Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 1996

President's Gold Medal awarded by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and an honorary fellowship at Sidney Sussex College in Cambridge. To conquer both the Scots and the English in so brief a period is a stellar accomplishment. Equally effectively, he has p r o v ed himself as an academic administrator by his leadership as f o u n d a t i on professor of surgery here and more recently as dean of our Faculty of Medicine. When I asked him how one makes a faculty into a leading force in the world at large, within so brief a time, providing an international standard for others to follow, his reply revealed as much about his personal style and strength as about our present Faculty of Medicine. One must recruit world-class faculty members, for to w o r k w i t h the best is always a stimulus; one must have a clear mission and a vision of the best direction for the k i nd of organization one leads; one must wo rk consistently hard, w i th a fanatical devotion, the kind of tenacious effort that led to his appointment as senior registrar so early in his career in England. Yet there is still another essential element. This is quite simply caring, caring for the welfare of patients not as numbers to be processed but as people with value. A good doctor listens carefully to patients in order to diagnose the problem and then find the best remedy. Prof. Li's spirit of service to fellow human beings comes not only from the traditions of the Hippocratic oath but from his early background in the classics and his place in a large family noted for its own tradition of public service. And there is still something more, something felt instantly on meeting him: an enormous personal energy that excites and inspires. He 'charges our batteries' rather than draining them. There is an example here for the University at large and for our dealings w i th our students. Energetic service is our responsibility. Accountable to the public as we are, we should also strive to inspire them. Our effectiveness as a university, as Prof. Li sees it, depends on our ability to respect inevitable differences while striving f o r c on s en s us a nd w o r k i n g as an international team, realizing we are all on the same side. This entails nurturing our creativity and professionalism. None of the great universities neglects the arts and humanities. Prof Li's gift for inspiring others, his drive and creative vision will stimulate our university as a whole and greatly benefit our development in the humanities. M r Chancellor, I present to you a man w h o excels in a d i s c i p l i ne r e q u i r i ng excellence, not only in careful diagnosis and planning but also in decisive action. And his actions have been beneficial to his p r o f e s s i o n, his u n i v e r s i ty a nd t he community at large. I present a man whose humour matches his energy, whose energy matches his talent, and whose talent is crowned by his determination — he is one whose sheer drive excites and inspires us. As much leader as scientist, he confidently embodies the best of Chinese culture and modernity w i th the best of international education and experience, all expressed in a mature and confident bilingualism. I present the new vice-chancellor of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prof. Arthur K.C. Li. • 51st Congregation for the Installation of Prof. Arthur K.C. Li as the Vice-Chancellor 5