The University of Hong Kong is to increase the student intake for its combined degree programme in social sciences in government and laws to cope with a growing demand for professionals with multi-disciplinary skills.
The quota for the four-year programme, launched in 1999, will be raised from 20 to 36 next year , according to associate dean of the faculty of law Benny Tai Yiu-ting.
'We are hoping to introduce more double-degree programmes in the next two years as it is a global trend that society demands all-round talent,'' he said.
Plans under consideration include joint programmes with other disciplines, such as arts, sciences and engineering.
'But we can't expect too much as the university has to allocate extra resources to subsidise double-degree students,' Professor Tai said.
The fee for the final year is now more than $50,000, 20 per cent higher than the usual annual fee, since the University Grants Committee only subsidises the costs for first-degree studies.
From next year, the duration of the combined programme will be extended to five years while law programmes will last four years.