Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 1980

Twenty -Second Congregation Address by the Vice-Chancellor Your Excellency, Ladies and Gentlemen: May I first o f all extend my heartiest congratu lations to the three honorary graduates. You have already heard the citations extolling their achieve ments and contributions, and I can hardly add any thing except my own admiration. I must point out, however, that Professor Shing-Tung Yau was an undergraduate of this University only eleven years ago. It must be most encouraging for our young graduates here to see him come back a distinguished scholar and receive from his alma mater a degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa. My sincere congra tulations also go to this year's graduates and their parents. As you are now leaving the University and are at the beginning of your career, I want you to know that the University does place very high hopes on you. And, it seems to me, this is a good oppor tunity for us to re-examine the course and ideals of the University. The birth of The Chinese University of Hong Kong seventeen years ago was a milestone to higher education in Hong Kong. It not only provided the deserving young people of Hong Kong with additional opportunities for university studies, but also marked the beginning of a dedicated effort in pursuit of a unique ideal. From the very beginning, the Report by the Fulton Commission had embodied ahistoric con viction and expectation of its time: the Commission not only proposed a university of international standard, but also that it should be a four-year institution using Chinese as the principal medium of instruction. Mr. Chancellor, I know you have a pro found appreciation of this conviction andexpectation, and in fact have during the past ten years given it your unfailing support, for which both the University and myself are deeply grateful. Indeed it seems self-evident that Chinese should be the principal medium of instruction in auniversity established for the benefit of local residents, who are predominantly Chinese. However, this simple truth was not understood or found acceptable by everyone seventeen years ago; nor is it today. This remarkable phenomenon perhaps deserves some soul-searching by the community. In fact, a lopsided cultural dualismhas pervaded Hong Kong for years: Chinese has been regarded as the language of the populace, and English as the language of the administrators, businessmen and pro fessionals 一 each language having its own domain and being totally unrelated to the other. While this men tality may have something to do with the particular circumstances and commercial requirements of Hong Kong, I am afraid its root may lie deep within our education system ， which has largely left the cultural needs of the community in sorry neglect. In this regard we must all pay tribute to the Fulton Commission and the Government, for their determination and vision in establishing The Chinese University of Hong Kong seventeen years ago. And it is important for us to appreciate the fact that Hong Kong has already grown into a complex metropolis with its inner dynamics today. Its trade pattern and economic structure are constantly evol ving, and community expectation for social develop ment and cultural progress has never been greater. Under these circumstances, how can we afford to presume that Chinese is but a language for elementary communication, or merely a step which might lead to higher education, and continue to ignore its fu ll range of functions? Needless to say,in acosmopolitan city like Hong Kong, there can be no doubt as to the importance of the English language. It is therefore a University policy to adopt a bilingual approach in its teaching 6