Bulletin Spring‧Summer 1998

Chen Ning was made an honorary professor at The Chinese University and then in 1986 graciously accepted a special chair as Distinguished Pro£essor-at-Large. This he holds concurrently with his post as Albert Einstein Professor of Physics at the State University of New York, Stony Brook. He spends a substantial part of each year w i th us, for he loves this beautiful campus, linked to some of his best memories. The benefits of his influence here are incalculable. One example must suffice: he contributes to our journal. Twenty-first Century, has become one of the most conscientious members of its editorial board, and has attracted top contributors, thus helping to maintain and ensure its truly international status. Prof. Yang Chen Ning has helped the rest of the scientific community to understand more about the force at work on subatomic particles of matter than any previous thinker in the history of science. He has shown us the universe in something far smaller than the finest dust. And Ms plain humanity has revealed aspirit richer than all the prizes he has won. His adventures are those of a great intellect, gleaming in the deeps of the mind. Madam Chancellor, I present Nobel laureate Yang Chen Ning for the degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa. (Written by Andrew Pakin) An Addness By P r o f . YangChenNing Madam Chancellor,Vice-Chancellor,membersof the University Council,distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen: It is a great pleasure for meto beaskedto address this congregation on behalfof today's honorary graduates. I am honoured to hereceiving today's degree from TheChineseUniversity ofHong Kong with which I havehada long relationship. In 1964 I planned to fakea trip to Hong Kong where I hopedto meetwith my parents, my brother and my sister,allfour living in Shanghai at the time. But to obtain visas for them from the British authorities wasa difficult problem.Finally I appealed for helpto Dr. CM. Li, the first Vice-Chancellorof this university, who intervened veryeffectivelyand thefive of us succeeded in meeting in Hong Kongfor an emotion-filled reunion of two weeks.That wasonebig important eventin our family history. While in Hong KongI wasaskedby Dr. C.M. Li to give apublic lectureon 'Modern High Energy Physics' in the then new City Hall in Central The lecture tookplaceon theafternoon of30th December 1964. For somereasonThe ChineseUniversity madethe announcement aboutit only oneday before,on 29th December.Thetopic of the lecture wasnot very appetizing either for thegeneral public. Yetit drew a huge crowd ofseveral thousandpeople,mostly young students, manyofwhom wereto becomeprofessors now teaching in various fields in Hong Kong. The imageof thousands ofyoung people in a long queuew i n d i ng around the City Hall hasbeen engraved in my mind eversince,for it bespoketo me the yearning of young Chinesestudentsfor modern knowledge and modern careers. It alsobespoke to me theaspiration of the Chinesepeopleto emergefrom centuries of backwardness to gain a spot under thesun among the peoplesof the world. Thirty yearshavepassed sincethatday latein 1964. Theworld hasenormously changed. Perhapsthe biggest changesareto be found right here in Hong Kong. Whether one focuseson thephysical shapeof thecity, its economy,its socio-political system,or its frustrations and dreams ,Hong Konghasgonethrough bigger changes, changesfor thebetter,than mostparts of the world. Will thereagain besuch revolutionary changes for the betterfor HongKong in thenext 30 years? No one can tellfor sure. But, I, for one,am cautiously optimistic. First, therewill begeneration after generation of well-traine d young peopleto maintain the vitality of this dynamic city.Many of them areherein this hall today to receivetheir degrees.Secondly, the vigorous economicgrowth of China, now spreading towards the less-developedwesternareasof the country, virtually guaranteesthe future prosperity of this Special Administrative Region.Thirdly, the twentieth century has taught mankind how scienceand technology can enormously increase human productivity beyond anything dreamedof in previous centuries. The momentum of that lessonis a central driving forcein the plans for thenext century in every regionin the world, including theSAR. With its tremendous human resources,its excellent geopolitical locationand its dynamic ability to facechallenges,theSAR is well poised to takeadvantage of the expanding horizon that future scienceand technology will openup for mankind. The next 30 years, I thus believe,will beas exciting for Hong Kong asthe last 30 years have been. Let us work for thefull realization of its aspirations.