Bulletin Vol. 8 No. 10 May 1972

Vice-Chancellor's Welcome Address The opening of the Science Centre today brings to my mind the first words of The Book of Mencius, which most of us learned in our early childhood. When Mencius visited the Kingdom of Liang, King Hui asked Mencius: “Sir, since you have thought it worthwhile to travel a thousand miles to visit us, we feel sure that you have something to tell us which will be of profit to our land." Mencius answered indignantly : "Why must you need speak of profit? All that I have to say to you is concerned with goodness and right, and with nothing else at all." The obvious parallel, I am sure, will not escape your attention. Lord Butle r has travelled many thousand miles to officiate at the opening of the Science Centre to affirm the generous gift of t.250,000 which is more than a windfall of profit to The Chinese University of Hong Kong, because it symbolizes the faith and implicit trust of the UK Government in the future of The Chinese University. Furthermore, there is no doubt that the message brought by Lord Butler to us will be concerned with nothing else bu t goodness and right; in other words, with the scientific spiri t or the perpetual human endeavour to search for truth impartially at all times. Indeed, it is our fervent hope that the Science Centre will stand for such spirit and endeavour in splendour in the daylight and when the lights blaze into the deep of the night. We are profoundly indebted to the Hong Kong Government for its unequivoca l support to make this largest complex at the campus possible. It is with great pleasure that we welcome H.E. the Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Murray MacLehose, especially because today is the first time that he is with us in his capacity as our Chancellor for an officia l function. Address of The Rt. Hon. the Lord Butler of Saffron Walden I am very glad to be here with my wife. I have been Minister of Education in my own country and am Chancellor of two universities. I am also head of the College where Isaac Newton lived and worked. I am therefore not unfamiliar wit h science. A Chinese proverb says “ I f you wish to do a good job, you must have the right tools". Few universities can claim a proper place in the world of learning without adequate science laboratories an d it was in recognition of this that you r Vice-Chancellor approached the British Government for funds fo r the erection of a Science Centre in this University as early as in 1964, while on his way to take up appointment here. Your Vice-Chancellor's appeal me t with a ready response and in Augus t 1964 the British Government notified the Government of Hong Kong that pounds sterling 250,000 had been approved as British Development Aid towards the construction of a Science Centre. I am very glad to feel that I was myself Foreign Secretary when this grant was made by the Government of which I was a member. I think this illustrates how closely the UK Government wishes to prosper the interests of Hong Kong. Of course the idea of an extension to The Chinese University here made a particular appeal t o us. This allocation may be regarded as a symbol of the British Government's confidence in The Chinese University an d the importance it attached to its development. The Centre is the largest of the buildings on the University campus. It consists of two four-storey parallel blocks of classrooms, laboratories and offices, with a lecture theatre complex of unusual design in between. The total building cost is Hong Kong dollars, 16,500,000, the balance being met by the Hong Kong Government. As you may know , the Centre will be shared by the six departments of the Science Faculty: Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Electronics, Mathematic s and Physics. When the building becomes operational, science students of the three Foundation Colleges will be able to attend classes and do laboratory work in this Centre. This will help cultivate among students mutual understanding and friendship irrespective of college. Thus, it is in keeping with the University's policy of pooling resources whenever logica l and feasible. To the outside observer like myself the problems of industrial and technologica l progress in Hong Kong and their impact on people in Hong Kong are both fascinating and moving. Here is a population which in its own way leads the world in certain areas of industrial —2—