Annual Report 1996-97

一九九六年十一月七日李國章校長就職典禮 The installation ofProf. Arthur K.C. Li as vice- chancellor of the University on 7th November 1996 Yet for ou r ow n g o od we must maintain vitality, w e cannot lapse into torpor. An d for th e g o od of the community that supports us w e must b e responsive to changing needs an d changing goals. The most obvious c h a n g es that have taken place in Hong Kong in recent years have been, industrially, the shift from the manufacturing to the service sectors, an d from mechanical processing to technological innovation; and , socially, th e growth in d ema nd fo r higher education that ha s broadened th e student intake. These changes, an d others besides, have called fo r responses from us , an d will continue t o challenge us . Ou r proven strengths, an d th e improvements being ma de t o ou r facilities an d infrastructure, give us confidence that w e ca n meet those future challenges. At th e same time w e have no t forgotten, with all this attention t o challenges, that th e arts of harmony must flourish too . So I must mention th e mental stimulation that w e regularly enjoy from open talks an d lectures, either occasional or as part of a regular series, such as that provided b y the Universities Service Centre, an d th e cultural education an d uplift w e derive from exhibitions and artistic performances, such as those pu t on b y th e Art Museum an d th e Sir Ru n Ru n Shaw Hall. These offerings ar e s o much part of ou r daily lives that w e take them fo r granted, bu t we would b e very much th e poorer without them. We should no t forget either th e work of units that year after year produce publications an d journals, some of which ar e read all over th e world. Having ma de that regrettably short acknowledgment of ongoing activities, this annual review must g o on to concentrate o n new developments, It will b e apparent that ou r policy ha s been to build upon sound existing foundations, rather than placing cradles on tree tops, an d to encourage incremental progress that ca n lead to qualitative improvement. 3 Vice—Chancellor' s Repor t