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Following is a speech by the Secretary for Education and Manpower, Mrs Fanny Law, at the Third Graduation Ceremony of

the "Intensified Learning Opportunity Programme" of the University of Hong Kong today (July 8):

Dr Shen, Professor Wong, Dr Lee, ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure for me to be here today, at the third Graduation Ceremony of the Intensified Learning Opportunity Programme, to offer my warmest congratulations to the 46 graduates who successfully completed the Programme this year. Despite the busy schedule and heavy workload of their regular programmes of study, these students have sacrificed personal leisure hours to participate in the ILOP. The perseverance and self-motivation demonstrated by these students are requisites of a successful knowledge-based society.

The rapid development of information technology has led to fundamental changes in the economic system of Hong Kong and that of the world. The emergence and expansion of the New Economy is challenging traditional paradigms and re-drawing the path to success. In the new economic paradigm, knowledge is your weapon, creativity brings you opportunity, and self-motivation gives you strength. To ride the tide of the New Economy, young people can no longer rely solely on their university diplomas for job security. Apart from professional knowledge and communication skills, they need to possess vision, alterness , independent thinking and a proactive attitude. Only when equipped with these qualities will they be able to see the wider picture of the changing social and economic environment and keep pace with the advancement in the new century.

A senior staff of a computer company once told me that the type of university graduates that he is looking for is not those only familiar with computer programming, but those who have good understanding of the trend of development of the IT industry, and are capable of leading the company in the right direction. These people do not necessarily have to be graduates of IT programmes, but must possess vision and leadership quality. What I am trying to underline is not that professional knowledge is unimportant, but that a university graduate must build up a multi-professional knowledge base and an international vision. I believe that this is the type of university graduates our students must strive to become, in order to maintain their competitiveness in the region and the world.

With the foresight of preparing leaders for the new century, the University of Hong Kong launched the ILOP three years ago. The Programme helps enhance the students' self-understanding and develop their leadership. The students also learn to care about and understand the changes taking place at the social, economic, cultural and technological fronts. Besides, the "Mentorship Programme" offers a precious opportunity for the students to learn from the experience of their outstanding alumni. In addition, the special topic research group strengthens the students' understanding of our country and enhances their analytical and problem-solving abilities. I am sure participating students have benefited greatly from this Programme

Ladies and gentlemen, the development of Hong Kong in the past century from an unknown port to an international centre of trade, finance, transport and tourism depended greatly on human resources. Let me take the opportunity today to express my appreciation for the effort of my alma mater in nurturing talents for Hong Kong during the past century. Today, Hong Kong has weathered the Asian financial crisis, and is still undergoing a process of economic restructuring. However, with the will power and perseverance of the Hong Kong people, we have passed the most difficult hours. The advent of the New Economy has brought us new hopes and created new opportunities. But the key to scaling new heights in the New Economy is whether we possess adequate high quality human resources.

After Hong Kong's re-unification with China under the principle of "One Country, Two systems", we need an increasing number of capable people and visionary political leaders to ensure the good governance of Hong Kong. I therefore hope that every university student would show commitment towards the society, and be prepared to contribute to the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong. The HKU alumni participating in the "Mentorship Programme" are all leaders in their own fields. The time and effort they have devoted to giving guidance to our young people bear vivid testimony to their commitment towards our society.

In the coming years, I trust that the University of Hong Kong will continue to nurture high quality talents, who will lead Hong Kong to face the new challenges of the 21st century. I would like to express my gratitude to Dr Shen and all those who have participated in the ILOP. And I wish all the students here a bright future in the new century.

Thank you very much.

End/Saturday, July 8, 2000

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