**********************************************
The following is issued on behalf of the University Grants Committee:
The Secretary for Education and Manpower today (March 23) announced changes in the membership of the University Grants Committee, as well as the establishment of the Quality Assurance Council of the University Grants Committee.
Dr Alice Lam, who will step down from the chairmanship of the University Grants Committee at the end of March, will chair the Quality Assurance Council for one year; and she will be succeeded by Mr Philip Chen Nan-lok. Including Dr Lam, eight members are appointed to serve on the inaugural term of the council, starting from April 1, 2007.
"It is my privilege to have been given the opportunity to serve on and chair the University Grants Committee for the past nine years. I am much indebted to the support and advice rendered by my fellow members, without which I would not have been able to carry through my responsibilities", Dr Lam said.
"Many of the initiatives of the University Grants Committee are now showing a positive impact. There is now more role differentiation, and I am particularly pleased to see institutions having many more non-local students as well as student exchanges and that the philanthropic culture is now well embedded.
"The local higher education sector has undergone many changes and challenges over the last nine years but I believe that it is emerging stronger and better able to meet Kong Kong's needs as a result."
Talking about her new appointment as council chairman, Dr Lam said that the establishment of the council was an important move of the grants committee in assuring quality. "A lot of preparatory work is being carried out, and I am happy to accept the invitation of the Secretary for Education and Manpower to see through the satisfactory completion of the initial setting up of this new body, which will take about another year.
"Mr Philip Chen has served on the grants committee for three years, and he is a very valuable member. He has also contributed extensively to our preparatory committee for the council. I fully endorse the decision to appoint him as the next chairman of the council", Dr Lam said.
Dr Lam is currently the Chairman of the University Grants Committee, and has served on the committee since 1998. She was the Managing Director and Deputy Chief Executive of Hang Seng Bank before she retired in 1996. Dr Lam had served as the Governor of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology for nine years until 1995. She was the Honorary Treasurer of the Chinese University of Hong Kong for 16 years until June, 1998, and she also served the council of the university as the vice-chairman for two years until December, 1998.
The list of members appointed to the Quality Assurance Council is set out at the annex.
Ends/Friday, March 23, 2007
Issued at HKT 15:45
NNNN
