Bulletin Number One 1983

T o wn Cent re of the Three-Year M B A Programme Opened The Centre of the University's Three-Year Programme leading to the degree of Master of Business Administration (MBA) was officially opened on 20th January, 1983 by the Hon. Sir Philip Haddon-Cave, the Chief Secretary of the Government. Other members of the official party at the opening ceremony were Dr. Q.W. Lee, Chairman of the Council; Dr. Ma Lin, the Vice-Chancellor; Mr. Cheng Yu Tung and Mr. Fung King Hey, Co-Chairmen of the Programme's Advisory Board; and Professor Y.T. Chung, Director of the Programme. The Ceremony was attended by about one hundred guests, including members of the Council and the Programme's Advisory Board, donors of the Town Centre premises, as well as staff of the University. After Dr. Ma Lin extended his welcome to the guests, Dr. Q.W. Lee delivered a speech. He remarked, "the Programme occupies a unique position in the University. It owes its very existence as much to our belief in the local need for a part-time training course in advanced management skills as to the good will and generosity of the business community in Hong Kong." He also expressed that he shared the conviction of Messrs. Cheng Yu Tung and Fung King Hey put forth in the 'Forewords' of the commemorative brochure that ‘the education and training of talented young people, providing them with the skills to serve an increasingly sophisticated community, is an important requisite to maintaining Hong Kong's prosperity and stability' . In his opening address, the Hon. Sir Philip Haddon-Cave pointed out that "Proven literacy and numeracy must be prerequisites for any aspiring students of business administration" and that "studies in business administration should not be regarded as just another department of academic education, albeit postgraduate, but as a high level form of vocational training designed to equip students to tackle real business problems" . He deemed the Programme as "having a real influence on the future pattern and speed of development of Hong Kong's economy". The Town Centre, in East Ocean Centre in Tsimshatsui East, was purchased with a fund of over seven million Hong Kong dollars raised by members of the Advisory Board of the Programme, especially the Co-Chairmen, Mr. Fung and Mr. Cheng, and generously donated by members of the local business community. It occupies a floor area of over 360 square metres, comprising three classrooms each with a seating capacity of sixty to seventy students, as well as office area and rooms for seminar and small group discussion. Computer terminals connected to the computer systems of the University were also installed at the Centre. An information brochure on the Faculty of Business Administration (Editor 's note: a copy of which is sent with this issue of the Chinese University Bulletin) was published for distribution to guests together with the commemorative brochure. NEWS. 13