Vice-Chancellor's Report 1985-87

themselves ar e indee d worthy o f ou r reflectio n an d emulation . Ladies an d gentleme n an d students , Hon g Kon g wil l becom e par t o f China agai n i n les s than a dozen years hence, an d its future wil l belon g t o th e Chinese. Shoul d Hon g Kon g peopl e wis h t o se e their cit y continu e t o charg e ahead an d keep u p it s vitalit y an d lustre , the n the y mus t firs t o f al l hav e th e courage o f admittin g t o thei r ow n hear t an d min d tha t the y ar e indee d Chinese. Th e concep t o f being ‘Chinese’should no t b e narrowly interprete d i n the ethnic , linguisti c o r nationalit y sense , bu t rathe r understoo d a s a dynamic cultural concept . I t i s only throug h cultura l identificatio n wit h Chin a tha t we would b e abl e t o choos e th e righ t pat h fo r Hon g Kong , an d t o hav e rea l concern for th e pat h alon g whic h Chin a wil l go ; i t i s throug h realizatio n tha t Chinese cultur e i s a dynamic an d growing system tha t w e woul d begi n t o fee l and care for it , t o get hurt b y its backwardness and defects, even to add our toi l and swea t t o it s progress . Ther e i s a Chinese saying , 'I f th e leathe r n o longe r exists, ther e ca n be no fur' . Onl y whe n Chin a agai n stands u p no t jus t politically but als o culturall y tha t Hon g Kon g peopl e woul d b e abl e t o reall y hol d their head s high an d feel trul y proud . Ladies an d gentlemen , a decade o r s o i s bu t a fleeting momen t o n th e scale o f history , an d i t wil l pas s i n th e twinklin g o f a n eye. Withi n tha t shor t span of time, undoubtedl y th e graduatin g students , th e teacher s and the guests present her e as well as other people of Hong Kong not here with us today woul d all hav e ye t a great man y tasks , bi g and small, t o accomplish , a s well a s different individual goal s t o pursue . Unfortunately , mos t o f thes e task s an d goal s will, whe n w e reflec t upo n the m te n year s hence , probably tur n ou t t o b e o f no consequenc e an d unworth y o f ou r thought s an d efforts; nevertheles s there may stil l remai n a smal l par t o f the m whic h wil l mak e u s fee l tha t ou r endeavours hav e no t bee n i n vain , an d which wil l hav e lef t som e smal l mark s that ca n withstan d th e onslaugh t o f time . Toda y i t i s stil l ofte n ou r habi t t o plot an d calculat e fo r immediat e gai n an d convenience , bu t I thin k a t thi s sombre momen t o f histor y i t i s perhaps finall y tim e tha t w e tak e a wider vie w and begi n t o perceiv e issue s i n term s o f overal l cultura l development . Ma y I then offer that though t t o our graduating students as a parting gift. 40