University outcry at new funding scheme
Three universities called for a drastic reduction in the amount they have to contribute to a central pool for competitive bidding in a new funding scheme launched by the University Grants Committee.
Their call came after committee chairwoman Laura Cha Shih May-lung announced on Thursday that there is room for revising the scheme.
Under the scheme, an extension of a trial that has operated since last year, 7.5 per cent of first-year places allocated to universities - or 1,088 of a total 14,500 - will go into a central bidding pool. This would involve about HK$270 million in annual public funding. Programmes like medicine and nursing that are seen as meeting essential needs will be exempted.
In the trial, 4 per cent, or 580 places, went into a central bidding pool. The increase in the number of places that universities have to give back for bidding prompted a backlash from faculty staff and students worried that some programmes would be phased out.
Opposition to the scheme was especially vehement among less popular disciplines like humanities and pure science, as exemption of disciplines in high demand would mean they have to shoulder a bigger part of the burden.
To allay their concerns, Cha said: 'The UGC is not taking away any student places or funding from the sector. Neither are we imposing any decisions on the institutions to terminate any particular disciplines ... the merit of [the scheme is for] enhancing competitiveness in the allocation of scarce resources.
'But [universities] do have concern over the percentage of places involved. I personally feel that there is room for considering a reduction in the proposed percentage.'
Albert Chan Sun-chi, president of Baptist University, which demanded the proportion be reduced to no more than 2 per cent, said the new scheme created uncertainty.
'The worst thing for a society is uncertainty,' he said. 'All our colleagues are worried. No matter how you assure them that no one will be fired, they are afraid. In the last round, we couldn't get back all the [4 per cent of] places.'
Baptist University tried to lessen the impact on specific disciplines in the previous round by making all departments give up small numbers of places. But Chan said that could not be done in the new round, which will run until 2015.
'Mrs Cha was not happy with us [making everybody share the load]. She said it was not the intention of the scheme ... we have to give back around 100 places this time around ... certain disciplines must be affected ... There will be a reshuffle of places affecting the whole school.'
Polytechnic University also demanded a reduction to 2 per cent.
Hong Kong Institute of Education registrar Dr So Kwok-sang said the policy should be scrapped.
'In the last round, 40 places from two teaching programmes which we conducted jointly with Lingnan University and Chinese University were given back and the programmes were eventually scrapped,' So said.
