
key concerns about our work, we launched a UGC Internet Blog in June 2010 and publish regular articles on
a newspaper column. These initiatives have enhanced and facilitated a more accurate understanding of UGC policies
and practices by our stakeholders.
At the same time, the UGC also holds regular briefings with the media after every UGC meeting, where the
Chairman, UGC 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
continually seek ways to foster better understanding and engagement with the community.
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