Vice-Chancellor's Report 1978-82

In 1979/80 ， the number of students minoring i n Statistics rose from 138 to 213. This is a dear reflection of the students' awareness of Statistics as a useful tool in their future careers. Four new courses were introduced by the Statistics Section in the same year and several statistical seminars were held at the University. In the following year, student enrolment increased further to a total of 269. Finally, in 1981/82, four years after the minor programme i n Statistics was introduced, undergraduate student enrolment rose to 292 and three postgraduate students were enrolled in the Statistics Division of the Graduate School. The University, encouraged by this enthusiastic response on the part of the students, decided to offer Statistics as a major programme beginning i n 1982/83. D. Postgraduate Programmes Postgraduate studies have always been accorded a high priority in the overall development of the University. However, it is a basic policy of the University to require that postgraduate programmes i n any discipline should only be initiated when the required facilities and academic leadership are available to give proper direction to postgraduate students and to play a meaningful role i n research. Towards the end of the seventies, after a period of consolidation of the undergraduate programmes and as faculty members gained experience and maturity in teaching and research, the University began a gradual expansion of its postgraduate programmes and developments in this direction were nurtured and encouraged. Departments which were better equipped and better endowed in terms of facilities and academic leadership tended to be the first to offer postgraduate programmes. In 1980 ， The Chinese University reached a new milestone i n its development when a Ph.D. programme in Electronics was introduced by the Department of Electronics and a Ph.D. programme i n Chinese Studies was started wi th the joint participation of the Graduate Divisions of Chinese Language and Literature, History, and Philosophy. These two were the first Ph.D. programmes ever to be offered by the University. The implementation of the Ph.D. programmes in Electronics and Chinese Studies enhanced the interest in other teaching departments and led other Boards of Studies to propose postgraduate programmes of various kinds and descriptions. In the following year, in 1981/82, the Graduate School launched three 21