CUHK: Five Decades in Pictures

29 The Second Decade: 1973–1982 best exemplified by the work of the Institute of Chinese Studies. Established in 1967, the Institute continued its objective to be an international centre for the promotion and study of Chinese culture. Along with its regular exhibitions, workshops and conferences, 1973 saw the inauguration of Renditions , a Chinese-English translation journal that featured the most enduring Chinese writings rendered into English and made available to an international readership. In its short time as a research institution, the University not only made important advances to the knowledge of Chinese studies, but also in other disciplines with research on Chinese medicinal herbs, food proteins, social life in Hong Kong, machine translation, teaching pedagogy, and economics, among others. The dissemination of scholarship was further enhanced with the establishment of the Chinese University Press in 1977, which has since developed into a reputable publisher of scholarly works, with a unique edge in Chinese culture and Hong Kong studies, as well as books of general and educational interest and electronic publications. Today, the Press publishes more than 50 titles a year and carries well over 1,300 titles in its backlist. In keeping with the mission of promoting cultural exchange between East and West, the International Asian Studies Programme was launched in 1977 with the support of the Yale- China Association, and provided students from outside Hong Kong with opportunities to deepen their knowledge of Chinese and Asian studies by living, studying and conducting research in a Chinese setting. Of course, the decade of growth of the University would not be possible without the concurrent development and expansion of its campus. Throughout the decade many prominent buildings were constructed and helped to transform the face of the mountains. These include the Sir Run Run Shaw Hall, the University Sports Centre, the Choh-Ming Li Basic Medical Sciences Building, and the postgraduate hall complex. New student hostels were also constructed for each of the three constituent Colleges. In 1974 the university pylon was erected at the main entrance to the University, consisting of four stone pillars and a sign bearing the name of the University. With no gates or barriers, the pylon symbolized the University’s connection to the community and its commitment to public service. Indeed, the founding of the Faculty of Business Administration (1974) and the Medical School (1981) was due in large part to the demand for trained management and medical personnel for Hong Kong’s growing economy and increasing population. The same decade also saw the launch of the University’s first PhD programmes in Chinese Studies and Electronics and other academic programmes such as anthropology and psychology. These developments during the second decade showed that the University was not only committed to the development of Hong Kong. It was also taking its first steps to becoming a truly international and comprehensive university.