Vice-Chancellor's Report 1985-87

role i n determinin g th e qualit y o f lif e o f a community . I t i s fo r thi s reason , that, i n additio n t o offerin g a rigorou s specialis t programme , th e Universit y advocates a genera l educatio n aime d a t cultivatin g citizen s wh o wil l hav e a comprehensive an d balance d vie w o f thei r caree r vis-a-vi s thei r civi c dutie s an d personal values . Gene r a l educa t i on The significanc e o f genera l education , o f course, goe s beyond wha t I hav e just mentioned . A health y societ y i s mor e tha n a smooth-running machine ; i t is rathe r a n organi c bod y whic h constantl y grow s an d evolves . A n d Hon g Kon g in it s unusua l positio n certainl y ha s a constan t nee d o f re-examinin g it s socia l structure an d value s an d anticipatin g th e change s i n it s environmen t i f i t i s t o maintain stead y progress . Futil e indee d i t wil l b e fo r th e Universit y t o expec t its student s t o mak e usefu l contribution s t o th e futur e developmen t o f Hon g Kong i f i t doe s no t pu t stron g emphasi s o n a n educationa l programm e whic h i s balanced an d designe d t o wide n thei r menta l horizon , sharpe n thei r skill s fo r abstract an d synthetica l reasoning , hel p the m t o cultivat e introspectio n an d t o develop foresight . Since th e re-structurin g i n 1977 , th e Universit y has , i n th e spiri t o f th e Second Fulto n Commissio n report , introduce d a dual-teachin g system , w i t h subject-Orientated an d student-orientate d teachin g carrie d ou t a t th e Facult y and th e Colleg e level , respectively , and , throug h th e Board s o f Studies , continues to re-design and t o improv e genera l educatio n courses , s o a s t o for m a unified approac h toward s education . Additionally , th e College s hav e bee n organizing variou s scholastic , artisti c an d sportin g activities , whic h serv e t o enrich campu s life , t o foste r th e formatio n o f a good characte r i n th e student s and t o promot e thei r physica l health . Thoug h the y ar e tasks tha t deman d considerable effort an d patience, give n time , I am sur e marked result s wil l emerge . Language t r a i n i ng A clos e relationshi p exist s betwee n genera l educatio n an d languag e training. I believ e tha t languag e i s no t merel y a mediu m o f expression ; i t i s als o a reflection o f one' s knowledge , judgment , an d capacit y fo r rationa l thinking . Hence, th e Universit y wil l continu e t o retai n an d t o stres s bilingua l ism a s a basic requirement . Even thoug h th e Universit y curriculu m ma y b e divide d int o genera l education, fundamental course s an d specialis t courses , an d thoug h subject-orientated teaching i s distinc t fro m student-orientate d teaching , the y complemen t one anothe r an d ar e part s o f th e sam e whole . Fo r al l th e part s t o functio n full y and well , i t i s necessar y tha t continuou s improvement s b e mad e acros s a wid e front i n th e educationa l syste m o f th e University . This , i n turn , woul d depen d on th e University' s commitmen t t o continuin g self-renewal . I n t e l l ec t ual r espons i b i l i ty to know l edge, society and Chinese c u l t u re The primar y missio n o f th e Universit y doe s no t en d w i t h th e impartin g of existin g knowledg e t o it s students . A Universit y shoul d als o b e abl e t o poin t out t o societ y ne w direction s an d objectives . Ou r teacher s mus t therefor e constantly explore ne w frontier s o f knowledge . I n thi s way , th e University' s stor e of knowledg e wil l b e continuousl y revitalize d b y thei r har d work . Eve r sinc e it s inauguration, th e Universit y ha s demonstrate d determinatio n i n developin g it s Graduate School , Researc h Institute s an d Researc h Centre s b y improvin g thei r financial resource s an d facilitie s an d encouragin g contac t an d co-operatio n w i th institution s abroad , s o tha t teacher s ca n full y realiz e thei r creativ e potential in academi c fields . Thes e effort s hav e no w born e frui t i n man y fields , on e good exampl e bein g th e importan t researc h o n Chines e medicina l plants , fo r 18