University Grants Committee welcomes new initiative on higher education announced in "The Chief Executive's 2020 Policy Address"
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The Chairman of the University Grants Committee (UGC), Mr Carlson Tong, welcomed the new initiative, announced in "The Chief Executive's 2020 Policy Address" today (November 25), of introducing the Global STEM Professorship Scheme to further support the UGC-funded universities to recruit outstanding research talent to work in Hong Kong.
UGC-funded universities have all along attached great importance to cultivating and recruiting talent. At present, the eight UGC-funded universities employ over 10 000 non-local staff for their teaching and research activities, accounting for over 50 per cent of the total staff size. Mr Tong said he believed that the Global STEM Professorship Scheme will be able to further strengthen the universities' capability in recruiting outstanding research talent worldwide.
Mr Tong also expressed appreciation for the Government's staunch support for the academic and research development of higher education in Hong Kong, and provision of generous funding for putting in place a series of enhanced measures, including the injection of $20 billion into the Research Endowment Fund, the dedication of $16 billion for enhancing campus facilities, the establishment of the Hostel Development Fund, as well as the funding support for the setting up of the Research Grants Council Fellowship Schemes and the Targeted Taught Postgraduate Programmes Fellowships Scheme. He said, "The UGC will continue to work closely with the universities to take these initiatives forward full steam, while promoting the sustainable development of higher education and striving to nurture talent, so as to help Hong Kong move forward and overcome the challenges ahead".
Ends/Wednesday, November 25, 2020
Issued at HKT 16:51
Issued at HKT 16:51
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