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Hong Kong Shue Yan College acquires university title
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    The Chief Executive in Council today (December 19) approved Hong Kong Shue Yan College (HKSYC)'s application to change its English and Chinese titles to "Hong Kong Shue Yan University" and "­»´ä¾ð¤¯¤j¾Ç".

     In congratulating HKSYC on its change of title, the Secretary for Education and Manpower, Professor Arthur K C Li, said that the upgrading of HKSYC as the first private university in Hong Kong was a recognition of its efforts, dedication and contributions to the higher education sector over the past 35 years.

     "The development of private universities adds diversity to our higher education system and provides a channel for all sectors of the society to contribute resources and efforts for the benefit of students."
 
     "Such development is conducive to upgrading our human capital and enhancing Hong Kong's competitiveness in a knowledge-based economy," Professor Li said.

     The recommendation to encourage the upgrading of existing post-secondary colleges to private universities was made by the Education Commission in 2000 and endorsed by the Administration.  

     To assess the readiness of HKSYC for upgrading into a private university, the college invited the Hong Kong Council for Academic Accreditation (HKCAA) to undertake an Institutional Review of College in 2006.  The HKCAA concluded that the HKSYC had, in overall terms, established an appropriate academic environment which merited the granting of university status.  

     By now, HKSYC has attained Programme Area Accreditation (PAA) Status for its Arts, Social Sciences, and Commerce disciplines.  For the purpose of quality assurance, external reviews will be conducted on the relevant programme areas at five-yearly intervals.

     HKSYC was established in 1971 as a private liberal arts college and was registered under the Post-Secondary Colleges Ordinance (Cap.320) in 1976.  The College has been offering a total of 10 four-year honours degree programmes since the 2001/02 academic year, all of which have been accredited by HKCAA and approved by the Chief Executive in Council.  

     More than 23,000 students have graduated from HKSYC.  It currently has a student population of more than 3,000.

Ends/Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Issued at HKT 14:25

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