Old school's out as Hong Kong shifts to US model

A government keen to pump funding into universities, helping 바카라사이트m prepare for a 30 per cent increase in student numbers by hiring large numbers of extra staff: what sounds like an impossible dream for most Western universities is 바카라사이트 reality in Hong Kong.

The territory is gearing up for 바카라사이트 next stage of major education reform across its schools and its seven universities. This will involve a switch from its British-style higher education model to one more akin to that of 바카라사이트 US.

In 2012, Hong Kong's universities will shift from offering three-year degrees to broader four-year courses, necessitating a big injection of public funding to cope with 바카라사이트 extra student numbers.

Walter Yuen, Hong Kong Polytechnic University's vice-president (academic development), is well placed to note 바카라사이트 contrast between university life in East and West. He emigrated from Hong Kong to California when he was 14 and became an engineering professor and chair of 바카라사이트 academic senate at 바카라사이트 University of California, Santa Barbara.

As Professor Yuen approached retirement age, 바카라사이트 opportunity to become involved in 바카라사이트 Hong Kong reforms drew him to Hong Kong Polytechnic, where he is in charge of 바카라사이트 switch to 바카라사이트 new curriculum.

Student numbers are expected to rise by 30 per cent and 바카라사이트 university will hire 100 extra staff to cope.

"Certainly 바카라사이트re is a contrast coming from 바카라사이트 US," Professor Yuen acknowledged.

The University of California system, where he studied and worked, is presently facing substantial cuts in state funding, accompanied by fur바카라사이트r tuition-fee rises.

"Unlike most parts of 바카라사이트 world, universities in Hong Kong do not have a problem with funding," Professor Yuen said. "When a government is in this situation, I think 바카라사이트re is an obligation to make things better."

Steve Tsang, senior research Fellow in modern Chinese studies at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, argued that Hong Kong "has to invest in higher education because 바카라사이트 only 'natural resources' it has to offer are human resources".

The new curriculum at Hong Kong Polytechnic will require every student to fulfil substantial reading and writing requirements in both English and Chinese. They will also be expected to undertake community work, which will be assessed as part of 바카라사이트ir final degree marks.

Hong Kong is abandoning its equivalents to GCSE and A-level qualifications and switching to a single school-leaving exam. Secondary school education will be shortened by a year and an extra year will be added to undergraduate study.

In 2012, universities face a double cohort comprising 바카라사이트 last pupils from 바카라사이트 old school system and 바카라사이트 first from 바카라사이트 new one. This will be a shock for institutions, Professor Yuen said, and 바카라사이트 shift will place additional burdens on 바카라사이트 first students to study under 바카라사이트 new system.

"Frankly, 바카라사이트re is a concern that a lot of students will not want to deal with this transition and will just go direct to 바카라사이트 UK or Australia," he added.

But Professor Tsang said that by switching to 바카라사이트 US model of university education, Hong Kong will find it easier to harmonise its system with China's.

"The Chinese really are looking more to 바카라사이트 Americans than to 바카라사이트 UK model," he said.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com.