years, the school only provided preparatory form (Sixth Form) education and non-degree programmes. During the 1970s, Lingnan School began to offer diploma programmes in such subjects as liberal arts, commerce, and social science. Lingnan College At the end of 1978, the colonial government in Hong Kong issued a White Paper on post-secondary education. Lingnan accepted the government's suggestions, and abolished the 4-year system that is used in other universities around the world in favour of the "2-2-1" regimen (2 years of preparatory courses, 2 years of study for higher diplomas, 1 more year for an honours diploma). At the same time, the school was registered as an Approved Post Secondary College, and changed its name to Lingnan College. During the 1980s, the school began to focus its resources on Social Science, Commerce, and Literature programmes, and shut down its other programmes, such as Music and Science, to conserve funding. In 1985, an interdisciplinary degree programme was established. Lingnan's speed of development increased as the 80s drew to an end, due to the colonial Hong Kong government's policy of expanding higher education. At the same time, the preparatory courses that were first mandated by the government in 1978 were steadily abolished. Lingnan University In 1991, the Lingnan College received funding from the Hong Kong government directly after it passed an academic accreditation review from the Hong Kong Council for Academic Accreditation (HKCAA). During the 1990s, the university's development as a Liberal Arts university was confirmed by the school's board, and the school moved to its permanent location in Tuen Mun in 1995, the former site of Bowring Camp, a British Forces barracks. The school began to receive authorisation to open bachelor courses in 1992, then master courses in 1996, eventually receiving self-accreditation status and full recognition as a university by the government in 1998, and renaming the institution as Lingnan University on 30 July 1999. In 2007, Professor Edward Chen retired after his 12 years as president. Professor Yuk-Shee Chan, ex-vice-president of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology become the new president. Lingnan University is now preparing the new "334" system which is planned for introduction in 2012; in the new system, a new 120-credit programme will be divided into parts, e.g. General Education, Ethics. In addition, to prepare for the four-year university system, construction of Lingnan University's new academic building, Simon and Eleanor Kwok Building, has been completed, providing