Lingnan University president Professor Edward Chen Kwan-yiu has proposed 'corporatising' the college along the lines of the MTRC to give it a freer hand to raise and spend funding after the University Grants Committee announced a four per cent cut in grants.
Professor Chen, an economist, suggested the Government grant a lump sum to cover 15 years' spending and set up a trust fund to support university operations.
Under this model, Lingnan could set its academic priorities and gain outside sponsorship to support development, he said.
'Like the Mass Transit Railway Corporation . . . model, the Government remains the biggest shareholder. The university will still have to be answerable to the public. There can be a board of directors to oversee my work and I will report to the board,' he said in an RTHK interview yesterday.
His remarks followed what he described as a disappointing sum of funding for Lingnan for the next three academic years.
The University Grants Committee announced a four per cent cut in grants to the eight universities for 2001-2004, representing a drop from $48.37 billion to $46.48 billion.
