Bulletin Vol. 5 No. 7 Apr 1969

Managing Director, Mobil Oi l Hong Kong, Chairman; Mr. William Allman, Vice-President , American International Underwriters, Ltd.; Mr. J.H. Bordwell, Managing Director, Muller an d Phipps (China) Ltd.; Mr. William Cowden, Director, Pan American Airways; Mr. S.R. Eastabrooks, General Manager, First National City Bank; Mr. Guy T. Harden, Jr., Managing Director, Industrial Engineers, Ltd.; Mr. R.W. Lundeen, President, Dow Chemical International Ltd.; Mr. F.C. Westphal, Jr., Chairman, Peninsula Electric Power Co. ; Mr . L.C. Wickersham, General Manager, I BM Worl d Trade Corporation; Mr. R.D.H. Wilmer, Vice-Presiden t and Manager, Bank of America. "International cooperation and local participation" Vice-Chancellor's remarks When I first saw the Benjamin Franklin Centre completed three months ago, I told my friends: "To me, it is the most beautiful sight under the sun." Those of you who are here today, I am sure, would share my feelings. It is befitting and significant that the Benjami n Franklin Centre should be the first building in use on the new University site. It is a gift from the American people, to the Chinese students and staf f of The Chinese University of Hong Kong. You have heard, in one sentence, different groups representing different countries and cultures who join hands in working out a new and happy combination of international goodwill and cooperation rarely practised before . It is equally significant that Benjamin Frankli n Centre would be the first shining star on the horizon and open up to a vista of galaxies of other buildings to come. 1 am happy to report that the Administration Building and the Institute of Chinese Studies Building would be ready in 1970. The fourth building, the University Library, would be ready in early 1971, glittering and studding th e Shatin sky. To use a Chinese phrase, 1 would like to "borrow light" from an English critic, Matthew Arnold, who praised the Greek dramatist, Sophocles, as possessing the supreme quality to "see life steadily and see it whole" . A university is not and cannot be built in one day. When we envisage a university, we must see i t steadily and see it whole. That is why after most of the main buildings of the University are completed, we shall see the United College moving in t o the new campus in 1971 and the New Asia College moving in to the new campus in 1972, making the solar system of The Chinese University of Hong Kon g complete and whole. To all this, we owe our thanks and profound gratitude to the Hong Kong Government. In endorsing our building programm e of 1967, the Hong Kong Government has not only made possible the transformation of ou r buildings from blue print in paper to actuality, but also demonstrated to the Hong Kong community its unwavering confidence in the future of Hong Kong. In looking at the building programme of The Chinese University, you also look at an exact replica of the future of Hong Kong, in a smaller scale, of course. We have altogether twelve essential building projects at the central site of the University. After the Benjamin Frankli n Centre, eleven more are to be completed. The construction cost alone amounts to about 34 million dollars. 1 am most happy to report tha t of the some 34 million dollars, about one half wil l come from the Hong Kong Government and the other half from outside sources, and that of these some 17 million from outside sources, about one hal f comes from abroad and the other half from private contributions in Hong Kong. And finally, o f the $8 million from overseas, one half conies fro m the United Kingdom, and the other half from the United States. Thus, like Benjamin Franklin Centre, eac h building project will represent in its own unique way international co- operation and local participation. Each project will illuminate and bring int o focus the role of The Chinese University of Hong Kong to serve the local community and play an active part in the international academic world of cultural exchange. On this confident note, I like to introduce to you His Excellency the Governor of Hong Kong, Sir David Trench, who is instrumental in more ways than one for the rapid growth of The Chinese University. Ladies and Gentlemen, I am sure His Excellency is happy to address you now. " A focal point of university life in Hong Kong" His Excellency Sir David Trench's speech This is a most significant day in the history of The Chinese Universit y of Hong Kong, for the building we are here to open today is the first university building to be ready for use, and its completion is a majo r step forward in the bringing together of the three constituent colleges. It must, I know, have been difficult for the members of our new university to develop a corporate feeling, divided as their buildings have been and scattered through Hong Kong, but now we can see a central building which will serve staff and students of all three colleges and know that progress is really being made towards the realisation of our hopes. — 2 —

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