Vice-Chancellor's Report 1985-87

expectation fo r socia l developmen t an d cultura l progres s ha s neve r bee n greater. Under thes e circumstances , ho w ca n w e affor d t o presum e tha t Chines e i s but a languag e fo r elementar y communication , o r merel y a ste p whic h migh t lead t o highe r education , an d continu e t o ignor e it s ful l rang e o f functions ? Needless t o say , i n a cosmopolitan cit y lik e Hon g Kong , ther e ca n be n o doubt a s to th e importanc e o f th e Englis h language . I t i s therefor e a Universit y policy t o adop t a bilingua l approac h i n it s teachin g programmes , s o a s t o broaden th e horizo n o f ou r youn g people , an d t o fre e the m fro m th e confine s of an y singl e language , o r an y on e culture . I t i s a n approac h whic h woul d enable the Universit y t o pursu e vigorousl y it s missio n o f inculcatin g a synthesi s between Easter n an d Wester n cultures . W e d o no t underestimat e th e difficulties involved i n suc h a n approach , bu t fo r a universit y w i t h a missio n an d vision, there ca n naturall y b e n o turnin g awa y fro m it s destine d path . I mus t therefor e poin t ou t i n n o uncertai n term s tha t i n Hon g Kon g bot h the Chines e an d th e Englis h languag e ar e o f equa l importance , an d tha t the y are complementar y t o eac h other . I t i s m y sincer e hop e tha t thos e wh o hav e concern fo r th e futur e o f higher educatio n i n Hon g Kon g woul d full y appreciat e the valu e an d necessit y o f bilingualism . Indeed , I fee l th e tim e ha s no w com e for a comprehensiv e revie w o f ou r polic y o n th e mediu m o f instruction . I t i s encouraging tha t expert s hav e alread y begu n a careful examinatio n o f thi s problem at th e primar y an d secondar y level . A s fo r institution s o f highe r learning , my opinio n i s tha t bilingualis m shoul d b e adopte d i n instruction : thi s i s no t only a n educationa l imperativ e bu t als o a tid e whic h canno t b e turne d back . After all , i t i s no t righ t t o maintai n a languag e barrie r betwee n institution s o f higher learnin g an d th e ma n i n th e street , an d a university shoul d b e a part of , not above , it s community , whic h i n th e cas e o f Hon g Kon g i s undoubtedl y a bilingual one . Balanced p r og r amme of studies Apart fro m bilingualis m i n instruction , th e Universit y ha s develope d a balanced programm e o f studie s fo r it s students . I t i s tru e tha t specialize d an d professional educatio n i s essential t o a sophisticated an d advance d society , and , to kee p pac e wit h th e accelerate d diversificatio n an d growt h o f Hon g Kong , university educatio n wil l hav e t o pu t eve n greate r weigh t o n professiona l an d technical knowledge . Nevertheless , th e tas k o f a universit y doe s no t sto p a t the transmissio n o f technologica l know-how , no r i s th e communit y nee d fo r manpower confine d t o specialist s an d technologists . Thi s i s why th e Universit y also emphasize s genera l education , whic h sharpen s th e min d o f students , cultivates in the m a n awarenes s o f th e natur e o f th e surroundin g world , an d nurture s their sens e o f responsibilit y toward s it . I t i s onl y throug h a balanced educatio n that ou r youn g me n wil l gai n a n understandin g o f th e intricat e relation s amon g the individual , society , an d th e worl d a t large—an d develo p a sense o f histor y and a n internationa l perspective . Admittedly , genera l educatio n shoul d begi n in th e secondar y school , bu t i t certainl y shoul d continu e i n th e university . I t is therefor e a n integra l par t o f th e four-yea r balance d educatio n provide d a t this University . Thi s n o doub t present s a n educationa l challeng e o f th e firs t magnitude, but , lik e an y othe r universit y i n th e world , Th e Chines e Universit y will als o hav e t o gro w an d prospe r i n th e proces s o f respondin g t o it s man y challenges. Dear student s an d graduates , ou r Universit y i s bu t a ver y youn g on e a t seventeen. Durin g th e firs t seventee n year s w e hav e alread y achieve d som e results an d establishe d a name , bu t thi s i s certainl y no t th e tim e fo r complacency. In th e nex t seventee n year s an d indee d fo r man y mor e seventee n year s 21