Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 2004

An Address given by Prof. Sir James A . Mi r r lees W e w h o h a ve r e c e i v ed h o n o r a ry degrees t oday t h a nk the Chinese University for wh at is t r u ly an honour. We value these degrees no less than if we h ad h ad to earn t h em b y passing examinations a n d s p e n d i ng years at the U n i v e r s i t y. Taking examinations w o u l d not have been a p l e a s u r e, b u t t i me s p e nt as a student w o u l d have been. We have l o s t s o m e t h i n g a n d g a i n e d something by getting our degrees the easy w a y . F e l l ow g r a d u a t e s, y o u need n ot be too envious. For all of u s , a u n i v e r s i t y d e g r e e i s a d e c l a r a t i on t h at we are v a l u e d: a great r e w a r d i n d e e d. For me, i t is particularly pleasing to be so v a l ued b y wh at is n o w m y o w n university. Today's congregation is special because a n ew Vice-Chancellor is be i ng installed. T h e C h i n e s e U n i v e r s i t y h a s b e e n p e c u l i a r l y f o r t u n a t e i n i t s V i c e - C h a n c e l l o r s , w h o h a v e s e r v e d i t exceedingly well. This fine t r a d i t i on w i l l be we l l sustained by Lawrence Lau. It is a further privilege to be part of that event. Some of us have l i v ed our wh o le lives i n u n i v e r s i t i e s, a n d , as w e s ay i n economics, that reveals a preference. The pursuit of knowledge proved so appealing t h a t w e c o u l d n o t g i v e i t u p . M a y b e n o w a d a y s w e do n o t e x p e ct to k n o w e v e r y t h i ng that is w o r t h k n ow i n g, and to u n d e r s t a nd w h a t a n y o ne u n d e r s t a n d s; t h o u gh we can still try. You w h o graduate today have h ad a taste of it, and ma n y of y o u w i l l have more. I hope y o u w i l l all go o n learning, b o th easy subjects a nd h a rd ones. B u t n o w , I am a f r a i d, y o u w i l l become busy, a nd r i sk b e i ng too bu sy to keep l e a r n i ng a nd e x p l o r i n g. A w o r d of I hope you will all go on learning, both easy subjects and hard ones. But now, I am afraid, you will become busy, and risk being too busy to keep learning and exploring. A word of advice. D o n ' t .Do not be too busy. That is hard. You may make more money that way, but it is not a good life. C h i n e se University Bulletin A u t u mn • Winter 2 0 04 36