The University Grants Committee has formed an Institutional Integration Working Party to explore whether Hong Kong's university sector is ripe for institutional integration.

The committee agreed that integration is one way to achieve role differentiation, concentrate resources, collaboration and strategic alliances, and enable strategic positioning for institutions to further excel in the higher education sector.

It said the issue of the possible merger of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong University of Science & Technology is in the public arena, and both schools have completed their own initial studies on the feasibility of merging.

Their findings have been submitted to Secretary for Education & Manpower Arthur Li.

In light of this, Mr Li has invited the committee to examine  the relevant issues and offer advice.

It has formed a working party, whose members include convenor Prof John Niland, Dr Alice Lam, Irving Koo, Dr Steven Poon, Philip Chen, Roger Luk and Michael Stone.

The working party has been asked:

* to explore the feasibility of institutional integration in the university sector of Hong Kong, and to outline its possible objectives, potential benefits and likely difficulties, taking into account the needs of Hong Kong and recent international experience with institutional integration;

* to identify key potential benefits and drawbacks of a possible merger of Chinese University and the University of Science & Technology, and potential related elements and institutions;

* to formulate advice for the committee's consideration at its January, 2004 meeting which will enable it to make recommendations to the Government soon after; and

* to consult closely with the two universities. 

In conducting the study, the working party will make reference to different integration models that have been tried in other countries, and their respective advantages and drawbacks.