The First Six Years 1963-69

The present shortage o f facilities w ill be overcome by the end o f 1972 when the University Sports Field is completed. In A p ril 1969 ， the Hong Kong Jockey C lub (Charities) L td . pledged H K $1/2 m illion fo r the construction o f a University Sports Centre. This new fa c ility w ill enable a much broader and more active in tram u ra l athletic programme to be in itia ted . The University w ill provide the sta ff for teaching and coaching the athletic teams p a rti cipating in this programme. L ife on the new campus w ill be made much richer and more enjoyable fo r the students when the op po rtun ity to engage in physical exercise and to witness competitive games becomes available. The Colleges encourage the ir students to take part in in te r national conferences and programmes, ， such as the Far-East Student Leader Project, the In terna tiona l Students' Conference, the Association o f Commonwealth Students Conference, etc. The Colleges also encourage and the ir students have shown a marked interest in undertaking projects and operations sponsored by local organizations which are designed to overcome major social prob lems in the community. These activities impress upon the student his obligation to humanity and the necessity for h im to blend knowledge w ith purpose in the course o f learning. In the process o f acquiring a higher education, a university student inescapably undergoes change. This is as it should be and is not necessarily lim ited to inte llectua l change. Physical and moral as well as mental changes are to be expected. I t is the responsibility o f the university to influence these changes to the benefit o f the ind iv idua l and society. The Chinese University is very conscious o f this responsibility and constantly strives to include in its overall programme those activities which over time have proven most effective in moulding a mature and responsible graduate. Conclusion There is a Chinese saying th a t: “ I t takes ten years fo r a tree to grow up. I t takes a hundred years for the fru its o f education to ripen ." To tra in and nurture potential leaders o f a community is a long-range undertaking. Indeed, it may require the to ta l span o f a life time. In this sense,the firs t six years o f The Chinese University are bu t a preview o f the immense possibilities tha t lie ahead. In another sense, however, the firs t six years represent a c ritica l period o f in itia tio n , consolidation, innovation and d irection which merits a pause fo r examination and assessment. In the report o f the Meeting o f the Continuation Committee fo r Educational Exchange, held in Ita ly during December 1966, 76