The University Grants Committee has formed a review group comprising experienced committee members and local educators to consider the Institute of Education's development blueprint.

The committee's overseas member John Niland, a former University of New South Wales Vice Chancellor with considerable experience in overseeing reviews in higher education there and in Asia, will serve as the review group's convenor. Deputy convenor will be Irving Koo. Members are Pamela Chan, Robin Cheung, Wong Yuk-shan and Stella Lau.

"The excellence of the teaching service is critical to society, and we are conscious that the outcome of our work will bear on future generations of Hong Kong teachers and students. We will approach the review with an open mind, and will study carefully the proposals in the development blueprint. During the process, we will maintain a close dialogue with the Institute of Education," Professor Niland said.

The review group and the committee aim to complete the task before the end of next year.