Laura Cha will succeed Alice Lam as University Grants Committee Chairman for three years from April 1.

Welcoming the appointment, Secretary for Education & Manpower Professor Arthur Li said Mrs Cha is a prominent business leader fully dedicated to serving the community, including the tertiary education sector.

"Her strong commitment to tertiary education is demonstrated by her dedicated service at the University of Science & Technology Council to which she has rendered useful insights and advice," he said.

"I am confident that with Mrs Cha as chairman, the UGC will continue to provide excellent leadership for the UGC sector and useful advice to the Government in the coming years, when UGC-funded institutions are intensively preparing for four-year undergraduate programmes under the new '3+3+4' academic structure."

Mrs Cha is Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation non-executive Deputy Chairman. She was the Securities & Futures Commission Deputy Chairman from 1998 to 2001, and the State Council China Regulatory Commission Vice Chairman from 2001 to 2004.

Key role

Mrs Cha said the committee plays a key role in advising the Government on the strategic development of the higher education sector and the financial needs of the eight publicly-funded institutions.

"I am honoured that I shall be involved in the process of shaping strategy and policy in an area that has a major impact on our younger generations. I fully embrace this opportunity," she said.

"The coming few years are going to be challenging for the institutions and the committee. We are embarking on a new undergraduate academic structure and it is going to be a phase of growth. I know I have a lot to learn, but I also hope my expertise in the financial sector and experience gained in other advisory bodies will allow me to bring new perspectives to the sector.

"I look forward to working collaboratively with the Administration, the eight institutions and the higher education sector in general, to promote quality and excellence."

Retiring members

Professor Li also paid tribute to the retiring UGC Chairman Alice Lam and members Brian Fender, Frans van Vught and Steven Poon for their contributions.

Meanwhile, Consumer Council Chief Executive Pamela Chan; Stanford University Medical Centre Professors of Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery Willard Fee, Edward and Amy Sewall; and University College London President & Provost Malcolm Grant have been appointed as members. Their term will end on March 31, 2010. UGC Quality Assurance Council Chairman is also named the council's ex-officio member.

Existing member Wee Chow-hou, Chairman of the Nanyang Executive Programs, Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University, has been re-appointed, with the term ending on March 31, 2009.