Bulletin Spring 1979

se University Press The Chinese University Press ， established in June 1977 on the founda tion o f the 9 -year-old Publications Office, is now in its second year o f operation. The new D irector, Mr. R ichard Lai, assumed o ffice in September 1978, suc ceeding Dr. Francis K. Pan. Mr. La i graduated from Na tiona l Sun Yat-sen University in 1942 with a B.A. degree and from Teachers College, Colum bia University in 1949 with an M A . degree. Mr. La i was one o f the founders o f a Chinese magazine Tienfeng M on th ly, New York. In 1952-54, he served as an Associate Officer o f the Conference and General Services Department, United Nations Secretariat. Mr. La i went to Singapore in 1954 to assist Dr. L in Yu-tang in found ing the Nanyang University and was appointed concurrently Execu­ tive Secretary and Associate Professor o f Education. He le ft Nanyang University the ne x t year f o r the B ritish Broadcasting Corporation (BBC ) ， London ， where he stayed u n til 1962. He jo ined the Hong Kong Government In fo rm a tion Services in 1962 a t the in v ita tion o f the D ire c to r o f In fo rm a tion Services. In 1976 ， Mr. La i was p romoted D ire c to r o f In fo rm a tio n Services ， a post he held u n til his retirement in 1978. Mr. La i is the au tho r o f A H isto ry o f Chinese L ite ra tu re (published by Cassell ， London and by John Day ， New Yo rk; and, in a paperback ed ition ， by Capricorn ， New York). He has also edited and translated in to English Ten Years o f Storm (published by H o lt, R inehart & Winston, New York). University Press. Q. What do you consider as the primary functions o f a university press? A. To my mind, teaching, research and dissemina­ tion o f knowledge are the three main functions o f a university, and university presses are primarily concerned w ith the last: making the fruits o f research efforts by the academics available to people outside as well as inside the University. Q. Is there any difference between the Chinese University Press and other university presses? A. Publications o f the Chinese University Press reflect the characteristics o f The Chinese University, and our efforts have all along been focused on publishing: 9