THE SENATE                           S.C.R. NO.            90
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                    SENATE  CONCURRENT
                        RESOLUTION
  REQUESTING THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA AND THE UNIVERSITY
    OF HAWAII AT HILO TO WORK TOGETHER TO TRANSFORM THE BIG
    ISLAND INTO A MAJOR PACIFIC-WIDE RESEARCH CENTER.



 1        WHEREAS, the Big Island of Hawaii is the most resource
 2   rich and diversified of all our islands; and
 3   
 4        WHEREAS, the Big Island is also the home of world-renowned
 5   research facilities such as the astronomy observatories at the
 6   top of Mauna Kea, the ocean thermal energy laboratories off the
 7   Kona coast, and the geothermal resource base in the Puna
 8   volcano area; and
 9   
10        WHEREAS, the Big Island's varied climatic and soil
11   conditions have enabled it to support diversified agricultural
12   industries ranging from sugar plantations to cattle ranching to
13   coffee farms, and the island retains potential for smaller-
14   scale but economically remunerative agricultural activity; and
15   
16        WHEREAS, the Big Island's resource and economic base has
17   also fostered a skilled and diverse work force which can
18   provide the foundation for economic growth in a number of
19   directions; and
20   
21        WHEREAS, careful thought and deliberation have already
22   been initiated concerning the Big Island's research potential;
23   and
24   
25        WHEREAS, in particular, the federal government has taken
26   note of this potential and with a Congressional appropriation
27   sponsored by Hawaii's Senator Daniel Inouye, has established an
28   agricultural research center in Hilo designed to serve all of
29   the Pacific islands; and
30   
31        WHEREAS, if other key elements of a research-oriented
32   facility were to be established in Hilo, such as astronomy,
33   oceanography, geophysics, all with computer technology support,
34   such as the proposed foreign-financed Subaru supercomputer to
35   support astronomy observation at Mauna Kea, a viable basis of

 
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                                  S.C.R. NO.            90
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1   needed curriculum could be built up, which would apply not only
 2   to the core science and technology areas, but also to business
 3   administration and liberal arts, which are increasingly
 4   recognized as required support areas; and
 5   
 6        WHEREAS, this heightened scientific and research activity
 7   provides both the means and the rationale for the establishment
 8   and expansion of research-oriented institutions focusing on the
 9   Hilo campus of the University of Hawaii, and through a step-by-
10   step approach, taking advantage of existing components,
11   available grants and resources, and judicious curriculum
12   allocations, institutional goals can be attained over a period
13   of one or two decades; now, therefore,
14   
15        BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twentieth Legislature
16   of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2000, the House of
17   Representatives concurring, that the University of Hawaii
18   campuses at Manoa and at Hilo be requested to work together to
19   transform the Big Island into a major Pacific-wide research
20   center; and
21   
22        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that development of a major
23   institution of higher learning on the Big Island along the
24   lines of a Michigan State, Iowa State, or Washington State,
25   would thus augment the State's human resource base and provide
26   a significant stimulus to Hawaii's economic growth; and
27   
28        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the administrators of the
29   University of Hawaii at Manoa and the University of Hawaii at
30   Hilo are requested to develop mutual academic and research
31   goals and uncover any impediments to achieve the purpose of
32   this Concurrent Resolution; and
33   
34        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the administrators submit
35   their findings and conclusions to the Legislature thirty days
36   prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2001; and
37   
38        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this
39   Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the
40   Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii, the President of
41   the University of Hawaii, and the Chancellor of the University
42   of Hawaii at Hilo.
43   
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47                           OFFERED BY: ___________________________