President Ng Ching-Fai states that UIC can be brought into relatively fine shape if the total enrolment increases to 5000 or more and the tuition fees up to 60,000 RMB. Physical space, curriculum set-up, implementation of research, and perfection of educational system are important aspects in future development. During his three-year appointment, he will persevere in his efforts to call for more financial and policy support from the government in order to solve these problems.
In a recent interview with First Step in Four, President Ng appears upbeat in the overall evaluation about the progress of UIC over the past five years.
The Biggest Problem is Space
With increased enrolment President Ng says UIC can make breakthroughs in fields such as music, art and literature. He adds UIC will appeal to the Guangdong government for more land specified for its educational undertaking.
President Ng says to relieve the pressure on accommodation for students and teachers two approaches will be adopted. One is to rent more space outside the campus. The other is to create another Students Cultural Village in the neighboring villeage.
Tuition Will Stabilize
President Ng says appropriate tuition adjustment will be made next year. "I expect the adjusted tuition to stabilize for five years or more." He adds that UIC has been growing in a relatively healthy manner. The heavy investments in infrastructure and facilities may add to debt burden. However, if enrolment and tuition increases look out, there will be higher probability of fulfilling our plans.
 |
|
President Ng and top executives
|
Optimization of Level 1 Admission
President Ng says UIC will make great efforts to optimize academic achievement of undergraduate students. The current problem relating to recruitment of Hong Kong students is that they are not qualified to apply for grants and loans from the Hong Kong government if they enroll in UIC. Nevertheless it is positive that more Hong Kong students will be admitted to UIC in future. Concerning mainland China, he states that UIC will extend its enrollment of Level 1 candidates to cover all provinces and municipalities except for Guangdong Province next year. He says he is pleasantly surprised to find that all students from Guangdong Province make UIC their first choice this year. If the overall first-choice recruitment reoccurs in spite of increased tuition next year, we can confidently conclude that the enrolment of Level 1 candidates only should also apply to Guangdong Province.
Research Work
President Ng says promotion of research work should not be neglected even though UIC is a liberal arts college. In the coming two years, greater effort will be put into enrolling postgraduate students and increasing academic institutions. UIC can make breakthroughs in some special fields in the future. Instead of over-emphasizing research achievements as evaluation criterion for teachers, UIC aims at encouraging more competent teachers to do research by offering them better supports.
Integration into Development of Zhuhai Community
President Ng says as a new college, UIC has met with all kinds of administrative problems. Integration into the local community and neighboring cities is an inevitable trend. UIC teachers are encouraged to go beyond our campus to make contributions to the community. Meanwhile involvement of communities in the development of UIC is also welcomed.
 |
|
UIC campus
|
In Hong Kong, many university professors serve as members of Consultative Committees of the government. However, it is rare in mainland China that professors lend their support to community development. He is happy to note the following: UIC students majoring in Social Work helped to build a service point in some communities; the English Language Center has provided training for teachers in Zhuhai; Prof. Kaitai Fang has performed a statistical analysis illustration for some corporations in Zhuhai. All of them are good for the local communities.
The Need for a Liberal Arts College
President Ng concludes it may not be evident that the educational quality of UIC is consistent with that of HKBU. However, we have finally made it. It is a momentous hard-won success. Sustained support from students and parents is great encouragement for the entire staff. It proves that UIC is an innovative college to meet social demands. He adds that UIC students are highly creative and confident. It shows clearly that true talent is not limited to students with high scores. Providing nutrient-rich environment holds the key to their self-actualization. It is our belief that China needs liberal arts education as exhibited at UIC.
Reporter: Cheryl Chen
Photos: Mengxing Chen, Piaoyu Xie
Translation: Shanqing Huang
Editor: L. K. Wong
MPRO
