A merger between two of Hong Kong's leading universities could help them develop into a world-class institution, according to heads of a mainland university which has already been through a similar process. But Zhejiang University chiefs admitted that their institution's amalgamation had been an 'elaborate exercise' and advised the Chinese University and the University of Science and Technology (HKUST) to shelve the plan if it met strong opposition from academics. In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Zhang Junsheng, Communist Party secretary of Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, said the Chinese University's strengths lay in humanities and medicine while HKUST was reputed for disciplines like engineering. 'Apparently, they are complementary to each other in academic research,' said Mr Zhang, former vice-director and spokesman for Xinhua's office in Hong Kong. The Secretary for Education and Manpower, Arthur Li Kwok-cheung, said in October that he wanted a merger between the Chinese University and HKUST as early as 2005. It is understood that a HKUST taskforce, in a recently completed report, leans against a possible merger with the Chinese University. The university council is expected to make a decision at a meeting on Sunday. Another taskforce, set up by the Chinese University council, is not expected to report until the end of next year. In September 1998, Hangzhou University, Zhejiang Agricultural University, Zhejiang Medical University and Zhejiang University were formed into a new institution which took the overall title of Zhejiang University. The merger led to the formation of the largest tertiary institution on the mainland at the time. More than 40,000 students are studying at the merged institution, which is one of the 125 larger institutions created by mergers among more than 300 smaller mainland colleges. The wave of mergers on the mainland has been part of a far-reaching rationalisation of the nation's higher education sector. In the early 1950s, many comprehensive universities on the mainland were divided into institutions focusing on disciplines such as medicine and agriculture. The education authorities, which consider comprehensive universities as the key to upgrading quality, have been spearheading mergers of smaller institutions into larger comprehensive universities since the early 1990s. The president of Zhejiang University, Pan Yunhe, said his institution had the widest range of disciplines among mainland tertiary institutions after the merger. 'Interdisciplinary collaboration can raise research quality remarkably and it's more feasible after the merger,' he said. But Professor Pan said the merger was an 'elaborate exercise' because the former universities had different cultures and aspirations. 'We also had to re-engineer the administrative structure,' he said. 'There were a total of 48 presidents and vice-presidents at the four institutions four years ago and the number was cut to just eight following the merger.' Professor Pan said he was convinced that mergers could benefit the universities concerned but said they must handle the process properly. 'A merger between the Chinese University and HKUST could be a success as they have complementary strengths,' he said. Last month, 86 per cent of 339 academics who responded to a poll conducted by HKUST's senior management were opposed to a merger with the Chinese University. Yan Xiaolang, dean of the electrical engineering college at Zhejiang University, said the Chinese University and HKUST could concentrate resources under the amalgamation plan but the SAR government and the two universities should shelve the plan if there was strong opposition from their academics. Wu Ping, executive deputy dean of Zhejiang University's college of life science, agreed that the two SAR universities should respect the views of academics. 'It's unwise to go ahead when the majority of academics opposed the plan,' he said. CAMPUS COUNTDOWN The education chief, Arthur Li, wants a merger between the Chinese University and HKUST by 2005 The HKUST council is expected to make a decision on this on Sunday A Chinese University taskforce, which is also studying the plan, will not report until the end of next year Zhejiang University chiefs have advised both the SAR institutions to shelve the plan if it meets strong academic resistance gary.cheung@scmp.com
