Bulletin Supplement May 1969

CITATIONS S h i i n g - s h e n C H E R N , D.S c . D r Shi i ng-shen Chern is one o f the most ou ts tand ing m a them a tic ian s o f the w o rld toda y . H is c o n trib u tio n to the study of m a them a tics is so s ig n ific a n t th a t i t bears his nam e : the fam ous "C h e rn 's c h a ra c te ris tic classes". • P ro fesso r Chern's academ ic b a ckg ro un d and experience are indeed most impressive. He began his academ ic p u rs u it b y ta k in g the degree o f B a ch e lo r o f Science fro m N a n k a i U n iv e rs ity , T ien ts in , China, in 1930, and subsequen tly earned the degree o f M a s te r o f Science a t T s ing H ua U n iv e rs ity , Pe ip ing , fo u r years la te r. He then con tinued g radua te w o rk in F rance and Ge rm any, o b ta in in g the degree o f D o c to r o f Science a t the U n iv e rs ity o f H am b u rg in 1936. He re tu rn e d to China to teach a t the Sou thwest Associated U n iv e rs ity , w he re he was a p ro fesso r o f m a them a tics fro m 1937 to 1943. Then, he conducted fu r th e r research in the U .S .A . as a member o f the fam ous In s titu te f o r A d van ced S tud y a t P rince ton . In 1946, he was in v ite d b y the A cadem ia S inica in N a n k in g to assume the im p o rta n t post o f a c tin g d ire c to r o f its In s titu te o f M a them a tics In 1949’ D r. Chern le f t f o r the U .S .A . to become a p ro fesso r o f m a them a tics a t the U n iv e rs ity o f Chicago, and since 1960 has been w ith the U n iv e rs ity o f C a lifo rn ia , B e rke le y . P ro fesso r Chern has been elected to nume rous d is tingu ish ed p ro fess iona l and academ ic bodies, e spec ia lly th e A cadem ia S inica o f China, the N a tio n a l A cadem y o f Sciences o f the U .S .A ., the Am e rica n A cadem y o f A r ts and Sciences, and the Am e ric a n M a th em a tica l Society, o f w h ic h he served as V ice -P re s iden t fro m 1962 to 1964. He has also been connected, in va rious capacities, w ith p rom in e n t m a th em a tica l jo u rn a ls . Once in an in te rv ie w b y a new spape r re p o rte r, D r. Chern was asked w h y he had s tud ied ma them a tics. H is answe r was th a t "M y Chinese and E n g lish we re n o t good and I cou ld no t conduct expe rim en ts; th e re fo re , I cou ld o n ly s tud y m a th em a tic s ." As a m a tte r o f fa c t, D r. Che rn 's Chinese and E ng lish have been v e ry good eve r since his s tu den t days. As a fa s t w r ite r , he used to he lp his classmates b y w r itin g compositions f o r them , a lth o u g h he com p la ined th a t the ones he w ro te f o r o the rs sometimes earned h ig h e r m a rks th a n the ones w r itte n f o r h im se lf. F o r c u ltu ra l and academ ic reasons, D r. Chern has been ve ry dea r to The Chinese U n iv e rs ity o f H ong Kong . He is ou r E x te rn a l E xam in e r f o r m a them a tics and a m em be r o f the A d v is o ry B oa rd on N a tu ra l Sciences. The U n iv e rs ity owes h im a g re a t d eb t o f g ra titu d e fo r w h a t he has c o n trib u te d to im p ro ve its academ ic p rog ramm e . As a re c o g n itio n o f his rem a rk a b le achievements in modern m a them a tics and v a lu a b le c o n trib u tio n to the w o rk o f ou r U n iv e rs ity , m ay I p resen t to you, M r. C hance llo r, Shiing-shen Che rn fo r con fe rm en t o f the degree o f D o c to r o f Laws, h o n o r i s causa. — 6 —