Bulletin Vol. 5 No. 9 Jul–Aug 1969

generation which we can only dimly see and perhaps cannot see at all now. Here is where the Social Sciences and the Behavioural Sciences come in and serve their purpose. For one thing, the human sciences appear to have come into their own as intellectual tools for the proper study of mankind by man. For another,the professionals and experts in these fields of study,breaking from their traditional isolation, are beginning to work together. Their common goal is to have a better understanding of their fellow human beings and greater compassion for the individual and his proper fulfilment which is the essence of our human purpose. Our common humanity, here, will be a source of constant vitality which prods us on to look beyond the present and ahead at the future. It is, therefore, only proper and appropriate that this Seminar, sponsored by the ASA I HL, should be concerned with new trends in the social and behavioural sciences. This leads me to think of the contributions of the ASA I HL: I n what way will A S A I HL be able to contribute to this trend? While seminars and conferences have been held from time to time, it cannot be denied that A S A I HL up until now has been left to university administrators, with no active participation and genuine interest from the academics. To be sure, seminars are invaluable during which the best of the academic minds try to reach one another. But seminars do not last, and as soon as a seminar is over, it more often than not goes together with the written reports into the realm of past memories. This certainl y is not conducive to making the academic staff concern themselves with the A S A I HL and what it could do and should do. To create a meaningful A S A I HL we must strike a new path by involving them in the A S A I HL activities, not now and then, but steadily and continuously. To achieve this we may begin by sponsoring a number of professional societies to include the best scholars of the region and developing them under ASA I HL. For one thing, by bringing the best minds together, regional trends would be rapidly focused and new ideas fruitfully fermented. For another, if we start modestly, the financial resources need not be very large and I hope that financial support would be forthcoming. Probably during the next year or two, the formation of two or three societies in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences, each wit h several active members, would be a modest beginning to herald "a brave new world" for ASA I HL . Concern is better than detachment, understanding is better than isolation, and involvement is better than inertia. It is in this particular sense that I hope the present Seminar will not begin and end here but give impetus to this long-range and significan t project. Let me wish you all the success. Now I have the honour of declaring the Seminar open. As president of ASA I HL, Dr. L i attended the Second Meeting o f the Executive Committee on 24th July, 1969, with Dr. Toh Chin Chye, Vice- President, Very Rev. Fr. Jesus Diaz, member of A S A I HL Administrative Board, and Dr. Prachoom Chomchai, Executive Secretary . The Executive Committee made a thorough review of past programmes and mapped out careful plans for the future, with the emphasis on restructuring the programmes of the next 18 months to further strengthen the A S A I HL to make it "a living force" of South-East Asia. About 50 representatives from 12 universities and institutions in Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong participated in the Seminar on the Social and Behavioural Sciences. Delegates from this University were: Dr. Sung-chick Hong, Lecturer in Sociology, United College, who served as Rapporteur of the Seminar Dr. Rance P.L. Lee, Lecturer in Sociology, Chung Chi College Mrs. Eva B.C. L i Ko , Lec t u r er and Head of the Department o f Social Work, United College Dr. Wei Ta-kung, Lecturer and Head of the Department of Journalism , New Asia College In preparation for the second seminar of ASA I HL, on "Recent Trends of University Administration to be held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Administrative Board of A S A I HL in Hong Kong in December this year, a Planning Session was conducted by Dr. Choh-Ming L i at this University on 21st August, 1969. A t the Planning Session all participants were from the member institutions o f ASA I HL, namely, Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, University of Hong Kong, the Universit y of Indonesia, the University of Malaya, Nanyang University in Singapore, University of the Philippines, University of Saigon in Vietnam, Silliman University in the Philippines, the University of Singapore and The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Dr. Prachoom Chomchai, Executive Secretary of ASA I HL, was also present. — 3 —