Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 2003

to 1991, he was dean of the College of Liberal Arts of Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung and director of the Institute of Foreign Languages and Literature; he also became Ku ng Hua Chair Professor of the same university. From 1995 to date, he has also been visiting professor in 10 odd universities in China such as Suzhou University, Xiamen University, Shandong University and Nanjing University. Prof. Yu is highly acclaimed in both the tertiary education sector and literary circles, and his prizes and academic honours include the National Awa rd for Literature i n Poetry, the Wu San-lian Award in prose, the Wu L u Q i n Aw a r d i n prose, the China Times Awa rd i n Poetry, the L i t e r a ry A c h i e v e m e nt Award, Kaohsiung, Fok Ying- tung Achievement Prize etc. His books were four times awarded the ‘Best Book of the Year' by United Daily of Taiwan. There are also as many as 15 books written about his wo rk all life in Taiwan and mainland China. Prof. Yu Kwang Chung's Hong Kong period lasted from 1974 to 1985 when he was reader in the Depa r tment of Chinese Language and Literature of The Chinese University of Hong Kong. This was at the climax of his literary career, yielding a profusion of creative literary works. Besides, Prof. Yu laid equal emphasis on teaching and research, and du r i ng his 11 years at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, he nurtured many up-coming writers in the literary circles in Hong Kong. In the 1990s, Prof. Yu rejoined The Chinese University as a visiting scholar and keynote speaker i n international conferences. Then in the 21st century, he was chief adjudicator on the panel of the first and second Global Youth Chinese Literary Awa rd for the New Century, organized by the Arts Faculty of The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Great indeed is his contribution to the promotion of Chinese culture and literature for youth. To sum up Prof. Yu Kwa ng Chung's life achievement, it may be seen that his b i r th at the Doub le N i n t h Festival as the ‘ Ch i ld of Dogwood', spurred himself on as the ‘Phoenix Reborn f r om the Ashes' and set h i m soaring w i t h agility in the sky of Chinese culture w i t h the ‘Dragon's Chanting in the Fire'. For years and years, the Master of Literature has sewn his loving thoughts and affectionate sentiments into the creased and pleated waves wh i c h, b l own by the w i nd, glide to both shores of the Taiwan Strait, and even farther to opposite shores of the ocean wherever Chinese reside. The poet once said, ‘Whatever I write, I write out of respect and responsibility to the Chinese language.' We should indeed be grateful to such a well-versed and versatile master. Let us t hank h i m for his incessant endeavours to enrich and enhance the Chinese language i n his b r i l l i a nt style, so that it becomes t r u ly dynamic. Let us t hank h i m for his tireless efforts to display the precision and elegance of the Chinese language i n his countless works, so as to counter those who say that the Chinese language should be discarded because it is obsolete and outdated. Let us thank h i m for defending the essence and quintessence of the Cangjie words, the Chinese characters, so that ‘the soul that chants' in our beautiful mother tongue is consoled. For Prof. Yu's contribution to and achievement in Chinese culture and his i n t e g r a t i on and d e v e l o pme nt of mo d e rn literature, I present to you, Mr. Chairman, Prof. Yu Kwang Chung for the award of the degree of Doctor of Literature, honoris causa. A translation ofthecitation written byP r o f.SerenaJin For years and years, the Master of Literature has sewn his loving thoughts and affectionate sentiments into the creased and pleaded waves which, b l own by the wind, glide to both shores of the Taiwan Strait, and even farther to opposite shores of the ocean wherever Chinese reside. The 60th Congregation 55