Vice-Chancellor's Report 1985-87

Birt h o fa Ne wColeg e Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony of Shaw College (12th January, 1987) Your Excellency, Sir Run Run, Ladies and Gentlemen, I'd lik e t o welcom e yo u al l t o Sha w College , Th e Chines e Universit y o f Hong Kong . Withi n eightee n month s an d al l bein g well , yo u wil l se e erected on this site the tall buildings of the new College of the University — on e which has been endowed by Si r Ru n Run Shaw an d one whic h i s named afte r him . Among th e many duties of the Vice-Chancellor, on e of the more pleasant is t o welcome distinguishe d visitor s t o th e Universit y o n importan t occasions . I spea k wit h som e knowledge o n th e subjec t becaus e throug h th e year s I have had the privilege o f hosting suc h gatherings mor e time s tha n I can remember . Some occasion s d o stan d ou t i n th e memory , however . Ma y b e it was a particularly balm y day , o r a very distinguishe d group o f men , o r a very specia l event — th e kind which mark s a watershed i n th e University' s development . I have t o sa y tha t rarel y woul d I find al l thre e ingredient s a t on e an d the same function. Bu t such good fortunate i s ours today as we gather for th e foundatio n stone laying ceremony of Shaw College. This i s truly an auspicious beginning . On suc h a glorious da y as this, I simply hav e t o recoun t th e chanc e conversation I ha d wit h Si r Ru n Ru n whic h le d t o th e generou s endowment , th e largest in the University's history and the largest in the history o f Hong Kong. It al l starte d eightee n month s ago , o n anothe r fin e sunn y da y i n earl y June 198 5 whe n Si r Ru n Ru n Sha w cam e an d visite d th e Universit y a s a member o f ou r Counci l an d as my own guest . I had arranged for him a tour o f the Universit y an d decided that I should accompany him. We stopped at a vantage point overlookin g where we are sitting today — quit e by accident, I hasten to add , fo r I had no inklin g o f th e event s whic h wer e t o follow . Si r Ru n Ru n saw these two platforms an d asked me what the y wer e intended for. I said they would b e use d fo r a fourth Colleg e whe n w e ha d th e resource s t o star t one . That wa s al l tha t I said . Si r Ru n Run , fo r hi s part , didn' t sa y anything . H e came; he saw ; and he left . I bade him good-by e a t th e gat e o f th e University . A fe w days later an d completely ou t o f the blue , Si r Run Run called and said h e woul d lik e t o endo w th e Universit y wit h a new Colleg e an d aske d if $100 million woul d suffice. Thus started the happy chai n of events which have led u s to wher e w e ar e today . Alon g th e way , a number o f prominen t friend s of th e Universit y als o playe d importan t parts , an d I woul d lik e t o tak e thi s opportunity t o than k al l o f them . I woul d lik e t o than k firs t o f al l You r Excellenc y fo r givin g thi s whol e project you r blessing from the beginning . Next , I would like t o thank th e Hon . Michael Thoma s wh o gav e instruction s tha t th e draftin g o f The Chines e University of Hon g Kon g (Declaratio n o f Sha w College ) Bil l 198 6 b e don e a s expeditiously a s possible, an d Mr . Lesli e Sung , th e University' s Lega l Advise r who deal t wit h th e whol e legislatio n a s a matter o f priority. I would als o lik e to than k Dr . th e Hon . S.L . Che n who had a speaking part i n th e proceeding s in tha t it was he who move d the bil l i n th e Legislativ e Council . Dr. th e Hon . Q.W. Le e was privy t o every detail of this major development i n the Universit y and gav e ver y usefu l advice, a s he ha s done o n al l occasions . I would lik e t o thank hi m and the three other adviser s of the Board of Trustees, Dr. T.K. Ann , 45