A New Era Begins 1975-78

Mr. Fung King-Hey and Mr. Cheng Yu-Tung made the Programme possible through the establishment of an Endowment Fund with a sizable initial donation. Continued contributions from their friends and other local business leaders maintain the Programme. Relation with LIBA The curriculum is similar to the regular Two-year Programme at L IBA. The courses are offered over a period o f 3 calendar years wi th 3 trimasters of thirteen weeks and two evenings per week at down t own central Hong Kong. Thus, for the first time, an opportunity is provided for practising managers wi th good educational background and recognized managerial potential to improve their capabilities through part- time graduate study at the MBA level. Warm Response The response to the Programme was enthusiastic. At first, it was proposed to admit 30 students for the first year. After the announcement, however, 750 people applied for a place in the Programme for 1977-78. A large proportion of the applicants held responsible executive and managerial positions in local commercial and Government organizations, and some possessed Master's degrees. Under the circumstances, the number of places was raised to 45. These 45 students, after a series o f tests and interviews, began classes in September 1977, which were conducted twice a week from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Feedback from participants indicated that the courses were informative, challenging, and useful. Faculty members engaged in the Programme, on the other hand, have found the students knowledgeable, mature, and responsive. Department of Extramural Studies The Department of Extramural Studies (EMSD) has always been a major University resource for service to the Hong Kong community. Unlike its early days, when the Department offered elementary courses in the humanities and social sciences, which can no longer satisfy the desire for advancement of a more demanding population, the following titles found in the catalogue of Spring 1978 suggest the current range and nature of the courses: Copy-writing for Print Media Psychology for Nurses The Social Worker and Interpersonal Communication Sales Forecasting Sea Transportation Salesmanship Law of Contract Economic Geography of Hong Kong Printmaking——Intaglio Method Freehand Paper Cutting 75