Annual Report 2019–20

校長前言 Foreword by the Vice-Chancellor and President 7 camaraderie, reflection and gratitude as well. This reminds me of The Plague , a much-quoted novel by the French writer Albert Camus. Towards the end of the book, the narrator says: They knew now that if there is one thing one can always yearn for, and sometimes attain, it is human love. Perhaps what we have learnt from COVID-19 is that before a vaccine comes on to the market for everyone, the best antidote to a crisis as dire as the current pandemic is compassion, as well as our shared commitment to the community. In April 2020, the University administration set up the CU RElief (CURE) Fund to offer help to those adversely affected by the pandemic. The CURE Fund aims to ease the financial hardship of CUHK members in need, as well as enhance the resilience of University members by rallying mutual support and group efforts within the CUHK community to overcome current and future challenges. It was gratifying to see that the initiative was very well received. As much as online learning is becoming a reality of contemporary education, we should not ignore the disparities highlighted by the digital divide. Our responsibility is to educate leaders of tomorrow who know how to deploy technology to improve their own lives and that of others. Our first step is to ensure that no students should be denied access to Internet or WiFi connectivity. To make online learning available to all, the University worked tirelessly to upgrade both its hardware and software. But no less important is ‘heartware’, i.e., the commitment and readiness to offer practical help to those in need, in particular students with special educational needs, to ensure that they can make the most of online learning.