The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, met members of the University Grants Committee (UGC) at Government House today (January 11) to exchange views on issues including the UGC's efforts in nurturing talents and promoting research work in the funded universities so as to maintain Hong Kong's competitiveness and address the city's strategic needs.
She expressed her gratitude to some 20 local and non-local experts on the UGC under the leadership of the Chairman, Mr Carlson Tong, for their valuable advice to the Government on allocation of funding to the funded universities and the strategic development of higher education in Hong Kong. Recognising their solid foundation in academia and innovation and technology (I&T), Mrs Lam said she was confident that the UGC-funded universities would play a key role in contributing to the development of Hong Kong as a global I&T hub.
Mrs Lam reiterated that the Government's expenditure on education would be the most meaningful investment for Hong Kong's future and stressed the Government's commitment to supporting I&T development. She announced in the 2018 Policy Address the decision to accept in full the recommendations made by the Task Force on Review of Research Policy and Funding led by Professor Tsui Lap-chee under the UGC and has specifically pledged funding to implement new initiatives to strengthen the research capacity of Hong Kong, including a $20 billion injection into the Research Endowment Fund and the launch of a $3 billion Research Matching Grant Scheme, as well as to support the establishment of three new research fellowship schemes under the Research Grants Council.
Mr Tong thanked the Government for its favourable response to the needs of higher education with concrete support and substantial resources for the UGC-funded sector in the past year. The UGC will continue to work closely with the Government, universities and stakeholders to strengthen Hong Kong's position as a leading regional education hub, he said.
Follow this news feed: East Asia