Annual Report 2002–03

Spirits were indeed high and morale was soaring as celebrations kicked off on 23rd February with a Round-the-CU Walkathon and Carnival. None would have known that in less than two weeks, SARS would break out in our teaching hospital and run wild in our community. The three months that immediately followed was a most unforgettable experience: medical staff and students fell prey to the epidemic in droves; the teaching hospital was overburdened with infected patients; classes were suspended; exchange programmes were aborted; Hong Kong was in a turmoil. The University's 40th anniversary celebrations were also brought to a halt. The University Presidents' Global Forum 2003, involving the heads of over 50 prestigious tertiary institutions from across the world as participants and scheduled to take place from 23rd to 25th March 2003 on our campus, had to be postponed to March 2004. At the time of writing this review, things are returning to normal. It is our greatest wish that the epidemic would not return after the summer break, that Hong Kong would recover speedily from its traumas, and that we may regain our mood for celebration in the second half of 2003. 四十周年校慶 為籌備慶祝中大於二零零三年成立屆滿四十周 年，我們委出四十周年校慶統籌及工作委員會， 由廖柏偉敎授擔任主席。委員會以「騰飛四十• 精進日新」為主題，設計了多項慶祝活動，原於 二零零三年初開始，至二零零四年一月結束；有 的活動以展示中大的實力、成就和貢獻為主，有 的旨在凝聚校友力量，有的純是慶祝性質，強調 與眾同樂。校方更特別制訂中大的「十年願景」， 為大學第五個十年的發展定調。 慶祝活動於二零零三年二月由「中大慈善健步行 暨繽紛嘉年華」正式揭開幔幕；當日校園人頭湧 湧，氣氛熱烈，萬料不到短短兩個星期之後， S A R S 先後於威爾斯親王醫院和香港社區爆發； 隨後三個月的發展更令人難忘，我們見到大批醫 護人員和醫科生相繼病倒，威院擠滿了受感染的 病人，學校停課，國際交流活動被迫中止，整個 香港陷於一片惶恐。 中大的四十周年校慶活動亦暫告停頓，原訂於三 月廿三至廿五日舉行的全球大學校長論壇，也要 推延至二零零四年三月舉行。 猶幸撰寫這份報告的時候，情況已逐步回復正 常；只希望暑假過後， S A R S 不會重臨，香港得 以恢復元氣，而我們亦可以重拾慶祝的心情。 校長報告 Vice-Chancellor's Review 9