Vice-Chancellor's Report 1978-82

adds to the sum of human knowledge and which pushes forward the frontiers of learning is encouraged and supported at the University, certain research projects, by virtue of the fact that they have more immediate relevance and wider applications to the world at large will inevitably attract more attention in the international academic community. This was the case with several of our research specialties, notably those undertaken by the Chinese Medicinal Material Research Centre and the Research Centre for Food Protein Production. This also meant that they tended to be more generously supported by outside funds and endowments. But the efforts of other researchers and academic staff had likewise produced significant findings and results which have or may have meaningful bearing on many of the academic postulates and enquiries which have traditionally interested the international academic community, not to mention our own more immediate Asian and East Pacific region, in particular China. For this reason, the teaching and research staff who had been engaged in these research work have been invited to address international gatherings both in Hong Kong and all over the world. The University is pleased to note that many international conferences and seminars were organized and took place at the University during these four years and that our publications have continued to enjoy international acclaim. However, research of such variety and diversity, i f they are to achieve meaningful results, must of necessity draw on considerable human and financial resources. Although individuals, charitable foundations, Government departments and international agencies have been very generous with their support, the present situation whereby funding is short-term, and earmarked is not conducive to serious, in-depth and sustained academic research of enduring quality. The time has come, therefore, for a major revaluation of our research potential and how this could be put to optimum use with the injection of more research funding from various sources, and particularly from the Government. 28