Annual Report 2000–01

校長報告 vice-chancellor' s review 今年是新世紀的第一個學年，也是一九九八至二 零零一年度三年撥款期的最後一年。 新世紀展開之際，香港正陷入經濟低潮，而香港 政府亦連續第三年削減對大學敎育的資助。 面對全球一體化和經濟轉型，不少人憂慮香港的 失業問題會日益嚴重，競爭力亦可能日益減退， 終身學習遂變得更為重要。各方的共識是必須 讓更多人接受專上敎育，以提升香港人力資源的 素質，增強勞動人口的就業能力。 但終身敎育是多層次多方面的，有些學生需要 副學士學位程度的課程，有些需要學位或高級學 位程度的，有些則需要專業持續進修的課程。 究竟大學應投放資源在甚麼培訓範疇？在政府資 助不斷下降之際，我們如何可以既擴充學額， 又能維持敎硏水準？今天的學生，又需要怎樣的 訓練和哪些經驗，才可以適應廿一世紀的劇變？ 這些都是我們今年的重要考慮。 支持終身學習 其中一個增加終身學習機會的途徑，是透過大學 的校外進修學院，舉辦更多的學術和遙距課程。 我們的校外進修學院，今年就推出了廿四項新 的學術課程，使該類課程總數增至八十四項， 為近一萬二千名在職人士提供進修機會，以應付 經濟轉型下的工作需要。遙距課程的總數亦比去 年增加了百分之廿一，達二百一十九項。 而大學本身亦積極擴充修課式高級學位課程的學 額。由於大學敎育資助委員會（敎資會）所劃撥的 The year 2000-1 was the first academic year in the new century. It was also the last in the 1998-2001 triennium. As the new century unfolded. Hong Kong found itself in the throes of an economic depression, and the tertiary education sector was trying to weather funding cuts by the government for the third consecutive year. Locally, much concern was expressed about unemployment and the possible decline in Hong Kong's competitiveness as the world becomes more and more globalized and the economy becomes mor e and more knowledge-based. The importance of lifelong learning in the acquisition of new skills was time and again emphasized, and there was a general consensus that opportunities for higher education should be significantly increased, so as to produce a better educated workforce and create a higher level of employability among the population. But lifelong education has a variety of facets ： programmes can be offered at the sub-degree level, first degree level, postgraduate level, or in the form of continuing professional development. On which areas should the University concentrate its efforts? At a time whe n funds from the government have been declining in real terms on a per student basis, how can any expansion be accommodated without sacrificing the quality of teaching and research? And what kinds of new programmes and new skill s do the students need most to prepare themselves fo r the challenges of the 21st century? These were some of our major concerns in 2000-1, the first year of the new century. Lifelong Education One way of meeting the increased demand for lifelong education is through the provisio n of more award-bearing programmes and distance education courses by the School of Continuing Studies, an extension of the University. Afte r 2 校長報告 VICE-CHANCELLOR'S REVIEW