Lingnan University has unveiled its blueprint for the next 10 years, including the recruitment of 30 to 50 extra teaching staff to prepare for the four-year tertiary structure from 2012.
President Edward Chen Kwan-yiu this week said that the additional staff would cost the university about $30 million a year. He estimated 800 to 900 extra staff would be needed in Hong Kong.
It was also likely that chair professorships in English, economics, history and finance would be filled as soon as September this year, he added.
But he said the university would slip into the red as a result of hiring chair professors and extra staff for the new tertiary structure. He said the deficit would amount to about $2 million in 2006-2007 and more than $10 million by 2009.
He said that later this month he would discuss with staff how to maximise resources.
Professor Chen said that in order to maintain the optimum size for a liberal arts college, the university would cut the size of the first year intake from 700 to 600 in 2012. The number of undergraduates and postgraduates would not exceed 2,500.
