Chief Executive Carrie Lam today met University Grants Committee members at Government House to exchange views on the higher education sector’s latest developments.

They discussed nurturing talents, supporting research activities and the challenges ahead.

Committee chairman Carlson Tong briefed Mrs Lam on the universities’ measures to ensure campus safety and readiness for the start of the second semester.

Mrs Lam thanked some 20 overseas and local members for their valuable advice to the Government under Mr Tong’s leadership, on allocating funding to the funded universities and the strategic development of higher education in Hong Kong.

She was pleased to note the progress made in various initiatives to enhance the city’s research capacity launched by the current-term Government over the past two years, such as an injection into the Research Endowment Fund, the launch of the Research Matching Grant Scheme and the establishment of three new research fellowship schemes.

A number of overseas members said despite the social unrest in Hong Kong in the past seven months, the research work generally remained normal, reflecting the universities’ strength.

Some local members expressed concern about the recruitment of local and non-local staff and students following the social events.

Mr Tong thanked the Chief Executive for her tremendous support for the committee-funded sector over the past few years.