Speech by the University President,
Professor Poon Chung-kwong, PhD, DSc, JP,
at the Second Session of the Seventh Congregation

Mr Chairman, Honoured Guests, Honorary Graduates, Award Recipients, Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to the Seventh Congregation of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

However, the current state of Hong Kong is such that even on this happy occasion, many people cannot help but worry over the most serious challenge facing us in decades, and which has dealt a more severe blow to the populace than the financial crisis of the late 1990s. In the midst of the current economic doldrums, a lack-lustre property market, and a rising unemployment rate, a lot of Hong Kong people are at a loss as to how to cope. Even more depressingly, for some, gone are the confidence and determination of the good old days. Looking back on the trials and tribulations of the past, including the flood of mainland refugees into Hong Kong in the 1960s, the global energy crisis which led to world-wide economic recession in the early 1970s, causing Hong Kong's unemployment rate to rise to as high as nine per cent, the confidence crisis which triggered a wave of emigration in the 1980s, and social unrest resulting from the collective apprehension in the early 1990s about the feasibility of "One Country Two Systems", Hong Kong people have been able to rise to the challenge time and time again, all thanks to their unswerving determination and unyielding attitude.

I firmly believe that as long as we can keep up with the pace of Greater China's economic development, and not lose confidence in ourselves, Hong Kong will recover from recession in good time and get back on the growth track by pooling its talent and resources.

The most important and urgent thing is, we must hold our heads high and not lose heart in the face of difficulties. As a cosmopolitan city where East meets West, Hong Kong possesses not only highly-developed infrastructure and transportation networks which facilitate the flow of information, but also a fully-fledged legal system with an abundant supply of legal professionals and accountants. All of these, coupled with a huge financial reserve, are sure to enable us to rebuild our economy and further enhance Hong Kong's status as an international financial, communication and shipping centre. The unique competitive edge we enjoy as part of China is also where our confidence in the future mainly lies. Our development benefits from the vast resources and the sheer market size of our motherland. In addition to the promise of two systems, Hong Kong is also guaranteed not only exemption from substantial tax contributions to the Central Government, but also freedom from financial obligations regarding defence and foreign relations. These are the key factors which promise even further growth for Hong Kong.

As we all know, Hong Kong's future hinges on the quality of its human resources. For example, the Chief Executive put forward his proposal in his latest policy address to convert the current three-year university degree structure to four. My opinion is in line with the general consensus in society - that such a forward-looking proposal deserves our praise and support. In fact, four-year university degrees are an international norm. The extra year not only effectively enhances the quality of teaching to a large extent but also helps to realise the objective of an all-round education, raising the quality of students effectively. But such a change will give rise to a host of issues from curriculum reform at secondary level connecting with university programmes to government funding. Therefore, we will work closely with the SAR Government, the University Grants Committee, sister institutions, secondary schools as well as other educational institutions to speed up the conversion process.

The Chief Executive's pledge to double the number of our secondary school leavers receiving tertiary education to 60 per cent is also most encouraging. I must stress, however, that we will not lose sight of the need to ensure the high standard of our students. Sacrificing the quality of education merely for the sake of increasing student intake is out of the question. In other words, the quality of our students is not something we will compromise on.

We at PolyU do hope that the Government, while expanding its multi-level and multifarious higher education system, will continue to provide funding for high-quality Higher Diploma programmes deeply valued by students and local employers. As you may well know, the courses offered by our University are known for their diversity and professionalism. Apart from offering doctoral and master's degrees aimed at strengthening Hong Kong's research competitiveness, we also nurture well-rounded undergraduates who possess both wide and expert knowledge. In addition, about 30 per cent of our students take two-year professional Higher Diploma courses. Time- honoured and application-oriented, these courses cater for the needs of businesses. Their academic qualifications and standards are also highly regarded in the respective fields. Since such courses are offered on campus, students can make use of our University's state-of-the-art equipment and facilities in a pleasant and learner-friendly environment. We believe government funding is essential to maintaining the quality and standard of such courses to groom professionals for our society and help Hong Kong turn into a knowledge-based economy. However, should government funding for these popular programmes be reduced or even removed in future, it would come as a serious blow to our professional training efforts.

We at this University feel it is our duty to help Hong Kong to transform its economy as soon as possible. In fact, many of the objectives laid down in our six-year Strategic Plan 2001 - 2007 are to do with spearheading Hong Kong's future development.

With the theme of "Creating a Competitive Edge for our Students and the Community", our Strategic Plan was devised after careful deliberation and consultative with all our academic and administrative staff, students, our alumni associations, the University Council and the University Court. The Plan is truly a collective statement of the vision and commitment of the PolyU community as a whole. Our goal as outlined in the Plan is clear: that our first and foremost mission is providing an all-round education for our students so that after graduation they will be able to contribute not only to society, but also to their country and the world. Therefore, we will continue to take the following three measures to achieve economic growth: quality education, scientific research, and continual support for the business and professional sectors.

We firmly believe that with the advent of globalisation and a knowledge-based economy, the important task facing PolyU as well as other tertiary institutions lies in the provision of an all-round education, through which students are encouraged to develop in the areas of global outlook, critical and creative thinking, social and national responsibility, cultural appreciation, lifelong learning, biliteracy and trilingualism, entrepreneurship and leadership. I firmly believe these qualities, coupled with their professional knowledge and skills, will enable our graduates to gain a foothold in society, and help them to become professionals of wide and expert knowledge, preferred employees and future leaders who will contribute to the economic and social progress of Hong Kong and our motherland.

After much thinking and planning, a large-scale leadership training camp entitled "Leadership and Competence for Success 2001" was held during the summer for the first time. In the camp intensive and carefully designed training sessions were offered to the 160 participating students. Coupled with interactive lectures, students were encouraged to listen and take part in the discussions where not only individual talent but also team spirit were fully expressed. Through active participation in the training programme, the students' self-confidence was given a boost while innovative ideas, independent thinking, leadership and teamwork were encouraged. At the same time, through interacting with other participants, the students were able to hone their skills in interpersonal relationships and communication, time management, creative thinking, image building, interviewing techniques, problem-solving as well as raising their EQ (Emotional Quotient) and AQ (Adversity Quotient).

Let me take this opportunity to share with you some of the participating students' positive feedback. To begin with, one student says: "It really marks a turning point in my life. In the short time it took for me to take part in the programme, I felt I was completely changed. Instead of being a quiet person like I used to be, now I'm willing to talk about anything under the sun. Having been depressed, I now have a goal in life and am full of hope for the future."

Another one has the following to say about the influence of the camp on him: "The training camp has had a huge impact on me. I used to be passive and didn't have self-confidence. Now I've learnt to take initiative, and realise the importance of assertiveness. I've also learnt how to care about my family and my friends."

The mother of one participant even wrote to us to express her gratitude, saying: "I thank the University for teaching my son well. If he should have the fortune to be successful in life, I would definitely urge him to repay his alma mater."

I was deeply moved by all these comments. The University Management has decided to expand the training programme to benefit as many PolyU students as possible so that they will be able to develop their potential to the full and more fully contribute to society after graduation.

Moreover, through the 'Preferred Graduate' Development Programme first introduced in 1997, we have arranged for more and more students to be attached to industrial and business enterprises to receive on-the-job training, enabling them to gain work experience and get a first taste of life in the workplace. At present, the Programme has been expanded beyond the territory to the Chinese mainland, Taiwan, Europe, America and Australia, covering 18 countries and areas in total. With the support of over 700 partner companies and supporting organisations, more than 2,400 students have benefited from the Programme.

The training opportunities offered by the Programme are indeed an eye-opener for the participating students. For example, a student who was attached to the Jinling Hotel in Nanjing told me that he was glad that he was not only given the chance to sharpen his problem-solving and communicative skills, but also got to learn firsthand about the motherland. He has become more aware of the differences between Hong Kong and the motherland in culture, custom, business practice and system of government. At the same time, quite a considerable number of employers were favourably impressed with the participating students' efforts and willingness to learn. As a result, the employers requested the University to extend the training period accordingly. In the past few years, some of our students who have joined the Programme went on to become long-term employees of the participating companies. Therefore, starting from the year 2003 - 2004, we are planning to increase the size of the student intake for local and overseas work placements to 1,500 annually.

To build up the pool of talent for Hong Kong, we will continue to accept students from the Chinese mainland for our undergraduate programmes. Moreover, in a bid to build our campus into a multicultural one and to develop students with a global outlook, we will systematically enrol outstanding students from overseas by expanding our student exchange programme and activities upon the completion of the student hostel in mid-2002. A number of scholarships will also be offered as financial support to those overseas students in need to help to pay in full or in part the expenses incurred during their studies at PolyU.

Obviously the success of the above measures depends on the support of the SAR Government and the community at large. Particularly in terms of financial support, we hope the Government will adjust the funding amount according to needs and provide us with the necessary funding. We will be hard-pressed without the resources. If the Government continues with its funding cuts, not only will the overall quality of tertiary education suffer, the students and our society will be adversely affected as well.

In addition to providing an all-round education for our students, we will strive to raise the academic standard of our University, improve the quality of our scientific research and postgraduate education, so that our status as a leading provider of continuing education can be consolidated. In fact, after decades of hard work, we have achieved modest success in these areas. According to the latest enrolment figures, out of all the local tertiary institutions, our University was the most preferred one among applicants in terms of first choice of study and first three choices of study, underlying the popularity of our degree programmes. The number of applicants to our Higher Diploma programmes also ranked the highest.

The results of last year's Graduate Employment Survey revealed that the majority of our graduates had found employment or engaged in further studies. Only less than two per cent were still unemployed by the end of last year. Of those already employed, their salaries were on average three per cent higher compared with graduates of the previous year. But perhaps what is more important is that most of our students are employed in fields in which they can apply what they have learned to their professions. Undoubtedly, compared with last year, the employment picture for our students this year is less rosy. Of course the University will do all it can to provide assistance for our graduates but our students should also strive to find a job as early as possible by better equipping themselves to meet the challenges ahead.

I would, therefore, like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to the SAR Government as well as parents, employers and the general public for their confidence and firm belief in, as well as support for our high academic standards and the quality of our students.

While our primary mission is to provide quality education, we have always attached great importance to developing scientific research and have, through the concerted efforts of our staff members, made considerable headway in our research work. According to the recently announced funding decision of the University Grants Committee, under the Areas of Excellence scheme, our joint project with The University of Hong Kong entitled "Institute of Molecular Technology for Drug Discovery and Synthesis" was selected and won a funding allocation of over $40 million. In the recent round of the Competitive Earmarked Research Grant (CERG) exercise, our University was allocated $60 million by the Research Grants Council, representing an increase of 50 per cent over the grand total of last year. Among our academic departments that applied for the CERGs, the best performing ones were the Departments of Mechanical Engineering, Civil and Structural Engineering, and Applied Biology and Chemical Technology. In fact, in the discipline of engineering, PolyU came first among all the institutions with the highest funding and number of projects funded. These encouraging results are all proof of the unremitting and fruitful research efforts of our University in addition to our relentless pursuit of academic excellence.

To keep up the momentum of our research efforts, we continue to raise the standard of our research work, provide high-level consultancy services, and further commercialise our research results, particularly innovative, high-value-added techniques and products. Let me give you two examples of our success stories. Last year, under the auspices of the Environmental Protection Department and the Transport Department, we successfully launched the Diesel Particulate Trap developed by our researchers into the market. Today, more than 18,000 diesel vehicles have been fitted with the device which traps the diesel-produced particulates, thus helping to improve our environment. Let me also take this opportunity to introduce to you another outstanding project - the Space Holinser Forceps and the Micro End-Effectors. The Holinser Forceps, originally a piece of dentist equipment, are jointly developed by our colleagues from the Department of Manufacturing Engineering and the Industrial Centre from a concept initiated by a dentist, so that they can be used in space. It is truly the first and only space device designed and manufactured by local talent. Four sets of Holinser Forceps were ordered by the Russian Space Agency for precision soldering on the MIR space station. Following its initial success, our researchers developed the device for further use as End-Effectors. Our University has been invited by the European Space Agency to participate in the Mars Express Mission 2003 by designing and manufacturing the End-Effectors to help solve the mystery of whether or not life exists on the planet. This is indeed a great honour not only for PolyU and Hong Kong, but also for the Chinese people.

In support of the proposed expansion of tertiary education by the SAR Government, PolyU has launched its first associate degree programme and submitted to the Government a proposal to establish a community college, through which more associate degree places can be offered, allowing more young people to receive higher education.

On the continuing education front, last year our School of Professional Education and Executive Development offered more than 500 courses and enabled over 14,000 students to further their studies. In addition to putting the notion of lifelong learning into practice in the SAR, in order to meet our motherland's rapid growth and the demand for a quality workforce, we have set up PolyU outpost centres in Beijing, Hangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai to provide management and professional training courses for mainland and Hong Kong enterprises. I am pleased to say that, at today's Congregation, the University will be presenting awards to the second cohort of graduates from the International Executive Development Centre co-founded by Zhejiang University and our University. They include 24 Master of Science in Quality Management recipients and 54 Higher Diploma in Enterprise Management recipients. We will also be presenting awards to the first cohort of graduates, 38 in all, from Master of Science in Project Management, a programme jointly offered by Chongqing University and our University. Over 100 of these graduates, together with representatives from Zhejiang University and Chongqing University, are present here today to attend this ceremony. My warmest welcome to them and my heartfelt thanks to the two universities for their close collaboration with us.

We must bear in mind that the success of education depends on the support of the family and the community. Therefore I would like to appeal to parents to care more about your children, communicate more with them, and show more encouragement. In terms of their level of education, your children may have come a long way, but it is important to realise that in terms of the way of the world, they still have much to learn. Your experience of life is sure to guide them on their path to becoming responsible and useful members of society.

Now let me take this opportunity to share with our graduates some of my personal feelings. Graduates, while you all deserve congratulations on your academic achievement, you should remember that to achieve future success, you will have to maintain your competitive edge through continuing education. As I mentioned earlier, Hong Kong's future hinges on the quality of its human resources. Our young people's future development, on the other hand, depends on the standard of their morals, education, and knowledge as well as their commitment to the motherland and the local community. According to a recent survey, only 20 per cent of our young people identify with our motherland. I am greatly disappointed by this. Hong Kong is no longer a British colony. We are now part of China, and should be proud of a motherland which is strong and stable and has a long history. Hopefully our students will get to know their motherland better through more reading and thinking or better still, through firsthand experience, and be proud to be Chinese. Let me also point out that Hong Kong is a cultural melting-pot of East and West and is thus exposed to the influence of Western culture which inculcates a strong sense of freedom and democracy in its people, who value highly all kinds of freedom, be it personal freedom, academic freedom or freedom of the press. Freedom is of course important, but equal emphasis should be given to traditional Chinese values, including commitment to society, the nation, the world as well as one's family.

Recently Prof. Zhou Guangzhao, Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and President of the China Association for Science and Technology, quoted Finland as a role model for our development. He pointed out that Finland is similar to Hong Kong in that it has a population of merely five million and lacks natural resources. In 1994, its unemployment
rate ran as high as 18.4 per cent and people suffered miserably. However, by 2000, both its competitiveness and its per capita technological achievement were ranked first in the world. For example, the Finnish company Nokia has overtaken its rivals to become the biggest mobile phone company in the world and the Linux operating system, the brain-child of a Finnish university graduate, has posed a real threat to Microsoft Windows' dominating position. Finland's success has been brought about by its government's handsome investments in education and in technology, which made the most of opportunities in the global surge of communications technologies, thus enabling a giant leap in the country's economy. At the same time, the calibre of the Finnish nationals has also improved considerably thanks to the nation's innovative education and forward-looking investments. Prof. Zhou said, "The Finnish people are patriotic and are determined to rally to their nation's modernisation cause. They pride themselves on their state-of-the-art technological know-how and a scientific moral frame of mind. In the face of cut-throat international competition, the Finnish are relentless in their pursuit of innovation and their urge to transcend past achievements. Long-standing suffering has steeled them against hardships. Their patriotism and strong sense of teamwork are fuelled by their undying fighting spirit."

I recently read an article on the Taiwanese painter Hsieh K'un-shan which moved me deeply. Mr Hsieh lost both his arms as well as his right leg from the knee down, and his right eye in an accident, but he did not give up. Neither was he given to self-pity. Instead, he did his best to overcome the difficulty and study hard and became a great painter. He once said, "I believe in destiny but I also believe we can change destiny. The key to a fruitful life is cherishing what you have and sharing your good fortune with others." The Finnish and Mr Hsieh are indeed our role models, who I hope will inspire the same positive thinking and determination in our students, to enable them to face the challenges that lie ahead, and begin a most rewarding journey through life and achieve what they set out to achieve.

Let me take this opportunity to wish all our graduates a bright future.

Last but not least, on behalf of our University, I would like to salute our four Honorary Doctorate recipients today for their remarkable contributions to their respective fields.

Thank you.

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