LOCAL continuing education should focus its long-term planning on areas such as construction management and specialist business programmes if it is to meet the increasing demands of the community, according to a top continuing and professional educationalist.
Professor Lee Ngok, the outgoing director of the University of Hong Kong's School of Professional and Continuing Education (SPACE), said there were several professional training areas which should be strengthened.
'More resources are needed to boost training in construction management, specialised business management [such as banking and finance], social welfare, communication, world-class senior executive programmes, and hospital-related courses [such as food nutrition].' He said these courses should encourage collaboration with overseas education institutes, such as inviting 'business gurus' to deliver talks in Hong Kong.
'Even though the cost may be astronomical, the market for these programmes is not restricted to Hong Kong only. As 1997 approaches, we have to consider the needs of the vast market in the mainland,' Professor Lee stressed.
After heading SPACE for eight years, the professor will leave the territory at the end of this month to take up his pro-vice-chancellor post at the University of Southern Queensland.
His two children are studying in Perth.
The director, who obtained Australian citizenship seven years ago, said the move was 'purely related to his career' and 'had nothing to do with the 1997 handover'.