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SCMP Reporter

(SCMP, December 6, 2002)

By Gary Cheung in Hangzhou

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.

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.

(Latest development: On Sunday HKUST council chairman John Chan Cho-chak said members would not pursue the matter without government clarification of a number of key issues, including the objectives of a merger and the funding implications.)

A taskforce, set up by the Chinese University council, is not expected to make its report until the end of next year.

In September 1998, Hangzhou University, Zhejiang Agricultural University, Zhejiang Medical University and Zhejiang University became one 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 that 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 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 had been 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.

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 oppose the plan,' he said.

* Read the main news section of the SCMP for more stories and the latest update.

Glossary

amalgamation (n) the combination of two or more entities

complementary (adj ) (of two or more things) combining in such a way as to

form a complete whole or to enhance

each other's qualities.

Do not mix up with complimentary

pursue (v) to engage in (an activity or course of action

rationalisation (n) systematic organisation

collaboration (n) a joint intellectual effort,

a co-operation

Discussion points

? Why did Hangzhou University, Zhejiang Agricultural University, Zhejiang Medical University and Zhejiang University merge?

? Did the mainland university chiefs speak favourably about the formation of a new institute, combining the Chinese University and the University of Science and Technology? Summarise their opinions in 70 words.

? Would you support a plan to merge your school with another? What factors would you weigh up?

E-mail: ypost@scmp.com



The lessons to be learned from a merger