Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 2002

No t only a successful educationist and a profound sociologist, Prof. K i ng is also k n o wn and praised as a remarkable essayist. The spirit and beauty of Cambridge, where he sojourned for a year i n 1975, inspired h i m to the w r i t i ng of prose essays a l o n g s i de the f o r m i d a b le a c a d em ic treatises t h at it is his w o n t to compose. His gift for rhetoric and the bon mot u n f o l d ed a nd r e s u l t ed i n the c o l l e c t i on of essays k n o wn as Reflections on Cambridge. Ten years later, w h i l e a v i s i t i n g p r o f e s s or at Heidelberg University, he again collected his t h o u g h ts i n another a l b um, a p p r o p r i a t e ly titled Reflections on Heidelberg. These t wo slim v o l umes have come to be m u c h l o v ed a nd a dm i r e d, a nd f o r m ed the basis of w h a t is k n o w n as ‘ K i n g 's style'. In the s i x - v o l ume Literary Works of Chinese Scholars Abroad p u b l i s h ed b y the Shanghai L i t e r a ry Press, Reflections on Heidelberg featured amo ng the h u n d r e d or so m o s t i m p o r t a n t w o r k s p u b l i s h ed i n the last 150 years. T a k i ng an overall v i ew of Prof. King's w r i t i ng career, he is first and foremost an academic w r i t er w h o can produce the weightiest tomes on the most serious subjects. Howe v e r, he is also capable of works of great lyricism i n w h i ch he presents his thoughts i n the most mo v i ng manner. In both genres, rational analysis is enriched w i t h human compassion, but reason is never clouded by passion. As the author roams freely i n the vast w o r l d of learning, and as he picks his w a y to t r u th t h r o u gh the w i s d om of the East and the West, the ancient and the modern, he also finds time to cultivate the garden of belles-lettres, a nd produces rare a nd exceptional blooms. Such achievements must be attributed to his i n c l i n a t i o n s, h is p e r s o n a l i t y, a n d h is refinement. A p a rt f r om his o w n discipline, Prof. K i ng is p r o f o u n d ly learned i n literature, history, philosophy and education, and has an exemplary u n d e r s t a n d i ng of h u m an nature w h i c h enables h i m to deal w i t h people a nd things i n the most reasonable manner. He abides by the old precepts that ‘It is a remarkable f o rm of learning to understand the w a y of the wo r l d, and to be experienced in h uman relationships compares well w i th the best book of knowledge.' Thus Prof. K i n g is not o n ly a mu ch sought after speaker, but also a w i d e ly admired conversationist. He is also a respected mediator and arbitrator in disputes, and many controversies i n v o l v i ng complicated h uman relationships have been amicably settled thanks to his intervention. ‘ Ma ny are those w h o defer to the wise and the discerning,' and his breadth of knowledge and the generosity of m i nd have indeed earned h i m the trust of many. Prof. K i ng is active in public service. He has b e en a c h a i r m an of the C o m m u n i t y Research Sub-Committee and a member of the Citizens Ad v i s o ry Committee on Commu n i ty Relations of the I n d e p e n d e nt C omm i s s i on Ag a i n st C o r r u p t i o n, a memb er of the L a w R e f o r m C o mm i s s i on o f the H o n g K o n g Government, a member of the Central Policy Un it of the H o n g K o ng Government, as w e l l as a member of the Research Grants Council. I n 1994, Prof. K i ng was elected Academician of Academia Sinica, the first sociologist to have been offered a place i n this august assembly of scholars. The same year he was appointed a Non-Official Justice of the Peace, and in 1998 the Go v e r nme nt of the H o n g K o n g Special Administrative Region presented h im w i t h the Silver B a u h i n ia Star i n r e c o g n i t i on of his c o n t r i b u t i on to sociological studies. Also i n 1998 the Ho ng Ko ng University of Science and Technology gave h i m an honorary doctorate, a n d i n 2001 he was elected an o u t s t a n d i ng alumnus of the University of Pittsburgh. Since he j o i n ed The Chinese Un i v e r s i ty i n 1970, Prof. King has witnessed the foundation, consolidation, development and ascendancy of the University, as w e l l as the innovations and reforms of four administrations. Through these years he has, i n his various capacities, held fast to his calling and lent the University his f u l l a n d s o l i d s u p p o r t, m a k i n g his c o n t r i b u t i o ns w i t h n e i t h er f a n f a re n o r ostentation. Prof. King's accession to the vice- chancellorship marks the c r own i ng mome nt i n a distinguished personal career. But i n the context of the 40-year old Un i v e r s i ty poised for even greater achievements, Prof. K i n g stands tall like a Janus, carrying on w i t h his thoughts, wo r ds and deeds the heritage of the glorious past a nd ushering i n the splendour of the future. Mr. Chairman, we look to Prof. K i n g to exercise his i mme n se w i s d om a nd learning, to lead us all i n steady a nd surefooted steps to new heights of excellence, and to a dd garlands to the University's laurels! 3 4 Chinese University Bulletin Autumn • Winter 2002