Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 2005

Ladies and gentlemen o f the g r adua t i ng class, t o d a y y o u are at the t h r e s h o ld o f a historic t u r n i n g p o i n t of global dimensions, one t h a t is t e e m i n g w i t h c h a l l e n g e s a n d o p p o r t u n i t i e s. F r o m a historical a n d g l obal perspective, this is the rise of Ch i na an d the rise of Asia. For Chinese l i v i n g in H o n g Kong, w h a t calls f o r c e l e b r a t i o n is the g r a d u al eme r g e n c e o f a Ch i n e se e c o n om i c e n t i ty t h r o u gh economic a nd c u l t u r a l cooperation and exchange, and rational political dialogue, a m o n g th e three Chinese c ommu n i t i e s on the t w o sides o f the Taiwan Strait. Graduates of The Chinese University , y o u r future is no longer l i m i t e d to the confines of H o n g Kong . The entire r e g i o n u n d e r Chinese economic and cultural influence is n o w y o u r stage, and perhaps the entire w o r l d as we l l. Since its i n c e p t i o n i n 1963, it has been t h e p o l i c y of Th e Ch i n e se U n i v e r s i ty to p o s i t i o n i t s e l f as an i n t e r n a t i o n al seat o f l e a r n i ng wh e re Chinese a nd Western traditions i n t e g r a t e. I t a l so m a i n t a i n s as i t s m i s s i on the p e r p e t u a t i on a n d d e v e l o pme n t of Chinese c u l t u r e. I t was v e r y m u c h th e h o p e a n d w i s h of its f o u n d e r s t h a t t h e U n i v e r s i t y s h o u l d be an i n s t i t u t i o n o f excellence b o t h Chines e a n d i n t e r n a t i o n al i n c h a r a c t e r . T h e U n i v e r s i t y ' s p o l i c y i n f u l f i l l i n g t h i s v i s i o n has a l w a y s b e e n a b i l i n g u a l m o d e o f t e a c h i n g , w i t h e q u a l emphasis on Chinese a n d English. Ov er the past 42 years b i l i n g u a l i s m has p r o v en it s i mp o r t a n c e as the p r i n c i p a l catalyst of Th e Chinese U n i v e r s i t y ' s i n t e r n a t i o n a l i z a t i o n , w h i c h ensures the Un i v e r s i t y ' s ascendance i n the g l o b a l c o m p e t i t i on a m o n g t e r t i a ry institutions. O n the other hand, the b i l i n g u a l skills so amp l y possessed by the graduates of this universit y have g i v e n t h em immense a d v a n t a ge i n t h e i r career a d v a n c eme nt so that, as the s a y i ng goes , the w o r l d is t h e ir oyster, the sky their l i m i t. A s w e l o ok f o r w a rd to the 21st centur y w e see trends toward s globalization propelle d b y e c o n o m ic f o r c es a n d s c i e n t i f i c a n d t e c h n o l o g i c al a d v a n c e m e n t s a n d, at the same time, a w o r l d w i d e t enden c y t owa r ds h e t e r o g e n e i t y a nd p l u r a l i s m d r i v e n b y a desire f o r h i s t o r i c a l - c u l t u r al r e c o g n i t i o n. T h e Ch i n e se U n i v e r s i t y, w i t h its s t r o n g c o mm i t m e n t to b o t h its Ch i n e s e c u l t u r a l heritage an d an international outlook, is w e l l p o s i t i o n e d t o u n d e r s t a nd t he g r o w i n g i mp o r t a n ce o f b i l i n g u a l i s m , w h i c h it has e n c o u r a g ed a n d p r o m o t e d f o r so m a n y years, a n d the strong need for efforts i n that direction to be f u r t her strengthened. En g l i s h is an i n t e r n a t i o n al language . It is th e m o s t c o mm o n l y u s ed m e d i u m f o r i n t e r n a t i o n al c o m m u n i c a t i o n . I t is t he l a n g u a g e of choice i n business and, mo r e i m p o r t a n t l y, i n the a c a d em i c c o mm u n i t y w o r l d w i d e . I n the s p e c t r um of k n o w l e d g e at the university, English is the m e d i u m for t h e t r a n s m i s s i on o f k n o w l e d g e i n m o s t d i s c i p l i n e s. Th i s is e s p e c i a l l y t r ue i n the sciences. G i v e n that present d a y economies a n d societies are knowledge-based, English has b e c ome t he i n d i s p e n s a b l e l i n g u i s t i c t o o l for creating a nd e x p l o i t i ng k n ow l e d g e. Th i s is w h y En g l i s h is p r e em i n e n t a m o n g w o r l d l anguage s , w h i l e a t t emp ts s u ch as E s p e r a n t o, d e s p i t e its w i d e p o p u l a r i t y d u r i n g the e a r l y 20 th c e n t u r y, h a v e disappeared f r om un i v e r s i t y circles. C h i n e s e is t h e l a n g u a g e t h a t g i v e s i d e n t i ty to the Chinese people, a nd the embodiment of Chinese culture itself. It is the c o n d u i t t h r o u g h w h i c h one m a y enter the expansive realm of Chinese culture , in w h i c h one f i n ds Chinese l i t e r a t u r e , Chinese art, Chinese history, Chinese philosophy, Chines e a r c h i t e c t u r e, Ch i n e s e me d i c i n e, Ch i n e s e r e l i g i o n s, a n d m a n y o t h e rs besides. Undoubtedly Chinese is the essential language for Chinese academic studies, an d a sine qua n o n i n the d e v e l o pme n t of Chinese-base d 'knowledge industry ' and 'cultural industry'. The s t u d y of the Chinese language, a nd the The 62nd Congregation 4 3