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The Education Bureau (EDB) today (March 30) announced that it has endorsed the overall direction and recommendations of the "Governance in University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded Higher Education Institutions in Hong Kong" report submitted by the UGC in September last year.
A spokesman for the EDB said that the Government attaches great importance to safeguarding academic freedom and institutional autonomy, and at the same time UGC-funded institutions are expected to be committed to the highest standards of governance. This will ensure that they use public funding in a transparent and accountable manner, as well as serve the best interests of the community and students.
"With the completion of structural reviews of council composition by UGC-funded institutions in the past decade or so, we believe that it is a suitable time to aim at higher goals of institutional governance, particularly in terms of good practices. We are pleased to note that the recommendations of its report have been formulated with the aim of enhancing standards of governance. They provide useful guidance for institutions to reflect on and improve their current practices, as well as to strengthen the effectiveness and transparency of their governing councils," the spokesman added.
"Following the EDB's endorsement, the UGC will be invited to oversee the implementation of the recommendations of the report in consultation with its funded institutions and other stakeholders," the spokesman said.
The EDB also expressed its gratitude to the UGC for looking into the matter thoroughly and submitting the report.
"The EDB would like to thank the UGC for producing a most insightful report on the matter. The report has provided valuable advice," the spokesman said.
On the invitation of the EDB in December 2013, the UGC embarked on a study into the governance of UGC-funded institutions, with the assistance of Sir Howard Newby as the consultant. Sir Howard is the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Liverpool and has rich experience and expertise in university governance and management. The study aimed at identifying some international good practices in the governance of higher education institutions, through which pointers and advice were drawn up to help enhance the effectiveness of the governing councils of UGC-funded institutions and also to better equip council members with the necessary knowledge, skills and protocol for the proper discharge of their duties. A copy of the report is available at the UGC's website: www.ugc.edu.hk.
Ends/Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Issued at HKT 16:00
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