Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 2002

Inaugural Address by Prof. Ambrose Y.C. King feel most honoured standing here o n t h is a u g u st p l a t f o r m to be installed as the f i f th Vice-Chancellor of The Chinese Un i v e r s i ty of H o n g Kong. Un l i ke m y predecessors I am n o t r e q u i r ed to ma k e l o n g - t e rm commitments to this position; yet the we i g ht of responsibility I feel on m y s h o u l d e rs is no less heavy. To this l o f ty position I offer m y pledge: for as long as I am vice-chancellor, I w i l l do wh at a vice-chancellor should and mu s t. A n d for the confidence a nd trust reposed i n me, I w i l l return my best w h e n p e r f o r m i ng m y duties as vice-chancellor. The University w i l l t u rn 40 next y e a r. O n 17th O c t o b er i t i n f a ct entered its 40th year. The history of The Chinese U n i v e r s i ty o v er the course of four decades is a magnificent story of the birth, g r ow t h, a n d b l o s s om i ng of an i n s t i t u t i on of higher l e a r n i ng f o u n d ed by the Chinese. I feel i mp e l l ed to pay tribute to our f o u n d i ng vice- chancellor, Dr. C h o h - M i ng Li, and to m y predecessors — Prof. M a Lin, Prof. Charles Kao, and Prof. A r t h ur Li. It is m y g o od fortune to have w o r k ed w i t h t h em at different stages of m y career, availing m y s e l f of the o p p o r t u n i t y to be i n v o l v e d i n i n s t i t u t i o n al d e v e l o pme nt i n diverse capacities u n d er their leadership, and to share i n the j o y of g r o w i ng w i t h the University. Every one of our former vice-chancellors served the University w i t h all their heart, each successfully pushing it to a new and higher plane of d e v e l o pme nt d u r i n g his t e rm. Wh a t needs also to be pointed out is that the University is most blessed to have enjoyed, since its i n c e p t i o n, the selfless s u p p o rt a nd c o n t r i b u t i on of its Council chairmen and members, w h o have been some of the wisest a n d mo st capable c o mm u n i ty leaders i n this city, m a k i n g o ur institution a bona fide Chinese university f o u n d ed by H o n g K o ng Chinese. Today, as w e g a t h er at the U n i v e r s i ty M a l l f or the 58th Congregation, we can best see and best feel all that the University has heroically achieved i n 40 years. Wh at was once a barren hillock has n ow been t r a n s f o r med i n to a s t u n n i ng c amp us cloaked i n green, w i t h some 130 buildings, f l a n k ed on one side by the hills and on the other by the sea. Institutionally there are four colleges, The University's 58th Congregation 3 5