INCREASED funding for academic research, as promised by the Governor in his policy speech, has fuelled a proposed increase in spending on the University and Polytechnic Grants Committee (UPGC).
Funds for the UPGC will increase by 12.7 per cent to $6.38 billion, which will also help pay for the increasing number of first year first degree places for full time students.
It is estimated the number of such students will reach 12,520 in the 1993 academic year, an increase of 1,513 places over the current year.
The number of full-time students is also expected to increase at the seven institutions the committee funds. Increasing by 3,612 from the 1992 academic year, the number is expected to reach 52,394.
Mr Chris Patten announced a 20 per cent yearly boost in real terms to research grants, spending that he described last October as ''seed money''.
The Research Grants Council awarded $116 million to Hongkong institutions last academic year. The figure will jump to $147 million for 1993-94 and is expected to top $200 million in real terms in 1994-95.