Closer encounter: Secretary for Education & Manpower Arthur Li addresses students at City University.

The Secretary for Education & Manpower today reiterated he will meet university students when necessary, and they can even set out the agenda items for discussion.

Professor Arthur Li said the Government will plough back savings from the withdrawal of subsidies for sub-degree programmes into improving finances for sub-degree students.

Professor Li was speaking at a student forum at City University where he met representatives from the Federation of Students and other tertiary student bodies.

He said that the withdrawal timetable was set out by an independent specialist group under the University Grants Committee after months of study, and was based on a set of objective criteria.

The timetable has been made after detailed reviews of the programmes of City U and the Polytechnic University, and after consultation with the two institutes.

City U has set up its own working group to study ways to ensure a smooth transition of the programmes into a self-financing mode.

"City U has also applied to the Government for the allocation of a site for construction of a campus that could accommodate 5,000 students," Professor Li said.

"Based on recommendations of the working group, City U should be confident that with more student enrolments and the concerted effort of teaching staff, the programmes can become self-financed before the withdrawal of subsidy in 2008."

Gov't ready to help 

The difficulties faced by City U during the transition are fully understood, he said, adding that every effort will be made to offer assistance.

The Government will consider increasing the number of Year 2 and Year 3 places in universities to provide more articulation opportunities for sub-degree students.

On site allocation, the Government will fully support and identify the most suitable locations.

These were among the conclusions made during Professor Li's meeting with university students on Sunday.

The other conclusions were:

* to raise the guaranteed minimum amount for each institution in the matching grant scheme, subject to the agreement of heads of the eight institutes;

* to examine various measures to help institutes deal with problems arising from the cut in subsidy for sub-degree programmes;

* to discuss with the Financial Secretary the minimising of the cut in education funding for 2005/08, to ensure that the quality of university education will not suffer; and,

* to consider the appointment of a student representative to the University Grants Committee.