Vice-Chancellor's Report 1985-87

And our journe y has but begun ．． ． Twenty-Fifth Congregation in Commemoration of the Twentieth Anniversary of the University and for the Conferment of Honorary Degrees (17th October, 1983) Your Excellency, My Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen, Two decades ago, on thi s ver y day , a Congregation was held i n th e Concert Hall o f the Hong Kong City Hall , a t which , i n hi s capacit y a s Chairman of th e Provisiona l Counci l o f th e University , th e Hon . ChoYi u Kwa n presented a thin document bound in purple to Sir Robert Black , th e first Chancellor of th e University ; wh o i n tur n hande d i t ove r fo r safekeepin g to . Dr. C.T . Yung, th e firs t Pro-Vice-Chancello r o f the University , the n als o the Presiden t of Chun g Ch i College . Th e documen t wa s no othe r tha n th e officia l cop y o f The Chinese University of Hong Kong Ordinance 1963 . Thus the three Foundation Colleges, Chun g Chi , Ne w Asi a an d United , becam e unite d i n on e institution, an d The Chines e Universit y o f Hong Kong was on tha t da y born . Also presen t a t th e ceremon y wer e th e Founde r an d Presiden t o f Ne w Asia College , Professo r Ch'ien Mu ; th e Presiden t o f United College, Mr . T.C . Cheng; a number o f community leader s and scholars, includin g the Hon. R.C . Lee, Mr . Q.W . Lee , Mr . J.S . Lee , Dr . P. C Woo , Mrs . Elle n L i Shu-Pu i and Professor Y.C . Wong , wh o subsequentl y al l becam e activ e i n th e Universit y Council; an d also a number o f colleagues who have since served the Universit y with grea t dedication , Dr . Chan g Sh u Tin g (no w Professo r fo r man y years ) being an outstanding example . The Congregation for th e Installation of the First Vice-chancellor o f the University, Dr . Choh-Min g Li , wa s hel d i n Septembe r th e followin g yea r a t the sam e place. Als o presen t t o receiv e th e firs t Honorar y Degree s conferre d by the University an d to become it s first alumn i after the University came int o being were Sir John Fulton (no w Lor d Fulton), wh o had on two separat e occasions made key recommendations t o the Government concernin g the establishment and then the reorganization o f the University ; Dr . Clar k Kerr , wh o have subsequently mad e man y invaluabl e suggestion s t o th e Universit y o n it s development; an d three othe r fello w graduates . The year s then wen t b y and , almos t withou t bein g noticed , th e University has no w reache d th e tende r ag e o f twenty . Fo r u s thi s i s indee d a most happy occasion , especiall y sinc e s o man y o f th e foundin g father s an d senio r colleagues have been able to come and join us in this Congregation to celebrate the coming of age of the University. Ma y I ， on behalf of the University, expres s to the m al l ou r deepes t gratitud e fo r thei r pioneerin g effort s i n th e past , an d also wis h them happines s an d good health fo r man y mor e year s t o come . O n the othe r hand , surel y i t ha s als o come t o ou r memor y ho w Si r ChoYi u an d Dr. R.C . Le e ha d champione d th e caus e o f th e University , an d ha d worke d indefatigably t o secur e fo r ou r campu s a n idea l site . Ladie s an d Gentlemen , where yo u now si t wa s but a wild hill-to p twent y year s ago. That i t ha d been transformed withi n a short tim e int o suc h a magnificent campus , fro m whic h one neve r loses sight o f the incomparabl e views of the Tolo Harbour , i s mainly due to the unceasing efforts of the two of them and, of course, also the University Architect Dr . th e Hon. Szet o Wai. However , Si r Cho-Yiu and Dr. Le e can 23