Vice-Chancellor's Report 1985-87

now b e n o longe r wit h us , an d thought s o f the m an d thei r deeds canno t bu t fill u s w i t h nostalgi a an d sadness . To b e sure , change s o f th e Universit y durin g thes e pas t twent y year s hav e not bee n confine d t o it s campu s an d buildings : thre e small , separat e undergraduate colleges hav e no w bee n forge d int o a sizeabl e universit y w i t h a ne w integral structure ; th e numbe r o f it s Facultie s ha s grown fro m thre e t o six , tha t of it s teachin g Department s fro m betwee n te n an d twent y t o betwee n fort y an d fifty, an d tha t o f it s student s fro m slightl y ove r a thousan d t o mor e tha n fiv e thousand; th e Graduat e Schoo l whic h wa s onl y establishe d thre e year s afte r the beginnin g o f th e Universit y i s no w offerin g mor e tha n fort y course s o f studies leadin g t o doctora l an d master' s degree s an d postgraduat e diplomas ; th e research wor k o f it s teacher s ha s als o born e fruit : fro m officia l source s i t ca n b e seen tha t thei r publicatio n recor d is , i n compariso n w i t h tha t o f thei r colleagues in simila r institutions , indee d impressiv e whethe r i n term s o f calibr e o r volume. Suc h progres s come s fro m year s o f har d wor k b y bot h staf f an d students, and w e shoul d al l b e justl y prou d o f it . A t th e sam e time , w e cannot , o f course, fai l t o bea r i n min d th e steadfas t suppor t generousl y give n b y th e Government and concerne d communit y leader s whic h ha s mad e ou r wor k possible , and, abov e all , th e grea t visio n o f Dr . Choh -Mi n g Li , th e firs t Vice-Chancellor, who ha d w i t h far-sightednes s shape d an d guide d th e developmen t o f th e University throughou t it s formativ e years . Your Excellency , M y Lords , Ladie s an d Gentlemen , thi s Universit y ha s been mad e fro m th e dream s a s well a s the toi l an d sweat o f many Chines e scholars, who ha d trodde d a lon g an d arduou s pat h i n winnin g Governmen t an d community suppor t t o thei r cause . It s foundin g father s an d ourselve s hav e se t two goal s fo r thi s University : i t i s t o becom e a truly moder n universit y o f international outlook an d standing ; an d i t i s als o t o b e a n institutio n o f learnin g worthy o f th e gran d traditio n o f Chines e scholarshi p an d culture . Thes e tw o goals ar e o f equa l importance , eve n thoug h th e demand s the y mad e o n u s ar e very differen t indeed . M y colleague s an d student s mus t have , throughou t th e past twent y years , increasingl y com e t o fee l th e tru e magnitud e o f thei r tas k i n trying t o com e t o term s w i t h thei r commitmen t t o thes e tw o goals ; a t th e sam e time, I thin k w e hav e als o com e t o realiz e tha t Th e Chines e Universit y o f Hong Kon g woul d b e meaningles s unles s w e ca n liv e u p t o tha t commitment . Ladies an d Gentlemen , I dar e say , no t t o understan d thi s basi c poin t i s no t t o comprehend th e University , an d probabl y no t t o comprehen d th e impuls e an d yearning dee p dow n i n th e hear t o f th e ne w generatio n no w growin g u p i n Hong Kon g a s well . The tw o goal s I mentione d hav e bot h immediat e an d long-ter m implications for th e developmen t o f th e University . A s epitomize d b y Dr . Clar k Kerr , the moder n universit y ha s a n inexorabl e tendenc y o f developin g int o th e multiversity. One o f th e essentia l characteristic s o f a modern universit y i s therefor e the comprehensiv e rang e o f course s o f studie s i t ha s t o offer . I n establishin g the Facult y o f Busines s Administratio n an d the n th e Facult y o f Medicine , th e University ha s alread y take n decisiv e step s alon g thi s direction ; however , ou r courses ar e ye t b y n o mean s comprehensive , an d th e introductio n o f ne w courses o f studie s remain s fo r u s a tas k o f hig h priority . A t present , th e Universit y i s offerin g engineerin g educatio n i n th e Faculty o f Scienc e throug h th e Electronic s Departmen t an d th e Compute r Science Department, bot h o f whic h hav e develope d a series of degree programmes . The degree s the y offe r hav e no w alread y wo n internationa l recognition ; an d the researc h wor k the y pursu e hav e als o show n goo d results . I t i s therefor e 24