Bulletin Spring‧Summer 2003

Institutional Integration Task Force Delivers Report on Proposed Merger Between CUHK and HKUST I n October 2002 the University established a Task Force to Ad v i se on I n s t i t u t i o n al I n t e g r a t i on to s t udy the f e a s i b i l i ty and desirability of the proposed integration between The Chinese University of Hong Kong ( CUHK) and the Hong Kong University of Science and T e c h n o l o gy ( H K U S T ) , and to s u bm it its recommendations to the University Council for consideration. From October 2002 to March 2003, the Task Force held 10 meetings and organized four consultation sessions to solicit the views of staff, students, alumni, and other members of the University community. A report was formally submitted to the Un i v e r s i ty Co u n c il in late March. At its meeting held on 28th March 2003, the University Council received the report of the Task Force and endorsed its recommendations, authorizing the Council Chairman and the Vice- Ch a n c e l l or to pursue d i s c u s s i on w i t h the government on the possibility of integration between the two universities. The Task Force recommended that the University Council a f f i rm its wish to pursue discussion with the government and HKUST on the way f o r wa r d, i n order to come to an understanding on the many issues that need to be resolved before a decision can be made; and that the C o u n c il Ch a i r man and the V i c e- Chancellor should be authorized to initiate formal dialogue with the government in the first instance and to report to the Council thereon, within the following parameters: • that the government should first f o rma l ly a f f i rm that the purpose o f the proposed integration is to improve quality and create a university capable of competing at the highest international levels, rather than to reduce cost, and that, in particular, the unit of funding per student w i l l not be adjusted downwards for increased size or efficiency gained, so that the integrated institution can have the resources to achieve its goals; • that in addition, the government and the UGC agree to consider the integrated institution, provided it satisfies certain conditions to be agreed upon, as the primary candidate for the focused and enhanced public and private support cited in the Sutherland Report, w i th such public support to start once integration plans are accepted by all parties; • that the government further pledges to support, i n principle, the added administrative cost incurred during the transition (as front-end loading for a new university) and the capital spending needed to build extra teaching and office space for decanting of departments and programmes, with the level of such support to be negotiated; • that the scenario to be explored is initially a federal structure evolving over a period of time to a single unitary university; and • that the government recognizes the issues and concerns presented in the Task Force's Report, and pledges that these w i l l be seriously addressed in any integration plans. The Task Force further recommended that, subject to favourable i nd i c a t i ons f r om the government on the above issues and at a time judged by the Council Chairman to be suitable, the Council Chairman and the Vice-Chancellor should be encouraged to initiate dialogue also w i t h H K U S T on a ny a nd a l l m a t t e rs concerning a possible integration between the two universities, w i t h a v i ew to i mp r o v i ng c ommu n i c a t i o n and mu t u al understanding, and, where appropriate, also w i t h a v i ew to j o i n i n g h a n ds i n d i s c u s s i o ns w i t h t he government on the way forward. Chinese University Bulletin Spring • Summer 2003 26