Vice-Chancellor's Report 1985-87

CUHK : Goal s and Aspiration s Thirty-Second Congregation for the Conferment of First Degrees (11th December, 1986) Mr, Pro-Chancellor, Ladies and Gentlemen, In Octobe r 197 8 at the Cit y Hall , I received with a deep sense of obligation from Sir Murray MacLehose , the n Chancellor o f the University, a copy of the Universit y Ordinance , an d th e Universit y Sea l from Si r Y.K . Kan , the n Chairman o f the Council, an d thus took office as Vice-Chancellor o f this University. During th e pas t eight years , th e Universit y ha s encountered a number of difficultie s an d controversies , whic h w e fortunatel y hav e bee n abl e t o liv e through, i t has als o bee n fortunat e tha t considerabl e progres s ha s been made by the University durin g the same period in establishing its organizational structure and the directio n o f it s development . Tha t w e have been able t o do so is clearly a result of the close cooperation of staff and students within the University and als o o f th e goodwil l an d suppor t extende d t o u s by th e Government , the communit y leader s an d our numerou s friends , otherwis e it would be quite impossible fo r th e University t o achiev e so much and to attai n it s present position. Among al l the people who have given so much of themselves t o the University, our lat e Chancello r Si r Edwar d Youde, wh o unfortunatel y passe d away in Beijin g las t week , naturall y immediatel y come s t o mind . Th e grea t strai n and heavy schedule unde r which he had to wor k a s Governor o f Hong Kong is well-known, ye t ou t o f tha t schedul e h e was able t o keep himsel f informe d o f the progres s we had made , an d had als o shown understandin g an d given support to wha t th e Universit y stand s for. Thi s ha s been a source of great encouragement and inspiration t o th e University durin g the pas t four t o five years . It is thu s wit h a very heav y hear t indee d tha t m y colleague s an d student s no w mourn th e los s o f a well-respected friend , jus t a s Hong Kon g i s mourning th e loss o f a dedicated an d much belove d leader . I believe tha t al l o f u s here ca n feel deeply thi s sadness. It i s also but natura l that , on e o f the founding father s o f the University , Lord Fulton , wh o passe d awa y a t th e beginnin g o f thi s yea r shoul d com e to mind. Eve n a s he wa s becoming advance d i n ag e during th e pas t decade , h e nevertheless neve r turned his mind away from the affairs of the University, an d he continue d t o giv e th e Universit y hi s wis e counse l an d loo k fo r th e bes t talents o n ou r behalf , thu s makin g importan t impact s o n ou r futur e developments. Recalling tha t i t was but las t yea r whe n h e a t th e ag e of eight y Came all th e wa y t o joi n u s at th e Congregatio n fo r th e awar d of honorar y degrees , it i s indeed difficult t o refrai n from feeling sad and nostalgic . Looking back, thre e to four decades have passed since the three constitutent Colleges o f th e Universit y wer e founde d b y scholar s fro m th e Mainland , and th e Universit y itsel f i s now mor e tha n twent y year s old . I think i t would be right t o say that thi s University i s no less than the embodiment o f the hopes and ideal s o f tw o ful l generation s o f Chines e intellectual s i n thei r pursui t o f academic an d cultura l development s i n China . Whe n th e Universit y wa s first started, i t did no t ye t hav e a campus, no r a firm organizationa l structure , an d there wer e myriad s o f administrative detail s t o be deal t with . Du e t o his foresight an d stron g will , th e foundin g Vice-Chancellor , Dr . Choh-min g Li , 41