Bulletin Spring‧Summer 1991

Eulogy by Sir Yuet-Keung Kan ， Pro-Chancellor, CUHK Today we attend this memorial service with the saddest of hearts. We have all been grieved by the news of Dr. Choh-Ming Li's passing away in California. At the inception of The Chinese University in the early sixties I had the opportunity to work closely with Dr. Li on the University Council, thereby establishing our long-lasting friendship. To me, his departure represents the loss of a much-loved friend. Dr. Li recognized some 30 years ago the need to actively develop tertiary education in Hong Kong to provide the necessary manpower resources for societal growth. He believed that the newly established Chinese University should take on the important mission of educating the youth in Hong Kong, cultivating in them an understanding of their Chinese heritage, and pro- moting the interaction between Chinese and Western cultures. The University has worked towards such a goal over the past 30 years. The high international standing that the University now enjoys in the world of learning, and the outstanding achievements of its many graduates are all results of Dr. Li's idealism and foresight, which we all admire. During those 15 years that Dr. Li and I served on the University Council, I was deeply impressed by the contributions he made to the developments in education, commerce and industry. Not only was he a hard working educationalist dedicated to the blending of Chinese and Western cultures, he was also a dynamic and capable leader, as well as an outstanding economist. Dr. Li retired as vice-chancellor of The Chinese University in 1978. I can still remember the farewell party held in honour of Dr. and Mrs. Li in September of that year, when all present praised his inexhaustible energy and tremendous vitality i n developing strategic plans for the University, laying a solid foundation for its growth and future expansion. On that same occasion he was affectionately nicknamed ‘Mr . Energy'. Today, when we look around the campus, we can find legacies of Dr. Li's hard work practically everywhere. All these will reinforce our fond remembrance of the University's founding vice-chancellor. Dr. Li was Confucian in his outlook: he set high standards for himself but was lenient with other people. In his address on the 26th Anniversary of Chung Chi College in 1977, he shared with faculty and students his understanding of and his belief in two Christian tenets: humanity and humility. Those who knew Dr. Li well were impressed by his humaneness and modesty. What makes him even more memorable, however, is his love of life itself and his devotion to his family. On many a trying situation during his vice-chancellorship, he overcame all difficulties and dedicated himself body and soul to the well-being of the University, always with Mrs. Li's support and encouragement as a driving force behind him. After his retirement, he continued to travel between the USA and China, with Mrs. Li accompanying him all the time, to work for the education of young people in both places. Dr. Li's insistence on seeing things through from beginning to end and his selfless dedication to the nurturing of the younger generation have always inspired awe and respect. At the passing away of Dr. Li we lose a veteran leader in higher education locally and internationally, and those of us who worked with him in the difficult times during the formative years of the University feel the loss most acutely. Sir David Wilson, chancellor of the University, now on official duties overseas, is not able to attend today's service in person. He has, however, sent his aide-de-camp to pay respects to Dr. L i on his behalf, and has asked me to convey his condolences to Mrs. Li. Let us now all pay tribute to the achievements of Dr. Choh-Ming Li, a vice-chancellor who was most loved and respected. Here, with a grievous heart, I wish to pay my last respects to Dr. Li and convey my deepest sympathy to his family and relatives. • In Memory of Dr. C. M. Li 7