Bulletin Special Supplement on Prof. Charles K. Kao, Former Vice-Chancellor and Nobel Laureate The Love and Labour of a Laureate

Foreword 7 Top: With Mrs. Kao at the ceremony for the presentation of the statue of Dr. Choh-ming Li, founding Vice-Chancellor of CUHK, in November 2004 Above: Shoulder to shoulder with students on the first day of the 1994–95 academic year Kao believed his role as the third Vice- Chancellor of CUHK was to create space for talent to grow, thus enabling the university to grow as a whole. No surprise, therefore, that under his leadership, research thrived at the University—research institutes proliferated in all disciplines, and a Research and Technology Administration Office was set up to render back-office support to academics. Interestingly, when asked which achievement had brought him the greatest satisfaction, Kao had answered that it was his having created ‘a scholarly atmosphere on campus’. Like light fleeting through glass, atmosphere is elusive, yet its shimmering presence is only possible under the most precise conditions. Professor Kao retired in 1996, and to this day, is still fondly and reverently remembered for his legacy of vision and integrity.