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

goals an d accord priorities fo r th e Hon g Kon g educatio n system , and to redistribut e resources for the overall improvement of education standards. I se e it as an opportunity, indeed an obligation, to put myself to greate r use , with the betterment o f education i n Hong Kon g a s the ultimate objective . I am looking forwar d to the responsibilities an d challenges ahead . It was a pledge I made early in my Vice-Chancellorship tha t I would be fully committe d to institutional autonomy and academic freedom, efficient management, greater academic interflow with both mainland and international institutions, the procurement of additional resources fro m the community a t large, and the fai r distributio n of the same . I se t my objective a t no les s than bringing Th e Chines e Universit y t o the uppermos t notc h o f higher educatio n in Hong Kong and the neighbouring region . I hav e neve r relaxed my vigilanc e ove r these commitment s i n the las t si x years. Th e University's autonomy has never been compromised during the period and our academic staff have been as free as they want to be in their scholarl y pursuits . Rigorous interna l audit s an d managemen t efficienc y review s hav e continue d uninterrupted, resultin g in significant cost savings and productivity gains , and winning commendation fro m the University Grant s Committee . We have also persistently cultivate d international relations, producing extensiv e link s with centre s of excellence worldwide . Thanks to the generosity of our many benefactors, support in the form of donations has dramatically surged , and has been indispensable i n maintaining the quality o f teaching and learning, sustainin g importan t research , improvin g facilities , an d upgrading th e campus environment . On the soli d foundation laid by my thre e predecessors, the Universit y ha s gone fro m strength to strength, achieving progress on all fronts. We are glad to have been allocated the largest slice of the UGC block grant for the 2001-4 triennium, an allocation that was based on our performance in teaching and research. We are also gratified that the Earl y Admissions Scheme , newly introduced this year for outstanding Secondary Si x student s by all tertiary institutions, has attracted the largest number of applicants to The Chines e University o f Hong Kong when compared with othe r loca l tertiary institutions , a sure indication of our popularity among the best of Hong Kong schoo l students . By the time you read this letter, you shall have known too that our business schoo l has just been ranked the number one MBA schoo l in the Asia Pacific. Th e news coul d not have come at a more opportune moment as my bes t farewell gift from the University . The Chines e Universit y a s we kno w i t toda y i s a mature an d well-run institutio n o f higher learning , full y confiden t of its own potentials, and all out to scal e new heights i n different dimensions . Indeed, wit h the adven t of a new millennium, man y new academi c programme s hav e 致中大全體員生的公開信 A n Ope n Lette r to Staff and Student s o f the Universit y 41