Bulletin Spring‧Summer 1978

research in relation to university education in general and graduate education in particular has been recog nized and emphasized ever since the inception of The Chinese University. In his report The Emerging University 1970-74, the Vice-Chancellor, Dr.C.M. Li, made it clear that, while "graduate education . . . develops highly qualified specialists capable of dealing with the most abstruse problems in [the basic fields of knowledge] and of advancing knowledge through scientific and scholarly research [as well as provides] professional practitioners needed to manage and sus tain our complex, technological society" (p. 30)， "research is a driving force of a university". Without research, "the graduate school becomes an empty shell. . . . Learning loses its sense of wonder and excitement. The whole University is deprived of the invisible energy that drives to excel and the academic staff are denied the inspiration and impetus of interaction with the wider community of learning. Academic development will stagnate although student popula tion may continue to inflate" (p. 45). This basic conception of research in relation to university education and, in particular, to graduate studies as suggested by the Vice-Chancellor has con tinued to guide the development of the Research Institutes and Centres/Units in this University. As also described in the Vice-Chancellor's Report in more concrete terms, both Institutes and Centres/ Units are conceived as organizational vehicles for fos tering faculty research and for training graduate students in research methodologies. Institutes are concerned with broad, multidisciplinary areas of investigation and foster both individual and group research projects. When projects of considerable mag nitude are undertaken, a subdivision called a 'Centre' or 'Unit' may be established in order to provide greater definition of purpose and a certain autonomy in the administration of research projects. In principle, a Centre/Unit exists only so long as the major project exists or new projects are added. When a Centre/Unit ceases to have a viable research programme of some magnitude, it is abolished and its staff released, while Individual research activities may continue as 'pro grammes' under the aegis of the appropriate Institute. Having all related research activities within its pur view, an Institute can develop policies and procedures which will ensure solid and varied research experience for graduate students. It is essential therefore that there be effective coordination and cooperation between each Institute and Centre/Unit and the Graduate School. It is gratifying to observe that such coordination and cooperation have been largely achieved. It has become quite common now for our graduate students to join in the various research projects undertaken at different Institutes and Centres/Units either as re­ search assistants or simply as trainees with a view to preparing theses on particular topics in connection with certain research projects. On the other hand, while the graduate students benefit from project participation, their assistance to the project supervi­ sors is often found to be most valuable particularly because of the generally tight manpower situation of the Institutes and Centres/Units. In fact, many re­ search projects would not have been completed in time had it not been for the assistance provided by the graduate students in one way or the other. On the staff side, the general pattern of coopera­ tion has been that the teaching staff of various disci­ plines voluntarily associate themselves with related Institutes and Centres/Units on a project basis. How­ ever, one Institute and some Centres have found it necessary to appoint a small number of full-time re search staff (apart from the supporting clerical staff) from time to time. In such cases, the research staff are often obliged to do part-time teaching in graduate or undergraduate programmes. I am happy to report that this kind of cooperation arrangement works remarkably well, and I even foresee the need for its expansion in the future so as to take full advantage of senior research scholars to help strengthen our graduate programmes. Since The Chinese University makes the integra­ tion of Chinese and Western cultural-intellectual tradi­ tions its distinctive educational goal, it is not surprising to find that it attaches great importance to a deepened understanding of Chinese learning and culture as well as mastery ofWestern empirical methods and scientific knowledge. This ideal shapes in a very important way not only the University's undergraduate programmes but also its graduate and research programmes. In fact, it is exactly in this spirit that the Institute of Chinese Studies was established. But it is important to emphasize that the term 'Chinese culture' is taken by The Chinese University to mean the whole complex of Chinese civilization with all its ramifications mani fested in various aspects of life inside and outside of 23