Vice-Chancellor's Report 1982-85

Asian Studie s — w i t h th e participation o f th e Department s o f Sociology, Economics, Geography , Electronic s an d Mathematics — an d the Beijing Institut e o f I n f orma t i o n an d Con t ro l . Wh i l e th e projec t i s ye t in it s initia l stage s an d wou l d nee d considerabl y mor e wo r k befor e coming t o fruition , i t i s expecte d t o produc e result s wh i c h w i l l hav e a bearing o n th e nationa l developmen t o f China . A l ong w i t h intensifie d researc h activities , w e als o witnes s a n increasing numbe r o f internationa l an d regiona l conferences/seminar s on a large variet y o f subject s bein g hel d o n campus , totallin g twen t y - six, ove r th e entir e period , on e ever y si x weeks o r s o on an average. A large po r t i o n o f thes e conference s deal t w i t h th e nationa l developments going on in China a t the time, an d brought t o ou r campu s man y distinguished mainlan d scholar s i n th e socia l science s an d law a s wel l as leading planner s an d managers , wh o wer e al l confronte d w i t h th e monumental tas k of charting a totally new cours e for China . Th e ope n atmosphere an d fre e exchang e o f view s an d idea s fostere d a t thes e meetings wou l d n o doub t b e o f valu e an d significanc e t o th e histori c task i n hand. A n d th e large number o f international conferences on th e natural an d medical science s wou l d n o doub t als o enrich the academi c experience an d freshen the ideas of ou r relativel y youn g staff , many o f wh om wer e playing host t o distinguishe d internationa l visitor s fo r th e first time . Finally I wou l d als o mentio n th e reorganizatio n i n Septembe r 1982 of the former Institu e o f Social Studies and the Humanities, whe n it wa s rename d th e Institut e o f Socia l Studies , an d some o f it s centre s were integrate d w i t h th e academi c department s concerne d whil e th e remaining one s wer e combine d t o f o r m tw o consolidate d centres , namely th e Centr e fo r Ho n g Kon g Studie s an d th e Centr e fo r Contemporary Asian Studies . Thes e tw o centres , w i t h strengthene d staf f and resources , ar e now abl e t o fun d an d coordinat e larg e number s o f interdisciplinary researc h programmes effectively . Subsequently , w i t h the suppor t o f a generous donation , th e Oversea s Chines e Archive s were establishe d w i t h i n th e Centr e fo r Contemporar y Asia n Studies , and i t i s expecte d t o contribut e significantl y t o ou r understandin g o f overseas Chines e communities . Physical Development I n term s o f physica l development , 1982-8 5 ha s been a relativel y quiet perio d i n compariso n w i t h th e previou s decade , whe n th e campus wa s fas t taking shape . Two ne w building s wen t u p durin g th e period unde r review : a large academi c buildin g a t th e wes t en d o f th e 8