For Hong Kong Polytechnic University vice-president Suleyman Demokan, the new senior secondary structure, which will be introduced to universities in 2012, presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the technical university to offer an all-round education.
'We'd like to give students more choices in order to broaden their horizons,' said Professor Demokan, a Turkish engineer who came to Hong Kong 19 years ago and is now PolyU's vice-president for academic development.
Alongside the launching of double degrees, students would be required to do more courses in general education on a compulsory basis and, in all, four years of university education.
'Every student of the business faculty or the life sciences faculty should be able to take subjects outside their study disciplines. A physics student must take some politics and cultural subjects,' Professor Demokan said.
'[Rather than] one-dimensional professionals, we would like to produce intellectuals who are good electrical engineers and good designers as well as having some other interests like classical music.' This explains the creation of a new humanities and social sciences faculty that would involve the extension of existing departments.
'PolyU is strongest in engineering, construction, life sciences and health sciences. We would like to expand the social sciences and humanities programmes so that cross-cultural fertilisation between different disciplines can take place,' the vice-president said.