Bulletin Special Supplement Professor Arthur K C Li: A Six-Year Term as Vice-Chancellor of The Chinese University (1996–2002)

Having sai d that , ther e i s anothe r sid e t o th e profession. Doctor s hav e t o b e emotionall y stable ; they ar e no t expected t o give ful l expressio n t o thei r feelings, especiall y whe n face d wit h th e terminall y ill, les t such feelings ma y sway those of their patients . As this happen s to go against my nature , my nee d for suppression i s all th e greater . ... Yes , sometime s yo u hav e t o pu t o n a composed an d lighted-hearte d front while i n fact you are broiling inside . I t can be very hard , for there i s no way t o vent you r emotions . • Wha t mad e you forgo the work you love d best? What eventually brough t yo u t o th e positio n o f vice - chancellor? • I n the beginnin g ther e wa s a practical nee d t o figh t for th e resource s w e deserved , o r m y colleague s i n the Departmen t o f Surger y an d th e Facult y o f Medicine woul d no t hav e had adequate facilities an d a decent environment i n which t o work. The Facult y of Medicin e wen t throug h a rathe r difficul t tim e i n the 1980s ; i t ha d to wor k unde r the weigh t o f man y shackles. M y co-worker s ha d faith i n me . They fel t I was th e mos t suitabl e perso n t o figh t fo r wha t wa s ours. An d sinc e thi s wa s th e case , I accepted th e responsibility. I t wa s externa l force s whic h lande d me in the administration position of dean of medicine , and the ne w capacit y necessitate d givin g u p certai n duties a s a doctor. Conditions leadin g t o m y becomin g vice - chancellor i n 199 6 were similar . They drew me even further awa y from m y original rol e as a doctor. I had never intended for these turns in my career to happen . They were often the results of objective circumstance s rather tha n carefu l contrivance . Bu t peopl e ca n sa y all the y wan t about me . • Wha t ha s given yo u th e greates t sens e of fulfilmen t during office ? • Whe n I firs t becam e vice-chancellor , ou r Staf f Superannuation Schem e an d postgraduat e hoste l project eac h owe d th e ban k ove r HK$20 0 million . Funds a t the vice-chancellor' s disposa l wer e unde r HK$2 million . Naturall y m y firs t duty wa s to revie w •為甚麼會脱離最喜愛的工作，最後轉 到大學校長的職位上來呢？ •最初那是因為有實際的需要去爭取應 得的資源，否則學系和學院裡的同事 根本不會有足夠的設備和合理的環 境，去做好手上的工作。有一段時 期，醫學院的情況是頗為艱難的，受 到很多掣肘。既然同事們認為我是最 適當的人選去為大家爭取，對我有信 心，我就當仁不讓了。可以説，是當 時的環境，把我推到醫學院院長這個 行政崗位，去為大家服務，不能不放 下部分醫生的職責。 九六年當上校長，也是相類的情 況，距離醫生的本業，也就更遠了。 這些事業上的轉折，每每由客觀形勢 所主導，決非精心策劃的結果。別人 如何瑞度，我可控制不了。 •任內給你最大滿足的是甚麼？ •初上任時，敎職員公積金欠銀行二億 多，硏究生宿舍計劃又欠下二億多， 而可供校長動用的資金只不過二百萬 元左右。首先要面對的工作自然是全 面檢討大學的開支，建立有效的審核 機制。很高興於離任前見到大學已經 還清所有債務；雖然在任這幾年政府 撥款不斷減縮，但中大的財政仍然是 十分穩健的。 但這幾年來最大的滿足感，還是 見到中大人的心態已有重大的改變， 他們對自己更有信心，對大學進一步 發展成為公認的卓越大學充滿憧憬， 不再認為這是遙不可及的夢，不再認 為外國做的硏究一定比自己的好。 這種自信，是隨著社會對中大的 認同而逐漸增強的。社會人士也是看 到中大師生做出來的成績而賦予這種 認同：且看中大工管碩士課程過去兩 年的國際排名，且數數近年香港區的 中文大學校刊•特刊 Chines e Universit y Bulleti n • Specia l Supplemen t 30