The University Grants Commission (UGC) Concern Group has complained new policies proposed by the commission may backfire and diminish the high standing of the city's higher education.

The concern group, composed of current or retired university professors, were disgruntled over a competition-based model the UGC decided to apply to a portion of the research fund allocations, amounting to HK$1.3 billion.

Members of the group argued it introduced an unhealthy dynamic into an already undesirable academic climate, in which professors are feeling compelled to focus only on research while neglecting their teaching assignments.

Research, teaching and community service are the three pillars of the work for which professors are responsible in Hong Kong, said Wong Chi-sum, a group member.

The eagerness to secure research funds, however, has triggered a widespread phenomenon that some celebrated professors are not involved in teaching at all, while a vast majority of frontline lecturing is done by underpaid contract-based lecturers, the group said.

"(For university professors,) research and teaching should be complementary. The imbalance will also affect the quality of university education," the group said in a statement condemning UGC's actions.

It also criticized a UGC policy, effective from 2012, that 6 percent of undergraduate placements at each university will be set aside for competitive allocation, and the universities will have to bid for the number of student places with newly designed courses.

"This is a very commercial way of operating higher education, because the newly designed courses could just be very market-driven, and might result in some of the humanities courses gradually phasing out," said Wong Chong-kim, a member of the group and a professor from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

The group argued that UGC is a critical institution allocating huge funding for Hong Kong universities but it has failed to meet its responsibility to draft out a long-term and overarching plan for the city's higher education. The policies were short-sighted, said the group.

The watchdog group also suggested that the UGC should assign "someone who understands education" instead of businessmen.

UGC responded that the appointment of the chairman is based on the candidate's "personal knowledge, leadership and his care and contribution toward the education cause".

The group, however, insisted on a consultation with frontline professors and lecturers before the appointment.

andrea@chinadailyhk.com

China Daily

(HK Edition 07/15/2011 page1)